According to Kotaku, Microsoft plans to launch a ‘cheaper, smaller Xbox One’ at this year’s E3 gaming show, and a more powerful model in 2017.
Sources say that the 2017 console, code-named Scorpio, will feature a more powerful GPU and will be able to play UltraHD games – not unlike the Playstation Neo (Rumour Claims ‘PS4.5’ Will Run Games at UHD) – as well as directly supporting the Oculus VR headset.
A source told Kotaku that the plans are part of ‘Project Helix’, a move to bring Xbox and Windows closer together.
Some other interesting pieces of information were also leaked. Microsoft is said to be moving towards an incremental upgrade cycle with the Xbox, much as it is doing with Windows 10. Rather than a single console generation released every few years, Microsoft will instead put out smaller hardware releases more frequently, with games that are both forwards- and backwards-compatible.
Microsoft will also launch two new ‘Xbox TV’ devices at E3, according to Brad Sams (executive editor at Windows knowledgebase Petri). One of these will be a dongle for streaming Xbox digital content to a different display in the house. The second product sounds more like a set-top box: it will apparently support the core components of Windows while also supporting casual gaming through apps. Game streaming from the Xbox One may also be possible.
