More info on the new models prepared by Microsoft emerges

Jun 12, 2016 06:56 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft is expected to unveil two different Xbox One models next week at E3, and while one of them is likely to be a slimmed-down version, the other one could sport a 2TB hard drive.

A report coming from Gamespot and citing an unnamed source indicates that Microsoft is aiming to offer users more storage space with this new version - at this point, Xbox One can be purchased with 500 GB or 1 TB hard drives, with the latter available on the Elite model.

More hardware upgrades are, however, possible on this 2TB version of the Xbox One, and rumor has it that Microsoft could also offer a more powerful GPU that would finally enable 4K resolution. Today’s report adds that the device has been spotted in internal documents with a December 2016 release date, but it’s not yet clear if Microsoft is indeed targeting this schedule or that’s just a placeholder.

Streaming devices coming too

As usual, Microsoft doesn’t want to comment on unreleased products, so more information is expected next week at E3, when the company is also likely to detail improvements prepared for the Xbox One console in the upcoming Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

In addition to new Xbox One versions, Microsoft is also expected to take the wraps off new streaming devices that would compete with the likes of Google Chromecast.

These new streaming units will be rather affordable and will be priced below $200, and while one could only allow for streaming, the other might also enable playing Windows Store games. This could bring Xbox One and other Windows 10 devices in sync, as Microsoft wants to unify its platforms with the new operating system.

Recently, it has been discovered that the latest preview builds enable users to install Windows 10 Store apps on Xbox One consoles, with the feature likely to become broadly available with the release of the Anniversary Update in July.