Xbox Series 'S' 'Lockhart' appears in latest Xbox SDK documents

Xbox Lockhart Concept
Xbox Lockhart Concept (Image credit: /u/jiveduder on Reddit)

The Xbox Series "S" known by its codename of "Lockhart" has appeared once again, this time in the June 2020 release notes for the Microsoft Game Development Kit.

Security researcher on Twitter known by TitleOS has offered a glimpse at the relevant sections, which refer to Lockhart's "Profiling mode," alongside an AnacondaProfiling mode, which refers to the more powerful Xbox Series X. The profiles likely refer to graphics tiers developers can target for the different spec levels. Lockhart is expected to be around 4TF, targeting 1080p, with Anaconda (the Xbox Series X) hitting 12TF. We have verified the authenticity of the screenshots below.

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Very little is known about Lockhart, but it's expected to be a slimmed-down, less-powerful all-digital next-gen Xbox, sporting boosted CPU and SSD capabilities over the Xbox One X, while also being less powerful in the graphics department. It's expected to be the cheapest next-gen entry level option, giving users the ability to jump ahead with the new features afforded by NVME SSD storage speeds, while also hitting a more affordable price point.

The info from TitleOS is just lends further credence to the fact that this thing truly does exist, at least right now. Microsoft has cancelled products at the last minute in the past, but from conversations with our sources, I know that some developers are already targeting the Lockhart profile with their games.

When will we see Lockhart revealed? At this point it's anyone's guess, but I expect we won't see Lockhart until Microsoft is ready to talk price. You don't announce a "less powerful" Xbox Scarlett console without being able to talk about its unique selling point. We'll just have to wait and see.

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Jez Corden
Co-Managing Editor

Jez Corden is a Managing Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by tea. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his XB2 Podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!