Despite the Xbox Series X/S consoles only releasing two months ago, speculation is beginning on the next Xbox console that Microsoft could potentially release.
While nothing appears to have changed regarding the Xbox Series V rumours that arose last year, a new trademark has suggested another Xbox Series console - the XS - could be coming soon.
So what is the Xbox Series XS? Did someone accidentally miss out the '/' in a trademark? Here's everything you need to know.
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Xbox Series XS trademark filed by Microsoft
As reported by Instant Gaming, Microsoft filed a trademark for the Xbox Series XS on January 1, 2021.
The trademark application, which you can view here, doesn't include any details about a potential console, or Microsoft's intended use for the term 'Xbox Series XS'.
Of course, this trademark could just come as Microsoft's legal team attempts to prevent other companies or individuals from profiting off their 'Xbox Series X/S' branding, which refers to the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles.
However, there is also speculation that the Xbox Series XS could be yet another next-gen Xbox variant, which could take the form of a smaller, more cube-like Xbox seen in the image above (courtesy of u/jiveduder) - a design initially believed to be for the Xbox Series S. Only time will tell if this console ever comes to fruition, but we'd remain cautious for now...
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Xbox Series XS release date
If the Xbox Series XS console, or any other next-gen Xbox is currently in the works, it will likely be a long time before it makes its way onto store shelves.
Given the Series X only released in November, Microsoft's manufacturing priority remains the Series X and Series S, both plagued by stock shortages since the launch.
This means there's probably very little chance that any new Xbox variants will release in 2021, and even 2022. The first variant of the Xbox One - the Xbox One S - launched in 2016, almost three years after the original Xbox One. If we follow this trajectory, a new Xbox hardware revision won't likely release until 2023.
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Xbox Series XS price
If the speculation is somehow correct, we'd expect the Xbox Series XS to boast a price tag much lower than the base Series X, and probably closer to the Series S's price.
The Xbox Series X currently costs $499(£449), while the Series S is priced at $299(£249). However, it is pretty difficult to buy a next-gen Xbox for the RRP at the moment given the stock issues, leading to scalpers attempting to sell the Xbox consoles above their retail price.
Xbox Series XS specs
The Xbox cube design may be aesthetically pleasing, but would it function as a powerful console that can handle 2021 software?
To fit in a cube, the engineering team at Microsoft would need to make some drastic changes to the console's internals, which would ultimately come at a cost to performance.
We'd hope that a Series XS at least has the same specs and power as the Xbox Series S console, although if Microsoft was to justify a new console, it should have some hardware improvements.
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