FCC filings point to possible Xbox One hardware revisions

Could Microsoft actually release a new version of the Xbox One this year? After we recently heard rumors about Sony’s plans for an upgraded “Playstation 4.5” later this year, Phil Spencer gave a lengthy interview to GameInformer following Build 2016 where he clearly stated that was “not a big fan of Xbox One and a half”. Furthermore, he added that “I can understand other teams’ motivations to do that. For us, our box is doing well”.

While it looked like at the time that Phil Spencer gave a definitive answer to these Xbox One upgrade rumors, we spotted via Ars Technica that a member of gaming forum NeoGAF called “Mike R” discovered that Microsoft filed two FCC filings for wireless radio devices in March 2016. One filing is for part 1683 which seems tied to the original Xbox One WLAN module FCC filing (thanks to a PDF user manual that makes reference to the original Xbox One’s model number). The new wireless chip mentioned in the FCC filing features 802.11ac wireless capabilities, and that could suggest a modest upgrade to the Xbox One with better (slimmer?) design and connectivity.

The second FCC filing is for part 1682 which is also a dual-band radio. However, there is no obvious link to the current Xbox One model this time, so it’s not possible to be sure what this FCC filing could mean. Last, both filings have confidentiality requests that won’t expire before E3 (June 25 for the 1682 filing and July 29 for the 1682 filing).

As always, you should take this latest report with a grain of salt. We’re still quite early in the Xbox One lifecycle, and do you remember that Microsoft actually waited 5 years before introducing the redesigned Xbox 360 S in 2010? However, a modest redesign of the Xbox One could definitely make sense, and we’re pretty sure Microsoft wouldn’t let Sony introduce a better PS4 that supports 4K gaming without fighting back. Do you think Microsoft could reveal an improved Xbox One this year? Please tell us about it in the comments.