About a month ago, gaming blog eXputer reported that the long-rumored disc-less Xbox Series X was set to launch in summer 2024. Other than the release window, much of the information in the article had been reported previously, but now, the blog is back with the first leaked photos of the all-digital Xbox Series X, unveiling its surprisingly familiar design.
As a reminder, Microsoft’s plans for its big Xbox Series X hardware refresh were divulged in the FTC v. Microsoft lawsuit. A series of slides were seemingly added to the case by accident, and they included an early look at Microsoft’s all-digital Xbox, codenamed Brooklin:
It was a far cry from the boxy, sharp-edged design of the original Xbox Series X, with plenty of notable improvements internally as well. Apparently, these relatively ambitious design plans were scrapped at some point in the process, because here are the photos of the final design of the all-digital Xbox Series X that eXputer shared this week:
Save for the white colorway, the console looks nearly indistinguishable from the original Xbox Series X at a glance. The only significant difference is the lack of a disc drive on the front panel. Other than that, the digital-only model appears to feature the same ports, the same design, and even very similar dimensions to that of the original model.
The same is true inside the box as well. According to eXputer, there are some minor upgrades, such as an improved heatsink, but that’s about it. This is not the Xbox Series X Pro — not even close. In fact, it will reportedly cost less than the Xbox Series X, which still retails for $499.99 in the US (although it goes on sale fairly frequently now).
Honestly, I am rather baffled. I haven’t bought a physical Xbox game in years, so I wouldn’t mind swapping my console out for a digital-only model. That said, I at least expected the console to be somewhat smaller to account for the lack of a disc drive. And a quick Google search reveals that I can snag an Xbox Series X with a disc drive for $399 at Walmart right now. With that in mind, I’m really struggling to figure out who this new model is for.