Microsoft may introduce a new compact Xbox console in 2016

It was reported several times that Microsoft has been planning to bring a small-sized variant of the Xbox One back in 2013, but the company decided against it later on. Although Microsoft has not announced it officially this time, it might launch a smaller variant of Xbox One. The device is expected to be lightweight, cheaper and will be designed to run downloadable games from the Windows Store app market.

A mini Xbox console or a compact version of the Xbox One has been the topic of talks, but no such device has arrived yet. A report from Petri suggests that Microsoft is considering a lightweight Xbox One as a potential rival of Apple TV. The news has come from internal sources and if the news is something to go by, Microsoft will launch the lightweight Xbox One console in late 2016. As per the report, the rumored console will only run content from the Windows Store app.

The new smaller Xbox console will not replace the existing Xbox One. It will be sold alongside it at a lower price. According to the Business Insider, Microsoft has many good reasons to bring a new compact Xbox console. Citing the growing popularity of the Apple TV, the report suggests that bringing a new variant for Xbox One might be a good idea for Microsoft.

Apple has also introduced a new operating system, tvOS, and a native App Store with fourth-gen Apple TV. There are many native applications for the platform already available on the Apple App Store.

Microsoft’s Xbox One is already attractive to gamers as it provides the same facility on Xbox consoles in the form of Hulu and Netflix apps. However, a compact version of Xbox console would have more demand and it may help Microsoft against the rise of Apple TV.