Microsoft has been a little shady about the future of its Xbox One console, but FCC filings from the company provide some information on the matter.
Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s Head of Xbox, has remained vague on future plans for the console. However the FCC filings suggest that there may be two new versions of the Xbox One released in the near future, writes Rob Thubron for Tech Spot.
FCC filings discovered by forum user
Speculation has been building that Microsoft would release an upgraded version of the Xbox One later this year. Similar rumors surround the possible release of an updated Sony Playstation 4, which could be known as the PlayStation 4.5.
The FCC filings were discovered Tuesday by a NeoGAF forum user known as “Mike R” from Germany. They relate to wireless radio devices.
The first filing is for a wireless radio, part number 1683, and has a PDF of “User Manual 1525” for the “Xbox One and Kinect Sensor Product Manual.” The confidentiality request expires on June 25, a few weeks after Microsoft’s E3 conference is set to take place.
The second filing is for a dual-band radio with the number 1682. The user manual for the device has a similar file name as the 1683 filing. the embargo date is around a month later, on July 29.
Two new Xbox One consoles in the pipeline?
It is not clear what changes Microsoft could introduce but it looks like there could be two updated versions of the Xbox on their way. One might be an Xbox One slim edition, while the other could be an upgraded version that will battle it out with the PlayStation 4.5 later in the year.
A look at Microsoft’s past release cycle gives us an idea of what the company might be up to. The Premium version of the Xbox 360 was released two years after the launch of the original, and a slim version arrived another year after that.
It has not been almost three years since the Xbox One was unveiled, so it seems likely that Microsoft is probably working on some kind of update. Sony has a huge advantage when it comes to the number of sales of the PlayStation 4 compared to the Xbox One, and it seems logical that Microsoft would want to shake things up.
Microsoft losing out to Sony in console market
According to industry-tracking firm The NPD Group the Sony PlayStation 4 sold more units than the Xbox One in March. In fact the Sony console has been the highest selling console for 13 of the past 15 months.
The Xbox One sold more units in April and October last year, but the PlayStation 4 has ruled the market overall. Last October the Xbox One was boosted by the release of Halo 5: Guardians, while April saw a spike in sales due to the exclusive Quantum Break release.
Elsewhere in the console market it looks as though Nintendo is set to discontinue its Wii U. The company is changing strategies and will now focus on mobile gaming. To that end the company is working on a piece of hardware codenamed NX.
The gaming market is worth $99.3 billion, and consoles make up a third of that total. Microsoft and Sony are set to continue their battle, which the latter is definitely winning at the moment.
More information on Microsoft’s plans is expected to be released during the E3 conference, which starts on June 14. Keep your eyes peeled for the latest gaming news.
