Microsoft’s Next-Gen Xbox Will Arrive in 2020

While Microsoft may have been founded as being a software company, there is no question about it that they are a hardware company too. With the Surface family, the Xbox, and peripherals, the company doesn’t shy away from building its own products and has established a sizeable fanbase who is interested in ‘what’s next’ for the company when it relates to these types of products.

This past week, I was tipped off that the next generation Xbox was codenamed Scarlett and in an effort to track down if this information was accurate, I was able to view content that highlighted several unannounced Microsoft products that are coming in the next two years.

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Microsoft is planning for the next Xbox console release to arrive in 2020. But what is more interesting, is that Microsoft describes ‘Scarlett’ as a family of devices; meaning we may see multiple pieces of hardware released that year.

That date may seem relatively close considering that the Xbox One X launched last year but Microsoft is aggressively moving ahead with hardware in the console space to shake up the industry. But what we don’t know is if this is a brand new set of devices or simply a more ‘powerful’ Xbox One that is again, fully backward compatible with all the content available today.

Considering how much effort Microsoft has put into backward compatibility, I would expect the Scarlett devices to support current gen games but offer more advanced features and align possibly with Microsoft’s upcoming game-streaming services.

As with any leak this far out, timing and plans can change but I was able to verify the information I viewed as being authentic and fully believe that the company is on-track to release the new console in two years.

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Conversation 34 comments

  • PeteB

    12 June, 2018 - 10:32 am

    <p>Hopefully this time they pay attention to firstparty games</p>

    • Shumayal

      12 June, 2018 - 1:21 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#283292"><em>In reply to PeteB:</em></a></blockquote><p>They have already purchased so many studios and companies now.</p>

      • My Hell baby speaking

        13 June, 2018 - 1:47 am

        <blockquote>They have already purchased so many studios and companies now.</blockquote><p><br></p><p>The lastest aquisitions are meh. Four small independent studios, not capable of exuding big titles, and one studio I already thought was part of Microsoft's skin.</p><p><br></p><p>BTW what is the survival rate of developer studios gulped by MS?</p>

    • sbrown23

      12 June, 2018 - 2:59 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#283292"><em>In reply to PeteB:</em></a></blockquote><p>I think they've shown they are, with creation of a new studio, and purchase of four others.</p>

      • pjosephson

        12 June, 2018 - 6:17 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#283447"><em>In reply to sbrown23:</em></a></blockquote><p>And Phil also stated these 5 are not the last investment in new game studios for Xbox/Microsoft.</p><p><br></p><p><em>"I think we're always open to looking into expanding our first party.&nbsp;I don't think Matt (Booty) and I looked at E3 as the end of our journey here. I think it's something we'll always keep our eyes open. Some of these deals may not all happen at the same time, we were lucky to be able to keep the news quiet for a while, which doesn't always happen but was nice that it did so we could land the news here and the surprise.&nbsp;We know investment in our first-party, whether it's new things or growth or existing franchises, is important."</em></p>

  • Stooks

    12 June, 2018 - 10:33 am

    <p>There is simply no way to trust this "leak" especially when it comes to Microsoft and its constantly changing plans. Is Scarlett the Band, Windows Phone, Windows 10S, Groove of Xbox consoles?</p><p><br></p><p>With the X Microsoft plainly stated it, a more powerful Xbox, was coming to the world.</p><p><br></p><p> </p>

    • dontbe evil

      12 June, 2018 - 10:40 am

      <blockquote><a href="#283293"><em>In reply to Stooks:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>"<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">With the X Microsoft plainly stated it, a more powerful Xbox, was coming to the world."</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Was/is not?</span></p>

    • sbrown23

      12 June, 2018 - 3:05 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#283293"><em>In reply to Stooks:</em></a></blockquote><p>Uh, what? They plainly stated at E3 that the hardware team is working on the next console. So there's that.</p><p><br></p><p>We know there is a new console coming. They just didn't give a specific name or date for release. Two years out, do you expect full specs, name, and exact release date?</p>

  • dontbe evil

    12 June, 2018 - 10:42 am

    <p>2013: xbox one/ps4</p><p>2016: ps4 pro</p><p>2017:xbox one x</p><p>2019 or 2020: ps5?</p><p>2020: nextgen xbox?</p><p><br></p><p>hopefully will be a cheaper and smaller version without optical drive</p>

    • sbrown23

      12 June, 2018 - 2:58 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#283298"><em>In reply to dontbe_evil:</em></a></blockquote><p>So why would they release a version without an optical drive now, which would make many users' libraries of current gen games on disc useless? Especially if, like the Xbox One X, this is a newer more powerful and more advanced device still in the Xbox One family, which I fully expect it to be. </p><p><br></p><p>The ONLY way that optical drive-less device could work is if they ran a trade-in program that converted discs to digital. Otherwise, the device would fail miserably.</p>

    • DeusFever

      12 June, 2018 - 4:40 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#283298"><em>In reply to dontbe_evil:</em></a></blockquote><p>Sony already said the PS4 won't come before 2021. Coming out a year early worked for the Xbox 360 (minus the $1B write-down on Xbox 360 repairs). Didn't work so well for Dreamcast. Agree 100% on a SKU without an optical drive. </p>

      • pjosephson

        12 June, 2018 - 6:10 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#283498"><em>In reply to DeusFever:</em></a></blockquote><p>Not what Sony said. Sony said they will support the PS4 until 2021. They never said that there would not be a PS5 before 2021. There is always several years of game support after a new console arrives. Sony supported first party game development of the PS3 for several years after the PS4 was released (2 1/2 years to be exact – mid 2016) . </p>

  • glenn8878

    12 June, 2018 - 10:52 am

    <p>My suggestion is to segment it away from directly competing with Play Station.</p><ol><li>Include Cortana or Alexa with built in microphone and speaker. (Why not offer both? Cortana is dead.)</li><li>Allow installation of Windows 10. Market as low cost PC for productivity and games. (Don't care if it undercuts PC competitors)</li><li>Sell next generation Kinect for gesture controls and Skype. (Kinect never reached its potential. Just Dance needs it.)</li></ol>

    • Boris Zakharin

      12 June, 2018 - 11:36 am

      <blockquote><a href="#283304"><em>In reply to glenn8878:</em></a></blockquote><p>Cortana is quite useful for PC/Phone integration (and I mean Android and to a lesser extent iPhone here, just to be clear)</p>

  • Bart

    Premium Member
    12 June, 2018 - 11:29 am

    <p>If Scarlett is a game streaming device, game backward compatibility should be relatively easy as this happens server-side? Or am I missing something?</p>

    • SRLRacing

      12 June, 2018 - 1:30 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#283338"><em>In reply to Bart:</em></a> There seems to be two things going on here that are related but distinct developments. 1. The development of a traditional new hardware console that runs games locally. 2. A streaming service that will probably be able to run on the new console, maybe old ones too, other non-Microsoft devices like phones, but also perhaps a Xbox streaming stick style console or thin client that only streams the games being rendered in the cloud.</blockquote><p><br></p>

  • Robert Wade

    12 June, 2018 - 11:39 am

    <p>&lt;sigh&gt; We still have the original Xbox One w/Kinect. Even after Microsoft stupidly gutted the gesture features of Kinect and ruined the dashboard, we still rely heavily on the Kinect since we actually use Cortana on ALL our devices all the time. We don't have a 4K television and we don't play games on the console, so there's been zero reason to throw money at a device that actually REDUCES usefulness from what we currently have. I don't see Scarlet changing that.</p>

    • Shumayal

      12 June, 2018 - 1:19 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#283343"><em>In reply to Robert_Wade:</em></a></blockquote><p>The original Xbox One was heavily criticized for supporting TV and a Kinect that nobody wanted. This is why they stopped it.</p><p><br></p><p>I share the same sentiments of you, I play simple games and use Kinect, and don't have a 4K TV but unfortunately the pressure on Microsoft is away from this. They are on the losing side of the console race.</p>

      • curtisspendlove

        13 June, 2018 - 1:06 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#283407"><em>In reply to Shumayal:</em></a></blockquote><p><em>The original Xbox One was heavily criticized for supporting TV and a Kinect that nobody wanted. This is why they stopped it.</em></p><p><br></p><p>I seem to be the one guy that wanted it. I loved almost everything they talked about in the early demos, including the downloadable family licensing of games to get rid of discs. </p>

        • sachinkhanna48

          25 January, 2019 - 1:18 am

          <blockquote><em>But I liked the TV support in Microsoft Xbox</em></blockquote>

  • maethorechannen

    Premium Member
    12 June, 2018 - 11:42 am

    <p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">But what we don’t know is if this is a brand new set of devices or simply a more ‘powerful’ Xbox One that is again, fully backward </em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">compatible with all the content available today.</em></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">I thought Phil Spencer said full backwards compatibility is now guaranteed. So my money is on an "S+" which is today's X specs at S prices and an X+ keeping "the most powerfull console in the world" title.</span></p>

  • Mark from CO

    12 June, 2018 - 1:57 pm

    <p>Brad:</p><p><br></p><p>Can you give us the lowdown on those other 's<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">everal unannounced Microsoft products that are coming in the next two years?' (;&gt;)</span></p>

    • Mark from CO

      12 June, 2018 - 3:03 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#283420"><em>In reply to Mark from CO:</em></a></blockquote><p>Brad:</p><p><br></p><p>I see your other articles. Thank you!!</p>

  • DeusFever

    12 June, 2018 - 4:52 pm

    <p>If Microsoft holds exclusive titles until 2020 then the next couple of years in Xbox land will be tough. As a long term strategy, I see <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Microsoft's </span>wisdom. They want a fresh start with a strong lineup like had with the Xbox 360 and Nintendo had with the Switch. But for anyone price sensitive who just bought an Xbox One X, this is bitter news. </p>

    • jamiet

      12 June, 2018 - 11:37 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#283503"><em>In reply to DeusFever:</em></a></blockquote><p>Such little information means nothing to anybody right now</p>

  • John Noonan

    12 June, 2018 - 5:10 pm

    <p>I bought an Xbox One with Kinnect and have had PS4 envy almost since the beginning. I may go the other direction the next time around, but I surely won't buy a more powerful Xbox One.</p>

    • jamiet

      12 June, 2018 - 11:33 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#283505"><em>In reply to John_Noonan:</em></a></blockquote><p>You could simply buy a Ps4, then you'd have no reason for envy. Staying envious is pointless.</p>

  • Dandyv

    13 June, 2018 - 2:17 am

    <p>Want a luxurious life? Like what I have now? Check this website Emini S&amp;P Trading Secret, these guys will teach you how to trade and you can have all the money you want, to have a great life style and also travel around the world like me.</p><p><br></p>

  • anodyne

    24 September, 2018 - 2:44 am

    <p>The console may align with the launch of the game streaming service, but the new console will truly be on its own cycle if it's not on target with any other services. I really think Microsoft has been missing on mobile gaming and have been fairly weak at trying to address it for years, so I hope Scarlett can somehow address that and I suspect Microsoft might try to do that with a tiered hardware service. Scarlett 1 will be your $99 streaming device that doubles as a smart TV device, much like the Fire TV or Shield but with Xbox software. Scarlett 2 will be the mid-tier hardware that plays all the games and compares to a mid-level gaming PC. Scarlett 3 would be the successor to the One X as far as tiered products and be much more powerful than both of the other products and probably support some kind of VR tech as well as extremely high-end 4K visuals (perhaps even 8K, or some upscaling 8K software since 8K TVs seem poised to overtake 4K in the next few years).</p><p><br></p><p>I don't think 2020 is too early. In fact, I think it's vital for Microsoft to get their hardware in order and try and go after the various kinds of gamers that Nintendo seems to still do well at capturing. But they also need better exclusive games and that doesn't happen effortlessly or quickly.</p>

  • deadlives

    22 January, 2019 - 1:06 am

    <p>I would like to buy one as long as it has a disc drive fuck all of this game online bullshit 1 I want the physical copy games 2 no hacking 3 install is ok it saves on the system's eye 4 I can let friends/family barrow it and they may go buy it themselves and the list of bad things go on and on if the Xbox 2 is diskless then I won't buy it and who ever came up with this bullshit then they can shove it up their mothers ass and if she's dead then dig the bitch up</p>

  • sachinkhanna48

    25 January, 2019 - 1:20 am

    <p>Hopefully this time they pay attention to firstparty games I am really excited to play <a href="https://flytunes.fm/best-xbox-one-games/&quot; target="_blank">best xbox one games</a> on this.</p>

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