If a new round of (allegedly) leaked images bear out, it seems like Xbox is preparing a revised model of its high-powered Series X console for release later this year.
As spotted by Exputer, the alleged new Xbox Series X is white and appears to be all-digital. Yes, another console that removes the blu ray drive altogether. Exputer notes few component changes between models, however, so don’t go getting too excited. An Xbox One X situation this is not. Its reporting indicates that the one significant upgrade over the 2020 launch model is a higher-capacity heat sink.
The idea, it seems, is that Xbox would look to launch this white Series X as a third hardware option. That would position this disc-less Series X somewhere between the current model and the cheaper Series S. Obviously, there’s no confirmed pricing at this stage. But since we’re all here, why not do a little speculating? If the Series S retails for $499 AUD and the Series X retails for $799 AUD, then it’s easy to imagine this new model sliding neatly between them at $649 or so. That doesn’t seem like an outlandish theory to me.
Another tough week for Xbox
Photos of this alleged new white Series X come after a couple of rough days for Xbox. This week, reports suggested publishers at GDC were heard to complain about support for Xbox hardware. GamesIndustry.biz reported publishers large and small questioning support for the hardware as sales flag, and the company makes aggressive moves to get its games on the competing PlayStation 5. Just this morning, Minecraft Legends, an Xbox-made game, was announced among the April freebies for PlayStation Plus subscribers. It also follows news overnight that US retailer GameStop reported a catastrophic 80% dip in physical sales year-on-year from 2023, indicating digital has become far-and-away the preferred choice for buying games in 2024.
I know Kotaku Australia readers have a lot of thoughts on the gulf between digital and physical games. Thoughts on an all-digital Series X? Get in the comments and let me know.
Leave a Reply