• An FTC document inadvertently revealed confidential information about the future of the Xbox consoles.
• Both Xbox Series S and Series X consoles will get a refresh in late 2024.
• The Xbox controller is also being updated and looks more like an Elite controller than the standard version we have today.

Earlier this year the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lost a lawsuit in which it tried to block the sale of Activision Blizzard to Microsoft. Documents from that lawsuit were published online by the FTC and somebody didn’t redact some rather important information. That information is about Microsoft’s plans for the future of its Xbox Series X|S consoles.

In short, the Redmond software and hardware behemoth is eyeing a mid-generation refresh of its consoles for 2024/2025. Given the performance improvements we’ve seen over the last four years since the launch of these consoles, 2024 seems like a good time to launch a refresh.

Of interest are three products namely:

• Brooklin – Xbox Series X refresh,
• Ellewood – Xbox Series S refresh,
• Sebile – New Xbox Controller.

Brooklin is the main focus here as it looks to be a massive upgrade from the existing Series X console. The FTC document reveals that Brooklin will have 2TB of storage, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 and it will be all digital. The die has also been improved to use less power. To that end, the power supply uses less power (15 percent less) and low-power standby mode uses 20 percent of the power the current Series S generation does in that mode. The housing also uses more post-consumer recycled material.

The cylindrical console will also seemingly retain its existing price.

Ellewood also sports WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 support as well as the efficiency and sustainability features. The console will now house 1TB of internal storage. Microsoft doesn’t list any performance improvements though so the hardware is still the same as the current generation. This is rather weak on Microsoft’s part and we hope that when this console is officially announced there are more improvements than a large SSD.

Sebile, the controller, is the product that has us the most excited. The controller looks very similar to Xbox’s Elite controllers on the face but this appears to be the new standard that will ship with consoles.

Some of the features include direct-to-cloud connectivity, modular thumbstick, life-to-wake, and the ability to repair and disassemble the controller.

As for when we will see these updates, we’re in for a bit of a wait.

Per the FTC document Microsoft is eyeing a launch of the new controller in May/June 2024, just before it hosts what is dubbed Xbox Gaming Beat. Then, when the company enters the financial year for 2025 (Microsoft’s financial years run from 1st July to 30th June) it will announce Brooklin and Ellewood. Ellewood will launch in August 2024 while Brooklin will launch in October 2024.

But wait, there is more. The company adds a note tha,t “additional storage options announced/available in FY25 H2”.

The Redmond firm also notes that the 512GB iteration of the Series S will be heavily discounted before Ellewood is released. This could make the console an even more attractive offer for entry-level gamers looking for a console.

With that having been said, aside from the power efficiency stuff, if you need/want a Series S the 1TB version available today is a safe bet. Those looking for a Series X update will have to wait until next year. Start saving though because with this leak, Microsoft could move those timelines up.