Microsoft's E3 press conference is less than a day away, and gamers are eagerly awaiting the next announcements from the software giant. One of those announcements about their Xbox One console might have just come out a little earlier than expected, though.
In a leaked photo posted on the NeoGAF forums, and subsequently reported by Kotaku, IGN, and The Verge, a photo of the Xbox One Slim can be seen along with some hardware specifications in what appears to be a pre-order page on the Microsoft Store.
The image indicates that the "Xbox One S" will be 40% smaller, and will sport a 2TB internal hard drive, support for 4K video playback, and even allow for playback of HDR video, a standard that is making its way to many 4K televisions. Another image shows the Xbox One Slim propped up on the vertical stand mentioned in the photo.
A linked post in a different thread indicates that the Xbox One S's power supply will be internal, getting rid of the notoriously large external power brick that the Xbox One featured.
These leaks are in line with previous reports by sources that have been independently confirmed by The Verge, Kotaku, and Polygon, all of which indicate the existence of the thinner Xbox, along with the rumored Xbox One "Scorpio" upgrade that will supposedly be several times more powerful than the original Xbox One, in order to support gaming at 4K resolution, as well as potentially enabling the console to support the Oculus Rift. A similar announcement recently came from the Sony side of things, with Sony Interactive Entertainment head Andrew House confirming months-old rumors that an upgraded Playstation 4 with 4K support is in the works.
The Xbox One Slim and its as-of-yet-announced Scorpio sibling are reportedly part of an initiative called "Project Helix," which aims to unify the Xbox and Windows ecoystems. Given recent announcements like the news that the Xbox One will soon run Windows 10 apps, and that formerly Xbox-exclusive titles like Halo Wars 2, Forza, and Sea of Thieves are coming to Windows 10, this doesn't seem too far off the mark.
