The year 2016 could be witness to the arrival of a new and lighter version of the Xbox One.

In a post on Petri, Microsoft blogger Brad Sams revealed details about what the company may be planning for 2016, and among those plans he mentioned is the possible creation of a lightweight version of the Xbox One.

According to Sams, rumors of a slimmer and lighter version of the Xbox One becoming a reality actually began gaining steam again during the latter months of 2015, although he notes that this is not the first time the company has talked about creating this kind of product.

Sams revealed that Microsoft actually had plans to release a lightweight version of the Xbox One way back when the console was first released, but the company ultimately put those ideas on hold, at least until recently. Sams indicated that Microsoft is looking into the possibility of making the product a reality, although nothing is set in stone yet.

The blogger also indicated that the lightweight Xbox One would be a more direct competitor of the Apple TV as it may only be designed to run Windows Store games. He also revealed that a lightweight version the Xbox One would be cheaper than the standard version.

Lastly, Sams hinted that if a lightweight version of the Xbox One does go into production, then people can expect it to become available sometime during the second half of 2016.

GameSpot reached out to a Microsoft representative to comment on the possible plans of developing a new console, and as of now at least, the company has only said that they "do not comment on rumor or speculation."

Microsoft staying mum on the matter is hardly a surprise, but the next few months should provide more clarity with regard to whether or not the company really is working on a lightweight version of the Xbox One.