Category: Featured

For the past few years, the new Xbox was nothing more than a dream. We had hoped Microsoft was working on the next Xbox, and even suspected that might be the case, but until recently, we weren’t sure.

Now we can confidently say that not only is a new Xbox – the Xbox Two (a.k.a. Xbox Scarlett) – now in development, but it’s closer than ever to being unveiled.

The official story starts just a few months ago when Xbox Chief Phil Spencer told the thousands of attendees at E3 2018 that the console – or, rather, series of consoles is in development: “Our hardware team is deep into developing the next generation of Xbox consoles, where we will once again deliver on our commitment to set the benchmark for console gaming.”

Since Spencer’s announcement details have slowly bubbled up all around the net on the purported system. First we got a codename – Xbox Scarlett – and now we’ve heard rumblings of the first games to be designed for the next-gen Xbox: The Elder Scrolls 6, Cyberpunk 2077 and Halo Infinite. If these all manage to launch on the console when it releases somewhere around 2020 or 2021, it could be enough to put Microsoft back on top of the gaming world.

[Update: Reports have surfaced of not one, but a family of Xbox Scarlett consoles on the horizon: including both the mainline disc-based console, codenamed Xbox Scarlett, and an alternative dedicated solely to cloud streaming, Xbox Scarlett Cloud.

The cloud console would likely be cheaper and feature more basic hardware, just enough to stream games from Microsoft’s cloud servers. If done right, it could finally bring the potential of cloud gaming to fruition. But what would a dedicated streaming console mean for players? We’ve got more details for you below.] 

While it’d be nice to have a new console ready for E3 2019, work hasn’t gone so far that we can expect to see the console any sooner than 2019. According to Windows Central’s Jez Corden, two years would be too soon to expect the new Xbox but it would likely still be backwards compatible with the rest of the Xbox family.

Interestingly, 2019 to 2020 is around the time that analysts are predicting Sony will launch the PlayStation 5.

If  you ask us, we think it’s unlikely that Microsoft would let Sony launch a brand new console without answering with its own within a year, but we don’t think the company would try to beat Sony to the post given Microsoft’s first foray into true 4K gaming hasn’t even been on store shelves even a year yet.

That said, however, that’s not going to stop us from thinking ahead to the next Xbox and what it’ll bring – corroborated by information scoured from across the web.

Xbox Two news and rumors

It will house some impressive tech

A new job listing suggests that Microsoft is hard at work on the next Xbox. The company is looking for a senior electrical engineer to “come be a part of what’s next” in Xbox hardware.

Xbox is seeking for an engineer to “lead the DRAM solutions for the Xbox console hardware development team” adding that the “DRAM solutions include DDR3, GDDR5, GDDR6 and future DRAM technologies.”

This person will be working on “currently shipping and future Xbox design projects.” It was already suggested by Jez Corden in 2017 that the next Xbox is being designed and this gives greater credence to that.

Andrew House talks the next generation

Former PlayStation chief, Andrew House, has been talking about the future of consoles at GamesBeat Summit in California recently. Though House wasn’t willing to go into specifics on the next PlayStation itself, he did say that he thinks physical media will be around for all consoles for some time to come, thanks to the need to continue breaking into new markets. One would assume this is something that would also be relevant to any future Xbox console.

In his interview, House said, “I don’t have any firm knowledge on this, but my sense is that you will see the disc around in the industry for a while. If you’re going to tap into some of these [developing] markets, then allowing for that more traditional physical purchase model as an option is probably no bad thing.”

Despite this, though, House also believes that streaming will be big in the future of gaming – an opinion which ties neatly with Microsoft’s Phil Spencer’s who emphasised the need for a ‘Netflix for video games’. This would be, one would imagine, a natural extension of the download-based Xbox Game Pass in the next generation. 

A console just for streaming

Recent reports from Thurrott suggest we may even see a streaming-only console launch alongside the mainline Xbox Two, to help establish Microsoft’s nascent streaming model as a fully-fledged gaming experience of its own.

It would likely be pitched as a low-cost alternative, given the reduced hardware requirements when streaming games directly from the cloud – probably higher in price than a standard streaming box but cheaper than other Xbox consoles. Though it’s pretty certain you’d require a monthly subscription to access the Xbox library.

Thankfully, all next-gen games are still expected to run on both consoles (that would get confusing quickly). And if Microsoft manage to fix the latency issues currently holding back the streaming model, we could really see this taking off.

What will the new Xbox be called?

The hardest part of this future-gazing is actually trying to guess what the console might be called, given the naming progression that’s come before. Microsoft isn’t going to abandon the Xbox brand anytime soon, surely, but the subtitle is a little harder to pin down. It’s unlikely the next Xbox will keep the codename Xbox Scarlett.

If it’s a brand new console generation it’d make sense to call it Xbox Two, but Xbox 720 made a retrospectively perplexing amount of sense at one point so let’s not be too confident in that. We wouldn’t be entirely surprised by an Xbox Zero – or even Infinite, to take a leaf from the next Halo game.

The rumored streaming console may also ditch the numerical naming altogether – Xbox Cloud, anyone?

What will it the new Xbox be capable of?

What’s slightly easier is predicting the features that are likely to appear in this new Xbox.

The Xbox One X is a huge step forward for Microsoft, bringing native 4K gaming and near-PC power into a console. It’s currently the most powerful console on the market so where can Microsoft go from here?

A powerful console focused on games

We like to think Microsoft has learned a lot of lessons from the difficult launch of the Xbox One. The Xbox One didn’t have the advantage of being the only HD console option on the market like the Xbox 360 did, and additionally its launch ended up being marred by a Kinect bundle that pushed its price way higher than it should have been.

As a result, the PlayStation 4 took (and has maintained) a commanding lead in terms of market share.

Microsoft has definitely addressed a  lot of these issues with the Xbox One X. It’s  a piece of hardware that’s almost entirely focused on games, and it’s not bundled with any superfluous hardware. In fact, Microsoft’s gone so far as to drop the Kinect port entirely. We imagine this focus will continue into the future.

• The best PS4 Pro deals right now

Budget and premium options

With the One S and the One X Microsoft is embracing both an iterative and a tiered model. The company is not only launching incrementally better pieces of hardware over time, but it’s also supporting previous versions of the console and allowing them to exist as budget options.

As a case in point, the One X is still expensive (much more so than the PS4 Pro), but the Xbox One S is still being presented as a worthy and attractively priced 4K upscaling alternative that will still be capable of playing all the same games, not just from this generation but the previous generation too.

However, after each console has had its chance at being the budget model, they’ve each fallen away into obscurity. We’ve already seen this with the original Xbox One, and it’s likely that the Xbox Two will eventually have the same effect on the Xbox One S.

We imagine Microsoft may want a certain degree of market saturation for the Xbox One X (or at the very least 4K TVs) before launching the Xbox Two but when the console does launch it’s less likely to feel like the same leap that moving from Xbox 360 to Xbox One did.

An additional streaming-focused console could also prove to be a low-cost alternative, given the reduced hardware requirements needed for cloud-based play.

Trial and error, rather than a jump into the unknown

In some senses we feel that it’s reasonable to assume we’ll be slowly drip-fed a lot of the technology that will end up in the Xbox Two.

This has the big advantage of allowing Microsoft to establish what works and what doesn’t work over time rather than having to take a big leap of faith with a brand new piece of hardware.

VR and AR support is likely

We’ve learned that certain things are unimportant for consoles this generation, like motion-sensing and touch-screen, but the new technologies like VR and AR are proving to be very exciting fields for developers.

Microsoft has already confirmed that the Xbox One X will support Windows 10 virtual and mixed reality headsets but it’s not being forceful with pushing them. They were notably absent from the console’s presentation at E3 2017 and we still have plenty of questions.

• Get a great deal on a 4K TV

If PlayStation VR continues to grow in strength we expect Microsoft will be more clear about the Xbox One X’s stance on these headsets and much more active about developing the technology for its successor. Xbox Two could very well be the HoloLens console. If the technology flops, Microsoft can easily phase it out from its next generation plans like the Kinect but much more neatly and less to the detriment of initial sales.

Meanwhile, if the Xbox One X’s 4K visuals fail to make the console appeal as much as Microsoft hopes they will, we don’t doubt they’ll still be a feature of the Xbox Two, but they may be less of a focus in the overall marketing.

The latest and greatest audio visual technology

Recently Microsoft has been really keen on integrating the latest audio visual technologies into its consoles – Dolby Atmos support, 4K and HDR are all here. This is something we can see continuing into the next generation.

It’s clear Microsoft wants gaming on Xbox to be a full sensory experience and it’s possible that the next console will include some kind of projection system similar to Project Ariana that Razer showcased at CES 2017 whereby gaming environments were extended beyond the screen and into the player’s room. With something like this, Xbox Two has the potential to be an immersive gaming machine and we already know technology of a similar ilk was being considered in the Illumiroom project from back in 2013.

• The best Xbox One S deals you can get right now

An increasingly cross-platform ecosystem

In the way that Nintendo is bridging the gap between its handheld and home console divisions with the Switch, we can see Microsoft moving its PC and console users closer as we move onto the Xbox Two.

Cross-platform play, accounts and digital purchases are being encouraged in the Windows 10 and Xbox stores and this is something we can see Microsoft continuing to push into the new generation, particularly if it’s going to continue to manufacture consoles that boast near-PC specs. However, Sony has vehemently said it will not take part in cross-platform play with competing consoles.

Learnings from the PC

It’s likely that the new Xbox will likely have more of a Steam-esque interface that puts games first and doesn’t confuse the customer. A system with a more indie- and mod-friendly focus is also important (we’re already seeing this with Indie@Xbox), and if the console consumer base doesn’t jibe with mid-lifecycle console upgrades, perhaps a more PC piecemeal approach with more swappable parts will be in order.

When will the next Xbox be released?

So we know we’re getting another console (or two), but how soon will it really be with the Xbox One still in its first year?

Rumors suggest Microsoft is planning a 2020 release, which would be only 3 years after the iterative Xbox One X, but 7 years after the Xbox One first came to market and a good time, perhaps, to move onto the new generation. Even if the reports are reliable, we still envisage this being pushed to early 2021, though if the PS5 launched before that it’s likely Microsoft won’t want to be too far behind.

With the steady and considered steps Microsoft is making and the way the company seems to be listening to feedback from its users more than ever, we anticipate that the Xbox Two could be its most considered launch yet. In the meantime, a lot hinges on the Xbox One X.

• We’ve also done some speculating about the future of the PlayStation: check out everything we want to see from the PlayStation 5.

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GTA 6, the inevitable next addition to the Grand Theft Auto franchise, is hotly-anticipated – even if there’s still little in the way of solid news.

Shoot-outs, punch-ups, carjacking, drug-running, and the infamous freedom to drive over countless sex workers across each game’s sprawling metropolis: though unsavory for many, there’s no denying the immense cultural impact that GTA’s giant open-world games has had on the gaming landscape.

So while Rockstar Games may be hard at work trying to bring Red Dead Redemption 2 to fans by its October release date, we can’t stop ourselves thinking about GTA 6 and when we might hear some kind of confirmation or firm release window.

Grand Theft Auto 5 has been one of the most successful game releases in the world and even though we’re still enjoying GTA Online, it’s now been around five years since we were last let loose in a new Rockstar city and we’re starting to curious about where we might go next.

All we know at the moment is that we won’t see a GTA 6 release date in 2019. After a hoax release date in some fake pop-up ads spread across the internet, Rockstar came out to inform us that we wouldn’t be seeing the game during the next year. And there was us with our hopes up.

But, being the dedicated fans that we are, we’ve trawled through the internet to bring together the best pieces of gossip, rumor and fact for your personal pleasure.

Check out our video below on GTA VI: predictions on characters, locations, story and GTA Online.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The highly anticipated next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series
• When it is out? That’s the internet’s biggest mystery (but it won’t be 2019)
• Will it launch on PC? Both GTA 4 and 5 made their way to PC (eventually), so we’ve got all our appendages crossed

GTA 6 release date : when can I play it?

With Red Dead Redemption out in October 2018 you’re going to be waiting a little while longer for a GTA 6 release date.

According to some reports, we could be waiting until 2020 for the next Grand Theft Auto, which would make sense. Rockstar has supported GTA Online, the multiplayer component of GTA 5, since the game launched back in September 2013 with regular content updates.

If Red Dead Redemption 2’s online component is in any way similar to GTA Online, no doubt Rockstar will be busy with that for a few years to come.

After three years of GTA Online, the company was ready to do Red Dead Redemption 2, so perhaps three years after that we’ll see GTA 6 – slap bang in 2020. But according to reputable industry analyst Michael Pachter, the game could be as far away as 2022.

In an interview with Gaming Bolt, Pachter said that he thinks a 2020 announcement with a 2021 release would be the best case scenario, while a 2021 announcement with a 2022 release or later would be more likely.

Basically, expecting any news of GTA 6 any time soon is optimistic, or a hoax which happened recently. We think it would make sense if the game followed the release pattern of its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto 5, whereby it’d release at the very tail end of the current generation, comfortably release on the new generation and straddle both for the widest install base possible.

• Xbox Two vs PS5: predicting the future

GTA 6 trailer: when can I watch one?

The thing about Rockstar Games is that it’s incredibly secretive. No trailer is getting out of that game studio unless someone seriously screws up.

Just look at what Rockstar did with both GTA 5 and Red Read Redemption 2. It teased an announcement a few days before dropping the first trailer for either game.

If there’s a GTA 6 trailer, you’ll know about it because the internet will explode – and we’ll let you know.

GTA 6 news and rumors: what do we know so far?

The Know report on Vice City

The most recent significant Grand Theft Auto 6 rumor has come from YouTube channel The Know. It states that an inside source has told it that GTA 6 is coming 2021-2022 and is being developed under the code name Project Americas.

The reason for this code name is apparently because players will be able to fly between the US and South America in the game, though the majority of the action will take place in the former. This in combination with the source’s assertion that the game will largely be set in Vice City (the Rockstar version of Miami) suggests there could be a focus on drug running which would draw on the popularity of shows and movies like Narcos and Tom Cruise’s Made in America. Particularly if Rockstar holds on to that 80s setting.

With no comment from Rockstar, these rumors remain nothing more than, well, rumors. But they do pose an interesting proposition that would seize upon the particular fondness many fans of the series have for Vice City.

GTA 6 is definitely coming and there are ideas

What we do know about GTA 6 is that ideas are being thrown around for development, even if it’s just in the early stages. Rockstar President Leslie Benzies teased the game in an interview back in 2013 with Develop magazine.

“We don’t know what GTA 6 will be, but we’ve got some ideas,” said Benzies in the interview.

Okay, so it’s not much, but it’s certainly a snippet of solid information direct from the source.

Benzies went on to talk about what kind of ideas get the creative juices flowing over at Rockstar.

“We’ve got about 45 years’ worth of ideas we want to do,” he added. “We’ll pick the right ones.”

“It comes from the idea first. Where it is going to be set is the first question. That then defines the missions; you’re doing different things in LA than in New York or Miami.

“The map and story get worked up together, and the story is a basic flow of how it works out so you can layer the mission in.”

We’re just pleased that Rockstar has so many ideas for what it wants to do with GTA 6. We just hope it sorts them into some kind of organised system and gets that game to us sharpish.

GTA 6 map: where will GTA 6 be set?

Although there haven’t been any concrete reports as yet, every online titbit and juicy gossip morsel is pointing towards GTA 6’s map being absolutely massive.

We’re even not talking city-size massive, we’re talking potentially the entire of the United States massive.

Some rumors are suggesting that GTA 6 may end up spanning the entirety of the US, with some kind of teleportation system that cuts down the journey time between cities.

There are even some incredibly exciting rumours that Rockstar Games might have a ‘70s theme up its sleeve, so crack out those old bell-bottoms and disco balls.

But there’s also another rumour that’s gathering strength, which would put GTA 6 a little closer to Rockstar Games’ British home – a London setting.

The reports actually started with a comment from Rockstar Games’ co-founder Dan Houser:

“At the moment, it feels like GTA’s DNA is contemporary-ish, American-ish, English-speaking-ish, because that’s what it has been… But that doesn’t necessarily limit it to those, that’s just what we’ve done so far.”

Rockstar Games sources suggest that London is the only non-US location to be whispered as a potential GTA setting.

For our money, we think a return to Vice City is on the cards, which would tie in to the rumors mentioned above. A recent report from The Know suggests that a return to Vice City in the 80s is actually in the works and that players will explore the rise in drugs at the time through the missions. In this rumored game, players will move between Vice City and South America, which would create a very interesting and entirely new kind of map.

The GTA 3 trilogy was set across three locations, Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas. This mirrored the original Grand Theft Auto Game, which was also set across the same three locations.

The most recent Grand Theft Auto games, GTA 4 and GTA 5, have so far been set in Liberty City and San Andreas respectively, meaning that Vice City is the only location yet to be explored by the recent games.

The only question now is whether Rockstar will be tempted to complete the set.

GTA 6 rumors

1. A female protagonist

When asked about a female protagonist for GTA 5, instead of three male heroes (or anti-heroes), Rockstar co-founder and lead writer Dan Houser said in an interview with The Guardian back in 2013 that a female lead wasn’t really on the table, but not intentionally.

“We didn’t really think about it this time,” Houser said. “That’s not to say that we couldn’t or we wouldn’t. This character set is just what came to us: it wasn’t, ‘we’ve got X and Y so we need Z’. We weren’t trying to do it off a checklist – I don’t think that will ever give you something that’s believable or engaging.”

“In the future, could we do a game with a female lead? Of course. We just haven’t found the right game for it yet, but it’s one of the things that we always think about.”

“It didn’t feel natural for this game but definitely for the right game in the future – with the right themes, it could be fantastic. But for GTA 5, this was the organic thing that came up, these were the characters that would display the themes we wanted to think about.”

Likelihood: Strong. Fans have long clamoured for a female hero in a Grand Theft Auto game, and it would be a wonderful change from all the murdered prostitutes.

2. Eva Mendez and Ryan Gosling

Rumours of a female protagonist are super exciting, but there’s more.

Apparently, Eva Mendez is top of Rockstar’s list for playing said hero.

But again, there’s more. There’s a male lead on the list too and it’s none other than global heart-throb Ryan Gosling, who also just happens to be her real-life husband.

Likelihood: Questionable. GTA is a major gaming franchise that’s incredibly famous, especially outside of the gaming industry, so it’s possible some big names could be involved, but we’re not convinced.

3. Full support for virtual reality

Another GTA 6 rumour involves virtual reality and according to the online rumblings, you may be able to play the entirety of GTA 6 in VR.

Specific headsets haven’t been mentioned, but since this is probably just a rumour we’re not that bothered.

Likelihood: Questionable. GTA 6 might have a VR experience attached to it but playing the whole game in virtual reality would be insane.

Unless we’ve seen huge leaps in virtual reality in the years between now and the GTA 6 release date playing a whole GTA game in VR would prove testing for most stomachs.

Fast-paced, action-packed and played in long sessions, a VR GTA (in its current form at least) wouldn’t work.

4. Time travel or another futuristic twist

With the murmurings of a seriously big map for GTA 6, there are also some rumours of time travelling being a major part of the game.

Yes… seriously.

This isn’t Saints Row we’re talking about, but apparently there may be a futuristic twist to GTA 6.

According to a report from ChristianToday – really – the game will give players “the taste of time travel” where “teleportation [is] possible within a split-second”.

Likelihood: Utterly ridiculous. There are hilarious side-missions in GTA games, but having time travelling as a main gameplay mechanic is just not in Rockstar’s DNA.

Plus, ChristianToday has no screenshots, sources or any kind of proof, so we’re certainly sceptical.

5. Playing as either a cop or a criminal

Another potential for the GTA 6 storyline is that you have the decision to play either as a cop or as a criminal. Or at least, if GTA 6 adopts the multiple protagonist feature of GTA 5, one of the characters you play as could be a police officer.

Likelihood: Strong. We could totally see this working, especially with the potential mayhem that could ensue if you’re playing a Trevor-style character half the time and a cop the other.

• Can’t wait for more Rockstar? Here’s the latest on Red Dead Redemption 2

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