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New Xbox consoles are reportedly code-named ‘Anaconda’ and ‘Lockhart’

Goodbye original Xbox One: Microsoft discontinues sales for console
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft hasn’t officially announced its next-generation Xbox console yet, though the company did reveal something is in the works back at E3 2018. If new reports are accurate, those plans likely include two separate consoles aimed at entirely different users.

According to Windows Central, Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox plan, which has been called “Scarlett” in the past, will consist of two different machines. The first of these is an affordable console code-named “Lockhart,” which will be similar in power to the current Xbox One X, while the latter will be a more powerful system code-named “Anaconda.” The consoles will apparently be fully compatible with all games currently available on Xbox One, including those available via the backward compatibility program, and a new platform called “GameCore” should make it easier for games to function on both Xbox and PC.

The Windows Central report also gives a release year of 2020 for the two consoles, which is the same period given by Thurrott’s Brad Sams back in June.

Project xCloud: Gaming with you at the center

What the new report doesn’t confirm, however, is whether the cheaper next-generation Xbox console will be streaming-only, or if it will still support traditional discs and downloads. With Microsoft also rumored to launch a disc-free Xbox One S in 2019, this seems like a possibility, and the development on Project xCloud gives players more choice in how they play Xbox games — the service will be compatible across several devices, including mobile phones, and control schemes will be created to make touchscreen play more enjoyable. For those who want to use traditional controllers, they’ll also be available via Bluetooth connectivity, and the service only needs a 10Mbps download speed in current tests.

Main competitor Sony has remained even quieter regarding its own next-generation console plans. CEO Kenichiro Yoshida recently said that it’s “necessary to have a next-generation hardware,” but he didn’t specify when the system would arrive or what kind of features it would have. Sony hasn’t always launched its consoles at the same time as its competitors, with the PlayStation 2 arriving earlier than the Xbox and the PlayStation 3 arriving later than the Xbox 360, but we’re willing to bet that the next-generation systems won’t see such a gap.

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Gabe Gurwin
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Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Xbox has no plans to make its own handheld system, per leaked documents
The Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld sits on a stack of comics.

As part of the massive Xbox leak that came as part of its FTC trial, we got a look at Microsoft's road map for Xbox through 2030. One slide of this presentation outlines the kinds of hardware possible for Microsoft to make (and not make) itself. Most notably, Microsoft states in this document that making a dedicated Xbox handheld is "not in scope for first party."

Microsoft has been an avid supporter of devices like the Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld and ROG Ally with Xbox Cloud Gaming, but it was still quite surprising that the company never aimed to release a handheld that competed with those and Nintendo Switch itself. Now, we know that as far back as this May 2022 roadmap, Microsoft did not believe it currently has the resources and scope to make a Handheld.

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Unredacted documents submitted and made publicly available to view as part of the ongoing Microsoft vs. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) trial just led to what may be the biggest leak in video game history.
A flood of files have revealed deep secrets about Xbox's upcoming plans for the bulk of the decade, giving us unprecedented insight into what's on the horizon for the gaming giant. That includes information on upcoming hardware refreshes, next-gen consoles, and unannounced Bethesda titles, as well as a further peek into Microsoft's acquisition ambitions. It's a lot to trudge through, so we've rounded up five key revelations that you'll want to know.
A new Xbox Series X model is coming next year
https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1704121068519133313
The most shocking thing to leak as part of the trial is a new Xbox Series X model. Referred to as "Brooklin -- Xbox Series X Refresh" in the leaked documents, this is a diskless, cylindrical version of the Xbox Series X with 2TB of internal storage, a USB-C port, and smaller technical improvements to the system's Wi-Fi, PSU, standby mode, and more. An upgraded Xbox Series S code-named Ellewood may also be in the works and released before Brooklin.
If Microsoft still follows the plan laid out in this "Roadmap to 2030" document created in May 2022, it would release Brooklin in late October 2024 for $500. If Microsoft still plans to release Brooklin next year, it does contradict recent statements from Xbox chief Phil Spencer, who acted bearish on the idea of a mid-gen refresh in Gamescom interviews. It's possible Microsoft's plans have changed since these leaked documents were made, but if not, we now know what to expect in terms of Microsoft's console refreshes.
A new Xbox controller is in the works
https://twitter.com/charlieINTEL/status/1704088621475598345
Throughout that Brooklin leak, a new version of the Xbox Series X controller is also teased. The Xbox Series X controller is great, but lacks the unique features of controllers like the DualSense or Joy-Cons, so it makes sense Microsoft would want to change that. Referred to as "Sebile -- The New Xbox Controller," this controller can seamlessly pair and connect to the cloud.
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https://twitter.com/AR12Gaming/status/1704102055206322389
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This next-gen console is currently slated for a 2028 launch.
Several upcoming Bethesda games leak

Enough about hardware -- several upcoming Bethesda games also leaked. A document from 2020 outlining Bethesda's game road map through fiscal year 2024 includes some games we don't know about. Alongside games we know of like MachineGames' Indiana Jones project, the list also includes several code-named projects, remasters of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3, a GhostWire: Tokyo sequel, Doom Year Zero, and Dishonored 3.
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Microsoft considered acquiring Nintendo and Warner Bros. Interactive
https://twitter.com/tomwarren/status/1704021807341203802
A leaked email from 2020 gives some insight into Spencer's acquisition ambitions at that point. Namely, it sounds like he'd love to acquire Nintendo as it would be a "career moment" for him.
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Ultimately, Spencer didn't want to do a hostile takeover of Nintendo, so he settled for playing the "long game" when it came to acquiring it. This same email also reveals that Microsoft was interested in acquiring Warner Bros. Interactive around the same time as Bethesda, although the lack of any WB IP ownership was its undoing, Spencer is also as intrigued about acquiring Valve as it was Nintendo.
It's worth noting that this email is from over three years ago, and these acquisition ambitions might have been quelled following changing economic conditions and the rocky and expensive process of acquiring Activision Blizzard. 

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best-single-player-nintendo-switch-games

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