The existence of the Xbox Series S/Lockhart has been substantiated in the development kits. It apparently is codenamed “Lockhart” and could lower the entry hurdle to the next generation.
Sony will launch two consoles in the fall of this year. These are the standard PS5 and the digital edition of PlayStation 5. The performance is the same for both models. With the last-mentioned hardware, only the disc drive is missing.
Microsoft also seems to have plans to run two tracks. Rumor has it that, in addition to the Xbox Series X, a second model is in the works, which is unofficially called the Xbox Series S and is associated with the codename “Lockhart”.
If the previous information is correct, both manufacturers will start the new generation with two consoles each. But the plans differ enormously. While Sony relies on two models that are identical in terms of performance, the Xbox Series S is said to be a weaker next-gen console, which also does not have the disc drive. The price should be set accordingly low.
The rumors and speculations described came into circulation months ago. But do they have anything to do with reality? Possibly, because according to current reports the “Lockhart” name was discovered in the release notes of the Microsoft Game Development Kit from June 2020.
In the data, both the “Lockhart” profiling mode and the “Anaconda” profiling mode (it is the code name of the Xbox Series X) are mentioned. You can see a corresponding tweet below:
More proof of Lockhart, this time from the XDK/GDK release notes for June 2020. pic.twitter.com/hulDoC9owv
— TitleOS (@XB1_HexDecimal) June 24, 2020
A low-budget console with a low entry hurdle doesn’t sound disadvantageous at first. However, it is questionable whether a clear distinction from the consoles already available can be created. After all, the Xbox One X already has 6 TFlops. For comparison: The Xbox Series X should be sent into the race with 12 TFlops.
Recall that Xbox Series X will release in this holiday 2020 season.
