A smaller Xbox One Mini console is apparently not in the cards after all, as a Microsoft executive has dismissed such rumors.
A slew of devices have already hit the market this year and plenty of others are expected to debut in the next couple of months. Amid intensifying rumors of upcoming iPhones, iPads, Nexus devices and other flagships from other OEMs, Microsoft is also expected to take the wraps off a new generation of devices soon enough.
Recent reports have claimed that Microsoft's upcoming event in October will be quite big and include several product launches, with the company expected to unveil two Lumia flagship smartphones running the latest Windows 10 Mobile, a new Microsoft Band 2 wearable, a premium Surface Pro 4 tablet and an Xbox One Mini.
The purported console was rumored to be roughly one-third smaller than the existing Xbox One, make less noise, ditch the Blu-ray player, and come at a more budget-friendly price point.
It now turns out that such rumors apparently were false. In response to a user's question on Twitter, Microsoft's Xbox chief Phil Spencer notes that the smaller Xbox One console rumored to arrive in October is simply "not real."
@av_xz Not real.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) August 27, 2015
The brief response suggests not only that Microsoft doesn't plan on launching a more compact Xbox console in October, but also that such an Xbox One Mini may not be in the cards at all.
On the other hand, dismissing these rumors doesn't mean that Microsoft will never launch a smaller Xbox variant, just that it doesn't have such a device in the works now.
Nevertheless, this news may be disappointing to many, especially considering that the existing Xbox One (pictured above) comes with a $350 price tag. A smaller unit was also expected to come with a lower price and perhaps it would have appealed to more prospective customers, even if it would've been less powerful.
With no Xbox One Mini on the horizon for now, the upcoming October event Microsoft has planned should still include the unveiling of the two Lumia flagship smartphones, a top-notch Surface Pro 4 tablet, as well as a Microsoft Band 2 wearable gadget.
