Xbox One may get slimmer in 2016 to take on the Apple TV

Microsoft may be considering a slimmed version of Xbox One to compete with the Apple TV and similar products.

Halo 5 Xbox One

Rumors about a slim version of Xbox One has been circulating for a long time, even before Microsoft launched its new Xbox game console, but despite the rumors, the company never admitted to be developing a smaller console.

However, in late 2015, the rumor about a miniaturized version of the Xbox One console is picking up pace once more. According to a new report from Petri.com, sources familiar to the project reveal that Microsoft is considering to build a “lightweight Xbox One”.

It’s said that the console may not be as powerful as the current version featuring the 8-core AMD APU with a large heatsink, optical drive, and internal hard drive. Instead, it would be a smaller and cheaper device that may only play Windows Store games and apps for content consumption, and the company may be aiming the new entertainment hub to compete with the Apple TV, and similar products, such as Roku and Android TV.

While, we’ve heard similar rumors in the past, it’s not very unrealistic anymore, as we have seen many times before, companies making a slimmer version of their game consoles after a few years of being released. In part because technology continues to evolve and components get smaller and cheaper.

Whether or not we will see a new mini version of Xbox One to compete with the Apple TV, it’s likely that sometime in the future we will see a new redesign of the console, which can simply be a smaller Xbox One console that could replace the current model with the same technology.

If the rumor turns out to be true, chances are that we won’t see it until “the second half of the year”.

Would you like the idea of a slimmer Xbox One? What do you think about a new product mainly for content consumption and light gaming? Tell us in the comments below.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.