Last week, Microsoft made a huge splash when it officially announced the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Gamers finally learned details about the preorder schedules, shipments dates, and pricing for both game systems. While many already had a grasp of what the flagship console brought to the table, the latter remained a speculation until it was revealed. Looking back, reports pointed out that the manufacturer surprisingly hid the device in plain sight in one of its streams.

The footage in question was actually the one wherein Xbox boss Phil Spencer was interviewed by journalist Seth Schiesel. The discussion was reportedly a part of the GameLab industry conference which was streamed live on June 24, but was not published on YouTube until July 1, says Eurogamer. The $299 price point reportedly surprised the gaming industry and consumers who expected it to cost around $399.

Fun fact: Xbox Series S is so small @XboxP3 had it sitting on his bookshelf back on July 1 and nobody noticed. 😏

Did you spot it @SethSchiesel? pic.twitter.com/6Z83TLCW1F

— Xbox (@Xbox) September 11, 2020

After the trailer leaked ahead of its intended schedule, Microsoft opted to take advantage of the publicity instead. The Redmond-based tech firm noted that the Xbox One S as the smallest Xbox ever. It seems the description was accurate as it was exposed the whole time during Spencer's talk. A screenshot taken from the video and uploaded by the Xbox Twitter account shows it sitting on the bookshelf right behind him.

Prior to it all, it was already posted on social media that he brought home a dev kit of the Xbox Series X. Moreover he even played online with other players without their knowledge. The next-generation Xbox models all support cross-generation gameplay on top of backward compatibility with Xbox 360 and Xbox One games. Using its Smart Delivery technology, older software will be updated to run faster and with improved graphics and performance on the new consoles.

Microsoft unveils the Xbox Series S
From a design perspective, the Xbox Series S is remarkably different from the flagship Xbox Series X. Photo: Microsoft

It was rumoured that Sony originally planned to debut its next-generation console last week but was postponed due to Microsoft's sudden reveal of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. However, the Japanese gaming firm will host a PS5 showcase event this week on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 1:00 a.m. PDT. People are hoping that the pricing and release date will finally be announced along with other surprises.

Microsoft Phil Spencer Sony