Microsoft will reportedly launch a smaller version of Xbox One this year, and a more powerful version next year that includes 4K resolution and Oculus Rift support. (Photo : Twitter/Xbox One )
Endless speculations suggest that Xbox One is already undergoing a major revision right now. The revision is said to be an upgrade for the rebooted console to fit virtual reality gaming. Since it is known that the Xbox One does not have an existing feature to support VR headsets, Microsoft is already on the works to make it happen for the console which is expected to be launched in 2017.
The new was confirmed by Ars Technica when one developer revealed that they are currently working on an Xbox One VR-game. As for the hints on what the game is and who its developer may be, it has been revealed that the game being developed for VR compatibility has been a long running franchise developed by a European company.
The same report noted that the XBox One is also rumored to be upgraded in order to be compatible with Oculus Rift. It is also speculated that Microsoft is planning to unveil the upgrade during the E3 event happening next month, while eyeing to release the console in 2017. Although none from Sony and Oculus confirmed the possible partnership, XBox Division Head Phil Spencer confirmed the news for the unveiling of the new XBox One on June 13.
It can be recalled in 2013 that Oculus Founder Palmer Luckey commented that consoles in general are always locked to some definite specifications, he said, "The problem with consoles in general is that once they come out they're locked to a certain spec for a long, long time." Using this statement, it can probably be assumed that the XBox One and Oculus Rift tandem is possible.
As to where the source of rumors came from, Digital Trends reported that it all started when some reliable sources spoke to Kotaku and Polygon regarding the project "Scorpio," the codename used for the alleged XBox One upgrade. The sources noted that this Scorpio model will be four times more powerful than the current XBox One having a faster GPU.
Meanwhile, rival company Sony has been reported to also conduct an upgrading with their PS4 console, which is speculated to be dubbed as PS4 "NEO" in the future. The console is said to sport a faster GPU and CPU designed to support 4K resolution. Despite the news, Sony has not given any statement regarding the possibility of an upgraded PS4 console.
Watch a preview of the rumored XBox One upgraded version below.
