The next generation of Xbox consoles may be just around the corner if a recent rumor is to be believed. Evidence surfaced over the weekend that has set the gaming world abuzz with speculation that Microsoft could be preparing to launch new hardware sooner than expected.

It began with a tweet from @KoreaXboxnews, an account dedicated to tracking Xbox news and developments in South Korea. The tweet claimed that a new Xbox dev kit had been certified by the country’s National Radio Research Agency on March 18th.

For the unfamiliar, dev kits are early hardware prototypes sent to game developers to ensure games are optimized for new consoles before launch. Their certification is usually one of the first signs that a company is gearing up for a forthcoming release.

While the certification itself doesn’t outright confirm Microsoft’s plans, it does hold weight. South Korea requires all electronic devices to be approved by the agency before distribution in the country. As @KoreaXboxnews points out, this likely means the device will now be able to be used in the country and “is likely to be distributed to game developers in Korea soon.”

Of course, the big question on everyone’s mind is – what exactly is this dev kit for? A full-fledged next-generation console seems premature, as the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles were just released in November 2020, a mere 3.5 years ago.

However, a mid-generation refresh akin to the Xbox One X would be a more plausible possibility. Games are becoming increasingly demanding in terms of computational power, so Microsoft may be looking to get a moderately upgraded box out to keep pace.

Then again, with Sony preparing to launch the considerably more powerful PlayStation 5 Pro reportedly sometime this year, Microsoft could be accelerating their next-gen plans to stay competitive. Rumors suggest the PS5 Pro will be branded as the “world’s most powerful console.”

Notably, the Xbox Series X/S dev kits were first approved for use in South Korea back in June 2020, roughly 5 months ahead of the consoles’ eventual November 2020 launch. If this new certification follows a similar pattern, we could theoretically see new Xbox hardware by the 2024 holiday season.

Of course, these are all just educated speculations for now. Microsoft has yet to reveal any official details about its next wave of gaming hardware.