Now more rumours claim Xbox Slim, Xbox One upgrade coming

There have been murmurings about an Xbox One upgrade since earlier this year, when Xbox head Phil Spencer suggested a different way of approaching hardware upgrades.

Now, Kotaku and Polygon have reported that Microsoft is set to reveal two consoles, with one being announced at E3 2016 and the other being revealed next year.

So what should we be expecting though?

A slimmer Xbox One

Both websites, citing their sources, say that Microsoft will reveal a slimmer, cheaper and lighter Xbox One at E3 next month. The publications also managed to snag more details, with Kotaku reporting that this model will feature a 2TB hard drive, while Polygon claims that a redesigned controller will accompany the launch.

The Verge has corroborated the reports via its own sources, claiming that the new machine will be 40% smaller and include 4K video support.

Slim consoles are by no means a new thing of course, as Sony launched lightweight versions of the PS1, PS2 and PS3 over the years. In fact, Microsoft is no stranger to redesigned consoles either – the firm released the Xbox 360 S model in 2010.

A more powerful Xbox in 2017

The websites have leaked the existence of a much more powerful Xbox too, codenamed Scorpio, set for release next year.

Kotaku reports that it will have a more powerful graphics chip and will technically support the Oculus Rift – although Microsoft is still “pursuing a partnership” with the Facebook-owned company.

Meanwhile, Polygon corroborated details surrounding the upgrade, but added that Microsoft was targeting performance of six teraflops for the new console.

How would it stack up to the PS4 Neo?

We already know that Sony is hard at work on the PS4 Neo, a hardware upgrade over the PS4 that delivers a substantial horsepower increase. But if the new Xbox upgrade is confirmed, it would edge out the Neo in the power stakes.

Documents leaked by Giant Bomb show that the PS4 Neo has targeted performance of 4.14 teraflops. The PS4 has quoted performance of 1.8 teraflops, while the Xbox One topped out at 1.3 teraflops.

Was Microsoft’s hand forced by Sony though? Polygon claims that this is the case. The publication says that Sony’s PS4 Neo timetable is putting pressure on Microsoft to advance the announcement of Scorpio.

Is this a switch to a mobile-like upgrade path?

Claims of Sony and Microsoft’s beefed-up consoles would also mean that they’re launching new machines much sooner than traditionally expected. Both the PS4 and Xbox One were launched at the end of 2013, which would mean that we’d be seeing three or four years between new consoles.

By comparison, the original Xbox was on the market for a scant four years before the Xbox 360 hit the scene, while the PS2 was out for six years before the PS3 was released.

The last console generation saw a longer gaps between console releases though. The 360 was out for eight years before the Xbox One was released, while the PS3 was available for seven years before the PS4 was pushed out.

If confirmed, the move suggests a switch to a smartphone-like upgrade path, with devices/upgrades launching every couple of years. Microsoft’s Spencer has even suggested forwards- and backwards-compatibility, meaning that you don’t have to lose your game library when purchasing a new console. This is akin to the mobile industry currently, where your favourite apps and games can largely be brought across to your new phone.

The leaked documents seem to put the PS4 Neo in the same camp. The Japanese firm is reportedly mandating a “base mode” for games played on standard PS4 consoles and a “Neo mode” which incorporates graphical upgrades on the new machine.