XBox One Slim Rumors: Is Microsoft Launching a Smaller Model?
Rumors emerged early in August pointing towards the possible October launch of a smaller XBox One model touted to be the XBox One Slim.
A concept render of what appears to be the XBox One Slim, a smaller, thinner 500GB game console Microsoft was rumored to be launching this October has appeared online, prompting XBox management to respond to the allegations.
Originally reported by Chinese tech website, WPDang, the XBox One Slim would be a third of the size of the current gen console, and would emit less noise compared to its predecessor. The thinner version would also come without a Blue-ray player, which would be a first for XBox devices.
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WPDang also announced the XBox One Slim would have a much lower price point due to its smaller size. Moreover, it said the new console will be unveiled in October during Microsoft's launch event, together with the two new Lumia smartphones, the Surface Pro 4 tablet, and Microsoft Band 2, according to a report corroborated by The Verge.
In response to the rumor, XBox head Phil Spencer took to Twitter to answer questions posed by fans of the console, responding in the negative.
However, while Spencer denied the reports of an emerging XBox One Mini, he said it did not mean Microsoft was eschewing any future plans to make one in that mold, citing it was traditional for console manufacturers to launch smaller and improved versions of their hardware devices years down the line after the original is released, just as Sony and Nintendo have been doing for their last generation consoles.
Console redesigns are often considered a strategy for console manufacturers to lower productions costs, bring in more users, and convince loyal customers to trade in their old models.
Based on the timeline for Microsoft's console redesigns, with the XBox 360 Slim released five years after the XBox 360 hit the market, it may take a few more years before anything resembling the XBox One Slim or XBox One Mini rolls off the tech giant's assembly line.
