Reports suggest that the next Xbox will cost between $300 to $500, depending on whether you opt to pay for a subscription instead of a lump sum to acquire the device.
Seasoned analyst Paul Thurrot says that the console is set to launch in "early November". His predictions have been independently backed up by The Verge, which also went on to suggest that the tech giant would reveal the next-generation console on May 21.
According to these reports, the Xbox will be called simply "Xbox" sans any affixed numbers or words, and will carry a hefty $500 price tag. A lower priced model will be available at $300, but customers will have to pay for a subscription of some sort.
Thurrot says that the console will have an always-online requirement, in that players must be connected to the internet to use the device at any point.
"Looking at some of the stuff I got a long time ago, it actually says 'must be internet-connected to use' in the notes," Thurrot claimed. "And that's all I have, but it does say that."
These reports were also independently verified by Kotaku. According to the site's sources, players must have an internet connection to do anything.
"If there isn't a connection, no games or apps can be started," the source stated. "If the connection is interrupted then after a period of time—currently three minutes, if I remember correctly—the game/app is suspended and the network troubleshooter started."