Microsoft is planning to hold a keynote address at the E3 gaming conference on Monday, and its biggest reveal might have already leaked.
Posters at the NeoGAF forums, a wildly popular gaming forum site, took screen grabs of a posting on the Microsoft Store showing off the new Xbox One S, an as-yet announced new version of the Xbox One. The screenshots display a white console and controller. The console appears to be slimmer than the relatively large Xbox One, and text sitting alongside the image says it’s “sleeker, slimmer, and sharper.”
Microsoft (MSFT) offers more details under the aforementioned headline, saying that the Xbox One S is “40% smaller” than the current console. It’ll also ship with a 2-terabyte hard drive and support for 4K graphics. It’ll even includes a vertical stand, allowing users to prop it up vertically instead of horizontally, according to a screenshot.
Although it’s impossible to determine whether the screenshot is real and the Microsoft Store is not currently listing the Xbox One S, there’s reason to believe Microsoft mistakenly posted the console to its site a day before its big reveal on Monday.
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Over the last several weeks, rumors have been flying that Microsoft and competitor Sony (SNE) are planning to release updated consoles this year that would add support for 4K resolution, which is a sizable upgrade in terms of graphical quality. With 4K resolution, users will get twice the resolution of standard 1080p and four times the number of pixels packed into the screen.
Last week, Sony’s Interactive Entertainment chief Andrew House confirmed the rumors, saying that Sony would indeed launch a new PlayStation 4 this year. While he didn’t reveal what it would be called or how much it would cost, he did note that the console would come with 4K resolution support and sit alongside the current PlayStation 4 on store shelves. House stopped short of describing the new, “high-end” PlayStation 4 a new console and said that it would sit alongside the PlayStation 4 on store shelves. Sony has said it has no plans to show off its own 4K console at E3 this year. Instead, it’ll showcase its device at a later date.
Microsoft has remained mum on its plans for a new console, but that hasn’t stopped the rumors. Indeed, several unidentified sources said in several reports that Microsoft would use its keynote address at E3 on Monday to talk about its new console and justify its decision to release a new device just a few years after it launched the Xbox One.
Https://twitter.com/NeoGAFNewThread/status/742102799991898114
Truthfully, neither Sony nor Microsoft have much of a choice. PC gaming is quickly moving to 4K resolution games, leaving console owners behind. Meanwhile, a growing number of people are buying 4K-resolution televisions as prices come down. Those people want consoles that can accommodate the higher resolution. The existing hardware from Sony and Microsoft only support 1080p resolution.
Therefore, while it’s impossible to tell whether the leaked Xbox One S images are real, signs are pointing to their authenticity. And it’s seemingly increasingly likely that Microsoft’s E3 show will include its new Xbox One. It’ll also likely offer more details and show off some games running in 4K resolution. The screenshot also displays a pre-order button, suggesting the console won’t be available for some time, but interested gamers can place orders soon.
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As for Microsoft? The company all but confirmed the existence of Xbox One S. In a cryptic statement to Coins2Day, a Microsoft spokesperson had only this to say: “¯_(ツ)_/¯”
