Microsoft plans to release a redesigned Xbox Series X console, known as 'Brooklin,' with a new design and controller.
Court documents from Microsoft's recent legal dispute with the FTC that were apparently accidentally redacted but were then published overnight support that claim.
The documents include slides with details and even images of the "Xbox Series X refresh," which will include "more internal storage, faster Wi-Fi, reduced power, a more immersive controller, and a beautiful design," according to the documents. The console also appears to be missing the standard Series X disc tray.
According to the leaked documents, the new Xbox controller, codenamed 'Sebile,' will include new haptic feedback and accelerometer features, modular thumbsticks, and a rechargeable and swappable battery.
A different slide indicates that "Brooklin" will be available in November 2024 with 2TB of storage for the same price as the current Xbox Series X ($499).
The same leaked documents mention an Xbox Series S refresh with 1TB of storage for September of next year. The Series S refresh will include some of the Brooklin features, such as improved Wi-Fi support, according to the documentation.
If the timing in the documents is correct (they're dated April 2022), the market could be in for two major console refreshes in 2024, with Sony reportedly working on a more powerful PS5 version.
Microsoft's Xbox boss, Phil Spencer, stated in June that a potential mid-cycle upgrade for the Series X was not a priority, and he reiterated this in interviews published last month. Spencer appears to have kept his word, as 'Brooklin' appears to have the same core specs as the standard Series X.
"As soon as you start doing mid-gen refreshes, you've got a bunch of issues in front of developers, on what platform they target," he explained to Eurogamer.
"If we get into a console world where we now have three or four closed ecosystems that upgrade their hardware every two years, I'm going to wonder - how is that helping creators or players?" Spencer added. To me, it appears that we are adding a great deal of complexity for creators and players to what was previously very simple. And perhaps there is another model for us."
Source: VGC