We may have just seen a whole new side to the next-gen Xbox Series X console, with leaked photos that are said to show the next-gen console's ports appearing online.

Shared on forum site Neogaf, the photos seem to show a prototype of the next Xbox console, which will likely have been shared with devs working on titles for the Xbox Series X. (There's also a barcode on the hardware, meaning that Microsoft is likely chastising the poster in question as we speak.)

Ports for the Xbox Series X prototype (rear) (Image credit: CurryPanda / Neogaf)

The image above is the most interesting, as it shows off the rear vents of the console, as well as ports for USB, HDMI, S/PDIF, power, and Ethernet.

Is this the final design? It's unlikely – a previous render from AMD showed off two HDMI ports (one in, one out), as with the Xbox One X, which seems more likely, even if AMD later admitted these weren't official specifications. We expect the exact placement and capabilities of certain components will be tweaked in the months before the console is launched, anyway

There's also only a single USB port on the front of the console in the second leaked image, below, whereas we fully expect a pair to be included in the eventual launch hardware.

Disc drive and USB port (front) (Image credit: CurryPanda / Neogaf)

What's a preview to you?

With a confirmed release window of late 2020, there's still plenty of time for things to change. Microsoft has formally unveiled the overall look / vertical silhouette of the console (the image at the top of this article), though, so don't expect a massive overhaul beyond ports and vents shuffled around slightly.

The console's design is pretty standard fare, with internal specs that will seemingly be on the par with the rival PS5, and it's really going to be other considerations like pricing – and the list of Xbox Series X games – that decide its success at launch. We'll be keeping your updated, as ever, as more on this comes to light.

Xbox Series X price: what will the console cost?

Via Thurrott