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Story by Patrick Garratt

Mon, Apr 02, 2012 | 14:18 BST

Xbox 720: Blu-ray inside, always-on netcon required

Xbox 720 has been fully detailed to some third-parties, VG247 has learned, and has been slotted in for a Christmas 2013 release. And yes: of course it’ll have a Blu-ray drive.

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VG247 has learned that Microsoft has now detailed Xbox 720 to certain partners and has internally confirmed the machine for a Christmas 2013 release.

The next generation Xbox will have a Blu-ray drive, contrary to a recent report.

Multiple sources have confirmed this morning that the machine will have two GPUs. One said: “It’s like two PCs taped together.”

We’re waiting for final confirmation of specs, but the graphics cards are thought to be equivalent to AMD’s 7000 series GPUs, but “not CrossFire or SLI”. The GPUs aren’t structured as they are in a normal dual PC set-up, in which the two chips take it in turns to draw lines of the same object: Xbox 720′s graphics units will be able to work independently, drawing separate items simultaneously.

It was reported last week that PlayStation 4, internally codenamed Orbis, will also be powered by AMD hardware.

There will be “four or six” cores to the Xbox 720 CPU, one of which will be reserved for Kinect and one for the OS.

Xbox 720 will require an always-on internet connection as an anti-piracy measure.

We’ve also been told that the next generation of Kinect will be built into the device as standard.

The details have emerged in the wake of a hastily removed tweet from Sean Tracy, a technical designer for Crytek, that said he was attending the “Durango summit” in London at the end of February. Durango is though to be the codename for the console.

Microsoft is not expected to announce anything pertaining to its next machine until next year.

Many developers have been posting job openings for “next-gen” and “future-gen” systems for months.

Lionhead and Bethesda are just two of the latest.

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88 spacer Posted in: AMD, Blu-ray, Kinect, Microsoft, Xbox 360
Tags: Durango, Next Xbox

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88 comments

Older Comments

#51

Telepathic.Geometry
02/04/12, 3:30 pm

How much better than the 360′s GPU would the new one need to be to give 1080p, 60 FPS as standard, with all the MSAA and whatever other fancy pants bullshit that makes games look pretty?

What I really wanna know is, is there any special tech that will do something new for gaming? Like the Wii U’s already got something new there, as they have always done with every console launch. What are MS gonna do. Even something subtle like eliminating load times or providing more memory for AI (however that would work) or, I dunno, something NEW! Not just 360 plus sauce.

#52

Psychotext
02/04/12, 3:39 pm

Not a lot better. Certainly nothing near the top level PC GPUs that exist today.

#53

Erthazus
02/04/12, 4:13 pm

2 GPU’s on one console? That’s interesting. You can make graphically stunning stuff with two GPU’s even if they have different tasks.

I wonder what Microsoft want’s with TWO GPU’s. It’s really expensive to do, to be honest.

#54

Maximum Payne
02/04/12, 4:24 pm

@4 At least 4 times better but something like Ati 6950 would be great but realistically it will be 6850.
What they will do “NEW” is build in Kinect.
More memory for AI will only means not stupid bugs or glitchis like Crysis 2 on console had.
And for Loading time I think its already here with Uncharted 3,GoW3 and maybe with some other games and that is mostly on PS3 because all data is on one hard drive/disk while on xbox you need to swap discs.

#55

Ireland Michael
02/04/12, 4:27 pm

@54 “More memory for AI will only means not stupid bugs or glitchis like Crysis 2 on console had.”

You don’t have the slightest inkling how any of this works, do you?

#56

heyvc
02/04/12, 4:35 pm

So.. when my internet service is down for any reason.. I won’t be able to play my videogame?! hum.. maybe it’s a way to stimulate me to read a book cause.. without internet my pc AND my SUPPOSED TO BE offline gaming console will become useless…

cool… pretty cool ‘–

#57

Erthazus
02/04/12, 4:39 pm

I’m not sure that it will require a constant internet connection btw because you won’t sell this to everyone. I mean, it’s very dangerous.

I have no issues with internet connection but look, i can’t buy a console if console manufacturer is spying on me. Gaming console is already the most closed device there is, but with this DRM shit it becomes THE most closed device ever and i don’t like that.

#58

daytripper
02/04/12, 4:40 pm

Will the disc drive be noisy Pat?

#59

GwynbleiddiuM
02/04/12, 4:49 pm

at this point I honestly have no desires to invest a butt-load of money into a sinking ship that is gaming consoles. I bought PS3 and it’s gathering dust, I bought 360 and it got flatlined, a PSP which run almost nothing other that the Peace Walker and a DSi, which I only played Super Mario and Flipnote studio (huge fun with drawing lol). I fail to see why would I need anything other than my PC to play games with. So PS4, Xbox 720, Vita, 3DS, etc better be exceptionally different in order to get me on-board.

#60

Ireland Michael
02/04/12, 4:51 pm

Will it cook waffles, Pat?

#61

Erthazus
02/04/12, 4:52 pm

@59, for me, different is not enough. I really don’t care because the best experiences are on the PC right now and games for it for the past three years were fantastic.

the only thing that can sell me a console = Exclusive G A M E S that i want.

In the age of multiplatform titles, my PS3 (even the new PS Vita) basically gathering dust.

So far, i’m excited about games that are going to be on the PC this year and will have the best frame rate and controls + Guild Wars 2 that will be only on the PC.

#62

Gheritt White
02/04/12, 4:53 pm

@ Pat: WILL IT BLEND?!?

#63

Maximum Payne
02/04/12, 4:53 pm

@55 I meant glitches and bugs for AI.
Well more ram or/and cpu power was needed obviously

#64

DSB
02/04/12, 4:55 pm

It’s a lousy idea to build Kinect into it. I’m pretty sure most people would rather have a cheaper console.

#65

daytripper
02/04/12, 4:57 pm

@dsb agreed

#66

Sadismek
02/04/12, 4:59 pm

@64 It’s almost like they’re trying to stuff it into people’s neck. Also, everytime I used it, it failed. Either it wouldn’t want to scan me properly, or it would lag like hell. That’s when slight excitment over this new toy turned into rage and fury.

#67

Ireland Michael
02/04/12, 5:01 pm

@63 More processing power and RAM is not going to “get rid of glitches and bugs”. The only things that get rid of glitches and bugs are good coding and testing till the cows come home.

#68

OrbitMonkey
02/04/12, 5:02 pm

@DSB, but kinnect is teh future of Xbox gaming!!

#69

deathgaze
02/04/12, 5:03 pm

Begun this console war has.

#70

Erthazus
02/04/12, 5:04 pm

@DSB, relax. Kinect is cheap. It’s just Microsoft sells it for a fuckton of money.

#71

daytripper
02/04/12, 5:06 pm

@68 just wait and see what Orbis is all about, some of the reactions are going to be amusing

#72

TheWulf
02/04/12, 5:07 pm

Always on is something that’s going to result in a lot of console owner rage. Consoles aren’t really always online experiences, and there are plenty of people who play on them and only rarely connect them to the Internet (when necessary for updates/multiplayer).

I can’t understand why they thought that was a good idea, really. Sony could gain real ground on them there by promising the opposite, and get a lot of early adopters in the process. Of course, with PC hardware getting cheaper all the time, if both consoles do this then console owners may start looking into mini-PC solutions which you can hook up to televisions. (Nowhere near as expensive as you might think, and with lots of functionality on offer.)

Really interesting, anyway.

Another really interesting thing is that Microsoft are embracing micro-stutter through multiple GPUs. That’s not a good idea. This is one reason why real graphics enthusiasts ignore that approach, because it invariably results in that. Go have a read up on it if you like. (And I don’t really buy that their approach will solve this problem. It’ll manifest either as we know it or differently, there are hardware drawbacks to this ‘solution.’)

Once you’ve seen that, you can never ignore it.

All in all, some weird choices, and not necessarily good ones.

#73

Erthazus
02/04/12, 5:09 pm

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdh4TqWFfX4

Playstation Orbis Trailer spacer
and just for 9999 Us dollars and giant enemy crabs!

#74

DSB
02/04/12, 5:16 pm

@70 But it’s not free. Whether it’s 10 dollars or 100 dollars, I’d rather not spend them on a system I really don’t like.

When it comes to a new console, I think it’s worth it to cut the price as much as possible.

#75

manamana
02/04/12, 5:51 pm

@deathgaze applause, applause, applause!

I’ll add:
Begun this fanboy war has.

#76

G1GAHURTZ
02/04/12, 7:48 pm

Don’t forget that Kinect is also a glorified webcam with voice recognition, and that MS now own Skype.

It’s not just a gaming thing.

#77

Lounds
02/04/12, 7:54 pm

Pat can it make me a sandwich?

#78

gatormatt
02/04/12, 10:33 pm

Will it give BJ’s Pat??

#79

DSB
02/04/12, 10:35 pm

Will it pat Pat, Pat?

#80

Gheritt White
02/04/12, 10:46 pm

Seriously though, will it BJs?

Could you at least check, Pat?

#81

Virginityrocks
03/04/12, 12:07 am

Who cares? I have a PC. The next generation is now.

#82

jonahfalcon
03/04/12, 12:28 am

Reading this article lowered my IQ 10 points.

When was Microsoft so worried about piracy? The 360 is a DRM box unto itself, and if you even try to enter Xbox Live with a modded box, you’re banned.

MS doesn’t care about piracy. Software publishers do. Microsoft only cares about Xbox Live intrusion. It would be like Windows 7 or 8 requiring a constant online connection.

Please, stop pulling this stuff out of your backside.

#83

LOLshock94
03/04/12, 12:48 am

i remember this one time i sucked on a horse and it cummed all over my face and i was like “lulwut”

#84

DarkWarcraftLord
03/04/12, 12:48 am

i hope kinect is build in so i can chat up horny hairy indians on video chat and maybe have cross game video chat orgies ooohh yesss spacer

#85

hitnrun
03/04/12, 1:53 am

Always On Internet = no sale. Heck, it would be no sale even if Sony does the same thing. For all the shortsighted claims about the modern availability of internet, the internet is still a harsh mistress that’s unavailable or limited a whole hell of a lot. Most people just tend not to notice because it doesn’t actually interrupt what they’re doing in realtime. Most people don’t spend their time patronizing companies that treat them like criminals. Only gamers do that.

I was an 360-only person this generation (well, console-wise, anyway), but I almost can’t wait for this generation to end so I can get Microsoft’s grubby mitts out of my jock, take a bath, and move on. I’m tired of paying so much for Live, I’m tired of Microsoft’s “no sales” policy on 6 year old games and DLC, I’m tired of them progressively turning my console’s OPERATING SYSTEM into an interactive NASCAR chassis (first with NXE and then turning my Xbox into a cell phone in 2011) with no option to tone it down or at least restore the menus to something a human might use, I’m tired of being an unwilling thrall to their Wii envy. Heck, against all that, the Kinect itself barely rates mention, but I’m tired of that as well.

If they throw in a DRM fairy to combat the nonexistent problem of Xbox piracy (the only people who pirate console games are hardcore pirates who do physical mods; these people won’t be deterred by another meaningless layer of protection), it will make the decision easy. Sign me up for 599 US dollars, Sony. Unless Sony goes the same route; then I guess the decision is even easier.

#86

ket
03/04/12, 7:04 pm

“always-on netcon required” is bad news.While online service is stopped,I can play no Game? If sevice is downed my play is Forced to stop before save? I wish this is mear rumor.

#87

OlderGamer
03/04/12, 7:50 pm

Well sad hitnrun. I too have a hella console fatigue hangover. World of Warcraft is having extended maintenance today, so I turned on my xb360 for the first time weeks. Having a hard time finding anything that catches my eye to play. As I have said in other posts, this coming gen, I am going upgraded PC, Nintendo, and posibly Sony(I wanna wait to see what their system/strategy/and games look like first). MS is out.

This gen I was mostly a MS gamer, esp early on. Now I play a lot of PS3/Wii. And PC of course.

#88

La Zahorria
04/04/12, 2:33 am

Cool a Uncle Sam, NSA, TSA, ICE ready Xbox 720 ready to watch and track you don’t be fool. One core to watch with video (kincet spy your voice and contour Israeli created), another one to keep in touch with Uncle Sam (always connected) no choice wow , never trust MS they sell your soul for nothing and for free. At least should be backward compatible

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