your only source for all things videogames

Xbox World has published brand new rumors about Microsoft’s next home console in its March 2012 issue, codenamed XBOX 720. Here is what they had to say in the article:

“The next Xbox will be a matt-black media hub with a mission to bring games to life in your living room with augmented reality, directional sound, and a four-player finger-tracking Kinect. We told you all that last month. This month, our sources tell us it will have a touchscreen, too.

“Microsoft are experimenting with a tablet-like controller with a shape closer to Sony’s sleek Vita handheld / Apple’s iPad than Wii U’s bulky unit – it’s an HD screen surrounded by the traditional 360 buttons and sticks.

“On 360 that touchscreen will be second only to Kinect in how you operate your console. It could be a remote control when you’re watching TV, a browser when you’re on the internet, extra buttons and information when playing a game or a portable display when you want to take your game with you.

“If the next Xbox is starting to sound awfully expensive, you’d be right. 360 launched at £279 while PS3 launched at £425, so – we’re speculating here – £399 wouldn’t be an unprecedented figure to put on a machine with Kinect and a touch controller in the box. Microsoft are playing safe with the CPU and GPU but running wild with the functions that will change how you play, but it won’t be cheap. Expect to see the next Xbox at E3 this June.”

Very interesting to say the least. It seems like Nintendo and Microsoft really want to capitalize on Apple’s tremendous success with the iPad and are integrating tablet-like controllers in their forthcoming home consoles. I will be very interested to see if this rumor pans out to be true and see how Nintendo and Sony respond.

More as it develops so stay tuned.