A hardware update for the smaller Xbox was supposedly on the way but was ultimately scrapped by Microsoft.

In RedGamingTech’s video embedded below, he discusses a rumor that pointed to an updated Xbox Series S. This console would have had an RDNA 3-based graphics chip, better specs overall, more memory, and machine (deep) learning features that would have helped with scaling. However, the Redmond-based company quickly abandoned the project because the system’s APU (processor and graphics chip on a single die; in PCs, this is the case with non-F Intel Core processors or G AMD Ryzen CPUs) was not yet fully developed. Microsoft had planned an update for the Xbox Series X, but it was swept off the table even earlier.

Why didn’t the two Xbox Series updates materialize? According to RedGamingTech’s sources, there are several reasons. Firstly, Microsoft and some developers were worried that there would be too many console versions on the market (they were worried about saturation) and that four versions at once would cause more problems. In the case of the Xbox Series S update, marketing would also have been a problem, as it would have been difficult for the company to promote a console that was stronger than the base version, but weaker than the Xbox Series X.

Therefore, Microsoft’s comment that they consider the Xbox Series S to be their current generation console and the Xbox Series X to be a mid-generation upgrade makes sense. Meanwhile, both Sony and Microsoft are already working on next-generation console hardware, and in the case of the latter, we’ve heard rumors that one of the console versions (the cheaper model) would be a dockable Nintendo Switch clone that could run games locally.

Officially, all Microsoft has said is that the new Xbox will be the biggest technological leap forward yet. How much will it cost?

Source: WCCFTech