Something to look forward to: Microsoft’s consoles have a colorful history of codenames. Following the Xbox One’s ‘Durango’ internal name, and the Xbox One X’s famous ‘Scorpio’ designation, it’s been reported that the next generation Xbox goes by the codename of ‘Anaconda.’
Windows Central reports that Microsoft is set to release two new Xbox consoles in 2020 as part of its Scarlett family of next-gen machines. The cheaper device, codenamed Lockhart, is said to be a successor to the Xbox One S, though it will offer performance comparable to the current Xbox One X.
The Anaconda, meanwhile, will be a more expensive, cutting-edge console that will likely pack some high-end AMD hardware. It might also come with an SSD to reduce games’ loading times, which remain one of the worse elements of consoles. Both next-gen machines will support backward compatibility with Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One titles, so anyone looking to upgrade can bring their game libraries with them.
While these consoles are well over a year away, Microsoft could announce a new entry in its gaming machine lineup as soon as next month and launch it by Spring 2019. A disc-less, streaming-only console, which was first reported back in July, features local processing power, allowing it to perform specific game tasks such as controller input, image processing, and collision detection. This is achieved by splitting the game into two portions, which some have referred to as a slice or splice, with one running on the cloud while the other runs on the console.
Interestingly, Microsoft might also announce a disc-to-digital program alongside its next console. This will convert physical disc libraries into digital ones via participating retailers.
Microsoft is also focusing on its Project xCloud streaming service, which allows “console quality games” to work across multiple devices including PCs, tablets, and mobiles. Public trials of the service are set to begin next year.
