A new rumor suggests the next Xbox console is currently being tested by developers in South Korea.
The information was first spotted by an X user, Xbox News for Koreans, who unearthed a certification granted to Microsoft today by Korea’s national regulatory body RRA (Radio Research Agency). The RRA is responsible for quality certification of radio and communications equipment, including video game consoles.
국립전파연구원, 3월 18일 MS XDK Console 인증통과 (출처 : XBOX 정보 카페 | 네이버 카페) https://t.co/c3VmTd1n7R
Microsoft's new Xbox Dev Kit (XDK) console was certified by the National Radio Research Agency in Korea today.
This means that you can use the device in Korea.
It is… pic.twitter.com/jZAuYlynV4 — Xbox News for Koreans 🇰🇷 – 네이버 Xbox 정보 카페 (@KoreaXboxnews) March 18, 2024
The new certificate mentions the device name as XDK Console, which stands for Xbox Development Kit. A Development Kit or devkit is an equipment and/or software kit created for development and testing purposes. The Xbox Series X|S devkit certificate from 2020 carried the same device name.
Additionally, the certification mentions Microsoft as the manufacturer and China and Vietnam as the manufacturing location. To clarify, China is where most Xbox consoles are manufactured.
This could potentially mean a new Xbox console is in works. However, whether it’s the next-gen Xbox console or the rumored all-digital Series X is up for debate. It could even be the highly speculated Xbox handheld.
Let’s temper our expectations though. Microsoft recently admitted that it is aiming for the largest technical leap for their next-gen gaming hardware. Considering the release gap between the last 3 generations of Xbox has been about 7-8 years, we could still be a couple of years away from the next-gen Microsoft console.
참고로 Xbox Series X|S 개발킷 콘솔은 2020년 6월 10일~11일에 걸쳐서 한국의 국립전파연구원으로부터 인증을 받았습니다. Xbox Series X|S 콘솔의 최종 실제 제품 한국 출시는 2020년 11월 10일이었습니다.
FYI, Xbox Series X|S dev kit consoles were certified by the National Radio Research… pic.twitter.com/EF9iFjhgPN — Xbox News for Koreans 🇰🇷 – 네이버 Xbox 정보 카페 (@KoreaXboxnews) March 18, 2024
What’s interesting though is that the Series X|S RRA certification came just five months before the official release of the console in Korea. There’s a small, VERY SMALL chance of a new Xbox console launch being mere months away. But until there’s an official announcement, it’s best to hold our horses.