It's not unusual for consoles to undergo multiple facelifts over their lifespans. While there are the obvious physical facelifts that offer gamers new ways to show off their favorite pieces of tech, there are also facelifts that take place under the hood, providing new functionality and altering the player's out-of-game experience.
Despite only being a few months old, it looks like the Xbox One will be seeing both forms of change in its near future.
According to an anonymous user on NeoGAF, a series of interesting Xbox One-centric rumors have begun circulating the web. Much of their announcement concern the release of not just one, but four different Halo experiences coming in November, but the insider information continues to Microsoft's console as a whole.
One such rumor states that the Xbox One will be seeing its first dashboard update launch this March. Based on what Microsoft's Marc Whitton had to say at CES earlier this month, the first dashboard update will focus primarily on improving the console's social features and making them easier to access. In particular, the party system will be seeing improvements which will make it that much easier to connect with friends.
Following the posting of these rumors, The Verge reached out to Microsoft for confirmation. Not only did they confirm that a dashboard update is in fact in the books for this March, but they also confirmed that the white Xbox One models that had previously been exclusive to Microsoft employees will be making their way to stores later this year.
This is exciting news for gamers with pets or an aversion to smudges on glossy black devices. There's no denying that the white finish looks sleek and fits the motif of the original Xbox 360, but it would be even nicer to see the Kinect bar receive a similar finish to complete the set.
Among the confirmed rumors, the anonymous poster also posited that the release of the white Xbox One could coincide with the October launch of the eagerly-anticipated Sunset Overdrive, that a 1TB version of the Xbox One is in the works for November, and that gamers may see the eventual release of an Xbox One without a disc drive, priced at $399. This would make sense considering Microsoft's intention to establish competitive digital prices.
If that weren't enough, the poster also saw fit to reveal the first image of the Titanfall-branded console set to go on sale alongside the game - and the branded contoller. While there are bound to be duds among the proposed rumors, the fact that two of them have already been confirmed could be a good sign. This is the part where people cross their fingers.
Xbox One rumors aside, it's great news to know that the Xbox One dashboard update is so close at hand. While the console gets many things right with its UI, there is definitely room for improvement. Not only that, but this could be the start of Microsoft's efforts to unify their platforms and prepare for the rumored release of Windows 9. As March rolls closer, Microsoft is sure to unveil a more in-depth outline of what they intend to change in the coming update.
Which Xbox One model do you prefer: black or white? What would you like to see changed in the first dashboard update? Are you capable of processing this many rumors at once?
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