A man plays an XBox One while waiting in line to buy a unit of the game console from a Microsoft store. (Photo : Getty Images/Andrew Burton )
Microsoft has indicated that big feature upgrades are in store for Xbox One gamers but likely still short of the rumored Xbox 1.5 mid-generation refresh. Set to be unpacked at the E3 2016 are fresh hardware that will match with Sony's PlayStation 4K (PS4K) thrust, a new report said.
One possible new unboxing is an updated standard controller for the current Xbox One console that Thurrott said in a new report will come in white. "A white default design seems like a decent mid-cycle refresh for the console to help spur sales," the report said.
Obviously though, the upgraded Xbox controller is Microsoft's answer to Sony's recent move of allowing PS4 remote play to PC. So it is expected too that along with the new Xbox tool, the same function will be adopted in time for the upgraded Microsoft console.
The "killer combination" is how the Xbox One will interact with the PC. "They (Microsoft) are looking to leverage the ecosystem to create unique experiences for games that are on other platforms too," Thurrott reported.
But what appears really as the biggest step up is the likely rollout of a beefed up Xbox One that the report said will be marketed as the Elite Edition. What exactly the label means is anyone's guess at the moment.
For many gamers on the Microsoft platform the best guess would be an upgraded Xbox One that supports 4K output, which makes sense as Sony's PS4 will soon have the same capability. And chances are both will debut via the E3 2016.
The latest development essentially negated the possibility of a mid-generation update for the Microsoft gaming machine that in numerous reports was dubbed as Xbox 1.5. To better compete with rival consoles, experts would want to believe that Xbox Two is the better upgrade option for Microsoft.
And the release date scenario for the Xbox Two is in the second half of 2017, perhaps months after the announced commercial launch of the Nintendo NX in March of the same year. Also, it is not unlikely that Microsoft will introduce the Xbox Two during the E3 trade show of next year.
