Microsoft S Series: Cheap Console Might Be Coming Soon

A new trademark registration again indicates that Microsoft does not want to place the upcoming Xbox Series X as the only next-gen console on the market. The Redmond company will continue to work on the cheaper Xbox Series S under the code name “Lockhart“.

It would come as no surprise if Microsoft decided to launch an inexpensive game console in the fourth quarter beyond the Xbox Series X. For months there has been speculation about a possible Xbox Series S, which is to be run in Redmond under the name “Xbox Lockhart”. Finally, the name of the previously unconfirmed console appeared in the Windows code, which further intensified the rumors about its existence.

Registration of the “Xbox Series” mark causes speculation

Microsoft’s intention to expand the “Xbox Series” to include additional consoles is now supported by a new trademark application to the US Patent Office via Generación Xbox. With the application submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the manufacturer does not confirm any new hardware, but it does fuel the rumor mill. In it, one speaks about a possible Xbox Series S (Lockhart), which should aim for a performance of four teraflops. This would put the presumably cheap next-gen console between the current Xbox One S (1.4 TFLOPs) and the Xbox One X (6 TFLOPs).

On the other hand, experts continue to assume that Microsoft could in the future also release the Xbox Series X in a so-called “All Digital Edition”, which does not require an optical Blu-ray drive. The Redmond company took the same step with the Xbox One S and Sony will also offer its new PlayStation 5 (PS5) in a digital edition. It remains unclear whether the possible Xbox Series S will appear in parallel with the launch of the Series X in the fourth quarter of 2020. However, insiders forecast that the low-budget console will be revealed in the summer.