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While Phil Spencer will rightly be remembered and honoured by Xbox gamers for his numerous achievements, his successor as Xbox boss, Asha Sharma, has really hit the ground running.
She's already rolled back the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price hike, unveiled a new logo, ditched the Microsoft name from the gaming division, teased Project Helix as the next Xbox console, and promised a return to a hardware-led approach.
And it's this latter initiative that is already paying dividends, it seems.
A series of leaked photos have emerged that show several new Xbox hardware devices – new controllers, in fact, that could even be available before Helix arrives.
The main leak is of an Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 3 – an upgraded pro gamepad that looks to be coming with several new features.
Posted by Technoblog (via The Verge), the images reveal a slightly more rounded version of the current Elite Series 2 with a few additional elements. The D-pad has gained bumps to give you a better understanding of the direction without needing to look down, while the bottom now seems to include scroll wheels.
The paddles on the rear also seem to have shifted down a touch.
The Verge also notes that there will be a new pair button that can switch between local and cloud modes. This is so the controller can also be used directly with Xbox Cloud Gaming, connecting directly to your home Wi-Fi network rather than going through a device first. This should reduce latency when playing cloud games.
All of these details have reportedly been unearthed in a filing with a Brazilian regulator, which also suggests the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 3 is imminent.
The same is true with another controller found by Technoblog – from the same source.
An all-new Xbox Cloud Gaming controller
A smaller, less familiar gamepad has popped up in images, too, in both black and white. It's a lot smaller than a regular Xbox controller, but can also connect directly to the internet for low latency Xbox Cloud Gaming, it's claimed.
The size also makes it more suitable to be used with third-party products, such as an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K or Samsung / LG Smart TV. Even for play on mobile.
According to The Verge, it supports dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and even comes with Bluetooth 5.3 as well, so you can connect it to your phone when there's no other wireless internet signal.
It seems to use USB-C for charging, and there's a pairing button on the top.
Again, the timing of these images appearing in a regulator's listing suggests they are far along in the development process, so it wouldn't be surprising to seem them announced soon.
As for Project Helix itself, there's a slim possibility more could be unveiled during the annual Xbox Games Showcase on 7 June. We'll continue to bring you everything on the build up and beyond.
