Microsoft is only launching one next-generation Xbox, not two

Microsoft revealed its next-generation Xbox Project Scarlett console on stage at E3 earlier this month, but many had been expecting two consoles to be unveiled. Rumors previously suggested that Microsoft was working on a pair of new devices: one codenamed Anaconda that would be high-end, and another codenamed Lockhart that would be the more affordable option. Thurrott.com reports that Microsoft is now focused solely on a high-end Xbox console, under the broader Project Scarlett effort.

While Xbox chief Phil Spencer did reveal the company was “deep into architecting the next Xbox consoles,” at E3 last year, plans have clearly changed as only Project Scarlett was mentioned as a single console this year. Thurrott previously reported that Scarlett would ship with both a high-end console, and a “cloud console” with limited amounts of local compute “for specific tasks like controller input, image processing, and importantly, collision detection.” Windows Central also previously claimed that a cheaper Xbox One S-style console, codenamed Lockhart, would appear in holiday 2020 (the original article has since been removed).