Microsoft leak reveals new Xbox controller with an accelerometer and DualSense-style haptics

The recently leaked court documents from Microsoft reveal the Xbox Series S is the most popular console between the two Xbox Series systems. 

The success of Baldur’s Gate 3 came as a surprise to many people. This includes developer Larian Studios, with concurrent player counts surpassing 800,000 players on Steam. It also seemed to surprise another big name in the industry, Microsoft.

Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox

Microsoft has recently suffered perhaps its biggest ever leak in the games industry, having accidentally uploaded unredacted documents as part of its legal proceedings with the FTC. In the process, several new details have emerged, including the company’s plans to release a cloud hybrid next-gen Xbox console in 2028, a mid-gen Xbox Series X refresh that’s apparently in the works, a new Xbox controller that will have haptic feedback, Bethesda’s whole slate of upcoming titles, and more.

Leaked Microsoft documents have revealed the estimated costs of putting third-party games on Xbox Game Pass.

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer considered buying Nintendo at one point, a leaked 2020 email revealed. Multiple documents from Microsoft's trial with the US FTC were leaked Tuesday, with one showing a casual discussion about buying the Mario maker, where Spencer called it a “career moment” and implied that a collaboration would be a ‘good move' for either company. It's worth highlighting that this conversation happened in August 2020, before Microsoft acquired Bethesda's parent company ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion (about Rs. 62,431 crore). The leaks also disclosed Bethesda's release schedule, alongside details for Microsoft's planned mid-generation console refresh.

Microsoft is planning a mid-gen refresh for its Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, eyeing a release in 2024. A series of leaked court documents from the Microsoft vs. US FTC trial revealed a roadmap and concept images for its upcoming set of gaming systems, which also includes a new controller with gyro and haptic feedback. Codenamed ‘Brooklin,' the all-digital Xbox Series X boasts the same horsepower as the existing version, albeit lacking a disc drive. The console is cylindrically shaped and comes with a generous 2TB storage — up from 1TB — which I'm guessing is an SSD. It'll bear the same price tag of $499/ Rs. 54,990 and is slated to drop in late October, next year.

Following a huge leak of confidential Microsoft documents which revealed apparent plans for a new Xbox controller and Xbox Series X refresh, it looks clear that Microsoft itself is responsible for the accidental info dump.

The FTC and Microsoft are presently in court over the FTC's desire to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and as seems to happen every time a big gaming company goes to court, there's been an accidental leak of confidential documents. 

On Tuesday September 19, Microsoft suffered a massive document leak amid the FTC Microsoft case, revealing a variety of alleged acquisition-related plans, possible console redesigns, and even unannounced Bethesda games. With reference to remade versions of some of the best PC games ever made, and other previously unknown information, the leaked documents have spread like wildfire. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has now responded to the situation.

Earlier this morning, various Xbox and Microsoft documents leaked online: emails, in-development plans, internal details, and more. It's how we learned Xbox head Phil Spencer considered acquiring Nintendo and Warner Bros. Games at one point, that Xbox is planning an Xbox Series X/S refresher for next year, that it might be working on remasters of Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and that Microsoft has plans for a next-gen hybrid console in 2028. 

By Tom Warrenand Jay Peters