Will the next Xbox debut at E3 2016? That’s the rumor catching fire online after a set of FCC filings appeared on neoGAF which included an NDA deadline of June 25. The NDA, or non-disclosure agreement, is applied to a manual and a set of photos filed as part of this FCC application. The application itself relates to a new Wi-Fi chip, which neoGAF user ekim traced to the model numbers for the components already found on the retail version of the Xbox One console. He explains:
1. Xbox One's wireless chip was approved by the FCC under Model Number 1525 or the FCC ID C3K1525 (C3K is the unique identifier for Microsoft and 1525 the model number)
you can see it's Xbox One:
- by opening the attached user manual for the Host that carries the wireless chip --> https://fccid.io/document.php?id=1994252
- by looking on the bottom of your Xbox One - you will find the FCC ID 1525
2. There are TWO recent filings with model numbers
1682 --> https://fccid.io/C3K1682
1683 --> https://fccid.io/C3K1683
It’s possible the model numbers are for a new Xbox One Wi-Fi chip coming from a different supplier, but the NDA attached to photos and a user manual speaks to a larger story. The June 25 deadline is several days past this year’s E3 convention, which runs from June 14-16 in Los Angeles. This timeline is what’s fueling the speculation that these filings relate to the next Xbox console.
But what could the next Xbox console be? We’ve been hearing reports that Sony is working on PlayStation 4.5 , a device rumored to support 4k gaming by way of an upgraded GPU. Sony has not publicly commented on the rumor, but if a new PlayStation and the next Xbox were to debut in 2016 then E3 is the likeliest showcase for such major products.
If the rumored next Xbox follows a similar path to deliver more hardware power it’s likely fans will not react positively to the news. The Xbox One is trailing far behind PlayStation 4 in sales so it’s already clear that the market for Microsoft consoles is tepid at best. And with many gamers anticipating a new Nintendo console this year as well, the timing of another major hardware launch for Microsoft is certainly not ideal.
We have reached out to Microsoft for comment, and will update the story if/when we receive a response.
UPDATE: A Microsoft rep told iDigitalTimes "We are always looking for ways to improve Xbox One but have no further details to share at this time."
