Woah, Microsoft just teased an “all-new hardware” announcement for next month

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Update as of 1:00 PM ET: It seems Microsoft went in with a stealth edit and updated the “all-new hardware” part and replaced it with “new Xbox One bundles and accessories.” While this ends any speculation of a new system announcement, the possibility of it being a new Elite controller is still on the table.

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Gamescom is going to be in Germany next month and it seems Microsoft has new hardware to announce. Could this be the next Xbox? Well, no, probably not, as that will most likely have a 2020 launch, but what it could be is a new Xbox Elite controller.

From the Major Nelson blog post,

This year at gamescom, we will be hosting a special episode of Inside Xbox, broadcast live from our Xbox booth in the Koelnmesse. Tune in on Tuesday, August 21, at 4:30 p.m. CEST (7:30 a.m. PDT) for lots of news, all-new Xbox hardware and accessories, and features on upcoming titles that we can’t wait to tell you more about and perhaps even a few surprises!

First, I hate that gamescom is in an all-lowercase font, but that is beside the point. Rumors have been spinning that we would be seeing a new Elite controller soon, and this seems to be the perfect opportunity for that.

Originally released in October 2015, the Elite controller features a refined shape, button mapping, and additional back tabs that allow for button assignments. The new version, rumored by Baidu (link now broken), could feature USB-C charging, Windows 10 Bluetooth support, hair-trigger locks, and support for up to three profiles. There could also be changes to the grip, as leaked images have shown.

It is also possible the new Elite controller could feature tension-control on the thumbsticks, which would be very welcome.

We’ll have to wait until August 21 to know for sure, but here’s to hoping it isn’t just a new overpriced bundle or themed console.

Do you use an Elite controller? Does a new version from Microsoft interest you? Let us know below.

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