Microsoft has been left scrambling after a major leak hit Xbox last week. Several confidential files including emails, slides and images were included in the leak. These were related to the company’s long legal battle against the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. These leaks not only gave us a look into what Microsoft and Xbox have planned but also a glimpse at some upcoming. Here’s a quick look at some of the key revelations from the leaks.
Before we get to that, we have to speak about Microsoft’s CEO, Phil Spencer’s recent tweet. He stated, “We’ve seen the conversation around old emails and documents. It is hard to see our team’s work shared in this way because so much has changed and there’s so much to be excited about right now and in the future. We will share the real plans when we are ready.” This suggests that the documents shared in the leaks were old and Microsoft may have changed its stance on some key points.
New details about the upcoming Xbox refresh
The new leaks also give us a glimpse at what one can expect from the future Xbox hardware. This includes the mid-cycle refresh for the Xbox Series X and Series S which could be announced as early as 2024. This includes a new Series X and Series S codenamed ‘Brooklin’ and ‘Ellewood’ respectively. The Brooklin refresh is the most interesting. Aside from the slight bump in storage and performance, the leaks suggest a new cylindrical design that reminds one of the old ‘Trash Can’ Apple Mac Pro. However, the biggest change seems to be the removal of a physical drive. This means that Microsoft would embrace the ‘all-digital’ future and physical Xbox games would now be a thing of the past.
A new Xbox controller is incoming
Aside from the new consoles, Microsoft is also tipped to introduce a new controller with the new consoles. Now Microsoft has always had a ‘if it ain’t broke’ approach to controllers. However, it seems like Sony hit it out of the park with the PS5 DualSense controller and its haptic feedback. So it seems like the new controller will also offer the same. It will also come with features such as “Lift to Wake” and “modular thumbsticks”. It also seems like Microsoft will finally get rid of the AA batteries and offer swappable and rechargeable batteries.
Interestingly, the controller is supposed to have a feature called ‘Direct-to-Cloud’ which hints at Microsoft’s increased focus on cloud gaming. The feature could help reduce input lag when playing games on the cloud. While it isn’t specified, the controller may offer built-in Wi-Fi, similar to what the Stadia controller offered.
What to expect from the next generation of Xbox
The documents also seem to suggest that Microsoft is planning to release its next generation of Xbox consoles sometime in 2028. The new consoles are envisioned to offer a “hybrid game platform” that would be able to leverage the power of the client and the cloud to offer improved gameplay experiences. This sounds like something the company already offers with Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) wherein the system houses the in-game models and physics engine while the world map data is downloaded from the cloud.
New games from Bethesda to look forward to
Another leak gives gamers a glimpse into what they can expect from Bethesda. We already knew of the Indiana Jones title that was being worked on, but gamers can also expect a bunch of other titles. This includes remasters of the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3. There are also a bunch of sequels in the pipeline with Doom Year Zero, Dishonored 3, and a Ghostwire: Tokyo sequel.
However, one game that will take its sweet time to launch is Elder Scrolls VI. The follow-up to Skyrim is currently scheduled to launch in 2026. Considering the fact that Bethesda just launched Starfield, this time frame does make a little bit of sense.
Microsoft considered buying Nintendo or Valve
Microsoft was on quite the buying spree a couple of years ago. The company went ahead and bought Bethesda and Activision, two of the largest game publishers in the business. The latter brought down the ire of the FTC which led to the leaks in the first place. However, it seems that the company wasn’t entirely done.
Leaked emails suggest that Spencer at least thought about buying Nintendo or even Valve. While he noted that buying Nintendo would be a “career moment”, it wasn’t going to happen any time soon. He said that there was no “mutually agreeable” way for the two companies to agree to a merger. Further, he admits that a “hostile action” would not be a good idea. For now, it seems like Microsoft is happily playing the long game.
