Thurrott.com just concluded a podcast, where they discussed the future of Xbox hardware- and contrary to a lot of speculations, it sounds like the future of Xbox hardware is very bright, with multiple Xbox branded products on the horizon- far sooner than one might thing.
Microsoft apparently have multiple new Xbox products in the wings- included in these is what was referred to as an ‘Xbox 2,’ which will be VR enabled, and based on an entirely new architecture (it was unclear whether or not it would be backwards compatible with the existing Xbox One). That’s not all, either- apparently, an Xbox 1.5, so to speak, is due out later this year, which will be a souped up version of the current Xbox One. It will be capable of 4K output, which means it will probably go head to head with the PS4 Neo.
Microsoft will also be putting out TV specific hardware under the Xbox brand, it sounds like- there are two TV Xbox solutions in the work, including a Chromecast-esque stick, as well as an Apple TV/Roku-esque Xbox TV streaming box (this is separate from the long rumored Xbox Slim). Tom Warren of The Verge has weighed in on a lot of this news on NeoGAF, confirming that there will in fact be new Xbox hardware at E3, and that it will be 40% slimmer than what we have right now- but he refused to comment on anything else, leaving the question of just what this slimmer hardware may be open.
If all of this is true, then we could be looking at a lot of Xbox branded hardware within the next year or so:
- An Xbox 1.5, which would be sort of a response to the PS4K Neo. This will be 4K compatible and coming later this year, and it may have a slimmer form factor than the existing Xbox One
- An Xbox 2, revealed around Spring next year, based on an entirely new hardware architecture, and VR compatible. This will probably be the successor to Xbox One, and it is unclear whether or not it will be backwards compatible with the existing Xbox One hardware
- An Xbox branded Chromecast-esque streaming stick
- An Xbox branded Apple TV-esque streaming box
All in all, it sounds like Microsoft, rather than slowly transitioning away from hardware, are doubling down on it, at least where the Xbox is concerned- with E3 around the corner, official confirmations for at least some of these are likely coming up soon. We can’t wait to see what the future has in store.
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