As rumors indicated, Microsoft has a spacier, if slightly more expensive, Xbox One in the works. The upgraded console will come in a matte finish, and pack a 1 terabyte hard drive, doubling the current model's 500 GB. The new version will be priced at $399, back in line with Sony's (500 GB) PlayStation 4, when it launches on June 16.
Microsoft's been selling the launch model of Xbox One for $349 since November, and says that price point is now permanent. The company has already offered an Xbox One with a 1 TB drive, but only as a limited edition $499 bundle including Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.
The new Xbox One bundle will also sport a new camo-patterened wireless controller with a 3.5mm stereo audio jack, finally letting you fiddle controls like volume or mute via your headset of choice and not just Microsoft's proprietary adapter.
If you want to futz with mic monitoring and voice/game audio balance, that's also now an option in the console's settings. Other tweaks include refinements to the shoulder buttons---Microsoft claims better responsiveness across their total surface area---wireless firmware updates, and two color choices, silver or black.
June 16 is the first official day of the E3 Expo in Los Angeles, and a day after Microsoft's Xbox press conference, making you wonder whether this wasn't supposed to be a Monday, June 15 headline. Perhaps the rumors prompted an early release.
