Next-Gen XBOX roadmap

[twitchyzero]

a roadmap of the next-gen xbox....it's from 2010 but still pretty interesting read. Pretty much how I imagined how microsoft will make xbox into an entertainment media/setup box. Seems to align the rumors that microsoft wants to buy onlive..the streaming game service.

Microsoft outlines a competitive differentiation for its next-generation Xbox, including support for Blu-ray, native 3D output and glasses, concurrent apps, and additional sensor and peripheral support. Alongside a promised 6x performance increase, there's also mention of true 1080p output with full 3D support and an "always on" state for the console. A slide on core hardware indicates that the next Xbox will be designed to be scalable in the number of CPU cores and their frequencies. Microsoft appears to have been debating whether to use six or eight ARM or x86 cores clocked at 2GHz each with 4GB of DDR4 memory alongside three PPC cores clocked at 3.2GHz each for backwards compatibility with existing Xbox 360 titles.

Microsoft positions its Xbox 720 as the only box needed for living room entertainment in the document, providing background recording functionality for TV content and a unified Windows 8 foundation to make it easier for application developers to build apps that target Xbox, PC, and Windows Phone. Illustrations of the Xbox 720 throughout the presentation make it comparable in looks to an old set-top box, but appear to be just a concept design used in 2010. Microsoft rounds off the document with a promised price point of $299 with its Kinect 2 hardware and a prediction of a 10-year lifecycle with more than 100 million units sold.

Xbox 720 document leak reveals $299 console with Kinect 2 for 2013, Kinect Glasses project | The Verge
Microsoft allegedly considered buying OnLive, leaked documents show | The Verge

[yogenfruz]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

with a promised price point of $299 with its Kinect 2 hardware and a prediction of a 10-year lifecycle with more than 100 million units sold.

After how many 360's people were going through within a year or two, I find this hard to believe; I just can't trust modern consoles to last more than 5 anymore. I know it's from 2010, but I just don't see this happening.

[Shorn]

yah.. unfortunately things are not engineered to last long anymore.

[asian_XL]

^ as long as we can mod a xbox, no body would care

[SkinnyPupp]

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[FerrariEnzo]

that thing is going to over heat like a mother

[originalhypa]

Originally Posted by Bedroom Eyes

I just can't trust modern consoles to last more than 5 anymore.

My first 360 lasted two years before the red rings of death. Had it repaired under the extended warranty, and it's been good for 2 more years. It died over the weekend. I got one of those free Telus xbox's when I signed up, and that one died in the span of 3 weeks. It's been repaired, but you make a hell of a good point. At the rate they pump these things out, it would be tough to manage the quality control.

Originally Posted by SkinnyPupp

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I hope not.
It's time for the next generation of consoles. Preferably one with an option to electrocute the guy you're playing against if he gets mouthy and racist.

[SkinnyPupp]

Oh there will be a new xbox next year, that much is true. It just won't be what is detailed in this leak, at least hardware-wise.

[twitchyzero]

Originally Posted by SkinnyPupp

Oh there will be a new xbox next year, that much is true. It just won't be what is detailed in this leak, at least hardware-wise.

why not though? Sure it doesn't pinpoint where this document was leaked from. Maybe not DDR4 memory but if they can put mass produce multicore processors for phones and tablets I can't see why it can't be in a gaming console. Doesn't make much sense if next-gen xbox can't play games 3D games @ 1080p on the blu-ray format if ps3 is already capable of it. I don't see things going 100% digital so I doubt they'll still try and put 20GB games across 3 DVD discs. I also don't see why microsoft wont try to integrate the metro ui onto it either.

Agreed that the 10 year life cycle is a bit skeptical...$300 price tag would be nice..but probably $400 at launch?

[DanHibiki]

I don't want a new xbox yet. I'm poor

[SkinnyPupp]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

why not though? Sure it doesn't pinpoint where this document was leaked from. Maybe not DDR4 memory but if they can put mass produce multicore processors for phones and tablets I can't see why it can't be in a gaming console. Doesn't make much sense if next-gen xbox can't play games 3D games @ 1080p on the blu-ray format if ps3 is already capable of it. I don't see things going 100% digital so I doubt they'll still try and put 20GB games across 3 DVD discs. I also don't see why microsoft wont try to integrate the metro ui onto it either.

Agreed that the 10 year life cycle is a bit skeptical...$300 price tag would be nice..but probably $400 at launch?

They can mass produce multicore processors for phones and tablets because those are SOC chips, already designed and manufactured. All they have to do is slap them into a phone and design the rest of the hardware. This is a new chip built grounds up for the purpose of one product.

And BTW the PS3 doesn't run games at 1080p. Not even a little bit close.

It's not the "blu ray" part I am skeptical about. That much is obvious. There's a lot wrong about the supposed specs of the chip they are building:



-CPU 1: "6-8x ARM/X86 @ 2GHz CPU" doesn't make any sense in a gaming system. As we know, games don't use more than 2 threads usually, sometimes they can use 3-4, but performance isn't improved much. If it was a similar architecture to PS3, then it would need a lot of threads. But it's not - it's an ARM chip (or is it an x86 chip? they haven't decided yet?) so more threads make no sense at all. Certainly not more than 4.

-GPU 1: "64 ALU @ 1GHz" makes even less sense. Even today's midrange video cards have at least 600 ALUs, high end up to 1500. Based on what the 360 and PS3 had when they came out, I wouldn't expect the GPU to be super high end, or even midrange. But it has to be more than 64 ALUs to be able to run next gen games at a reasonable level, otherwise there is no sense in even having a new console.

-CPU 2: "2x ARM/X86 @ 2GHz CPU" GPU 2: "48 ALU @ 500 MHz" this part confuses me... They have a second CPU and GPU core, just for running applications? Why? Do they mention heavy multi tasking in the document?

And the use of eDRAM is a bad idea, considering nobody uses it on the 360 anymore. I remember writing about it on my first "XBOX 360 vs PS3" article, how it was supposed to give the 360 a huge advantage since it gives "free" antialiasing with no performance hit. But developers stopped using it, opting instead for lower resolution through deferred rendering and "not free" antialiasing. Unreal Engine 3 started this trend and from what I can tell, everyone followed it.

Then you can look at the other specs. Performance target of "8x" is silly, especially when you go through the hardware specs like I just did. And 50W SOC power consumption? With 10 CPU cores at 2 GHz 3 more PPC cores for backwards compatibility, and 2 GPUs? Not gonna happen.

This may be real, who knows, but I highly HIGHLY doubt it. If it is real, the XBOX 720 is not going to be capable of running games at 1080p. In fact, it will probably perform slower than a Wii U.

[.Renn.Sport]

Originally Posted by Bedroom Eyes

After how many 360's people were going through within a year or two, I find this hard to believe; I just can't trust modern consoles to last more than 5 anymore. I know it's from 2010, but I just don't see this happening.

my xbox from 08 with the 65nm chips is still fine... my launch PS3 is also still very healthy

10 year life cycle? the PS2 was released in 2000, and I think its still sold today. both the 360 and PS3 are already 6-7 years into their life cycle. they both also have a 10 years product life cycle. just cuz the next gen comes out doesn't mean the old consoles aren't on selves

[yogenfruz]

Originally Posted by .Renn.Sport

my xbox from 08 with the 65nm chips is still fine... my launch PS3 is also still very healthy

10 year life cycle? the PS2 was released in 2000, and I think its still sold today. both the 360 and PS3 are already 6-7 years into their life cycle. they both also have a 10 years product life cycle. just cuz the next gen comes out doesn't mean the old consoles aren't on selves

That's not what I'm saying. I understand that yes PS2's are still on store shelves. What I'm saying is that purchased consoles generally will not last for 10 years of use. Sure they may still be around, in stores, 10 years after the initial introduction, but will one from launch day work 10 years down the road? Highly doubtful.

[.Renn.Sport]

you can say that with most modern electronics

[knight604]

It should be next year when the new consoles will be rolling in.

[yogenfruz]

I know it's an analyst's opinion, but it is reasonable to believe as far as time period. (Though I still think a Holiday 2013 release would be smarter.)
Xbox 720: “Spring 2014 launch makes more sense” Says Pachter | X360 Magazine

[Vancouver_M5]

2013 Christmass time is the most probable release, in any case im sure ot will be quite a nice console, but without some new 2k rez games, then the console will be a useless update. We have the echnology to make a " life like" racing game or GTA style game but it requiers massive power to run, smething that would cost 5 grand in technology alone, somim not sure how big this upgrade will be, certainly not as big as the leap from the original to 360. But a girl can dream

[Manic!]

Looks like the leak could be real: DailyTech - Microsoft Scrambles to Send Takedown Notices in Xbox 720 Secrets Leak

[SkinnyPupp]

I don't know if issuing takedown notices makes them real...

If this sheet is real, then the hardware specs were made up by someone who has nothing to do with actually designing the hardware.

[twitchyzero]

or they were just being optimistic with the document being 2 years old
if the system can't run games 1080p natively then it's not really worthy of an upgrade as a next-gen console.

btw the only 1080p ps3 games are simple psn games that doesn't have tons of textures to render