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Possible Xbox Series X prototype photos reveal its ports

A prototype console apparently found its way into the wild.

Sean Keane Former Senior Writer
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Sean Keane
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Microsoft revealed the Xbox Series X last month, but we may have got a closer look at a prototype.

Microsoft

It'll be a few months before you're setting up Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Series X at home, but some leaked photos of a prototype version of the next-gen console may offer a sneak preview of what you'll be dealing with. The images reveal the (slightly dusty) front and back of the console sitting on a cream carpet -- quite a contrast to the slick airbrushed shots from Microsoft's December reveal

On the back, we see an optical audio port, two USB A ports, one HDMI port, ethernet port and power. The large rectangular port above the HDMI is for diagnostic reporting and unlikely to be on the final version of the console, according to Thurrott, which reported that the images are authentic.

Also visible are the console's barcode and serial number, so the company will know whose prototype this is. Microsoft might also tweak this design in the months before the Series X's late 2020 release. We might get a better look during E3 2020 this June.

A Microsoft spokesperson said the company has nothing to announce at the moment, but is in future "excited to share more details on Xbox Series X, which will be our fastest, most powerful console and set a new bar for console performance, speed and compatibility."

Semiconductor company AMD appeared to show off the back of the console during its CES 2020 press conference earlier this month, but later acknowledged that the images weren't official.

Originally published Jan. 22, 3:46 a.m. PT.
Update, 1:56 p.m.: Adds comment from Microsoft.

Watch this: Microsoft unveils Xbox Series X