New Xbox 720 features have appeared online, with detailers from a leaked developer kit revealing the PS4 rival will offer ‘always online’ gaming alongside an integrated Blu-ray player.
The latest collection of claimed Xbox 720 features to do the rounds online, new reports have seen a developer kit offer up details from the Microsoft XDK, with the developer unit, currently going by the codename Durango, suggesting the Xbox 360 replacement will feature an “always on, always connected design.”
A timesaving addition to the next-generation device, it has been suggested that the claimed always online capabilities of the mooted Xbox 720 will allow gamers to “quickly and easily enjoy their connected entertainment experiences, with no waiting for the console to restart or install updates.”
Having hit the web courtesy of VGLeaks, the latest reports have claimed: “Microsoft has asked itself a simple question: who wants to play games on a next-generation Xbox and yet doesn’t have access to the internet? The answer: not enough to make a considerable difference.”
As well as playing host to always online gameplay, the latest Xbox 720 rumours have hinted that, although gamers will be able to purchase disc-based titles, all games will need to be installed on the console’s inbuilt hard drive before they can be played. Cutting down the waiting times,
“Every Durango console will have a hard drive, although its exact capacity has not been chosen,” a reported ‘hardware overview’ attributed to the developer kits has suggested. “It will be large enough, however to hold a large number of games. All games will be installed on the hard drive. Play from the optical disc will not be supported.”
Backing up past reports that Microsoft will look to license Sony’s Blu-ray standard having failed in its bid to successfully back the HDDVD format, the latest reports have hinted that the next-gen console could host an integrated Blu-ray player.
“Durango consoles will have a Blu-ray disc drive,” the hardware overview added. “Disc media will be used for distribution, but during gameplay, games will not use content from the optical disc. An installation system is being designed that will allow gamers to begin playing while the game is being installed on the hard drive rather than waiting until installation is complete.”
With past reports suggesting that Xbox Live will become an integral, naturally integrated aspect of the upcoming console, it has also been claimed that, like Sony with the PS4, the next-generation Xbox will see Microsoft incorporate a revised controller.
“The Durango controller will make the best-in-class Xbox 360 controller even better,” the reports have claimed. “It will have low-latency wireless connectivity to the console, and improved ergonomics. System interactions that use the controller will be simplified to make them easier for noncore gamers.”
Although currently far from confirmed, latest reports have suggested that an Xbox 720 release date will be held later this year following a pre-E3 2013 formal unveiling.
What killer feature would you most like to see hit the next-generation Xbox? Let us know via the TrustedReviews Twitter and Facebook feeds or through the comment boxes below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
