Leaked Microsoft Documents Reveal Disc-Less Xbox Series X and New Gyro Controller
Along with a revamped version of the Xbox Series S.
A massive leak of documents released from Microsoft’s court battle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over its buyout of Activision Blizzard has unveiled some of the company’s plans to put out new hardware in the coming years.
Among them are pitches, some of which outline next-gen models of the Xbox Series X/S and a new controller. For its new Series X, Microsoft designed a cylindrical console with a disc-less approach, meaning it’ll rely entirely on cloud gaming. Per the documents, the $499 USD Series X was codenamed “Brooklin” and is expected to arrive in November 2024.
A quieter revamp of the Xbox Series S, codenamed “Ellewood” and priced at $299 USD, is slated to roll out the month prior. That version of the console stays truer to its predecessor, offering similar improvements to the Series X but with double the storage, packing 1TB over the Series X’s 512GB.
Microsoft’s accompanying controller is planned for May 2024, meanwhile, goes by the codename of “Sebile” and features a built-in accelerometer. A key element of the direct-to-cloud controller is that it uses gyro, a tilt sensor, to gauge where and how a player has moved it. The move points to greater integration for gyro in new titles coming out of Microsoft moving forward.
It’s still unclear how the documents came to surface or how the leak will inform Microsoft’s future timeline. In addition to the hardware, details such as the company’s funding and projected margins have also come to light. The pitch decks are over a year old, so it’s possible that Microsoft has shifted its plans in the time since regardless of the leak.
In other tech news, the Final Fantasy VII rebirth has received an official release date.
