Sources who talked with Kotaku have revealed that Microsoft is planning cheaper, disc-less version of Project Scarlett similar to the Xbox One S All Digital Edition that Microsoft released earlier this year. This is according to four people who know what Microsoft’s plans are. This isn’t the first time that a different version of Project Scarlett was talked about. In 2018, there were rumors of Microsoft’s plans for the next generation which included that Project Scarlett would have two versions. The high-end version codenamed “Anaconda” and a less powerful version codenamed “Lockhart”. Then, there were reports that “Lockhart” was canceled but it seems that this isn’t the case.
Speaking to Kotaku, a game developer said that “Lockhart” is like the PlayStation 4 Pro in terms of raw power but there are differences between the two. It will have a solid-state drive such as “Anaconda” and the PlayStation 5 which will have a big impact on loading times, which both consoles seem to have a focus on. Other developers briefed on “Lockhart” said that it has a faster CPU than any other current console which will allow for higher frame rates. Like the All Digital Edition Xbox One S, “Lockhart” may be heavily promoted with Xbox Game Pass and the xCloud streaming service. As of now, Microsoft hasn’t made any official announcement with a spokesperson saying “we do not comment on rumors or speculation.”
Project Scarlett will be coming Holiday 2020, but since the announcement at E3, some developers have spoken to Kotaku about Microsoft’s lack of communication. This is in contrast to the PlayStation 5 with leaked images of devkits appearing across the internet. PlayStation has also provided number of official details about the PlayStation 5 as well, despite not officially revealing it. Recently, there were images of what the PlayStation 5 controller may look like.