One of the most highly anticipated announcements this year is for the next-gen Xbox. According to blogger Paul Thurott, who successfully predicted the announcement date for the console, Microsoft will be launching the next-gen Xbox in November.
He has also predicted that the console will be priced at $499 (approximately Rs 27,000), and will have a subscription option where it costs $299 (approximately Rs 16,169) with a monthly $10 (approximately Rs 541) subscription. The subscription will give you access to Xbox LIVE for two years. If this does come to pass, it is unclear if Microsoft will have the subscription option in India.
Other speculations state that the next-gen console may run on a Windows 8 core. This could possibly mean that there may be some apps that are common between the console and PCs running on Windows 8.
All speculations and no announcements make the Durango a very sad boy
It was earlier revealed that Microsoft will be integrating cable with the next-gen Xbox. According to the report, Microsoft might bake in a feature in its next-generation console that would take over a TV and set-top box to overlay a Microsoft-developed UI on top of the existing service provider’s interface.
The next Xbox’s always-on connection will be used for streaming content and access to TV signals. Microsoft has implemented functionality where a cable box signal is passed to the Xbox over HDMI. This will allow the company to overlay a UI and Xbox-specific features on top of an existing TV channel or set-top box.
The next-generation Xbox will supposedly go a step further than Google TV thanks to exclusive tie-ups with major content providers. However, the Xbox’s TV features will be basic at launch and more advanced features will come as part of later updates.
Besides this TV functionality, the console will come with a next-generation Kinect sensor that is said will detect multiple people simultaneously and even detect eye movement to pause content when viewers turns their head away from the screen a la the Samsung Galaxy S4.
The console will be instantly ready for users to play and will always maintain a network connection so that console software and games are always up-to-date. The new Kinect is expected to have a wider field of view, better tracking and no motors. Thanks to the Blu-ray drive, games will have to be installed on the HDD and the console will not be able to stream data from the optical disc. It will have a system that will allow gamers to begin playing while the game is being installed to the HDD rather than having to wait till the installation is complete.
He has also predicted that the console will be priced at $499 (approximately Rs 27,000), and will have a subscription option where it costs $299 (approximately Rs 16,169) with a monthly $10 (approximately Rs 541) subscription. The subscription will give you access to Xbox LIVE for two years. If this does come to pass, it is unclear if Microsoft will have the subscription option in India.
Other speculations state that the next-gen console may run on a Windows 8 core. This could possibly mean that there may be some apps that are common between the console and PCs running on Windows 8.
All speculations and no announcements make the Durango a very sad boy
It was earlier revealed that Microsoft will be integrating cable with the next-gen Xbox. According to the report, Microsoft might bake in a feature in its next-generation console that would take over a TV and set-top box to overlay a Microsoft-developed UI on top of the existing service provider’s interface.
The next Xbox’s always-on connection will be used for streaming content and access to TV signals. Microsoft has implemented functionality where a cable box signal is passed to the Xbox over HDMI. This will allow the company to overlay a UI and Xbox-specific features on top of an existing TV channel or set-top box.
The next-generation Xbox will supposedly go a step further than Google TV thanks to exclusive tie-ups with major content providers. However, the Xbox’s TV features will be basic at launch and more advanced features will come as part of later updates.
Besides this TV functionality, the console will come with a next-generation Kinect sensor that is said will detect multiple people simultaneously and even detect eye movement to pause content when viewers turns their head away from the screen a la the Samsung Galaxy S4.
The console will be instantly ready for users to play and will always maintain a network connection so that console software and games are always up-to-date. The new Kinect is expected to have a wider field of view, better tracking and no motors. Thanks to the Blu-ray drive, games will have to be installed on the HDD and the console will not be able to stream data from the optical disc. It will have a system that will allow gamers to begin playing while the game is being installed to the HDD rather than having to wait till the installation is complete.
