Xbox One: white retail SKU, disc-free console inbound - rumour

The white Xbox One previously restricted to Microsoft staff will be made available to general punters in 2014, today's whispers say, and a major update to the console's firmware is due soon.

According to rumours originating on NeoGAF but echoed by anonymous sources speaking to The Verge, the white Xbox One will come with a 1TB hard drive and is expected this year.

The original source suggested a release window of October, to coincide with the release of Insomniac's Sunset Overdrive.

Both sources agreed that Microsoft has been looking into a disc-free version of the console, and while The Verge's sources went no further, NeoGAF leakers seemed more certain, commenting that the disc-free console has a Bluetooth adapter.

On the firmware side of things, a major Xbox One dashboard update is on the way, according to both sources. The update will address various Xbox Live issues, including party-chat and social features. It's expected in March.

Finally, NeoGAF sources said the Xbox One is coming to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Colombia, Chile and Argentina in April, with China, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, Portugal, Slovakia, Turkey, Saudia Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Israel, India, Indonesia and Egypt to follow in October.

Microsoft is yet to comment on any of the rumours.