Microsoft already mentioned that next year will be a big year for Xbox gaming. And just recently, there have also been reports saying that 2016 may also be the year for a new Xbox One model to get launched. Brad Sams, a Microsoft blogger, said that an internal source has mentioned about Microsoft's plans to launch a lightweight Xbox One.
According to the blogger, the said lightweight Xbox may only be for the Windows Store games and will act as an Apple TV rival. However, there's no clue yet whether this plan has been scrapped or not.
On a related note, a rumor about a device similar to this one first emerged in 2013, during the time the Xbox One was launched. However, those plans were said to have been put on ice.
If this new Xbox one unit is a real thing, it was said that the release date won't be anywhere within the first half of the year, so a 2016 second half is a more possible release season. Furthermore, this new device's cost should also be lower that that of the current Xbox which begins at $350.
As of this point, nothing is confirmed just yet. And as per a Microsoft representative, they do not comment on rumors. Last August, there has been a report saying that Microsoft is on the process of creating a slimmed down Xbox One for an October release, however, that did not happen. And during that time, Xbox's Phil Spencer acknowledged the rumor by saying that it is "not real". But still, he did not exactly say that the rumored device will never be brought into existence, so we can still hope for the best.
The company actually does have a record of giving its consoles a redesigning. The Xbox 360 got itself an Elite model eight years ago and a slimmed down model five years ago.
