Here we go again! Packaging for a leaked Microsoft controller has confirmed the existence of Xbox Series S, a less powerful console that has been in the news under the codename of Lockhart.
Traces of Lockhart have been found in a number of places, including a new Microsoft Game Development Kit that made its way out in June.
Speculation has been high about this budget variant of Series X, though Redmond has so far always denied that another console is in development. More recent rumors have hinted that the company was planning to announce it this month.
Well, it just so happens that the Xbox Series S has been confirmed thanks to leaked pictures of the retail packaging for the next-generation Xbox Wireless Controller.
https://twitter.com/zakk_exe/status/1292602854990065670
The authenticity of these pictures has been confirmed by The Verge.
They say that the user purchased the controller from a resale site over the weekend. The user managed to buy the controller that apparently comes in Robot White color, with its packaging that mentions that it works with both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
Here are some images:
Getting back to Series S, it makes sense for Microsoft to reiterate on its two-console strategy that led to the release of the more powerful Xbox One X one year after the Xbox One S.
Compared to the premium Xbox Series X, Lockhart is expected to come with a similar AMD custom-designed Zen 2 CPU but a less powerful 4 teraflops GPU that is perfect for 1080p or 1440p gaming.
It is also expected to be discless console, with a form factor quite similar to the Xbox One S. Good move, and an excellent replacement for the Xbox One X, this, as Microsoft recently stopped manufacturing this unit in anticipation of the next-generation launch.
We should have more details in the official announcement for this new console, presumably during an Inside Xbox presentation this month that Microsoft has been teasing lately.
