Microsoft has a history of using codenames for its Xbox consoles before an official announcement. The codenames for the next generation of Xbox consoles, Ellewood and Brooklin, suggest a shift in Microsoft’s development, possibly towards a more unified digital-only identity.
Previous Xbox console codenames have all been capital cities or county seats:
- Xbox: Midway
- Xbox 360: Xenon
- Xbox One: Durango
- Xbox Series X/S: Lockhart and Anaconda
Ellewood and Brooklin, on the other hand, are variations of other cities and boroughs from elsewhere within the US. For example, Brooklin could be an adaptation of the Brooklyn borough in New York City, and Ellewood could alternatively derive from Ellwood City in Pennsylvania.
This change in codenames could be a sign that Microsoft is moving away from its traditional focus on hardware and towards a more unified digital-only identity. This would be in line with recent leaks that suggest Microsoft is steering the Xbox platform towards a completely digital model.
Another possibility is that Ellewood and Brooklin are codenames for different versions of the next-gen Xbox console, such as a more powerful model and a less powerful model. However, this seems less likely given that Microsoft has already released two different versions of the Xbox Series X/S, and it is unclear why the company would need two different versions of the next console.
Overall, the codenames for the next generation of Xbox consoles suggest that Microsoft is planning something different for the future of the platform. It is possible that the company is moving towards a more unified digital-only identity, or that it is planning to release two different versions of the next-gen console. Only time will tell what Microsoft has in store for the future of Xbox.
