Microsoft may have only just officially unveiled Project Scarlett, but it’s something that’s been pretty much common knowledge for a while. Xbox Scarlett was leaked multiple times before Microsoft spoke about it at E3- and one of the things all the leaks mentioned multiple times was that Project Scarlett would include two variants of the console. A higher end, more powerful SKU codenamed Anaconda, and a cheaper, less powerful SKU codenamed Lockhart. 

But as per a new report by known Xbox insider Klobrille on Twitter, it seems that might not end up happening. Supposedly, with a year and a half still to go before Scarlett’s Holiday 2020 launch, plans have changed internally at Microsoft. The company is allegedly dropping the strategy for two SKUs, and “might” be launching into the next generation with just one single Xbox Scarlett model.

As is always the case with unconfirmed and unverified insider leaks, it’s best to take this with a grain of salt for now. But if it does indeed end up being accurate, questions will arise about a number of things- such as the console’s pricing in light of its impressive spec list, for instance.

There are more and more reports coming in that the leaked next-gen Xbox two SKU strategy is put on hold for now and Microsoft might go into next-gen with one SKU. I have no updates on this other than the fact that yes, obviously 1 1/2 years before release plans can change.

— Klobrille (@klobrille) June 19, 2019

Microsoft’s gearing up for what it’s called it’s biggest E3 show ever. The 2019 Xbox E3 briefing begins in a matter of minutes, at 1 PM PT/4 PM ET, and you can keep up with it live, and catch all the news and latest announcements in the livestream below.  You can expect the show to be roughly two hours long.

Gears 5 has been confirmed to make an appearance, while we can probably expect to see Halo Infinite too. As far as third party games are concerned, we know Cyberpunk 2077 and Borderlands 3 will have E3 2019 showings- and with Sony not attending the show, Microsoft’s press event remains the only option to them (and others like them, who don’t have their own shows).

Beyond what’s officially confirmed, there’s been plenty of leaks about what we can expect to see (which may or may not end up being accurate, of course, as is the case with any leak). From Ninja Theory’s new game, to Fable 4, to FromSoftware’s new game called Elden Ring, to Tales of Arise, and plenty more, there’s a lot that we might end up seeing in the coming couple of hours.

https://youtu.be/zeYQ-kPF0iQ

It’s clear that Microsoft is gearing up for a massive E3 press event- but just how massive, is the question. Recently, they teased that “something new” will be present during their show, while people have also deciphered what seems like sneaky teases of an Xbox Scarlett reveal- now, known insider @New_WabiSabi on Twitter has leaked some very interesting details about what we can expect to see from this purported Xbox Scarlett reveal.

In the tweet in question, Sabi calls the Xbox Scarlett “crazy powerful”, and mentions things such as support for 8K resolutions (similar to the PS5 in that regard) and 120 FPS frame rates- though it’s worth pointing out that this is likely referring to HDMI 2.1, which gives you the option for either 8K+60 FPS, or 4K+120 FPS, and not 8K and 120 FPS together.

One would also assume that the aforementioned is going to be exclusive to the higher-end variant of the next Xbox (or Anaconda, as it’s being called right now), and not the lower-end one (Lockhart). Sabi’s tweet also mentions that the Xbox Scarlett will be backward compatible- most likely with all three preceding Xbox generations. Meanwhile, mention is also made of Xbox Scarlett’s Elite controller, which Sabi describes as “extra special”.

Take all this with a grain of salt for now, since it remains unconfirmed, but the leaker in question has a solid track record (especially of late)- either way, we’ll know for ourselves very, very soon. The Microsoft E3 presser begins imminently, so stay tuned.

https://twitter.com/New_WabiSabi/status/1137745745136668675

https://twitter.com/New_WabiSabi/status/1137746031783768064

With Microsoft’s E3 2019 conference for Xbox One taking place in several hours, it’s time to start some conspiracy theories. Lately, the company has been releasing various countdown videos to its conference. Eventually, users like C.B.K. on Twitter, spotted some secret codes on the left-hand side of these videos.

The first code was “R 255”. Then there was “G 36”, and finally, “B 0”. If you check up the RGB colour code for this, it makes up the colour Scarlet. Xbox Scarlett, essentially. Then again, it could just be a clever little red herring by someone at Xbox to lead players along. Who’s to say?

As such, rumours have been running rampant since last year that the next Xbox would be called “Scarlett.” Over time, it was reported that two consoles would be produced – the powerful, traditional console code-named “Anaconda”, and the lesser (but hopefully cheaper) “Lockhart.” It won’t be long before we find out the truth – Microsoft’s E3 2019 presser takes place today at 1 PM PDT.

https://twitter.com/Cr8Beyond/status/1137490834838970369

E3 2019 is going to be a big one for Microsoft- as big as E3 has ever been for them, if they are to be believed. They’ve confirmed they’ll be showing off 14 first party titles (of which we can expect at least some to be new IPs and/or revivals of old ones), while if reports are to be believed, there’s going to be some killer third party announcements as well.

But there’s also the question of what they’ll be talking about in terms of the hardware stuff. Sony have started peeling back the layers of secrecy on the PS5 even ahead of an official reveal for the console, and many feel that Microsoft need to start doing the same, or risk losing ground to a competitor that is already flying high.

According to known Microsoft insider Brad Sams of Thurott, Microsoft will indeed be talking about the next generation of Xbox. According to Sams, the final specs and configurations of both, the lower end Xbox Anaconda and the higher end Xbox Lockhart, are still in a flux right now and are yet to be nailed down. As such, Microsoft won’t be doing a blow by blow reveal of specs for their new Xbox consoles, but will be speaking of a few things in particular.

The report claims that we can expect to hear about Microsoft including a solid state drive in their consoles as well, just as Sony have done, while other things we’ll hear mentioned are Navi graphics, Zen 2 architecture, other AMD components being used, and backward compatibility (unsurprisingly). Microsoft will also allegedly be speaking about how the next Xbox will run Xbox One X games and enhance them even further.

As always, don’t take this as official confirmation, but it seems believable enough on all fronts. It would be quite surprising, in fact, if Microsoft didn’t talk about the next Xbox at least in some capacity. In fact, given how Microsoft wants to have the more powerful system on the market when next gen rolls around, the specs mentioned by the report also seem par for the course.

Meanwhile, in the same report, Sams also spoke of Microsoft’s software showings, which might include at least three new IPs, a Fable 4 announcement, and Microsoft’s strongest E3 third party showing to date. Read more on that through here.

Sony were very smart with the details that they shared—confirming things like raytracing support, or an in-built SSD, suggests a powerful console with fast, high end hardware, for instance. Confirming that the new system will be backward compatible with the PS4 addresses and counters what is arguably the biggest doubt and question people have had regarding Sony’s ecosystem, and how it will handle the next generational transition. Confirming VR compatibility, including with the current PSVR headset, tells would-be buyers of the accessory that Sony is in it for the long run, and will continue to support VR even with the PS5.

It was a smart reveal, with Sony’s sharing enough to share the impression of a high end, powerful machine, but leaving enough unsaid to let imaginations run wild. As important as what Sony said were the things that they didn’t—not only are hard specs never committed to, for example (it would be too early for that right now, anyway), but something like the price was never mentioned. The original piece doesn’t even approach the topic, and instead the writer shared a short exchange about the price he had with Mark Cerny, the architect of the upcoming system, about how the PS5 will be priced “fairly”. Again, this is sharing not just the right quantity, but also the right type of information.

The question of course is, should Microsoft look at responding to the early tease at the PS5 similarly? While Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, did confirm that a next generation Xbox is in the works at E3 last year, and that it will be headed by the same team that developed the Xbox One X, other than that, there has been little word on Microsoft’s next generation efforts. We have had multiple insider reports, of course, which suggest that Scarlett is the name of the next generation initiative, that Anaconda is the name of the devkit, that there may be multiple models at launch, or that Microsoft is looking to have Xbox be the most powerful console of the bat again, this is all unofficial. These are reports by journalists and reporters with well placed sources, but they aren’t verifiable, and while their track record speaks for itself, this information is still unofficial.

So should Microsoft follow? Should they too take the wraps off of the next generation Xbox—if only a little?

The answer to that is “yes, but not yet”. Because right now, anything they do will seem too reactionary, and will frame the conversation around the next Xbox relative to the next PlayStation, rather than letting it be assessed on its own terms.

No, the smart thing they can do is spend some time during E3 having a similarly preliminary look at the upcoming Xbox. Share some preliminary specs, as well as a vision for the next generation console. At E3, Microsoft gets the stage to itself—remember, Sony isn’t at E3 this year, so Microsoft has full reign over the messaging. Sony cannot counter.

So if Microsoft, on the world’s largest stage for gaming, spends some time to talk about the next generation Xbox, and how it will be the most powerful console ever made, they manage to reach a far bigger audience than Sony did—and Sony can’t counter their messaging, like they did, for example, with the PS4’s pricing and DRM policy at E3 2013 in response to the Xbox One’s. Microsoft can’t be upstaged, and they get to dominate the news cycle.

A part of this also has to do with when the next Xbox is launching. I have previously made the case for the next Xbox launching before the next PlayStation does—even if it is only by a few months. I still stand by that, and I feel that Microsoft could cement themselves into the public mindshare even further at E3 by having something concrete to show, because their console is closer to release, and they can commit to things more firmly.

In fact, Phil Spencer has already confirmed that Microsoft’s new studio purchases will have something to show at E3 this year. It may be in an early stage, but they will be showing games—and it is also unlikely that games they are working on are for the Xbox One, when its successor is presumably a year or so away. This means that feasibly, Microsoft could share not just vague specs and a vision for the console, but hard details and even a name and games. This means that Microsoft would get ahead of Sony by properly announcing the next generation Xbox months ahead of them.

This is me spitballing, of course—but even if Microsoft plans for the initial reveal of the Xbox Scarlett to be a tease similar to what we got for the PS5 or the Scorpio, E3 is still the best time they could take the wraps off of the console. So the answer to the question of whether or not Microsoft should follow? Yes, but at E3.

Until then, what details Sony has shared about the PS5 are juicy enough for us to get a few months’ worth of discussion anyway.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Sony’s recent pseudo-reveal of the PS5 impressed a large number of people, thanks to what they’re promising they’ll deliver with their next gen hardware. The preliminary specs they’ve revealed look promising, the inclusion of an SSD allegedly makes for hugely faster performances, while the inclusion of things such as VR support and backwards compatibility are major crowd-pleasers as well.

But of course, the PS5 isn’t the only horse in the race. Microsoft’s next gen Xbox is also bound to be revealed soon – most likely at their E3 show this June – and all eyes will be on them to see if their system matches (or outmatches) the impressive hardware Sony are claiming they will put out. Apparently, though, that is exactly what Microsoft plans to do.

As per journalist Ainsley Bowden on Twitter, “multiple insiders” are confirming that the Xbox Anaconda – which is the codename for one of the two next gen Xbox models Microsoft is reportedly working on – is going to be “more advanced” than the PS5, which Microsoft wanting to continue having the most powerful console hardware available on the market, as they currently do with the Xbox One X as well.

Meanwhile, known Xbox insider Klobrille is also confirming on ResetEra that Microsoft is intending for the Xbox Anaconda to be the “clearly better performing device” of all consoles available once the next generation rolls around.

As per several reports over the last few months, Microsoft is reportedly working on two variants of their next Xbox console, with one being codenamed Anaconda, and the other one Lockhart. While Lockhart is supposed to be the cheaper and more affordable piece of hardware, Anaconda, as per all past reports, has been said to be the next gen equivalent of the Xbox One X, being priced higher, but also having more powerful hardware.

These, incidentally, are the same reports that suggested that Microsoft was also working on a discless, digital-only edition of the Xbox One – which we now officially know to be true – so there’s plenty of merit to them. In either case, we should hopefully find out soon enough, with Microsoft’s E3 press event this June.

The PS5 hardware details (so far) were exactly what we were hoping for; even beyond what many were expecting.

Multiple insiders have now confirmed it’s true Xbox “Anaconda” will be more advanced as rumored.

All this means is next year is going to be AMAZING for fans of both. pic.twitter.com/ro9QeO8DtV

— Ains (@Porshapwr) April 17, 2019

Not my sources. Rather, known sources for MS/Xbox info that are very reliable and have been accurate for years on leaks.

Keep in mind, it shouldn’t be surprising. It was already announced last year by MS directly that they would have the most powerful hardware again next-gen.

— Ains (@Porshapwr) April 18, 2019

Rumours surrounding the next generation of consoles and what Microsoft has in store for us with their horizons expanding to the realms of streaming and what have you have been circulating for a number of months now, and thanks to a recent report by French outlet Jeuxvideo, they’ve been kicked up into an absolute frenzy again.

The outlet is reporting that Microsoft plans to reveal its plans for Project Scarlett, the name for their plans for the next generation of Xbox, in full at E3 2019. As per the report, Microsoft will be revealing the two previously rumoured variants for the next Xbox at E3 2019- currently codenamed Xbox Anaconda and Xbox Lockhart. While Lockhart is a cheaper, less powerful version of the variant, which is also completely digital and streaming-based and will not come with a disc drive, Anaconda will be the Xbox One X equivalent, coming with much more powerful hardware capabilities, and also including a disc drive.

There will be some commonalities across both variants of the hardware as far as specs are concerned. Both variants will have a CPU of custom 8 cores – 16 zen threads 2, as well as SSD hard drives of 1TB NVMe at 1+ GB/s. That’s where the similarities end, though. As per the report, the Xbox Lockhart will have a custom NAVI GPU of 4+ teraflops and 12GB of GDDR6 memory, while the Xbox Anaconda will have a custom NAVI GPU of 12+ teraflops and 16GB of GDDR6 memory.

According to the report, following their unveilings at E3 2019, Microsoft will be launching both variants of the next Xbox by the end of 2020. What’s interesting is that Halo Infinite, which would revealed at last year’s E3 without any target platforms or release date mentioned, is supposed to be a launch title for the next generation of Xbox, if the report is to be believed.

Though Halo Infinite is being saved for the next Xbox, though, Microsoft still has some stuff planned for the Xbox One. As per the report, other than the already announced Gears 5, Ninja Theory’s next game – which will be their first game since being acquired by Microsoft – is due out in early 2020.

Right now, it’s best to take these reports with a grain of salt, as is the case with any report of such nature, but it does give us some interesting hints about exciting things that could end up happening. Certainly, this would definitely be in line with Phil Spencer’s recent statements about Microsoft planning to go all out at E3 this year. Either way, stay tuned to GamingBolt, and we’ll keep you updated in case any new info comes our way.

We now have ample proof that Microsoft takes Xbox, and the gaming industry, pretty seriously, but what is perhaps going to convince people that the company really wants to hedge its bets as a platform holder is the revelation that Microsoft is currently working on not one, not two, but four new Xbox consoles.

This news comes from well known Microsoft insider Brad Sams at Thurott. He divides the new Xbox projects under the Scarlett banner, which includes all next generation Xbox projects, and the non Scarlett ones.

Half the consoles are meant to be part of the current Xbox One line: one is named “Maverick”, and is a disc-less, streaming only console. I’m assuming it will be the flagship product for the xCloud initiative, but it is due out before the Scarlett products launch. Even before it launches, however, is a revised Xbox One S—this will be compatible with xCloud, but still include a disc drive, be slimmer, and also cheaper.

As for the Scarlett consoles, there are two: one is “Anaconda”, which we have spoken of recently. Anaconda is meant to be like the Xbox One X, a high end machine meant for gaming enthusiasts. The other is Lockhart, a cheaper, Xbox One S style option meant as the mass market mover. As of right now, both are expected to launch in 2020.

It is important to remember that though the source these rumors come from is known for being accurate, these are still just that—rumors. For now, treat them as such. But if there is even a kernel of truth to them, it sounds like the future of the Xbox platform is going to be very exciting.