The rumoured "Xbox Lockhart" is a system that continues to make headlines. Although we're still waiting for Microsoft to officially confirm the existence of this smaller and lesser-powered next-generation console, new details about it somehow continue to surface.
The latest morsel of information comes from the Twitter account of Windows Central Senior Editor, Jez Corden. If you've been wondering what this new device will look like, it's apparently not going to look anything like the concept that's been doing the rounds. Here's exactly what Jez had to say:
So just to make that clear - this other system "looks a bit more like" an Xbox One S and there supposedly won't be a disc drive - making it an all-digital device, just like the digital Xbox One S model released last May.
In a follow-up tweet, Corden further explains how he's spoken to a "few people recently" who have seen Lockhart, and then reiterates how it's a much more "traditional" console design compared to the Xbox Series X.
Adding to this is yesterday's news that Microsoft asked employees to disguise Lockhart (when travelling with it) with Durango or Scorpio covers - codenames for Xbox One and Xbox One X development kits. This adds to the theory that Lockhart has a different shape to the Xbox Series X, which was apparently covered with bigger items like PC towers.
What do you expect Lockhart to look like, assuming it's the real deal? Share your thoughts below.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 47
Oh I'd prefer the game cube form factor but I'm confident the design will be still cool, nonetheless
That's kind of a bummer. I was hoping for that GameCube like design. Also, since it may not have a disc drive then this might not be the version for me after all. I'm dying for Xbox to just reveal everything!
With a disc drive, this could be the console that gives PS a fight. Without it, the average customer will just see two consoles that are largely identical in size, power, and more importantly, price, and they will pick PS again.
@Richnj This will be priced around 199$ as a 1080p60 console to compete with ps5 diskless digital edition which will be around 399$ dunno what u r talking about 🤷♂️
@Z3u5000 literally yesterday, someone took offense to me suggesting that the lockhart could be priced as low as $300. I guess today, my estimates are too high.
Apparently the design of SX is the way it is due to its heat dissipation and cooling system (Apple did similar design ideas on previous gen Mac Pro).
The S probably doesn't have such serious need for a massive cooling system (also driving down the cost) so they don't need to design it the same.
Please be black
So it's going to be how the Wii was redesigned to look like Wii U?
At this point lockhart is the worst kept secret in the industry, I'm honestly surprised someone hasn't managed to snap a photo yet
I'll get Series X but for Series S I prefer the white cube although I am still not sure that Lockhart is a console or the xCloud unit... or both.
I might get this it launch and still keep my one X as back up.... I'm more determined to be there at launch and this looks like a very viable option...
Since it’s probably only going to draw about 2/3 of the power of the Xbox One X there is no reason it couldn’t have the same form factor. It would however be deeply uncool to put the innards of a next generation console into the shells that they are currently using for the Xbox One S.
If this thing is real, and it indeed has a cpu to match the XSX, and the only difference it’s that if can run everything equally, but at 1080p, then I wish l they stay away from dumb all-digital diskless approach, because I have two tv units that could use a new XBox, and one of them is just a smaller 1080p tv that could go for a cheaper device.
Disk drive is mandatory for me, though (unless somehow magically the thing can use an idle networked XSX drive for copy validation.)
Edit: mind you, lower RAM still makes me skeptical. Ram is not just used for high res textures by all games, some games with more artistic approaches are likely to just use memory for complex but flat colored environment that won’t take any less ram just because it’s running on 1080p. Think games like the recently reported Recompile.
It is critical, if this thing is real, that it can run ALL software the XSX can run.
@Z3u5000 most conservative and tapered down predictions are sticking to $300 for the XSS and $500 for the XSX.
More aggressive predictions are claiming as low as $200/$400 respectively.
@Tharsman After reading those two leaks I posted, assuming that they're true, that say that PS5 would be 500 and PS 5AD 400, Microsoft needs to release Series X for 400 if they don't want to give Sony another head start next generation.
@BlueOcean I agree, they could just undercut by $50, sell at $450, but that does not send as big of a message, especially when the PS5 will likely cost $499. You got to make that first figure drop by a whole number for it to make a real market impact.
@Tharsman Not only that but if PS 5AD is 400, even if it doesn't have the BD reader, Series X should be 400 too so it undercuts PS5 and equals PS 5AD, right?
@BlueOcean it would definitely help XBox sales if the most expensive Xbox is as cheap as the budget PS5 that is made with sacrifices in mind, yes.
It would also help if the fabled Lockhart only sacrifice, from a user perspective, is simply 1080p, and not loss of access to their physical game library.
@Z3u5000 If it really is that price of 199 it would be an impulse buy for me...
The Xbox One SAD edition still retails for $250, I don't think there is any way a discless Lockhart would sell for only $199. Still probably a while before we kow everything but I'm looking forward tto seeing exactly what this mystery box is!
@GunValkyrie Halo, Gears and Forza do sell, though. Agree more than that is needed, but sometimes I feel the resentment is a bit too high. It’s like asking UBisoft to stop making Assassins Creed games.
We should instead just expect newer entries on those series to be as evolutionary as every third Assassin’s Creed tends to be.
Aside from that, MS needs to make sure any new IP they create (or resurrect) is not just a great game to play, but also is backed up by a very solid script. They can’t just throw a story in there, they need to hire some solid writers.
@Tharsman Yes, that's why I put Lockhart/Series S aside, because I consider Series X to be the real competitor of PS5 and PS 5AD.
Wanted to add to my reply about bringing more games:
Sadly for Microsoft, Sony has one advantage that they are likely never going to get: the willingness of some Japanese developers to make some games (like Persona) exclusive to the PlayStation platform without even having to pay for exclusivity. Might be a cultural thing, or studio heads likely having some unofficial relationship/friendship, but given the install base of the Xbox is about 40% that of the PS4, it still result on the studios leaving up to 40% more revenue in the table.
Scorn and The Medium will be exclusive to the XSX, but I dare bet there is more going on there, like potential future acquisitions being lined up.
Point being: with less console success, MS is still expected to do have a way larger first party initiative, and that can be a lot to ask. I guess Xbox is “lucky” they are backed up by Microsoft’s big wallet.
@Tharsman Sony also have another advantage.
They are strong all over the world.
Microsoft have yet to become a force outside of North America. With the exception of the UK, they are weak in continental Europe and non existant in Japan. That's why it doesn't matter what lockhart or series x is priced at, Microsoft will never manage to outsell Sony because the overwhelming bulk of their sales come from North America.
It also remains to be seen how a lack of exclusives impact them.
@GunValkyrie
And here is the obligatory, ignorant, & tired comment about Xbox only having three franchises & it has no games. 🙄
Why are you here? Xbox has way more games than Halo, Gears, & Forza. If you actually played games on an Xbox, you would know that.
@SuperNintendoMii it’s not that simple. I mean, sure, Xbox might not sell that well outside US/CA/UK, but those are extremely strong economies.
Go back and look at vgcharz sales for the PS3/360 gen. The PS3 had a narrow global victory, but the Xbox dominated the North American market.
At a global scale, Xbox actually dominated software sales, the North American market being strong means they consume a higher rate of software per console owner than many international markets.
Add to that, Microsoft is an American company at the end of the day, and they will always prefer money made inside the US than money made overseas simply due to it being expensive [tax wise] to move money over borders.
This does not mean that Microsoft does not care about international markets, obviously they have to, but declaring winners and losers is far from simple, and selling more or less than the competitor does not paint the whole picture, especially when a software developer would lose out on more than half of the market if they are not on the North American region.
All that said, this gen ms sold so far fewer consoles than Sony, that none of the above would make them come out ahead. They need another generation where they dominate NA/UK if they want to be on even footing.
@Tharsman If I remember correctly, Atlus is the only important Japanese developer yet to start publishing on Xbox. The fact that the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts games are available on Xbox has made Xbox a more definitive gaming platform.
Why Atlus hasn't started publishing on Xbox too when Japanese RPGs are popular outside Japan is a mystery but since Persona 4 was released for PC a few weeks ago Xbox may be next.
@KelticDevil I don’t think the argument is that they don’t have more games than halo/gears/Forza but instead that those are basically the only high profile platform exclusives.
"The PS3 had a narrow global victory"
And they achieved it after the generation had ended with cheap PS3 models.
@BlueOcean it might also change, word is since Sega acquired Atlas, they been adding some pressure to start making their titles cross-platform.
Historically, though, Atlus has always seemed Shin Megami games to not be extremely well received outside of Japan, with just niche reception. That has slowly changed with the last couple entries in the Persona sub-series.
I’m here just guessing they still use some in-house engine that has only ever been ported to PlayStation platforms, at least for their Persona games. It usually takes big resources to maintain an in-house engine, much more one that can seamlessly target multiple platforms from the same game project.
@Tharsman
Once again....that’s his opinion. “High profile” games are not the only games people play on a console.
Not too mention people seem to be forgetting Sea Of Thieves, Ori, & The Outer Worlds & Hellblade series are also Microsoft exclusives now. Etc
@KelticDevil I know what you are saying, but I’m actually on @GunValkyrie side in this.
Notice you just mentioned 4 titles, and of those four, two are not yet “Xbox exclusives”
I could play Hellblade or The Outer World on either a PS4 or a Switch. Sea of Thieves might be improving, but had a weak reception at launch. Ori is a worth mention, though, especially now that we got a sequel and it wasn’t just a one-shot.
Anyways, the point is about exclusive games during the Xbox One generation. XSX needs to do better (but we already know they are headed in the right direction.)
Edit: damned phone keyboard has a mind of its own...
@Tharsman Yep, it might be something related to the engine because Sega is the owner and Sega appreciates the international market. Sonic 2 was developed in US and Sonic 3 & Knuckles got a Windows version.
Persona 4 Golden is available for Windows since June and Xbox runs on Windows too so probably first Atlus game on Xbox will be Persona 4 Golden.
EDIT: Sea of Thieves is actually one of the most successful Xbox One games. Launch sales were high, it's one of the most downloaded Game Pass games, it's one of the most played online games since launch and it also got a few spikes in popularity over Fortnite on Twitch, etc.
@Tharsman
I don’t want to argue semantics. Yes Outer Worlds & Hellblade are on multiple consoles. But the sequels will not be. And the development studios making those games are Microsoft’s now.
Not to mention inXile making RPGs for the console now too. And Double Fine. And Fable is about to be announced. Maybe a new Perfect Dark.
The whole line “Xbox has no games” was tired to begin with. Now it just makes no sense.
@BlueOcean I thought most such spikes were tied to the Steam launch.
Got to admit I personally was not impressed with anything I saw at launch for the title, nor the review. But then again, I tend to completely dislike online only games, much more ones that have no solo-friendly story modes, so sea of thieves has been a completely afterthought on my mind.
I might be letting my biases over-dismiss the games achievements.
@KelticDevil but it’s not semantics. It’s just that when people bring that line, they are talking about past and present.
I agree the future seems a lot more interesting, but at the same time, anyone that hoped for titles like Scaleblund and Fable Legends is likely going to be skeptic until the games actually launch.
@KelticDevil Sea of Thieves was always MS exclusive, no?. It's made by Rare and MS have owned Rare for years.
@Tharsman No, the popularity spikes over Fortnite were long before the Steam release, around the Anniversary Edition launch. Not just that but it has stayed very popular since launch regardless of the recent spike because of the Steam version:
https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/sea-of-thieves-break-records-streaming-success/
https://news.microsoft.com/en-gb/2018/08/01/sea-of-thieves-played-by-more-than-five-million-people-rare-reveals/
Sorry, it was Fortnite the game that Sea of Thieves surpassed, not Minecraft, so I edited my comments to reflect the information correctly. It happened in 2018-2019. The Steam version of Sea of Thieves was released last month (June 2020).
https://gamerant.com/summit1g-sub-count-ninja/
So regardless of some people liking or not online games, Sea of Thieves is one of the most popular games of the generation. I don't like any of the top streamers but the game is fun and it can be a joy to play in cooperative. It's also the most beautiful game of the generation in my opinion, especially in HDR.
I love the design of the One S and One X, but I would not want a next generation console to look like a current gen console. I was never a fan of the GameCube but the mockup of the Series S was growing on me. Whatever design Xbox has up its sleeve I am sure and I feel confident that it will be gorgeous.
@KelticDevil it's not so much that xbox had no games (and anyone who says that is ignorant), it's just that they have relied on Halo, Forza and Gears for far too long.
This is something Phil Spencer has tried to address by snapping up developers. He's trying to fix that.
Although it could be said that series x/lockhart has no exclusives, as they are coming to pc and Xbox One. But the over reliance on those three game series is over
@Tharsman sure. I mean you're correct, but if its a more even split next gen in North America its anyone's guess who'll get the higher software sales. Probably swing each way depending on what's out.
Although the Xbox One was a console that at launch was criticised for being very American centric. That isn't really something the series x has a problem with so it should do better in Europe, although Europe has always been Sony so I still see PS5 being no1 here.
Will be interesting to see how North America plays out
Don't under estimate how many people will be looking to get next gen at a budget come fall. Lay offs everywhere
@GunValkyrie
Phil didn’t buy studios because they only have three franchises & “have no games”. Lol. He bought those studios because he wants even more games.
Just because you choose to not play (or acknowledge) Xbox games other than Halo, Gears, & Forza that doesn’t make it true.
I have an Xbox as my only console & I play games daily & I have more than enough games to play & have backlog the size of a small country.
@Richnj
Yes Sea Of Thieves has always been a Microsoft exclusive. I meant Hellblade & Outer Worlds are now going to be too. 👍🏻
@SuperNintendoMii Despite Microsofts stumbles and disaproval this generation, in North America they still sell 7 Xbox One units for every 10 PS4s sold.
An aggressive push in price and games by MicroSoft is, I feel, almost certain to boost that by more than what is needed to catch up. So long MS does not mess up the launch, they will likely regain a North American advantage, maybe also the UK.
At this point, its either MS messing up the launch, or Sony throwing down an incredible shocking announcement that the PS5 costs $300/$400 for the diskless/standard editions respectively. That definitively hurt them with international audiences.
I think XBox One [launch] being seen as a NA centric thing has a lot to do with their extreme focus on TV at launch, something that is much much harder to tackle at a global level.
@GunValkyrie
You want to bring the Switch into this? 😂
You rip Xbox every article I see you in. But yet you admitted to buying 20+ Xbox games and it’s July. 🙄
Either you are lying or I ask.....why are you here? According to you, Xbox only has three games that they repeat over & over. It’s a ridiculously stupid statement. But if you think it’s true, then why are you commenting here?
I have already stated games that Microsoft has exclusive, but you may not like them. Who cares? Then move on. Why are you here complaining? Do you not have anything better to do?
Pathetic.
@Tharsman I think it's a given Microsoft are going to be very aggressive with series x. It feels like the Microsoft of 2005 is back rather than the Microsoft of 2013 that limped out the gate and didn't know which direction it was supposed to go on.
I think they could very well take North America next gen. But like you said, a lot depends on PS5s price, and I really feel like it won't be as much as people are expecting. Even the subtle hints from Jim Ryan that it's all about value over price make me think he's being deliberately misleading only for them to announce a price that catches everyone off guard. Tho I do believe it will be more than series x, if the gap isn't that big it probably won't matter too much.
@GunValkyrie that's something I've been saying here for awhile and I got branded a Sony fanboy. They rode the halo/forza/gears wave all this gen and, aside from an odd exception like the brilliant Quantum Break, didn't really bother with anything else. In fact they bolted from this gen awhile back once it became crystal clear xbox one sales were not going to get any better.
Phil Spencer snapped up developers precisely because Microsoft lacked a broader variety of games like what Sony has. That isn't a fanboy comment to make. That's not misinformed. It's how Phil Spencer saw their situation. I'm honestly surprised there are people that try to argue this most basic of facts.
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...