Xbox Series S outed by next-gen controller leak—and it’s legit

• A new controller for a system that hasn't launched yet? That's interesting enough, sure. But the news comes when you turn the box. [credit: Zak S ]

The next version of the standard, cross-console Xbox controller has been spotted in the wild, ahead of its official retail announcement. But the two leaked controllers we've seen thus far are even more intriguing because of something they have in common: an apparently official mention of "Xbox Series S" as an additional Microsoft next-gen console.

Ars Technica can confirm that this is indeed the name of an upcoming, unannounced Microsoft product, based on conversations with people familiar with Microsoft's hardware plans. The Series S will apparently exist alongside the well-publicized Xbox Series X, which still doesn't have a publicly known date or price.

S marks the spot—but questions remain

The controller itself was previously announced alongside Xbox Series X's reveal during the December 2019 broadcast of The Game Awards. While it bears a strong resemblance to the existing Xbox One controller, its general mold has been shrunk to better support a wider range of hand sizes. Functionally, it's identical, other than a new "share" button, while its d-pad has been updated to resemble one of the d-pad options found in the first-party Xbox Elite Controller line. One owner of the new controller, who goes by Zak S on Twitter, pointed specifically to the updated d-pad as "one of [his] favorite parts."