After weeks of leaks and rumors, Xbox recently took some of its first-party titles, such as Hi-Fi Rush and Grounded, to the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. There were also several reports that the company will not make any more systems now as it is exiting the hardware market and will go third-party.
Although this claim was refuted by Xbox head Phil Spencer, who assured gamers that the Xbox Series X|S wouldn’t be the last console, many were still worried. However, it seems like Xbox is not going anywhere, as a new console labeled Dev Kit has been rated in South Korea.
Next Xbox Dev Kit Certified in South Korea
According to the official website of South Korea’s National Radio Research Agency, the Xbox dev kit was certified on March 18, 2024, and is now fit for use in the country. The device is named XDK Console, and the model number of the kit is 2089. It has been manufactured in China and Vietnam.
It is important to know that by law, all electronic devices are required to be certified by the National Radio Research Agency of South Korea to be used in the country so that they don’t harm the radio wave environment, and since the device is now certified, it is fit to be sent to the game developers.
국립전파연구원, 3월 18일 MS XDK Console 인증통과 (출처 : XBOX 정보 카페 | 네이버 카페) https://t.co/c3VmTd1n7R
Microsoft's new Xbox Dev Kit (XDK) console was certified by the National Radio Research Agency in Korea today.
This means that you can use the device in Korea.
It is… pic.twitter.com/jZAuYlynV4— Xbox News for Koreans 🇰🇷 – 네이버 Xbox 정보 카페 (@KoreaXboxnews) March 18, 2024
It confirms the statement made by Xbox president Sarah Bond during the February 2024 business update. Sarah Bond said that there is “exciting stuff coming out in hardware” and details will be shared in the summer. She also added that the company is working on a next-generation roadmap as well, which will be “the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation.”
The Xbox Console May Be Coming Soon
As the dev kit is now certified, it will be sent to game developers in the country to help with game development, and soon Microsoft might announce it. The last consoles, the Xbox Series X|S dev kits, were rated by the National Radio Research Agency on June 11, 2020, three months before its official announcement and five months before its official launch in November.
It cannot be said for certain if this is a new console or the rumored mid-gen refresh of the Series X console, which is said to be an all-digital Series X. Some details of this console were also leaked in September 2023, showing a disc-less Series X console that was codenamed “Brooklin.” The “Brooklin” console is rumored to have more storage, faster Wi-Fi, reduced power consumption, a new controller, and a cylindrical design instead of a rectangular design like in Series X.
Moreover, the leaked mid-gen refresh of the Series X console was eyeing a November 2024 launch for $499, so there might be a possibility that the certified dev kit is part of the planned refresh console, and an official reveal may just be on the horizon, probably in the next few months.
What are your thoughts about the Xbox dev kit rating in South Korea? Let us know in the comments.
