Rumors of Microsoft’s more affordable and lesser powered Xbox console codenamed Lockhart have been circulating the web since last year. Lockhart is known to be designed with all the next-gen improvements of Xbox X for 1080p or 1440p gaming at a more affordable price point.
The recently leaked Microsoft document posted by a Twitter account goes into more detail about the Second Next-Gen console and other consoles included in Microsoft’s new Project Scarlett. Project Scarlett is the same name under which Microsoft had released the Xbox Series X. Since then, the details of the other two consoles – codenamed Lockhart and Anaconda, have been a hot topic of discussion.
More proof of Lockhart, this time from the XDK/GDK release notes for June 2020. pic.twitter.com/hulDoC9owv
— TitleOS (@XB1_HexDecimal) June 24, 2020
Back in March, a picture showing Microsoft’s Xbox Series X with an Anaconda etched onto confirmed some suspicions regarding one of the consoles. While the tech giant has never addressed the fate of the Lockhart consoles, the leaked document may change that.
Among other details, the leaked document highlights a profile mode that is to be the part of the new Lockhart console. According to trusted informants, the special profiling mode in Lockhart is a part of the developer kit featured in Xbox Series X. Codenamed Dante, the devkit will enable game developers to unlock a special way outlining the performance Microsoft is targeting with the second next-gen console.
Other revealed specs for Lockhart include the 7.5GB usable RAM, 4 TFLOPS GPU performance, and slightly underclocked GPU speed as compared to the lesser performance Lockhart the original Xbox Series X has 13.5GB usable RAM and a 12 TFLOPS GPU performance. The new mode is meant for developers to test games against the targeted performance profile and perform validation checks.
Amongst all the excitement surrounding the new consoles, Microsoft has stayed silent on the Lockhart console. However, the codename Lockhart found in the Xbox One OS might be a good sign.
The release of the second next-gen console will also be a defining moment for Microsoft’s pricing strategy for future generations of consoles. The tech giant has already released bundles such as the Xbox All Access subscription for Xbox Series X for a monthly amount. The subscription is set to be critical for the Xbox Series X generation and beyond.
Conclusion
According to the document, Lockhart will follow the trademark branding and will be called Xbox Series S upon its release. For now, the Xbox community is buzzing with the news of the upcoming Xbox Series X, which will feature a custom eight-core AMD ZEN2 CPU, a custom-made RDNA 2-class GPU powered at 12 TFLOPS and more exciting enhancements while supporting a resolution of up to 8K. The second next-gen Xbox Lockhart is most likely to launch with the Xbox Series X later this year if all goes according to schedule. With a diversity of options in the form of Xbox Series X, Lockhart, and Anaconda, Xbox fans and gaming enthusiasts are in for some exciting releases.