Leaked Microsoft document hints at second-generation Xbox

Microsoft has been planning a second, next-generation Xbox console, cheaper and less powerful. Named Lockhart, it is designed to take advantage of most of the next-gen key enhancements found in the Xbox Series X and provide them at a lower price for 1080p or 1440p gaming. A recently leaked Microsoft document posted on Twitter includes references to this Lockhart console and multiple “Project Scarlett consoles”.

Project Scarlett was the name that Microsoft originally used to reveal its Xbox Series X console before it was officially named. Rumors had suggested two next-gen consoles under the Scarlett Project’s broader plans: Anaconda and Lockhart. Microsoft has recorded an anaconda snake on the Xbox Series X motherboard, but the company has never publicly discussed its Lockhart plans.

The leaked document also mentions a Lockhart profiling mode. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s Xbox plans say The edge This special Lockhart mode is part of the Xbox Series X development kit. The devkit, codenamed Dante, allows game developers to enable a special Lockhart mode that has a performance profile that Microsoft wants to achieve with this second console. We understand that it includes 7.5 GB of usable RAM, a slightly under-accelerated CPU speed, and around 4 teraflops of GPU performance. The Xbox Series X includes 13.5GB of usable RAM and targets 12 teraflops of GPU performance.

Developers will be able to use this Lockhart mode to test their games with this performance profile and perform validation checks. Microsoft is expected to launch its Lockhart console for 1080p or 1440p gaming, two of the most popular resolutions currently used by PC gaming monitors.

While Microsoft has not recognized Lockhart, the code name can also be found in the company’s Xbox One operating system, along with references to Anaconda and Dante. We understand that this second next-generation Xbox console will launch alongside the Xbox Series X, as long as Microsoft doesn’t cancel it at the last minute. Lockhart will probably be called “Xbox Series S”, which explains why Microsoft registered the “Xbox Series” trademark.

This second Xbox console will be key to Microsoft’s pricing strategy for the next generation of consoles. The company has already committed to unveiling its Xbox All Access subscription for Xbox Series X, a bundle that includes a console, Xbox Live, and Xbox Game Pass for a monthly fee. “Xbox All Access will be critical to both our Xbox Series X launch and the general generation,” said Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft’s Xbox, in a keynote from Game Lab Live earlier this week.

Microsoft currently offers a subscription to Xbox One S All Digital Edition for $ 19.99 a month that includes Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It is reasonable to imagine that this Lockhart console will be offered in a similar way to attract people to Microsoft’s subscription offerings. Microsoft is also integrating its Project xCloud game streaming technology into Xbox Game Pass later this year, in another effort to beef up its subscription service.