TECH NEWS – An industry insider shares the latest news about the Xbox controller planned for the Xbox Series X and S that was leaked during the 2023 court battle between Xbox and the FTC.

 

 

Details about the possible reveal window for the leaked Xbox controller codenamed “Sebile” have been filled in by an industry insider. The Sebile controller was just part of a larger court document leaked during Xbox’s battle with the FTC over its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which has since been finalized in Xbox’s favour. A cylinder-shaped disc-less Xbox Series X and Bethesda’s multi-year development plans were also revealed in the leaked document.

The unconfirmed Xbox Sebile controller has been given a separate visual graphic within the leaked court document, highlighting several of the device’s key features.

Perhaps most significant is the inclusion of precise haptic feedback. The use of an accelerometer also helps this. With this, Sebile seems to be trying to give Xbox users a controller experience similar to the rival PlayStation DualSense. The latter was released together with the PS5 back in 2020. However, Sebile’s technical drawing did not include plans to incorporate adaptive triggers. This was one of the most valuable features of the PS5 DualSense.

Months after leaks of plans for the Xbox Sebile controller hit the internet, an industry insider has shared when they expect the controller to be unveiled. Over on Twitter/X, Idle Sloth pointed out a clip from a recent Xbox Era podcast episode. Here, The Verge’s Tom Warren chimed in on the conversation, expressing that he suspects Sebile’s alleged May 2024 unveiling window in the document is authentic.

Warren also indicated that the information about the controller’s key features in the graphic from the leaked Xbox v FTC document remained unchanged.

 

When is the Xbox controller unveiling month expected?

 

One possible date is, therefore, May 2024. A Sebile reveal in May would join the release of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 in the same month. The Xbox is expected to land just before its Summer Game Fest presentation in June 2024. Although Tom Warren has stated that Sebile’s features have not changed from the leak, it is still possible that some features have been cut or added, given that the document is several years old. It is important to note that the graphics in this document were never intended for the public. Also, Xbox has officially confirmed none of the details regarding the Sebile controller, including the alleged reveal in May.

Whether the Sebile gets adaptive triggers remains to be seen, as that would be one of the most glaring omissions when inevitably compared to the PS5’s three-year-old DualSense.

If the reveal in May turns out to be accurate, then Xbox fans could get their hands on the new Sebile controller in time for big Xbox games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Avowed, which will be released in 2024. It would also be interesting to see if there is any news about the rumoured Elite edition of the Xbox controller. Or it will be saved for the holiday season, maybe 2025…

Source: X

(FYI) Tom Warren says the “new Xbox Controller is supposed to be announced in May, ahead of June showcase.” 🎮

“that was in the FCC doc leak, and I don't believe that's changed.” pic.twitter.com/oultHUblQN

— Idle Sloth💙💛 (@IdleSloth84_) January 21, 2024