More White Xbox One Evidence Appears; Microsoft Not Happy About Leaks

Over the past few days, the rumor mill has been running rampant with talk of Microsoft’s future, both software and hardware. And, although it seemed like the really juicy rumors had already been uncovered, the latest might be the biggest of them yet.

According to a senior source in Microsoft, the company does have plans to release a white Xbox One model to the public. And this new model will come at a lower price point.

Although NeoGAF user ntkrnl has been dropping Microsoft scoops like it’s going out of style, this latest rumor comes courtesy of a well-respected source for VG 24/7. Said source corroborates ntkrnl’s claim that Microsoft is working on getting a white Xbox One model out to the public, and took things a step further when he or she revealed that white console would retail for less than the current model.

That source would not confirm other rumors surrounding the white Xbox One, however – namely whether the model will be disc-less and feature a Bluetooth adapter. If the white model is cheaper – rumors suggest a $399 price point – one has to figure there would be something different about it, be it lack of disc drive, or Kinect, or something.

Although this particular rumor is not yet confirmed – and likely won’t be until this year’s E3 – a report from Kotaku claims Microsoft is looking into their legal options as they pertain to this unnamed source. It’s obviously not a smoking gun, but legal action further suggests there may be some truth to some or all of these rumors. Moreover, many of the rumors are rooted in some previously held information, like the existence of Forza Horizon 2 or the possibility of Crackdown 3.

With regards to the cheaper Xbox One, if news were to get out ahead of time that a lower-priced model is on the way that could hurt Microsoft’s sales numbers in the mean time. As it stands, Microsoft and Sony are neck and neck, with each console manufacturer winning their own battles. Any advantage one company can gain over the other is very important at this stage, and the last thing Microsoft wants to do is lose ground. In fact, Microsoft just recently announced a PS3 trade-in program whereby they would knock $100 off the price of an Xbox One in exchange for gamers’ old PS3 console.

Do you think Microsoft will announce a new Xbox One SKU so early into the life cycle? Would you hold off on purchasing an Xbox One if you knew a cheaper white model was on the way?