More next-gen rumours news, it’s almost becoming a daily thing as we approach the 20th of February, the date Sony is expected to reveal their PlayStation 4. However, we aren’t talking about Sony today. Instead, we’re focusing on the rather controversial sounding Xbox 720, which has earned itself something of a love/hate badge following numerous rumours about it supposed functionality, or more importantly what it needs to function in the first place.
First it was the rumour that the next Xbox will require a constant Internet connection to work, and now it’s Kinect. According to a source close to Kotaku, who previously leaked information about the PS4 dev kits and even tried to sell a Durango dev kit last year, the Xbox 720 will not only ship with the next version of the Kinect controller but also require the peripheral to function.
Apparently, Microsoft is building Kinect functionality into the framework of their next console, using the device to identify players and even take Siri-like voice commands. In addition to the, the new Kinect could be capable of tracking six simultaneous players and detecting even the smallest of gestures and facial expressions.
The extensive report by Kotaku also details other more interesting (and less controversial) features the Xbox 720 may have to offer. Their source, SuperDaE, reports that the next Xbox will ship in only one configuration, equipped with a standard 500 GB HDD. Players will be able to install games on the hard drive, much like the PS3, but players can also opt to install a game while playing it.
But by far the most interesting (rumoured) feature is multitasking. The Xbox 720 is said to be capable of running multiple games at a time, allowing users to pause one and immediately start another seamlessly. The same goes for other applications such as videos, music and social network apps, which currently require you to exit the game you are playing. If this is true, the Xbox 720 must have some truly powerful hardware to be able to sustain one game and smoothly play another, much like a powerful desktop PC.
With Sony revealing the PS4 on the 20th of this month, I don’t think it will be long now for Microsoft to make their move. Personally I can’t wait, just so that we can stop speculating and start getting some solid facts.
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