The Xbox Series X has been out for sixteen months, yet it’s still hard to nail down. Xbox Series S hardware is easy to come by, but restocks of Xbox Series X consoles are disappearing nearly as fast as they emerge.
However, a recent report suggests that Microsoft is preparing some new hardware for 2022, despite the continued supply chain challenges. The XboxEra podcast is credited with breaking the storey, but the fact that it was included in the show’s “Rumor Mill” section means that it has not been independently validated.
Though we may anticipate new Xbox-branded hardware this year or perhaps a bit later owing to the many challenges now confronting international supply chains, presenter Shpeshal Nick emphasised that we could expect this.
According to the Microsoft CEO, “Xbox now has some hardware to display that falls into a different category than people are likely anticipating.”
When asked about the mysterious gear, Nick replies that he has no idea since he’s only authorised to talk so much about it. That unpleasant grey space between an unsubstantiated rumour and an established fact.
The new 2022 Xbox hardware: the possibilities
There are a few possibilities that come to me when I think about this. The following is a ranking of the most and least probable candidates for the Boston Marathon and the Tour de France.
Streaming Stick for Game Pass
For the most part, the most probable Xbox hardware announcement would be a streaming stick for Xbox Game Pass, which would be handy to individuals who can’t purchase or access real gear.
Even though this hasn’t been publicly announced, Microsoft has referenced it in passing as a method to extend Xbox Cloud Gaming to additional devices. Liz Hamren, a Microsoft representative, revealed in an E3 2021 panel that the company is also working on standalone streaming devices that can be connected to a TV or monitor and broadcast your Xbox experience if you have a good internet connection.
Portable Game Pass Access Device
Streaming Xbox Game Pass games on a lightweight mobile device is also possible, although less probable.
It’s been reported that Microsoft is working on something similar but hasn’t officially disclosed it as the streaming stick has. Additionally, the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 platform is capable of enabling Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox console streaming, which may be of interest to Microsoft.
headgear that simulates a virtual environment
Microsoft has previously said that virtual reality is not a priority for Xbox, and confirmed this statement as recently as last year. It’s becoming more and more implausible.
If Meta’s Oculus Quest 2 continues to be a hit, and PSVR 2 appears, people’s opinions may be swayed. As much as we’d want to see Xbox support for virtual reality, this seems like a pipe dream at the moment.
More powerful Xbox One S
Obviously, this is just conjecture, influenced by my own personal tastes, but bear with me. For some reason, it seems as though Microsoft has no issue keeping Xbox Series S units on the shelf, but could it be that users want a disc drive more than anything else?
You never know; if the HD-DVD experiment didn’t suck, Microsoft may be contemplating an external disc or offering a console with an optical drive built in. In exchange for an additional $50, I would gladly purchase such a device.
Your guess is as good as mine for the time being. After the Ukraine crisis and supply chain delays, we’ll have to wait and see what occurs later this year.