The design of the Xbox Series X is official, but Microsoft left out a huge detail from that announcement. We still have no idea what kind of ports and connectivity options the console will have to offer. While it’s easy to speculate that it’ll sport everything from new USB-C ports to a regular Ethernet port, speculate is indeed all we can do for the time being. Even AMD, the company that makes some of the custom chips that the Xbox and the PS5 will use, isn’t sure about what ports the Xbox will have, as the chipmaker used fake Xbox Series X images on stage at CES 2020.
Reports from CES 2020 featuring the image above seemed to suggest that Microsoft is ready to share more Xbox imagery, including shots where the ports can be seen. But it wasn’t too long until AMD had to clear everything up and admit it used a fake Xbox for that shot.
AMD just gave us a look at the rear of the Xbox Series X. It has ethernet, 2X USB-C and 2X HDMI pic.twitter.com/NV6y40ncGC
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) January 6, 2020
“The Xbox Series X imagery used during the AMD CES press conference was not sourced from Microsoft and does not accurately represent the design or features of the upcoming console,” an AMD spokesperson told The Verge. What’s even stranger is that “they were taken from TurboSquid.com.”
The Xbox Series X console will hit stores at some point in mid-November, according to the most recent rumors, which means we’ll soon learn everything there is to know about the new console, specs and connectivity options included. After all, the design must have been finalized already, as Microsoft will start manufacturing the Xbox in the very near future.
Even so, it’s still strange to see AMD, a key partner of both Microsoft and Sony, use fake imagery to highlight its central role in the development of this next-generation console.
That said, Microsoft did make a subtle Xbox revelation at CES, as Xbox chief Phil Spencer posted the AMD-made Project Scarlett chip above on Twitter. There isn’t much info that you can glean from it, but the chip has “Project Scarlett” and “8K” markings, which are clear indications that we’re looking at a Series X component.
