Unlike most electronic devices, Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s XBOX 360 have been able to hold their own by lasting as long as they have at the top of a very competitive market; their run has been absolutely impressive.

That being said, rumors are rife in the gaming industry that Microsoft have been laboring on a new gaming console, XBOX 720, that is set to give Sony’s PlayStation 4, Project Shield and Nintendo Wii U a run for their money in what has been dubbed as the ‘next generation’ of video game technology. Little is, however, known regarding the XBOX 720 but there is always some bit of truth behind every rumor and some of that can be backed in this report.

Production

Thankful to the leaks that we have been able to get, we can say with some degree of certainty that Microsoft has had XBOX 720 as a work in progress for a number of years now. This already shows the amount of deliberation and patience that Microsoft is willing to put into this project, a commendable feat to say the least. Also, we can deduce that it is not going to be long now, maybe months, before Microsoft announces its release into the market. That alone is enough to stir some excitement in gaming enthusiasts.

However, it is prudent to acknowledge that much of this still remains to be but mere speculations. In fact, the purported name of this ‘next generation’ video gaming console may or may not be XBOX 720. Some are of the impression that Microsoft will name it ‘XBOX Infinity’ while others will argue that it will indeed be XBOX 720. The name is however trivial at this stage.

Hardware

Worth noting is that rumors already given the processing power of the XBOX 720 a supreme status in comparison with what we already know to expect of Nintendo Wii U. It is reported that it will have an outstanding 1.2 teraflops of power; more comprehensively, the gaming console is expected to have an 8-core 1.6GHz chip with a 768-thread-packing GPU. That is quite some power.

Features

Kinect 2.0 is one of the most interesting features that is rumored to be incorporated into the XBOX 720 and sources have been quoted saying that Microsoft are keen on investing on the project as they see a bright future in motion controlled video games.

On the other entertainment aspect of the gaming console, XBOX 720 will have a Blu-Ray player to enhance the movie experience and as you expect the gaming console will left behind in the cloud-connection craze and will be able to support certain cloud-storage games. Exclusive shows and other TV programs will also feature in the gaming console, this is in line with the rumor that Microsoft is working to put up its own TV content.

Controversy

In a bid to stop second hand games from being passed on to other gamers by means of sale or gift, it is rumored that Microsoft will install a code activation that will render this impossible. What would also be potentially unwelcomed by gamers is the internet dependency for gaming that is rumored to come with the XBOX 720. These concerns would go a long way I hampering the warm reception that the console would prefer.

Release date

Along with the cheerful carols and the merry making, the Christmas of 2013 could see the release of the ‘next generation’ gaming console; that’s one more reason to look forward to Christmas gamers. Unfortunately though this is mere speculation and the due date of release still remains at Microsoft’s discretion.