Xbox Series X all-digital refresh coming in 2024, plus new controller

Microsoft plans to refresh its Xbox hardware lineup in 2024 with new versions of the Series S and Series X consoles and a new “more immersive” controller, according to unredacted documents released as part of the Federal Trade Commission’s case against the Activision Blizzard merger that have apparently been released by accident.

Series X will get the most dramatic redesign, codenamed “Brooklin.” The premium console will have a new, cylindrical case and no disc drive, meaning Xbox will leave physical media behind entirely with this mid-generation refresh. The Series X’s storage will be doubled to 2 TB, its wireless and bluetooth capabilities will be upgraded, it will be more power efficient, and there’ll be a new USB-C port on the front. Microsoft will release the Series X in November of 2024, with the same pricing as the current console.

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The Brooklin Series X will be preceded to market by “Ellewood,” a new version of the Series S. Ellewood is set to be released in September 2024, again at the existing price point of $299. Ellewood will look very similar to the Series S but its storage capacity has been upgraded from 500 GB to 1TB. (There’s currently a carbon black Series S available with 1 TB of storage, but at the higher price of $349.99.) Microsoft plans to offer a discounted $199 price on its old 512 GB Series S models during Black Friday, 2024.

The new Xbox Sebile controller will be included with both consoles. Shown in Microsoft’s documents in a two-tone black-and-white finish, this controller will have new precision haptic feedback (with “VCA haptics [that] double as speakers,” according to Microsoft’s notes), more durable modular thumbsticks, quieter buttons and thumbsticks, an accelerometer for gyro controls, and upgraded bluetooth and wireless connectivity. Thanks to the gyro, you’ll be able to simply lift the controller to wake it.

Microsoft intends to launch the Sebile controller separately in June 2024 — alongside the planned announcement of the new consoles. It’s billed as having “direct-to-cloud” capability (presumably meaning it can communicate directly with Xbox Cloud gaming servers over wifi, reducing input latency, much like Google’s ill-fated Stadia controller). Sebile will also boast “seamless” pairing and switching between multiple devices, assisted by a mobile app (probably the Xbox app).

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The leaked document — a presentation deck titled “Roadmap to 2030” — positions the controller as the central device in the Xbox ecosystem, which players will use to play on many different devices and the cloud. “Controller becomes the hero,” one bullet point proclaims, adding: “The new Xbox controller is the only thing you need to play on every device. This low barrier to entry will fuel subscriber growth.”

Microsoft does not doubt that consoles are still a key part of the Xbox business. “Consoles are considered a key health meter for the brand and will continue to drive [the] majority of revenue and subscribers,” another bullet point says.

This document is very positive about the new Xbox’s sustainability. Brooklin Series X draws 15% less overall power, and the low power standby modes of both consoles use just 20% as much power as the Series S. Sebile’s controller uses more recycled material and less resin. It also has a rechargeable and removable battery and can be easily disassembled to repair.

Wirelessly, the upgrades to WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 as well as Xbox Wireless 2 are expected to deliver faster connections to the web and devices.

This decision will probably be the most controversial. The document doesn’t address this other than to list “all-digital ecosystem” as part of Microsoft’s goal to “maintain technology leadership and innovation.”

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Everything about the leaked document appears credible, but it’s worth noting that it’s dated May 2022, and plans like these change all the time; it could already be out of date. Microsoft could be forced to alter its plans, even if they are accurate. Polygon has asked Microsoft to comment.