Xbox Series S Lockhart codename hidden meaning revealed

Aaron Greenberg, the general manager of Xbox Games marketing at Microsoft, has revealed the reasoning behind the Lockhart codename given to the Xbox Series S.

In a response on Twitter, Greenberg explained that many code names come from cities, and that Lockhart was inspired by a city of the same name in Texas.

"We often use cities as codenames, in this case it comes from Lockhart, Texas. They are known as "The Little City with the big heart".

We often use cities as codenames, in this case it comes from Lockhart, Texas. They are known as “The Little City with the big heart” https://t.co/i7u3sjqdst 🔒💚September 9, 2020

The name seems very fitting given the recent official reveal of the cheaper next-gen console model. In comparison to the bigger Xbox Series X which has a vertically upright design, the all-digital Xbox Series S is considerably smaller in size - 60% smaller in fact - and while it's not quite powerful as its Series X counterpart and won't have 4K support or a disc drive, it's still packing some very similar next-gen tech.

Interestingly, the codename Xbox Edinburgh surfaced recently in Microsoft's Game Development Kit and Windows OS libraries. The codename appeared underneath Anaconda, which was the initial codename for the Xbox Series X. We still don't know what this is in relation to, but certainly seems to go in line with the city naming convention of the codenames that Greenberg mentions.

The Xbox Series S is essentially like a little city that houses a big heart of next-gen specs if you think about it. While codenames, of course, serve to keep consoles under wraps ahead of official announcements, it's neat to learn that there was quite a bit of thought behind the choice of Lockhart and that it actually has a very apt meaning to it.

Want to know more about the differences between the two consoles? Check out our rundown of the Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S.

Heather Wald is the Evergreen Editor, Games at GamesRadar+. Her writing career began on a student-led magazine at Bath Spa University, where she earned a BA (Hons) in English literature. Heather landed her first role writing about tech and games for Stuff Magazine shortly after graduating with an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University. Now with almost seven years of experience working with GamesRadar+ on the features team, Heather helps to develop, maintain, and expand the evergreen features that exist on the site for games, as well as spearhead the Indie Spotlight series. You'll also see her contribute op-eds, interview-led features, and more. In her spare time, you'll likely find Heather tucking into RPGs and indie games, reading romance novels, and drinking lots of tea.