With less than a month to go until E3 2016, the rumor mill has begun to kick into high gear. On Wednesday, Kotaku published a report claiming that Microsoft will release a cheaper, smaller Xbox One before the end of the year while an upgraded Xbox One console with upgraded specs will launch in 2017.
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According to Kotaku’s sources, the upgraded Xbox carries the codename Scorpio, and will have a more powerful GPU than the current model. Sources also say that the new console will be able to support the Oculus Rift, which is why Microsoft is currently working to partner with Oculus in the months leading up to launch.
As for the smaller Xbox One, there’s a chance it will come equipped with a 2TB hard drive, although Kotaku couldn’t offer many more details regarding the 2016 console. Providing the smaller Xbox One is real, we’ll probably see it at E3.
Together, these two consoles make up a new strategy that sources are calling “Project Helix.” This strategy will see the companies two major platforms, Windows and Xbox, come together as one. Developer sources tell Kotaku that Microsoft is going to require games to be made available for both platforms in the future.
Finally, it appears that both of these consoles are part of a new iterative approach to console releases that will continue throughout the hardware generation. Sources say that Microsoft will continue to release new hardware on a more consistent basis than ever before, while keeping its games compatible with as much of the available hardware as it possibly can at once.
We’ll likely hear more about these plans when Microsoft takes the stage at E3 2016 on Monday, June 13th at 9:30 a.m. PDT. You can read all about the company’s currently announced plans for E3 right here.
