After months of speculation and all kinds of different leaks, Microsoft finally confirmed the existence of the Xbox Series S earlier this week. As added fan service and to keep a cool tradition alive, Microsoft is hiding a fun Master Chief easter egg inside the compact next-generation console.
The Xbox Series S may have one of the most untraditional reveals for a console in recent memory as it seemed like everyone knew exactly what it was before Microsoft ever acknowledged the existence of the machine. The box itself is rather impressive considering the size, although most people are fixated on the exterior of the Xbox Series S and its interesting design, while the real story lies inside the console. Among the crammed in hardware sits a small nod to the Halo franchise, something Microsoft has been doing with several past consoles.
On Reddit, eagle-eyed user Lyricalthunder spotted a hidden Master Chief logo among the official breakdown of the Xbox Series S's contents. Inside the Xbox Series S, located on the power supply, is a stamp of Master Chief's helmet. While this type of fan service will mostly go unnoticed by the majority of Xbox Series S owners and may not be seen in person by most of us, it's still a cool nod to what may be the company's most important franchise.
This easter egg continues the Xbox tradition of hiding Master Chief across its new consoles in fun, unique ways. The popular Space Marine can be found on the disc drive bracket in the Xbox One S and fans who want to void their warranty can find Master Chief riding a scorpion inside every Xbox One X. Microsoft's other next-gen console, the Xbox Series X, has the same Master Chief stamp (as the Xbox Series S) located on the console's fan.
The unfortunate and sad part of this fun easter egg is, this may be the only Master Chief or slice of Halo that fans will receive this year. Earlier this year, and following after a rough gameplay reveal, 343 Industries announced it would be delaying Halo Infinite until sometime in 2021. Since that announcement, 343 has made some changes with its staff by bringing in Joseph Staten, who worked on previous Halo games, to take a leadership role in the company.
The Xbox Series S is scheduled to launch on November 10, 2020.