Tenchi Ryu
Ashtray B!tch
Here's a round-up of the latest rumors we've been working with at the moment. As always, take it with a pinch of salt as plans can and do change, but one thing's for sure, Microsoft is going to hit next-gen with a fighting attitude.
Discless Xbox One SKU for 2019
As first reported by Thurrott, Microsoft is building a disc-less Xbox One console set to launch by spring 2019 if all things go to plan. We've also heard that Microsoft will look to announce the console as early as January 2019, alongside a disc-to-digital program that will allow you to convert your physical library into digital licenses via participating retailers.
If you were concerned about whether or not this indicates a new trend for Microsoft, fear not, we've heard from multiple sources that the "Scarlett" family next-gen consoles will still have disc drives, at least as an option. The success of the disc-less SKU will no doubt determine whether or not Microsoft moves ahead with providing a separate, cheaper disc-less SKU for the Scarlett next-gen devices. We'll have to wait and see.
Xbox "Anaconda," Xbox "Lockhart"
Xbox snek.
According to our sources, there are two consoles currently being prepped, aiming for a 2020 holiday debut — a cheaper "S"-style console, to succeed the Xbox One S, and a more beastly "X"-style console, to succeed the Xbox One X. The codename for the "S 2" seems to be "Lockhart," and the codename for the "X 2" seems to be "Anaconda," which may also be serving as a dev kit.
The next-gen Lockhart console will be the affordable SKU, providing the next-gen Xbox experience in a package potentially around as powerful as the current Xbox One X hardware wise, with refinements under the hood. The Anaconda console will be more powerful and more expensive, providing a cutting-edge console gaming experience. We've also heard Microsoft is exploring technology to dramatically reduce loading times, potentially including SSD storage in the package.
Game Core
We've been reporting on Microsoft's efforts surrounding Windows Core OS for a while now, and it does appear that there's a gaming angle to the puzzle. We've heard from multiple places that the next-gen Xbox consoles will be fully compatible with everything on your current Xbox One consoles, including your OG Xbox and Xbox 360 library via backward compatibility. We've also heard that Microsoft is working on a new platform for games dubbed "Game Core," as part of Windows Core OS, which the Scarlett family will support when it's ready. It extends the work Redmond has been doing on UWP.
Game Core should make it easier for developers to build games that function not only on Xbox "Scarlett" consoles but also Windows 10 PCs, further reducing the amount of work studios need to do to get games running across both platforms. Details are scant, but we'll hopefully hear more about Game Core either at GDC in early 2019, or a bit later at Microsoft's Build conference.
Handheld angle
Project xCloud is designed to allow you to play your Xbox console games on any device using input methods of your choice, whether it's a connected Xbox Bluetooth controller on an Android phone or via touch. That said, playing shooters via touch just feels clunky and awkward most of the time, and most phone controller mounts are tacky and cheap because there simply hasn't been much of a demand for them. Microsoft seems to be aware.
We've heard that Microsoft has been working with accessory vendors like Razer and others to ensure that Xbox gaming on mobile is as streamlined an experience as possible, with a range of new accessories, and maybe even devices, that will take advantage of the mobile possibilities that Project xCloud will bring.
Source:
What are Xbox 'Anaconda' and 'Lockhart'? Here are the latest next-gen Xbox rumors we're working with.
Discless Xbox One SKU for 2019
As first reported by Thurrott, Microsoft is building a disc-less Xbox One console set to launch by spring 2019 if all things go to plan. We've also heard that Microsoft will look to announce the console as early as January 2019, alongside a disc-to-digital program that will allow you to convert your physical library into digital licenses via participating retailers.
If you were concerned about whether or not this indicates a new trend for Microsoft, fear not, we've heard from multiple sources that the "Scarlett" family next-gen consoles will still have disc drives, at least as an option. The success of the disc-less SKU will no doubt determine whether or not Microsoft moves ahead with providing a separate, cheaper disc-less SKU for the Scarlett next-gen devices. We'll have to wait and see.
Xbox "Anaconda," Xbox "Lockhart"
According to our sources, there are two consoles currently being prepped, aiming for a 2020 holiday debut — a cheaper "S"-style console, to succeed the Xbox One S, and a more beastly "X"-style console, to succeed the Xbox One X. The codename for the "S 2" seems to be "Lockhart," and the codename for the "X 2" seems to be "Anaconda," which may also be serving as a dev kit.
The next-gen Lockhart console will be the affordable SKU, providing the next-gen Xbox experience in a package potentially around as powerful as the current Xbox One X hardware wise, with refinements under the hood. The Anaconda console will be more powerful and more expensive, providing a cutting-edge console gaming experience. We've also heard Microsoft is exploring technology to dramatically reduce loading times, potentially including SSD storage in the package.
Game Core
We've been reporting on Microsoft's efforts surrounding Windows Core OS for a while now, and it does appear that there's a gaming angle to the puzzle. We've heard from multiple places that the next-gen Xbox consoles will be fully compatible with everything on your current Xbox One consoles, including your OG Xbox and Xbox 360 library via backward compatibility. We've also heard that Microsoft is working on a new platform for games dubbed "Game Core," as part of Windows Core OS, which the Scarlett family will support when it's ready. It extends the work Redmond has been doing on UWP.
Game Core should make it easier for developers to build games that function not only on Xbox "Scarlett" consoles but also Windows 10 PCs, further reducing the amount of work studios need to do to get games running across both platforms. Details are scant, but we'll hopefully hear more about Game Core either at GDC in early 2019, or a bit later at Microsoft's Build conference.
Handheld angle
Project xCloud is designed to allow you to play your Xbox console games on any device using input methods of your choice, whether it's a connected Xbox Bluetooth controller on an Android phone or via touch. That said, playing shooters via touch just feels clunky and awkward most of the time, and most phone controller mounts are tacky and cheap because there simply hasn't been much of a demand for them. Microsoft seems to be aware.
We've heard that Microsoft has been working with accessory vendors like Razer and others to ensure that Xbox gaming on mobile is as streamlined an experience as possible, with a range of new accessories, and maybe even devices, that will take advantage of the mobile possibilities that Project xCloud will bring.
Source:
What are Xbox 'Anaconda' and 'Lockhart'? Here are the latest next-gen Xbox rumors we're working with.
If it’s all western RPGs and FPS, I don’t care.
