Everybody's eyes are on Sony as the company is expected to reveal its PlayStation 4 gaming console at an event in New York. While Microsoft hasn't sent out any details about when it will reveal its next-generation Xbox (Xbox 720, Durango) the rumor mill certainly hasn't kept quiet. Here's what we know so far about the Xbox 720 based on leaks.
For starters, Kinect and online connectivity will be two incredibly important aspects of the Xbox 720 - so important, in fact, that it's said that both of them will be required to even use the console. A new Kinect 2.0 should be shipping with the console, and will offer improvements over the original by being more precise and being able to track more players at once. A revamped Xbox Live has been mentioned as "integral" to the Xbox experience, and should help flesh out the Xbox 720's online capabilities.
As far as games go, Blu-ray discs seem like they will be used, except that a Kotaku report states that the Xbox 720 will need the games to be installed on to the console's (rather hefty) hard drive. Don't worry though, it looks like games will be capable of installing themselves in the background, allowing players to dive in without having to wait for the entire game to finish.
The Xbox 720 console should also be able to run multiple apps and games at once, allowing players to pause and switch between processes. This is old news for anyone who has used a PC, but as far as consoles go, this is a huge step forward in providing a more seamless interface.
A rather quirky feature has also been hinted at: a Siri-like voice control. This voice assistant will apparently be able to suggest games based on players in the room, and will even allow users to simply say "Xbox" to turn their console on. Couch potatoes everywhere, rejoice.
Microsoft also recently revealed its plans to provide its customers with a full-blown content service, which will be cooked up by a team of over 100 people slaving away in the heart of Hollywood. The company promises new interactive experiences, and even wants to rival the production values of high-profile television shows and movies. There's no doubt this will be a rather large part of the new Xbox experience, as Microsoft attempts to extend its reach beyond just gamers and tap into the "living room hub" experience.
The Xbox 720 will also come with the usual beefier specs, and a new controller. Most speculation has the release date pegged around the 2013 holiday season. A countown clock by a Microsoft employee could be the timer until Microsoft's Xbox 720 announcement - sometime around E3 2013.
There'll be much more, as usual, in the coming months, but until Microsoft actually loosens its tongue, we'll have to treat everything as rumor - albeit, exciting ones.
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