Confidential Microsoft documents spanning to 2030 were accidentally leaked overnight due to the ongoing FTC v Microsoft lawsuit. Among the many unredacted documents, were plans for next-gen Xbox console that included a slide presentation dating back to May 2022. According to The Verge’s Tom Warren, the documents were mistakenly attached to a single PDF, making these leaks the largest in Xbox history.
The leaked slides detailed Microsoft’s plans for a “hybrid game platform” that would combine local hardware and cloud computing create deepen immersion immersion and create “new classes of game experiences” with radically “enhanced performance capabilities beyond current hardware.”
The slides included detailed investments needed in tech that will likely be used in the console’s development. Among them were ARM64 CPU, GPU co-design with AMD, next gen DirectX ray tracing, machine learning-based super resolution, and more interestingly a mentioning of a “Thin OS.”
This, alongside a development roadmap, suggests that Microsoft planned for its next-gen console to have mobile applications. The slides alleged the hybrid console to release sometime in 2028.
However, this isn’t the only console news to come out of the leaks. Diskless models plans for the Xbox Series X|S were revealed, codenamed “Brooklyn.” The plans revealed a black console in the shape of a cylinder that’s reported to have 2TB of storage, a USB-C front port, and a new controller codenamed Sebille. It’s alleged that Brooklin and Sebille will release sometime late 2024.
Microsoft has yet to come out with any statement regarding the leaks. However, in a recent statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, a FTC spokesperson denied any responsibility for the leak.
“The FTC was not responsible for uploading Microsoft’s plans for its games and consoles to the court website,” the tweet read.
With the FTC denying any responsibility for the leaks, it seems that the fault could like with Microsoft legal. Regardless of whose fault it is, it’s unknown how much these plans have evolved since they were first made.