It seems that Microsoft is set to saturate the market with Xbox hardware, beyond previous reports of the “Xbox-One-and-a-Half.” Brad Sams, the guy who scooped the release of the Xbox One Elite Controller, has revealed some tantalising rumours about the future of the Xbox over on his YouTube show, The Sams Report, with three new iterations of Xbox hardware set for release over the next twelve-to-eighteen months, two of which may be unveiled at this year’s E3.
“Xbox Mini is real. It’s a real thing,” Sams revealed, “a little bit smaller than a large lunchbox.” Sams added that a second, Chromecast-sized device will also be released.
“It’s not going to be an Xbox One crammed into a teeny-tiny box,” he added, saying that Microsoft intends it to become a living room hub, much in the same way it intended during the late life of the Xbox 360 and the early launch of the Xbox One. “Xbox One is too big, it’s too clunky – quite frankly, it’s too big for the people that are cord-cutting.”
“I think they’re going to have two devices, it’s going to be one super streamer – think like a Roku–style device – and then another device that’s going to have more features,” Sams said. “What I think the differentiation between these two devices are, I’d imagine the smaller devices will be for streaming only – think Miracast – but the other device I honestly think that is maybe where they’re going to start using app leverage […] I could see this device sitting in the cabinet and being able to play Windows Store games.”
“Xbox is going to be pitched more as a platform […] so expect to see more of that,” Sams teased, adding that “Microsoft is playing with bringing the Xbox interface to PC.”
“Next year, I think they’re going to do something big […] for the Xbox,” Sams said, regarding rumours of a forthcoming new Xbox architecture. “I’m also hearing VR might be built into this new […] thing that’s coming next year.”
Since these reports are unconfirmed, treat them as mere rumours. But, if true, would you be interested in a Mini Xbox for TV streaming? Or is Microsoft spreading the Xbox brand too thin?
