When a company tries to acquire another company for $69 billion (approximately 10 trillion yen), the legal procedures involved can sometimes have unintended consequences.
In the lawsuit between Microsoft and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over the acquisition plan of US gaming giant Activision Blizzard, an incredible amount of information has been revealed through the release of internal emails and other documents. It’s becoming clear. However, confidential documents accidentally released by Microsoft have revealed that a completely new model of the company’s Xbox Series X game console is scheduled to be released in November 2024.
🚨 #Xbox Series X mid-gen console refresh leaked from official FTC documents
A new cylinder-shaped ‘all-digital’ 2TB Xbox Series X, plus a new two-tone controller and modular thumbstick.
– Codenamed Brooklin
– A USB-C front port
– Release: Oct 2024 pic.twitter.com/NZw4Xbgz3S— The Xbox Update （@TheXboxUpdate） September 19, 2023
The document contains detailed information about the new model, code-named “Brooklin,” which is cylindrical, has no disk drive, and has 2TB of storage. However, there are no significant performance enhancements that are typically made in so-called “Pro” models. Sony is reportedly developing the PlayStation 5 Pro, but Microsoft has previously stated that it does not need a performance-enhanced version of the Xbox Series X.
According to this document, the new model has the following upgrades.
・Increased internal storage capacity (2TB)
・Higher speed of Wi-Fi communication (Wi-Fi 6E)
・Reduced power consumption (power consumption in standby mode is 20% of the current model)
-Improved controller immersion.The new controller features a rechargeable battery, new thumbsticks, improved haptic feedback, quieter buttons, an accelerometer for the gyro, and can be used with the current Series X.
The new model’s cylindrical shape is the complete opposite of the square design of the current model, which has been referred to as a “refrigerator.” The price is the same: $500. Although some functions have been enhanced, there is no difference in performance like there was between the previous generation Xbox One and Xbox One X, so it is considered a “refresh” model.
The document also specifies a timeline for the release of the new Series S model in September 2024, the new Series X model “Brooklin” in November 2024, and the “additional storage option” in 2025.
How should we interpret this information? It is clear that Microsoft was hurt by not being able to officially announce the new model at the timing it wanted, but on the other hand, these materials were almost completely different from what they would have used for the official announcement. It seems like there is no such thing.
Unlike the Xbox One X, few owners of the current model will want to pay $500 to upgrade to the new model, as it’s a “refresh” and doesn’t have any major performance improvements. However, the same price suggests that if you buy an Xbox after the end of 2024, it will be a new model. There may no longer be a need to continue selling the current model, except for purposes of inventory clearance. However, there is a possibility that there will be a significant price reduction.
The leaked documents reveal a lot of new information in addition to this. One email, from Xbox head Phil Spencer, revealed that Microsoft’s board supported acquisitions of competitors such as Nintendo and Valve in 2020.
