Amid the news about the Nintendo NX and the controversial rumors about the PlayStation NEO, new rumors are afoot about an upgraded Xbox One.
This all started back in March, when Xbox head Phil Spencer expressed his hopes that one dayconsoles could be upgraded, so you wouldn’t have to wait for the end of the console’s lifespan to have a more powerful system. His comments sparked theories that an upgraded version of the Xbox One could be in the works.
Later on, in April when the PS4.5 rumors were in full force, Spencer explained that he’s “not a big fan of Xbox One and a half.” He went on to say that if they did move forward, he would want it to be a big improvement.
These comments from Spencer suggest that a NEO-style Xbox One upgrade is out of the question. However, a supposed leak first discovered by NeoGAF seem to reveal the production of an “Xbox One Second Generation.” The legitimacy of the leaked image is unknown.
Of course, this has sparked many theories about what a second generation Xbox One might be, and additional rumors claim Microsoft is set to show off this new hardware at E3.
If we take Phil Spencer’s comments at face value, there’s probably no reason to worry about an Xbox One upgrade similar to the rumored NEO. If the Xbox One Second Generation leak is true, is more likely a simple redesign: an Xbox One Slim, a cheaper digital-only console, or something similar.
Player reactions to the initial rumors caused Spencer to clarify his thoughts on upgrading consoles, and the general backlash against the PlayStation rumors meant his denial of an Xbox 1.5 was greeted positively. While some people might say it would be smart of Microsoft to release an upgraded Xbox One to make sure they don’t fall behind the PlayStation NEO (and possibly the Nintendo NX), it might be a lot smarter not to.
What would you think if Microsoft unveiled an upgraded Xbox One at E3? Would you like to see a major change, or do you hope these rumors refer to a simple redesign, if anything at all?
