Xbox’s anticipated mid-generation console refresh might be right around the corner. Over the past few weeks, there have been some rumblings that an all-white Xbox Series X may be coming this year. That rumor kicked into second gear when Exputer posted photos it says it received of the device. The leaked images show a standard Xbox Series X with a white casing. The design is about the same, but there’s one key difference: It doesn’t have a disk drive. If the rumors are proven true, that’ll be the system’s selling point, potentially putting it at a lower price point than the current Series X.
Leaked images of all-digital white Xbox Series X (expected to be priced under $499 w/ improved heatsink but no major enhancements, release this summer) https://t.co/4QU2D6045I pic.twitter.com/svMsTmDl3B
— Wario64 (@Wario64) March 27, 2024
The low-quality images are suspicious-looking, but there’s good reason to believe the device may be legitimate. The Verge corroborates the rumor, claiming it’s seen internal documents revealing some hardware changes coming with the console. The color swap also does match what Xbox did with its Series S, which got an all-black variant last year with an expanded hard drive. It’s very possible that we’ll see a white Series X on retail shelves come this holiday season. And as someone who enjoys collecting consoles, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed.
I first caught wind of Xbox’s mid-generation refresh during a fiasco last year when Microsoft accidentally uploaded unredacted documents to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) website revealing its future hardware plans. The most exciting nugget in that bunch was a page detailing a system code-named the Brooklin. The diskless system was said to be an updated version of the Series X with 2TB of storage and improved sustainability. Though what caught my eye was its left-field redesign, one that made it look like a Bluetooth speaker.
While the design got some chuckles from cynics, I was intrigued. My current Series X is a bit of an awkward tower that doesn’t quite fit right in my entertainment center. I actually have it propped up on a speaker close by, which has made it easily accessible to my nosy cat who loves sitting on the system’s top vent. While the design is less gaudy than that of the PlayStation 5, I’d long hoped that a mid-generation refresh would give me something sleeker that would require less space and blend in with my entertainment center more easily.
If the rounded Brooklin has transformed into a white Series X behind the scenes, I’m afraid those hopes are dashed. A big white tower is sure to stick out like a sore thumb even if it’ll match my Nintendo Switch OLED dock (it would have also matched my PS5, but I’ve since customized my faceplates to make it darker while giving it more pizazz). It’s a tiny complaint considering that I have no real need for an Xbox without a disk drive, but the possibility does seem like a bit of wasted potential.
One of my favorite things about new consoles or handhelds is seeing how they get remodeled throughout their life span. The Game Boy Advance days gave us a wealth of memorable second drafts that improved the device’s form factor, like the excellent SP model. That incremental hardware philosophy was still going strong last generation with the Xbox One, which got sleeker as its life span went on. Some of the most iconic console designs of all time have been born from iteration, which has led to more practical, efficient models that move the tech forward and look good doing it.
I’ve especially grown to appreciate that as someone who owns a lot of old consoles now. I love that I can display my original Nintendo 3DS next to its “New” upgrade and marvel at the differences between them. It’s a fun exhibit in my personal museum, putting a nice historical snapshot on my shelf that represents how the way I play games has evolved and improved through my life. Maybe it’s sentimental, but I’m fond of seeing my own growth reflected in the gaming devices that helped shape me. Maybe, deep down, I’m experiencing some existential worry about what a nearly identical Xbox model would mean.
Is this a real problem that will negatively impact any part of my life? Absolutely not. It’s a ridiculous thing to care about in any serious way, especially considering that I have no need for it. I’m just left looking longingly at the leaked Brooklin model that may never see the light of day. It was poised to be been a more practically compact system that would have looked great in a glass case next to my boxy Series X one day.
Maybe I’ll just put an Amazon speaker in there instead and pretend.
