(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Hey guys this will be my Rumor Round up thread for all the rumors and speculations about the newest xbox!

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So I will list different aspect's of the console and then list the rumors about the aspect:

Processor and Graphics

The Xbox 360 was launched in 2005, with the best technology that 2004 had to offer. Inside, it used a custom-made IBM Power PC with a trio of 3.2GHz cores and an ATI graphics processor. Now compare this ageing specification to a 2011 PC. Some PC's rock the latest Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge CPU, Nvidia GTX 580 graphics card, 1TB of onboard storage and 8GB of DDR3. There is a massive difference os specs between these machines.

Latest rumors indicate that the next Xbox will pack graphics based on AMD's 6670 chip, which would bring support for DirectX11, multi-display and 3D. But this would be very disappointing for many gamers who are hoping for a truly next-gen console. Considering that the Xbox 360 Slim now features a 'Vejle' CPU/GPU combo processor, many claim the possibility of the new Xbox 720 getting a cutting-edge AMD Fusion chip.

Games in development

It looks as though games developers are already playing with Xbox 720 hardware - a recent job advert from Peter Molyneux's Lionhead studio asks for developers with a background in DirectX 11 - a platform not used by any of the current consoles but is rumored to be used in the AMD-powered Xbox.

Storage and Disc format

Many question the possibilities of Cloud storage? We might not be ready to abandon physical media just yet. But Steam has served PC users well for several years and OnLive is turning heads.

The most obvious next-gen storage option for the next Xbox is Blu-ray. But Microsoft has refused to add it to the existing Xbox 360. Other alternatives? You'll find flag-wavers for flash drives, Nintendo-style game cartridges, even the resurrection of HD-DVD.

The most recent rumours speculate that the new Xbox will ship without a disc drive of any kind. The report on MCV says that the console will use "interchangeable solid state storage" which would indicate that games will be both downloadable and available on PS Vita-style memory cards.

Omitting a disc drive would certainly save money and reduce the weight and power consumption of the final device. Could this be the direction that Microsoft are turning towards.

Controllers

Love it or hate it, gesture-control is here to stay. Expect an improved version of Microsoft's Kinect hardware to be a prominent feature of any new Xbox. Kinect is currently the world's "fastest selling consumer electronics device" with sales topping 10 million. A Guinness World Record.

But the game pad will remain the input device of choice for veteran gamers. We can't imagine playing Gears of War 4 by waving our arms around. It lacks precision. And is just un-practical so the gesture control is speculated to be optional.

Killing the second-hand games market

There have been rumours cicrulating that the new Xbox console will feature a system aimed at preventing owners playing used games. That would mean no trading-in of old titles in order to fund the purchase of new ones - a move that would not be warmly received by gamers or highstreet stores like Gamestation.

Artificial Intelligence

In addition to the 3D and Ultra High Definition graphics, with the future gaming platforms that are forthcoming, highly improved and interactive artificial intelligence is expected in the games. Yet with the Microsoft Xbox 360 and similar platforms, all three console manufacturers have repeatedly stated that the games being released for their systems do not match the level of complexity in graphics and sustainability that the console can handle, so if games are not keeping pace with consoles five years later, it is a depressing thought that the Xbox 720 might be able to do much more as a console than the games released for it for years to come

Windows 8

It has been rumored that Microsoft will port Windows 8 (or the latest Windows version) to the new Xbox 720 thus offering cross platform support for use with Windows Phone devices, Windows based computers and subsequent Microsoft Windows platforms like future portable tablets.

The Xbox 360 currently supports media sharing with Windows 7 based PCs and also takes advantage of the Windows Media Center application showing that we could very likely see a similar media sharing system on the new console. Although, if such a media system were implemented or even adopted for the Xbox 720, the likelihood of a Windows OS appearing on the new console would lessen.

Release Date

The release date rumors for the Xbox 720 are all over the place, there are current hints at a 2012 unveil compounded by other statements that claim no unveil will take place this year. If the Xbox 720 does get a 2012 unveil, it would mean the console would likely be released late 2013 or early 2014. But Microsoft has previously given the Xbox 360 an estimated ten year life span, and considering the console was released in 2005 it could very well be sometime in 2015 before we see a successor.

Price Range

Judging by how much the original Xbox 360 cost at release, and by using an estimated amount of how much consumers will be willing to pay, the new console will likely be somewhere in the $599-$699 range. Of course this pricing plan will be considered outrageous by many, especially when taking into account the price of current consoles but it’s easy to forget that modern consoles have been on shelves for years now. The Xbox 360 alone has been out for at least 6 years, which means even the newer console models have dated hardware, and the dated hardware contributes to the lower price. New hardware is much more costly and will subsequently drive the base new Xbox price up higher.


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I will be adding more rumors and speculation as they are released.

Thanks, AppleTechKid

That's what I was trying to say in that post.



I agree it is pointless to argue over, but when I came in an Xbox thread to find a dumb comment like that I had to reply.

Exactly.

And yeah, really pointless. I respect one's opinions but when it comes to things like, "XBOX IS FOR FAGS :FU:" or "PS3 IS FOR HOMOS :FU:", then it's making yourself look dumb, or you're trying to make yourself look cool in front of all your CoD tryhard friends.

Informative and well laid out thread, well done my friend :y:



On the matter of Disc format, I am interested to see what approach Microsoft will take. One report You must login or register to view this content. states that the next-gen Xbox will feature a Blu-Ray disc drive, while this one You must login or register to view this content. states that the next Xbox will have no optical drive.

I can see the positives of having no optical drive, as one of the major problems with the 360 is disc laser burining. A optical disc drive has lots of moving parts that can cause problems in old systems.

Hopefully Microsoft reveals something this year, I'm eager for a new console