Microsoft could be getting ready to launch a "new version" of the Xbox One early next year.
Despite having launched their new next-gen Xbox One console just last month, a new rumor suggests that Microsoft is already planning to release a new version of the Xbox One in early 2014.
According to a few unverified sources, Microsoft is gearing up to launch a “new” version of the Xbox One during the first business quarter of 2014. Right now, all we have to go off of are the claims of a few Taiwan-based supply chain runners who are responsible for shipping Xbox One consoles overseas. According to these suppliers, they have been asked by Microsoft to begin sending shipments of this supposed new version of the Xbox One during the first few months of 2014.
Speculation on what this “new version” of the Xbox One could be has already ventured into several different possibilities. Some gamers are hoping for a cheaper, Kinect-free version of the console which, sadly, doesn’t seem likely considering the fact that Microsoft has stated in the past that the Kinect is a vital part of the Xbox One and that they have no plans to introduce a version of the console without a Kinect (though, to be fair, it wouldn’t be the first time they reversed course on a decision they’d made).
Others have even said it might be a version of the Xbox One that doesn’t have any gaming capabilities and instead focuses on the console’s Kinect-integrated social and entertainment options (music, movies, television, Skype, etc.). Considering Microsoft’s push to make the Xbox One an “all-in-one home entertainment device” (hence the name “Xbox One”), such a version could be more appealing to users who have little to no interest in gaming.
As usual, everything that’s being said right now should be taken with a grain of salt until Microsoft can give an official statement. Fortunatly, since this new version of Xbox One is scheduled to ship within the next few months, we won’t have to wait long to see if the rumors are true.
