Microsoft To Reveal New Hardware At E3? Microphone Controllers, Kinect Rebirth, New Windows Phone, And Many Other Speculations
E3 is coming up again this year and everyone is on the lookout for Microsoft’s next reveal. Though many are speculating for a new Xbox One version, many might be disappointed to know that this might not be the case.
Microsoft announced earlier that they have no plans on providing any new versions of Xbox One just yet. They do not want their fan base to be scared of buying new Xbox One games just because another Xbox console version might go out in the market.
Head of Microsoft Xbox Division Phil Spencer noted that after they shut down Xbox 360 this year, they would refocus on creating a stronger platform for Xbox Live. Spencer added that Microsoft has no intentions on creating a new version of Xbox One any time soon.
“I’m not a big fan of Xbox One and a half. If we’re going to move forward, I want to move forward in big numbers,” said Spencer.
With Rocket League being introduced into a cross-platform with PS4 and PC, Xbox is trying to explore this cross-platform opportunities.
On the other hand, sources said that Microsoft might still reveal something new, according to Thurrott. Though there are leaks of this tentative Xbox One Slim specs posted on NeoGAF, it was not confirmed. The photo leak had “Xbox One Second Generation” as the name of the console. It was supposed to be a slimmer model of the current Xbox One.
The rumor did not come as a surprise since this buzz has been going on since 2014. The rumored new console was supposed to be the cheaper version of the Xbox One. Aside from it possibly being cheaper, it would have lower specs compared to the new Microsoft console.
The reports started to escalate as well when Microsoft posted an opening for an Electrical Engineer for “development of the memory subsystem” and evaluation of “different solution options for performance, functionality, stability, cost and risk for the memory subsystem within the platform.” The job ad also noted that applicants should be knowledgeable of both DDR4 and DDR3 systems.
So far, for about two years now, none of these rumors were held true. But what could Microsoft be launching this coming E3?
That’s the golden question. So far, there are no specifics on what type of hardware they are planning to launch, but many sources confirm that they will be introducing a new set of controllers for the Xbox One.
The new controllers will not be that different from the Xbox One originals but there might be some improvements on the colors and design. It was suggested that since the original Microsoft Xbox One controllers were shipped in black, the new ones will be white by default.
The other speculation about the E3 reveal is the hardware that could link Xbox One to PC. Since Microsoft is openly exploring possibilities on cross-platform gaming, they might find a way to link their Xbox systems to the PC.
This would be an easy integration for Xbox Live users since their consoles can be connected to any smart TV and Kinect. At the same time, if users will have Windows 10 as their PC OS, then, it might be a lot easier to connect the platforms.
With this move, it seems like Microsoft is trying to unite all of their products under one roof. This could be a smart move considering that Xbox sales are still lagging behind PlayStation 4.
Aside from the tentative launches, Microsoft also promises new and complete game arrivals during the E3 2016 event.
[Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images]
