In a massive exposé leading up to its final issue, UK magazine Xbox World has revealed everything it knows about Microsoft's next Xbox console. This is exciting stuff, but remember: all the details in this post come from Xbox World, and should be considered rumors until they can be confirmed.
The next Xbox will not be called the Xbox 720 or Xbox 3; it will simply be called Xbox, in the style of Apple. Games that are known to be in development for the new Xbox (though not necessarily exclusively for the new Xbox) include Rare's Kinect Sports 3, Bungie's Destiny, Lionhead's long-rumored Fable MMO, 343 Industries' Halo 5, DICE's Battlefield 4, and Turn 10's Forza 5.
The new Xbox will reportedly sport "massive power," with a four-core CPU more powerful than any gaming PC. This will result in an increase in general performance—graphics, A.I., everything—in the next generation of games. DirectX 11 will increase game performance even further. And the new console will play Blu-ray discs, too—except for the "slim" version, which will be download-only.
Kinect 2.0 will come as a pack-in with the next Xbox. It can reportedly track up to four players and read minute movements right down to your fingers. Other technology—called Omnitouch—will allow Microsoft to explore some crazy augmented reality. This involves a new peripheral, and though details are scarce, it seems game characters and environments will be projected directly into your living room in full 3D. Yes, like Cortana.
Moving on: the new Xbox will reportedly take advantage of 3D sound that can come from anywhere at once, simulating real surround sound—not just 5.1 or 7.1 surround.
Other rumors touch on the controller—it could feature a touch screen, programmable buttons, or changes even more extreme—plus cloud and always-on gaming, a radically different interface, and a new Microsoft that's friendlier to developers. There are too many details to list here, so head over to CVG to get the full scoop.
Is it all too good to be true? We might know as soon as February or March, when Xbox World expects the next Xbox to be unveiled, ahead of a Nov. 2013 release. What do you want out of the next Xbox?
[via CVG]
