Back when plans for Microsoft and Xbox’s next-generation consoles were just rumors, several key industry insiders pointed to a simultaneous release of two consoles under one banner: Project Scarlett. The rumors were comprised of ‘Anaconda,’ the more powerful console on the same level as an Xbox One X if compared to this generation; and the ‘Lockhart,’ which is said to be Xbox One S of the next generation.
As E3 came and went, we finally got our first real look at Project Scarlett, and although several key specs like SSDs, 8-core CPUs, a Navi GPU, 8K support, 120 fps and much more were thrown around, we still have no idea which of the two consoles Project Scarlett is referring to.
If rumors and reports are to be believed, however, it seems that plans for a two-console launch in Holiday of 2020 have been put on hold, at least for the moment. The condensed report comes from a Twitter user by the name of Klobrille, who had this to say.
There are more and more reports coming in that the leaked next-gen Xbox two SKU strategy is put on hold for now and Microsoft might go into next-gen with one SKU. I have no updates on this other than the fact that yes, obviously 1 1/2 years before release plans can change.
— Klobrille (@klobrille) June 19, 2019
It’s not as if this has no actual bearing, either. Ever since E3 2018, Xbox head Phil Spencer has been talking about how Microsoft is working on multiple new consoles. In a more recent interview with Business Insider, Spencer says that one of these has already shipped: the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. The second one announced would be Project Scarlett.
It therefore stands to reason that maybe Project Scarlett has always been one console, instead of two. Wordings are wonky and we can’t really trust every report and rumor, but if we’re going by what facts are in front of us now, Microsoft has already announced two Xbox consoles since E3 2018, and released one of them.
Spencer also never did explicitly state if Project Scarlett was one or two console projects, so everything is still up for speculation. In my honest opinion, one console release is enough, especially with the specs and features both Microsoft and Sony are aiming for. It would make much more sense to follow the current trend now, which is to release a refresh model several years down the road, much like the Xbox One X and the PlayStation 4 Pro.
Whatever the case may be, Project Scarlett will see a Holiday 2020 release, along with Halo Infinite, the flagship launch title for the next-generation.
