Xbox 720 or Xbox 3 - Hardware, Graphics, Release Date and Games Speculation
Xbox 720 or Xbox 3 draws a lot of speculation, so let's find out what we know so far regarding the hardware, graphics, release date, games and more.
We have tried to gather as much information as we can about the Xbox 3 or Xbox 720 and what it'll have in store for hardcore Xbox fans and maybe even the average gamer. The article is entirely based on rumors and speculation with some known facts included.
The current generation of graphics for consoles has been about HD resolutions and most recently we've seen 3D gaming entering the foray. The Xbox 360 does offer full 1080p HD support also known as true HD for some games, but most of the current gen games for the system are actually running at 720p native resolution due to frame rate issues and the ageing hardware. It's also been confirmed that Crysis 2 will be coming in 3D on the Xbox 360 so that means Xbox 720 will definitely be supporting 3D gaming and it will most probably be without those pesky glasses.
So what can we expect to see on the Xbox 720 or Xbox 3, well, according to sources as quoted by VE3d "ATI-AMD will provide Microsoft with GPUs for its next generation", but it has not been confirmed. What about resolution? Will we be seeing Ultra HD(UHDV) which is touted to be the replacement for current HDTVs.
For those of you who don't know, Ultra HD uses 7,680 x 4,320 pixels in a widescreen aspect ratio of 16x9, making for a total of approximately 33 million pixels (33 megapixels).
At the moment Ultra HD is simply not a viable option, the uncompressed video and audio recorded in ultra HD takes up a whopping 3.5 terabytes for an 18 minute clip. The prototype ultra HD screen also consumes an insane amount of electricity.
There have also been rumors that the Xbox 720 or Xbox 3 will be improving the current line-up of Xbox 360 games by increasing frame rate, draw distance, graphics, textures, etc. according to Joystiq.
Xbox 360's hardware has been blighted by the infamous RROD, even the most hardcore Xbox fans might agree that they would have liked a more reliable system and it is quite apparent that Microsoft will be be putting more emphasis on testing the system before releasing it this time around.
According to an interview with EGM in 2008, Robbie Batch, President of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft, said,
We started thinking about the next generation before we shipped the Xbox 360. It doesn't start with a date. It starts way upstream with silicon development. From that comes a series of data points. You start making early technology choices. It's an evolving thing. Stuff doesn't become concrete until you get inside a window of when you have to ship, more than 18 months or so out.
At the moment, we weren't able to find any rumors or speculation about the processor which is set to power the Xbox 720 or Xbox 3, so we can't say anything about that.
We have already mentioned in the Graphics section that it is rumored ATI-AMD will provide Microsoft with GPUs for its next generation system. It was also rumored that Intel was hoping Microsoft would be using their so-called revolutionary Larrabee chip, but the Larrabee project was cancelled in December 2009 so that possibility goes out of the window.
There is much debate whether the Xbox 720 will support Blu-ray disk format or will be digital based, well, according to an EEDAR analyst, Greg Short, the next generation of consoles are set to be digital based only due to a surge in small development studios, which rely on such distribution methods for their smaller, lower budget titles. We personally feel that this might not be the case as their is a lot of variations in the Internet speeds around the world and it will take some courage to provide no kind of disk support at all.
Unless Kinect ends up being a complete failure, Motion Control support is an obvious possibility with built-in Kinect support. As for hardcore gamers they would rather prefer staying away from the gimmicky motion controls and stick with the controller but would welcome Keyboard and Mouse support.
Microsoft has repeatedly said that they believe in Xbox 360 having a much longer life-span compared to its predecessor. In an interview with Develop in late 2009, Microsoft Game Studios head Phil Spencer said the company is focused on evolving the current Xbox 360 console, with additions such as Project Natal, and is not interested in pushing brand new hardware out the door anytime soon.
So we probably won't be getting our hands on the console in 2011 or even 2012, but with the rate at which PC graphics are surpassing the current gen consoles hopefully some info is revealed at E3 2012 or we'd be very disappointed.
About the games, well, we haven't heard much but we found two rumored stories, one from 2008 and another recent one regarding Bungie's next IP. An Activision-published action series developed by Bungie is being "planned, engineered and designed" to potentially appear on Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4 via CVG.
The other one concerns a first party sequel that was being developed for the 360, but is being moved to a next generation console as reported by Destructoid back in 2008.
Microsoft has drastically evolved the dashboard of the Xbox 360 already in its 5 years of existence so it's expected that we'll be seeing a fresh interface. We haven't heard anything on this one, most probably it'll be even more social.
Kindly share any more rumored info that you might have heard or read concerning the next Xbox in the comments below.
hi there why do you want the worlds fastest cpu with out the worlds fastest drive storage too have speed you need too have fast read write speeds or the fast cpu gets boged down and your fast cpu becomes slow cpu thats why wii is faster then the sony ps3 way faster games load instant no lag time unlike ps3
hi there you gamers get it now ssd are way faster then hard drives or flash drives thats why wii out performed the xbox 360 and ps3 ps3 is the slowest loading lag time longest soo the nextgen consoles will reqier massive bandwith componints soo the futuer consoles needs too go ssd all the way with 10,000 or 15,000 rpm hard drives hybride drives i hope they go ssd all the way
There is always a possibility of them adding in a Solid State Drive because of there speed and reliability. If the console isn't planned to be released til at least 2014 then there is also a good chance that Soloid States will come down in price so they could be used for it.
I would like to see a Solid State Drive on the systems. That would add fast power and will afordable in a few years.
Also, higher graphics, full 3D, and higher frame rates would really make things look even more amazing.
I dont quite understand some of the logic behind a whole system upgrade. i own both the ps3 and Xbox360 as well as a high end gaming PC. of course im going to play on my PC before any consoles (better Graphics/Sound, Frame rates and a larger online community)but i do play Consoles for 1 of 2 reasons either for Console exclusive releases think GT5 or to play online with friends. For the sake of the console argument. thier really dosent need to be a full on console upgrade ps3-ps4 ect. but simple hardware upgrades just like in a PC you have a motherboard that supports multiple components within a limit. im aware that the mobo of both consoles may not be as adaptable as a PC's but where there's a will their a way. why not put a better CPU and GPU to allow more detail and support a little bit higher resolutions. and trust me ask any avid PC gamer and they will all tell you its all about Resolution. as it is for Frame Rates. im not taling about such a CPU change that its like going from a Celeron to a Core 2 Duo, but more as a Clock Speed(Ghz) difference. using 360 as an example instead of a tri core Xenon @ 3.2Ghz why not a Quad core Xenon @ 3.6Ghz+ or instead of a 500Mhz Ati Xenos for the GPU why not a more updated Xenos operating at a higher Clock Speed like 750Mhz with Memory and shaders increased also that supports a higher Shader Model like 4.1 or 5.0. 2 simple upgrades that will revamp an aging system but simple enough that there's no need for a complete system overhaul that would usher in a whole new console. Now i know some epople cannot grasp this point and look at it like a whole new system but think of it this way. you own a Dell Computer, you upgrade the graphics card it in, the performance increases but it remains a Dell. Same for the Consoles. If we were talking about hardware for the next gen console we would be looking at way way way different components and speed/rendering then the examples i listed.
in my opinion Microsoft should go to Intel and nvidia. amd is decent but nvidia is way better at tessellation and lighting which is what makes games look realistic, not high the def support. nvidia is also going to make cpu's which should compete with Intel considering, nvidias arch types work better in game type computations such as physics anyways. i thank amd is better suited for systems like the wii that dont rely on high detail.
however if they want UHD then amd would work best since it is faster at loading frames on average(not much but it is).
Personally, as an old-school PC gamer, I feel the consoles as a whole need to focus on what they do best, rather than trying to stay on the cutting edge of hardware technology. I'd be more than happy with the 360 for two or three more years, especially if it means Microsoft will learn from their mistakes and do a proper launch this time.
The prospect of ultra high-def doesn't do anything for me. I rather see current-gen graphics with more processing power. For example, having massive game servers and seamless level loading and sharding. To me, that drives more value than being able to see droplets of sweat and peach-fuzz hair on a character's face.
Regarding digital distribution, it's certainly an area Microsoft needs to address. Strictly digital distribution, as you noted, presents too many variables and risks. Instead, price points for DLCs and bundling of content (think Steam on the PC) should be optimized and flexible. Gifting of content and Microsoft Points digitally would be brilliant.
The PC gaming industry is leaps and bounds ahead of the console market but it's not merely because of the hardware. It's all about user-generated content, customizable experiences, cloud computing/portability, and the overall value for the dollar. PC gamers have more options when it comes to replay value and scalability as a whole, whereas the console market is more about temporary fixtures and milking IPs while they're still hot. As a result, I find that PC gamers are far more loyal and committed to specific franchises and brands, especially with regards to open platforms and online gaming as a whole.
Some of you mentioned that it is all about the software and third-party support. That is absolutely true. Cutting-edge hardware means nothing without development tools that optimize performance and create easy, rapid dev environments. If the console manufacturers really noted this, we'd see more exclusive titles and less ported, watered-down junk.
Though my console of choice is the XBox 360, it is the community and content that keeps me loyal, not the marketing, empty promises, or hardware. The Kinect certainly blows other motion devices out of the water but it has ways to go and seems to be a guinea pig right now. Microsoft has disappointed big time and they've got to really deliver this time around.
In an ideal world, it'd be nice to see more cross-platform content and a focus on playing up each console's strengths. Really, I buy games now according to where my friends play them the most. So far, Microsoft seems to be succeeding where Sony and Nintendo have fallen short with the online experience. The potential is there but let's drop the fluff. Ultra high-def rendering and the like is just for the early adopters, not those that want real substance and value for the dollar.
I doubt it will support UHD, that res is just nuts, and most likely they would just add it to a later revision if it truly becomes standard, like they did with 360, one thing about the graphics I'm wondering about is, since they will continue with AMD graphics will they include Eyefinity? considering AMD have been supporting this technology since the HD58/57XX series it would be strange if they didn't take advantage of that, I've seen a few pc setups where people play like racing games, and on 3 full HD screens that looks nothing short of amazing.
I'm definitely leaning to Microsoft when it comes to consoles, mostly because they aren't kept down by fanboys like Sony, we see when Sony tried to improve the aging PS1 design of the controller fanboys raged and Sony kept the hand crippling design. And the fact that game developing for Xbox 360 makes it easy to port games to PC.
I just don't get Sony's logic, So yeah GOW might be pretty as hell, it's also laggy, from what I gather Sony's design is more aimed towards HPC tasks rather than actual gaming.
And the controller issue, yeah I know the original Xbox controller was a huge brick, but atleast they improved it into something with great ergonomics.
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