The next Xbox hardware may already be in manufacturing

Microsoft said that gamers shouldn’t expect to see its next gaming console anytime soon, but developers might already be getting their hands on the system. IGN has cited an ‘unspecified source’ with the news that the next Xbox hardware has entered manufacturing.

The report says that hardware for the next Xbox has been produced at the Austin, Texas, branch of electronics firm Flextronics. Flextronics was the first manufacturer of the original Xbox and one of three that Microsoft initially employed to work on the Xbox 360. The firm also reportedly created a testing group focused specifically on “comprehensive marketing, software, and hardware tests of the next Xbox.”

As for what exactly is being produced, IGN speculates Flextronics is producing dev kits so the next Xbox developers have hardware on which to create their games. Microsoft still has not responded to request for further information.