Xbox Project Lockhart: Latest leaks from Microsoft reference more than one next-gen console

About two weeks ago, Sony took the gaming industry by surprise when it finally revealed the PS5. Moreover, the existence of an all-digital model likewise was exactly what analysts speculated since 2019. While many would agree that the debut disrupted Microsoft's marketing for the Xbox Series X, it seems that a new development might be what the American gaming company needs right now. Last year, it was rumoured that a less-powerful console will launch alongside the next-generation platform. Only referred to as Project Lockhart, leaked documents might have just confirmed even more.

What likely hinted the development of more than one game system was the benchmark results from AMD. There were codenames assigned to each custom chip being developed for Sony and Microsoft. Supply chain sources claim that one of those is for a less powerful version of an unspecified machine. Furthermore, gaming pundits quickly pointed out that the information suggested that it was not designed for a gaming-grade PC or laptop.

The Verge notes that leaked internal documents from Microsoft of XDK/GDK release notes for June 2020 clearly listed Lockhart alongside Anaconda. For those who were closely following reports related to the next-generation consoles, the aforementioned two were allegedly the codenames assigned to the two Project Scarlett models. This appears to be in line with what Xbox head Phil Spencer teased earlier this year when he explained why the company opted to go with Xbox Series X instead of just Xbox X.

Using "Series" to the name implies that there could be more than just the flagship version in the works right now. Meanwhile, an image of the Xbox Series X mainboard was posted on social media, which shows an Anaconda logo right beside the Microsoft branding. This somehow supports what was indicated in the leaked benchmark documents from the chipmaker before.

Microsoft is already teasing something big for its July presentation. While most fans are clearly thrilled to learn more about "Halo Infinite" and other first-party games for the Xbox Series X, others believe that Lockhart will also make its debut during the event. For now, it is unclear how the manufacturer plans to market the rumoured console.