All-new Xbox bundles and accesories to be announced soon, teases Microsoft

There will be new accessories, too

Phil Spencer, Executive President of Gaming at Microsoft addresses the audience at the Xbox 2018 E3 briefing in Los Angeles, California on June 10, 2018 ahead of the 24th Electronic Entertainment Expo which opens on June 12 (Frederic J. BROWN / AFP)

Microsoft is set to launch "all-new Xbox bundles and accessories", the company has announced.

The company had initially suggested in a blog post that new standalone hardware could be on its way. But the company has now clarified that the launches will include only new bundles and accessories.

It has revealed little more other than the fact that the announcements will made at Gamescom, the major industry event next month.

It is unlikely that the announcement refers to a new console: the Xbox One X was only released in November, and the next full new version of the Xbox is not expected until 2020.

But the announcement suggests that different and additional hardware could soon be coming to players.

The announcement initially teases not only the new Xbox hardware but also accessories, "and features on upcoming titles that we can’t wait to tell you more about and perhaps even a few surprises".

It is likely that one of those releases will be the updated version of the Xbox Elite controller. The first version of that controller – which is intended for serious gamers and features a whole range of features intended to improve play – was first released in 2015.

Rumours suggest that the updated version will include a whole range of new features, including a redesigned body and Bluetooth so that it can connect to PCs as well as Xboxes.

It is also possible that the mention of new hardware refers to new bundles or looks for consoles and controllers. Microsoft regularly changes the look of those products, in keeping with new releases or designs.

But the company has also surprised fans with unexpected releases in recent months, including the new "adaptive" Xbox controller meant to make playing far more accessible. That controller underwent a complete redesign to ensure that people who had limited mobility could still play games as they want to.