Two FCC filings spotted by NeoGAF user "ekim" seem to hint at a new Xbox, and its official reveal may be closer than you think. ekim spied two new listings from Microsoft, with the models 1682 and 1683. The FCC regulates data transmission technology, meaning anything that uses said tech has to be approved by the organization. In this case, ekim hypothesizes that we're looking at the wireless adapter inside an Xbox One.
So why does this seem to be a wireless chip for an Xbox One and not some other Microsoft product? Well, the original Xbox One (and its wireless chip) was approved by the FCC under the model number 1525. Go ahead and lift up your Xbox One and look on the bottom. You should see "FCC ID C3K1525," with "C3K" being the identifier for Microsoft and "1525" as the model number.
Looking at the recent FCC filings, we can see reference to "User Manual 1525" under the list of exhibits for model 1683. Now it's possible that this 1525 and the 1525 referring to the Xbox One chip could be two separate things, but that would be one hell of a coincidence. More likely, a new version of the Xbox One would use the same safety manual that is currently included with the console.
Interestingly, model 1682 does not reference the old manual. One could logically deduce that this means not one, but two new Xboxes are on the way. That's not confirmed of course, but logically, it makes sense. If I had to guess, model 1683 could be referring to an Xbox One Slim, while model 1682 could refer to something more significantly changed. Recent reports of a "PS4.5" seem to suggest Sony's interested in a refresher of its home console, and Xbox head Phil Spencer has himself alluded to hardware changes in the Xbox One which would allow for a more PC-like upgrade path. Perhaps model 1682 falls in line with this sort of plan.
The specific contents of the FCC filing for model 1683 are under NDA until June 25, while model 1682 is under NDA until July 29. E3 2016 officially begins June 14, with Microsoft giving its annual press conference at 9:30am Pacific/4:30 pm GMT, June 13. If we're to hear anything more about these potential new models, I'd expect we'll hear it then.
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Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.