One of Microsoft’s worst-kept next-gen secrets is the rumored second Xbox model that will live alongside the Xbox Series X, which is believed to be called the Xbox Series S. Now, even more evidence of the console has emerged in the wild thanks to a controller that seemingly went on sale too early, effectively confirming the existing of a second console, as well as its name. This comes just as the Xbox Series X launch date was announced for November. Despite the leaks, Microsoft has still not addressed the console. Its focus remains solely on the Xbox Series X launching this year.
The Verge has confirmed that the leaked images making the rounds today of a white next-gen Xbox controller are indeed real. The text on the packaging mentions that the controller works with the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S consoles, the latter of which has not been announced. The controller will also work on the standard Xbox One and PC, as well as iOS and Android for xCloud streaming. As the second console has not yet been announced, we have no official details on the differences between the Series S and Series X.
Following this, another of these new Xbox controllers was found in the wild, as shared on Reddit in the post embedded below. It features the same packaging that references Xbox Series S. Both controllers were reportedly sold in the Chicago area.
The enduring rumor is that the Series S console is the cheaper next-gen Xbox model, the one known popularly by its “Lockhart” codename. This system is rumored to have 4 teraflops of GPU performance and 7.5 GB of usable RAM. It will reportedly have the same CPU as the Series X, allowing it to run the same games with faster loading speeds but at lower resolutions than on Series X.
The latest rumor is that Microsoft will officially announce the Series S during an event in August, so it may not be long until we know more about it. There are also rumors that the Series S will not have a disc drive, which would put it more in line with the disc-free PS5 that’s on the way. However, that console otherwise sports the same hardware as the disc drive-equipped model, unlike the rumored Series S that is expected to be substantially cheaper than the Series X.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer told GameSpot that it might release additional next-gen Xbox SKUs, and Lockhart is expected to be one of them. “Obviously, in the name ‘Series X,’ it gives us freedom to do other things with that name so that we can create descriptors when we need to,” Spencer said in December 2019, all but confirming multiple next-gen Xbox consoles are coming.
For more on Microsoft’s next-gen strategy, check out GameSpot’s editorial below.
