Fans waiting to upgrade from the Xbox One to the Xbox Series X are going to have to wait until Holiday 2020 to do so. However, Xbox One gamers who are preparing to stick with their current consoles may want to check out this latest hardware news. According to new reports, Microsoft is preparing to launch two new special edition controllers.
According to Xbox insider Brad Sams, two new Xbox One controllers will be launched in March 2020. The designs have not been leaked, but it appears that they will be available to buy before E3 2020.
Xbox Chief Phil Spencer has been teasing Microsoft’s plans for the big expo, which is set to kick off in June.
Plenty of big news is expected to be announced around the LA event, although nothing major from Sony.
The PS5 will be skipping E3 this year, and Sony has already confirmed that they will be attending other tradeshows.
Meanwhile, Microsoft look set to host its usual showcase and that can only mean more news on Xbox Series X.
When asked about what was happening this year and how the latest Ori game was coming along, Spencer replied:
“Ori is special, reading internal notes from people playing through, another amazing game by Moon.
“Next E3 meeting is today, tons to talk about between now and E3 & deep portfolio of XGS games for E3. @aarongreenberg doing work. Console launch years are just special.”
So it sounds like there will be plenty of new Xbox games announced during E3 2020, and that comes with a special caveat.
While Xbox Series X is going to be much more powerful than the standard Xbox One console, Microsoft is not launching exclusive content for it, at least during its first year.
The tech giant is instead creating a cross-generational ecosystem which will not leave Xbox One gamers behind.
So while Xbox games will start to drift away in the coming years, this year’s E3 will have plenty of Xbox One news. The official Xbox Series X controller has yet to be revealed and it won’t be one of the limited edition controllers being shown off next month.
But it sounds like it could be explored during E3 2020 by Phil Spencer in front of a packed audience. The Xbox Series X was revealed alongside a controller design that looked very much like the Xbox One version.
But from what has been shared since that unveiling, there will also be a few extra options and features to try out. This will include a new Xbox share button, which will be found in the middle of the Xbox Series X controller.
The D-Pad has also been revamped, with Phil Spencer telling Gamespot: “We think we have a good controller in the market today, so we didn’t really feel like we needed to go back to square one to build [a new controller].
“But there were certain things that we’ve learned through doing the Elite controller and just listening to fans. One of them is on the d-pad. We have a new hybrid d-pad that we’ve been working and think is important.”
Speaking about new features, Spencer added: “We’re not the first ones to do a share button, so we’re not going to say that we invented that, but we’ve heard feedback that sharing is such a part of a gaming experience now for many of our players. I wanted a dedicated button to share, so you’ll see that.”
The good news for current Xbox One gamers is that current controllers will work on the Xbox Series X too.