Sony's PlayStation 4 might be revealed first, but Microsoft's next generation Xbox looks like it might have some unique features that will set it apart. The newest rumor suggests that the Xbox 720 will have "Siri-like" voice recognition software.
"Sources familiar with Microsoft's Xbox plans have revealed that Durango, the codename for the next Xbox, will support wake on voice, natural language controls, and speech-to-text," writes The Verge in a recent report.
This sounds extremely exciting, as the report goes on to state that users will be able to turn on the console by saying "Xbox." When integrated with Kinect 2.0, which will reportedly debut alongside the Xbox 720, the console will suggest multiplayer games based on the amount of people in the room. Gamers should also be able to ask what their friends are playing on Xbox Live so they can hop in and join.
More likely than not, this feature will be heavily reliant on the constant online connectivity the Xbox 720 will utilize, according to Edge. The news outlet goes on to state that Xbox Live will be more "integral part" of the next-gen Xbox experience, and will receive a substantial upgrade to facilitate this.
Xbox 720 games will also supposedly come with an activation code, which would make them useless to second-hand purchasers. While GameStop remains confident in its ability to deal with this despite being heavily embedded in the second-hand game market, its shares did reflect some skepticism from investors.
The Xbox 720 will reportedly come with an eight-core processor and 8GB DDR3 RAM.
Next-gen titles are already in development for the console, and Microsoft is expected to release the console in time for the 2013 holiday season.
Which next-gen console has you more excited, the Xbox 720 or the PlayStation 4?