With Halo Infinite delayed and the Xbox Series X dated for November, it seems that the Xbox Series S has been pushed to the wayside. Codenamed “Lockhart”, rumors for the console have been circulating for a while now but an official reveal has yet to happen. Thankfully, new bits and pieces continue to be doled out by The Verge senior editor Tom Warren.

Warren revealed back in June that the lower-cost console would run at the same CPU speed as the Xbox Series X. He noted that GPU frequency and CU counts would be the main differing factor. In a recent tweet discussing TweakTown’s breakdown of both consoles, Warren said that the GPU consisted of 20 CUs running at 1.550 GHz compared to the Xbox Series X’s 52 CUs at 1.825 GHz.

Warren also said he believes the console will support ray-tracing. He also commented on backwards compatibility without a disc drive, noting that, “There have been rumors of a digital switch over where you send discs to Microsoft etc.” Of course, he’s still not “100 percent sure” how this will be handled.

Stay tuned for more official details in the coming weeks especially with the rumored Xbox Series X details now planned for September and Gamescom just around the corner.

https://twitter.com/tomwarren/status/1295638725272141825

yes, I believe it will

— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) August 18, 2020

I am not 100% sure on how they’ll handle it, but there have been rumors of a digital switch over where you send discs to Microsoft etc. I honestly hope they do this

— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) August 18, 2020

The Xbox Series S or Xbox Lockhart, a lower cost alternative to the Xbox Series X, has been rumored for quite some time now. It seems that a reveal may be on the cards soon, especially following its mention on the Xbox Series X controller box. Xbox boss Phil Spencer promised more news on the Xbox Series X in August but details on the Xbox Series S could be coming sooner.

According to VentureBeat’s Jeff Grubb on Twitter, fans can expect to hear more “within three weeks.” While that technically places it anywhere in the remainder of August, an announcement at Gamescom Opening Night Live seems appropriate. It’s currently set for August 27th and will kick off this year’s digital event.

The Xbox Series X, meanwhile, is currently slated to release this holiday season. While a release date and price have yet to be revealed, Microsoft CFO Amy Hood confirmed that it would be out in November. As always, stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

I'm sorry. I looked at the calendar wrong. It's within three weeks.

— Grubb (@JeffGrubb) August 9, 2020

Evidence of the Xbox Lockhart – or the Xbox Series S, as it will most likely be called – continues to mount up, even as we wait for Microsoft to officially announce it. Reports have pegged August as the month that we will finally hear about it, and Xbox boss Phil Spencer has confirmed that more Xbox news is coming later this month. But though it’s looking likely that the allegedly cheaper next-gen Xbox variant will finally be unveiled, it seems we may have already received confirmation from the same.

Over on Twitter, @zakk_exe posted images of an Xbox Series X controller that they were able to spot in a store and purchase. What’s curious about it is not only its white colour – as opposed to black, which seems to be the default theme for the Xbox Series X – but also its packaging. The back of the controller’s box lists all devices and platforms that it is compatible with, and on the very top of that list, it mentions “Xbox Series X | S”.

An image of a similar white Xbox controller was leaked recently, while we’ve also reported on the fact that Microsoft have trademarked the “Xbox Series” branding, suggesting multiple consoles falling under the umbrella. Connecting all of those dots is quite easy, especially with this latest evidence.

Meanwhile, specs for the Xbox Series S also allegedly leaked some time back, while references to its codename, Lockhart, have also been found in the Windows OS files.

https://twitter.com/zakk_exe/status/1292602854990065670

It may not have gone as well as Microsoft would have hoped, but they finally had their big Xbox Series X blowout last week- and with just a few months left until their next-gen console’s launch, it goes without saying that that was just the beginning. More news on the console is bound to come sooner rather than later, and we now know when we can expect it.

In an interview with iJustine (which you can view below), Xbox boss Phil Spencer said that more information on Xbox Series X will be shared in August. “I am encouraged to be able to talk more about it. It should be August,” he said. “I think in August we’ll have more to say on that.”

Rumours and leaks have suggested for months on end that Microsoft will be launching multiple SKUs of the next-gen Xbox. A cheaper and less powerful variant – allegedly codenamed Xbox Lockhart, which could end up being called the Xbox Series S – is supposed to be revealed in August, as per recent reports. The price and exact launch date of the Xbox Series X are also yet to be revealed, so hopefully that’s information that will be shared soon as well.

Meanwhile, rumours indicate that a PS5-focused State of Play will also be happening in August. Read more on that through here.

As is often the case when we get close to console launches, all kinds of leaks start coming out of the woodwork. The PS5 has seemingly gotten several from the factory floor, such as the recent allegedly leak of detachable side plates. And now it’s time for the Xbox to get one with an alleged controller leak, though the story behind it isn’t quite as straightforward.

Via the Xbox Reddit today, a user going by Wolfy_Wizzardo showed a picture of a Xbox Series X controller that was white, instead of the standard black we have been seeing. It’s since been deleted, but we caught it below, and Tom Warren of The Verge got to talk to the user before going silent. The user alleges he took the picture at a party being held by a Microsoft employee’s kid. Not only that, they claim they actually got to play some of the system, commenting that the UI was very similar to the current Xbox One interface (which falls in line with recent reports) with one notable feature highlighted in Quick Resume.

Now, let’s be honest, that story sounds kind of like a bunch of crap, but leaks have happened in odder ways, so who really knows. Since the color is different, some wonder if this could be a controller for the Lockhart version of the system that’s been rumored to come for some time. It’s also just possible the Xbox Series X could come in more than one color, or that white was being used for testing purposes at one point. If we take this at face value, there could be any number of explanations. Of course, as with all leaks, take it with a grain of salt.

That Microsoft are going to enter the market with multiple variants of their next-gen Xbox has become something of an open secret. Though nothing has officially been announced, rumours and leaks of the Xbox Lockhart – or the Xbox Series X, as some suggest it will be called – have popped up with great frequency, and some more evidence may have recently emerged pointing to that.

According to Gameblog.fr, in a recent Q&A session with the press, Halo Infinite studio head Chris Lee have let slip the existence of more next-gen Xbox consoles besides Xbox Series X. When asked about the differences between the game’s Xbox One and Xbox Series X versions, Lee said that the first person shooter was being made to run well on “all Scarlett devices”. Scarlett, of course, is the internal codename for Xbox Series X at Microsoft.

The intensity of reports of the Lockhart have continued to heat up in recent weeks and months. References to the reportedly weaker next-gen console were recently spotted in the Windows OS, while reports have also suggested that Microsoft will be unveiling the Lockhart in August.

The inverse is also true. When the PS4 and Xbox One launched in 2013, the technology in both consoles was considered obsolete out of the box (Microsoft’s attempt to push eSRAM as one of its core proprietary components is one key example). However, fast forward to roughly seven years later and both the Xbox Series X and PS5 look amazing out of the box. Even if raw numbers bore you, their feature sets are nothing to scoff at.

Hardware-based ray-tracing, native 4K support, 120 fps support, solid-state drives, so on and so forth. The Xbox Series X is even capable of adding HDR to older titles that never supported it, like Halo 5: Guardians on the Xbox One. Both consoles can stream huge amounts of data seamlessly, reducing or outright retiring loading screens while implementing instant transitions between worlds.

However, in this day and age though, much like in 1994, it isn’t all about the raw power. It’s also about the games, their collectors, the services, and options. Everyone knows Sony could release one PS5 model with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disk drive and still see monumental sales. However, because the company recognizes the number of digital consumers it has, there’s also a disk drive-less variant launching at the same time. This isn’t convenience for convenience’s sake though, which we’ll come back to in a bit.

Why is all of this this important for Microsoft and how could it help the company gain an edge over the PS5? Over the past year or so, rumors have been rampant about something called “Lockhart”. It was cited as the lower-powered version of “Scarlett”, the latter going on to become Project Scarlett and then the Xbox Series X. Microsoft was also rumored to be working on a cloud-based console, codenamed “Maverick”, which could leverage its Xbox Game Pass library and streaming. The subsequent announcement of Project xCloud and its bundling with Game Pass seemed to further corroborate this rumor.

As time went by however, Maverick seemingly disappeared and Lockhart was said to have been shelved. We didn’t hear a whole lot about the latter…until rumors and reports of its reveal starting cropping up again. According to sources that spoke with The Verge, Lockhart is rumored to have 7.5 GB of usable RAM, 4 TFLOPs of GPU performance and a “slightly underclocked CPU”.

That GPU performance may worry some, especially since it’s lower than the Xbox One X’s 6 TFLOPs performance. There’s also the fact that the Xbox One X has 12 GB of GDDR5 RAM, of which 9 GB is available for games. However, it’s important to consider the overall architecture of both consoles. If Lockhart is indeed a less powerful version than the Xbox Series X, then it will likely have a Zen 2 CPU, which already puts it above the custom Jaguar used in the Xbox One X, and an RDNA2 GPU, which has a higher clock speed than the GCN 4 Polaris. Furthermore, it could be using GGDR6 RAM, resulting in higher memory bandwidth.

The console will apparently aim for 1080p or 1440p resolutions. Our theory is that it will enable Xbox Series X titles to run at 30 to 60 fps at 1080p, depending on the game and without features like ray-tracing or native 4K support. Graphics will also likely be adjusted further when it comes to more demanding titles like Halo Infinite and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2.

Essentially, Lockhart’s main purpose is to serve as a middle ground for current Xbox One players that want to make the jump to next-gen but don’t want to pay a bomb for the Xbox Series X. This is meant to cater to the Xbox Game Pass and digital crowd, allowing them to enjoy the latest in both third and first-party efforts at the cost of the highest graphically fidelity. Perhaps further down the line, when the Xbox Series X sees a price drop, they might consider upgrading.

This strategy of creating a device to facilitate current eco-systems while reportedly costing less seems more nuanced than the PlayStation 5’s disc-less digital alternative. Because it’s not just aimed at having a cheaper console than the base model – it fits into Microsoft’s current theme of cross-gen support, ensuring everyone can get in on the next-gen hype.

The commitment to not having Xbox Series X-only titles within the first year or two of the console’s launch starts to make more sense in that regard. If the rumor about Microsoft delaying the Xbox Series X and Lockhart from their previous August and October release dates – whether due to external real-world factors or otherwise – is true, then it’s even more realistic to have both consoles out at the same time.

It’s also important to note Sony’s stance on the digital-only PS5. While the company no doubt wants to leverage consumers who only purchase digitally, this step seems more cognizant of the PS5’s base price potentially being higher than the Xbox Series X at launch. While this may not seem like a big deal for most fans – because they’ll buy it if and when it’s available – it’s still a good safety net for everyone else. Even if the Xbox One’s $499 wasn’t the sole reason for it falling behind the PS4 in 2013, it was still a strong contributing factor. There’s no doubt that Sony wants to potentially avoid such a scenario itself, because comfortably transitioning current-gen owners to next-gen will only pay dividends in the long run.

For the health of Microsoft’s current and next-gen ecosystem, Lockhart will be a good initiative, even if its specs end up being even less powerful than reported. However, once the company moves past the initial launch years, it will need to focus more on its strategy for exclusives. This is something that Sony is pushing for right out of the gate – high-profile exclusives at launch and within the first year, not to mention timed-exclusive third party titles to showcase the console’s incredible power. One would hope that Microsoft realizes this and is already readying its own exclusives to counteract it.

Determining a “winner” in the next console war is usually tough within the first few months. But if Lockhart and the PS5 digital edition prove anything, it’s that the next-generation will be determined by how successful each company’s respective strategy is. Will Sony’s premium, next-gen heavy approach with award-winning exclusives win out? Or will it be Microsoft’s all-encompassing approach, generous Game Pass service and potential price difference? Time will tell and it’s certainly going to be a long wait. Until then, stay tuned for August when Lockhart is rumored to be revealed.

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.

The Xbox Series X is due out this Holiday, while multiple reports over the last few weeks have also pointed at an upcoming announcement for Lockhart, the long-rumoured weaker variant of Microsoft’s next-gen console- which, presumably, will be releasing alongside the Xbox Series X. However, as per a new report, it seems like Microsoft’s original plans for the release timelines of both consoles were a little different.

In a report talking about the recent leaks regarding Xbox Lockhart, Brad Sams of Thurrott says that Microsoft’s original plans for the console were to release it mid-October. Surprisingly enough, releasing the Xbox Series X a few months before that – in August, to be precise – was also part of that plan. Sams mentions that those plans probably changed later on, but doesn’t go into whether that was due to naturally shifting timelines, or external factors such as the pandemic.

Additionally, the report also mentions that Microsoft’s internal timeline for the reveal and launch of the Lockhart is quite fluid, and as such, pinning an exact date for both is not easy. Sams does, however, add that an official announcement should nonetheless be coming “sooner rather than later.”

Recent reports have indicated that the Lockhart will be revealed in August.

For some time now there has been rumors floating around about the potential of a second Microsoft next generation console called the Xbox Lockhart, or alternatively as some leakers have referred to it as, the Xbox Series S. It apparently is a machine with lower end hardware than the Xbox Series X, but still with the ability to play all games being developed for the Series X at different resolutions and possibly framerates. Well, it seems as if we could see it soon.

According to a new report from Eurogamer, they say that Microsoft will unveil the game at some point in August. We know a July show is planned, but that will apparently highlight next generation games and features of the Series X, with the Lockhart/Series S coming afterward.

This lines up with a previous rumor that the Lockhart was meant to be shown this month, but was ultimately pushed back so as not to conflict with Sony’s unveiling of the PS5. At this point, it feels like there’s a lot of smoke around this. The question now is what kind of price difference are we potentially looking when it’s all said and done? We have yet to have a price on either the PS5 or Series X, with many expecting them to have hefty price tags. If Series S/Lockhart performs as intended with a nice discount, could be a big boon for Microsoft. Stay tuned.

The last couple of weeks have seen the rumour mill firing up again with leaks of the long-rumoured Xbox Lockhart. Most recently, Tom Warren of The Verge reported on the console’s specs, and one of the things he mentioned was that the console would have a slightly underclocked CPU as compared to the more powerful Xbox Series X.

That, however, might not be the case after all. Taking recently to Twitter, Warren said that he now believes the Lockhart’s CPU is going to have the same speed as the CPU used in the Xbox Series X. The primary difference between the two consoles will come from GPU frequencies (the Lockhart reportedly has a 4 TFLOPS GPU, as opposed to the Xbox Series X’s 12 TFLOPS), and CU counts (details on which are vague right now).

In another tweet, Warren also referred to the leaked detail that the Lockhart will target 1080p-1440p resolutions, saying that where games land in that spectrum will be entirely up to the developers.

The Lockhart still hasn’t been officially revealed, but with all these leaks, one would assume that it will be seen. A report not too long ago suggested that that reveal might come in August- read more on that through here.

https://twitter.com/tomwarren/status/1276903452283744260

that’ll really be down to devs tbh

— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) June 27, 2020