Brooklin

Brooklin is the codename for a canceled hardware refresh of the Xbox Series X that was expected to be announced some time in 2024 and then released some time in between October to November of the same year.^[1]

Knowledge of the existence of this console first emerged on September 19, 2023 after several documents from 2022 relating to the FTC v. Microsoft trial appeared online. These documents included details on unannounced hardware that Microsoft plans on releasing before the end of 2030.^[2]

Brooklin would have been an all-digital console, with slightly improved specs when compared to the standard Xbox Series X. The console was planned to include 2TB of storage and retail for $499, the same price as the standard Xbox Series X. The console would have also been bundled with a new Xbox controller.^[3][4]

Ultimately, Brooklin was never released and was most likely scrapped, having many of the ideas and plans surrounding it repurposed for the Xbox Series X Digital Edition. The digital Xbox Series X was announced during the middle of 2024 and released at the end of the same year, much like how Brooklin was originally planned to. Unlike Brooklin, the Xbox Series X Digital Edition does not include any major improvements over the standard Xbox Series X, other than an improved heat sink. The Xbox Series X Digital Edition also only contains a 1TB SSD as opposed to the 2TB SSD that was planned for Brooklin. Additionally, the Xbox Series X Digital Edition uses the same design as the standard Xbox Series X, rather than the cylindrical design that Brooklin had.

Specifications

Based on the leaked documents, Brooklin was planned to have mostly the same specifications as the standard Xbox Series X, resulting in no major differences in performances between the two consoles. However, the refresh was intended to have several updated technologies including Wi-FI 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and a 6mn die shrink. Additionally, new components on the motherboard of the console were planned to modernize the IO and build on sustainability efforts.^[5]

The console's power supply unit power would have been reduced by 15%, with additional improvements leading to the console's low power mode consuming only 20% of the power that the standard Xbox Series X consumes in this mode.

Brooklin would not have included a disc drive, meaning it would have been the third Xbox console to lack such feature. As a result, the console would not be capable of playing any physical media, resulting in digital downloads and cloud gaming being the only way to gain access to new titles.

The following are all of the specifications for Brooklin that were included in the leaked FTC document^[1].

Specifications from document

GPU Teraflops	12 teraflops
Target resolution	4K
RAM	16GB
Physical storage	1TB/2TB
Content delivery	Digital downloads
Connectivity	Xbox Wireless 2, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6E,

Design

Brooklin included a design somewhat similar to that of the Xbox Series X, but with several prominent changes. The most prevalent of these being the cylindrical design of the console^[6]. The power button has been moved from the top of the console to the bottom. Below it sits the pair controller button and a USB-C port.

According to the leaked document, the amount of post-consumer materials used in the console's housing has been increased to 30%. Additionally, the console's packaging was aiming to be 100% recyclable.^[7]

Gallery

References