Why the rumored new Xbox One is not an upgrade but a Slim

Rumors have it that Microsoft is working on a new Xbox One device that could see the light of day at E3 2016 next month. Several pieces of information came through the grape vine claiming the console could be a whole new system or something else entirely.

The question remains: If Microsoft is indeed finalizing plans to reveal a new Xbox One system during its E3 2016 press conference in June, what type of Xbox would the company reveal? While that’s a tough question to answer, there is only one likely scenario here.

Microsoft would no doubt launch an Xbox One Slim instead of an entirely new system. Seeing as the current Xbox One is just over two years old and its sales are tracking ahead of the Xbox 360,  the next five to eight years will likely be more successful than the recently defunct Xbox 360.

This comes opposites of rumours suggesting that Sony is moving to launch a new version of the PlayStation 4, dubbed Neo. Sony has a reason for doing this seeing as the Japanese giant will release its PSVR goggles later in the year. From what we have come to know of VR, it requires a powerful machine for gamers to gain a better experience. The PlayStation 4 in its current form is not powerful enough to run VR, though we expect all future VR games to be released on the system nonetheless.

When it comes to Microsoft, the company does not have any reason to launch a beefed up Xbox One. It doesn’t have any virtual reality hardware set to hit the market any time soon, but the software giant is indeed working on a software to deal with nausea issues when using VR. and its HoloLens AR project is years away from prime time. With that being the case, Microsoft has no reason to release a new and improved Xbox One.

An Xbox One Slim will likely improve sales to help keep the system ahead of the Xbox 360. Furthermore, it could also usher in a $299 Xbox One, another recipe for increased sales.

Now, if there is a time for Microsoft to release a new Xbox, it would be in 2017 or 2018. These are the times we expect Nintendo to release its NX console, and by then, Microsoft would not be able to compete against two consoles that are more powerful than the Xbox One.

Do you agree the Xbox One Slim will be announced at E3 2016 instead of a whole new system? Let’s hear it in the comments.