A refreshed Xbox Series X is expected this year.
(Image credit: Microsoft)Previously, Microsoft was expected to be releasing a refresh of the Xbox Series X for 2024, based on leaked documents from the FCC. After the Xbox Games Showcase in 2024, however, it seems increasingly apparent that plans may have changed.
Details about the console, codenamed Brooklin, leaked last year when unredacted documents were uploaded by Microsoft to the FCC, and accidentally published. The documents also detailed a refreshed Xbox Series S and a new Xbox Controller too, but all of the devices have yet to break cover in any official capacity. Either way, thanks to those unredacted FCC documents, we know pretty much everything there is to know about these new consoles — although increasingly it seems like the Xbox "Brooklin" console may never actually see the light of day.
So, for fun, let's break down everything we know about Xbox Brooklin, the console that likely never was.
Recent updates
Update (July 30, 2024): Updated this article to reflect the fact Brooklin is probably never releasing, and was most likely a concept or pitch based on previous projections. — Jez Corden
Xbox Series X 2024 (Brooklin) Price & Release Date
Microsoft was planning to launch the new Xbox Series X "Brooklin" this year, with an announcement which would've been expected in late June or early July to coincide with the Xbox Games Showcase event. Instead, Microsoft revealed new colorways for the existing Xbox Series X, including a limited edition galaxy-styled console. It seems increasingly likely as we head through the year that Brooklin might've just been a pitch, rather than a device in active development. Based on the leaked documents, Microsoft was set to launch the console later in 2024, around late October or early November 2024. As of writing, we're about to head into August, so I'd say you can firmly expect these dates to no longer be accurate.
It was expected that the new Xbox Series X would drop with a retail price tag of $499, matching that of the current Xbox Series X, but with double the storage from 1TB to 2TB. Considering SSD prices have remained pretty static in recent years, increasingly I wonder if the leaked FCC documents were based on much older projections, that might've predicted the cost of SSDs coming down.
Xbox Series X 2024 (Brooklin) Design & Ports
The new Xbox Series X would've featured a refreshed design following the same vertical orientation as the 2020 Xbox Series X, but with a cylindrical chassis that places the power button and ports in a new location on the front of the console. Internally, Microsoft describes the new Xbox Series X as having a "beautiful and innovative new design." The design flies in the face of the wraps Microsoft started releasing a few years ago, though, again making me question how old these pitches might've been.
The leaked console render reveals that the Xbox power button, controller pairing button, and a new USB-C port will be placed in a vertical orientation on the front of the console, down towards the base. That front USB-C port will replace the USB-A port that's found on the current Xbox Series X.
The render also reveals that the new Xbox Series X won't have a disc drive, which likely allows for the unique cylindrical design. Microsoft calls the new Xbox Series X an all-digital console, just like the Xbox Series S. The lack of a disc drive will reduce the overall footprint of the console, and probably helped offset some costs of including a larger SSD.
We don't have any renders of the back of the console, but it would've likely included an identical setup to that of the current Xbox Series X, which consisted of two USB-A ports, an Xbox Expansion Card slot, HDMI, ethernet, optical audio, and power ports. This render was obviously entirely conceptual, meaning it's possible that Microsoft has no intention of bringing this design to life for the real Xbox Series X refresh, or perhaps ever.
Interestingly, though, Microsoft may allow people to customize the external design of the new Xbox Series X, as the internal FCC documents list the console as being part of its Xbox Design Lab. Perhaps we could see the the next Xbox after this generation hit the Xbox Design Lab, too.
The Xbox Design Lab currently lets customers build their own custom Xbox Controllers, with the ability to specify colors of individual components and more. Adding the Xbox Series X to the Xbox Design Lab might allow customers to choose their own chassis coloring, along with other tweaks and customizations.
In March, 2024, photographs of what is reportedly a refreshed Xbox Series X with no disc drive has leaked online, revealing the refreshed console maintains the same design as the current Xbox Series X, but with a white paint job and no disc drive. And later, Microsoft revealed the white discless Xbox Series X in full at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 in June.
This certainly seems to have replaced the Brooklin console refresh for 2024.
Xbox Series X 2024 (Brooklin) Specs & Performance
In addition to the refreshed design, the new Xbox Series X would slated to include improved specifications in a number of areas. According to the leaked FCC documents, Brooklin would've included support for Wi-Fi 6E speeds, which is a big upgrade over the Wi-Fi 5 speeds found on the current Xbox Series X.
Wi-Fi 6E would have enabled faster downloads over a wireless connection, as well as better signal performance. In addition to Wi-Fi 6E, the new Xbox Series X would've also featured Bluetooth 5.2, which will be a first for Xbox. The current Xbox Series X doesn't support Bluetooth at all, so the introduction of Bluetooth 5.2 would've been a welcome one.
Perhaps it informs us what Microsoft might do with the new Xbox consoles in the future. The introduction of Bluetooth on Xbox will allow gamers to wirelessly connect Bluetooth peripherals to the console.
Another detail mentioned in the FCC documents is that the new Xbox Series X would come with 2TB of storage for the first time. Currently, the Xbox Series X is only available in a 1TB configuration, with the ability to expand that storage with an Xbox Expansion Card.
Lastly, it was expected that the new Xbox Series X would include a smaller die for improved efficiency. This would've allowed the console to run cooler and quieter while pulling less power from the wall.
Based on the unredacted FCC documents, it doesn't look like this new Xbox Series X was designed to deliver any raw performance upgrades, meaning it would've been unlikely to be marketed as an Xbox Series X "Pro" or "Elite." It would've played all the same games just like the original Xbox Series X, but with better energy efficiency and faster wireless connectivity.
I'm not sure, though, how Microsoft aimed to include a 2TB SSD, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6E, while also maintaining the same $499 price point. Again, it all seems like projections based on a very different hardware market price reality we're currently experiencing in 2024.
Xbox Series X 2024 (Brooklin) Controller & Features
The new Xbox Series X was expected to ship with a new Xbox Universal Controller, which Microsoft describes as a "large" update in its internal documentation. While it seems that the consoles have been killed off, there's still hope that the FCC leaked controller might still emerge some day.
The new controller, codenamed Sebile will feature an improved design with modular thumb sticks, improved longevity, and an overall better build all while maintaining the same ergonomics and layouts of the existing Xbox controller.
Sebile will also include new features, such as lift to wake, and may even come with a replaceable, rechargeable battery by default. Microsoft also touts new connectivity features, including support for Xbox Wireless 2.0, Bluetooth 5.2, and a new mode that will let the controller connect directly to the internet for Xbox Game Pass play, similar to the old Google Stadia controller.
Being able to connect the controller directly to the internet should reduce latency when playing games using Xbox Game Pass. The controller will also be able to sync with the Xbox app on your phone, where you will be able to see paired devices and manage your Xbox controller.
Xbox Series X 2024 (Brooklin) Is it dead?
As of writing, it certainly seems like this console will never see the light of day. The documents leaked in the FCC might've been an early pitch or concept for what the overall generation might've looked like, based on projections and predictions from during, or even before the pandemic. Silicon prices haven't come down in any meaningful way, as the goldrush for AI hardware and server tech has kept prices high in general. Inflation has also seen costs rise, as companies and supply chains used inflation as a diversionary cover to arbitrarily raise prices as well, forcing other companies to raise prices whether they liked it or not. As such, getting this Xbox Series X refresh at the same RRP while also including a 2TB SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and other technological refinements feels aspirational at best — and the product of expectations that costs would decrease.
Typically over the course of a console generation, manufacturing costs are expected to decrease, as the technology in your devices becomes outdated. This hasn't really occurred yet for the Xbox Series X|S and PS5 generation, though, making a refresh of Brooklin's scale seem incredibly unlikely while maintaining the aspirational $499 RRP.
To guess, Microsoft is probably looking ahead to the next full generation of Xbox hardware now, instead of mid-gen refreshes. Microsoft has said that it aims for its next console range to be its "biggest technological leap" for new Xbox hardware, while also hinting that it may support third-party PC gaming stores like Steam and Epic. Only time will tell!
