Microsoft Quiet on Xbox 2 Rumours

MS declines comment on 'TriBox' gossip.

Representatives at Microsoft have refused to comment on rumours that the company will launch different versions of the so-called Xenon, the successor to the Xbox.

A report by technology site The Inquirer cites a recent presentation to analysts in the UK done under non-disclosure agreement that stated Microsoft is preparing three possible successors to its current console.

The three alleged versions include the 'Xbox Next' and 'Xbox Next HD', both scheduled to launch in August 2005. The only difference between these would be the inclusion of a hard drive in the 'Xbox Next HD'.

The third, and more surprising, alleged Xbox successor is named the 'Xbox Next PC' and is, as the name suggests, an Xbox in the form of a regular home computer. This version would hit stores a year after its non-PC counterparts, in August 2006.

When presented with this information, a Microsoft source said: "We can't comment on rumours and speculation."

Any attempt by Microsoft to follow this plan would result in a fragmentation of the market, as developers would not be able to take advantage of options presented by the hard drive without dropping support for a hard drive-less Xbox Next.

The exclusion of a hard drive from the current specifications for the Xbox successor precludes any obvious attempts at backwards compatibility with current Xbox software.

A larger problem is that the upcoming Xbox 2 uses wholly different technology, including a custom CPU and video courtesy of ATi - the Xbox includes an off-the-shelf CPU and an NVIDIA-designed video card.

But clarification is at hand. Microsoft is widely expected to officially unveil the specifications for the Xbox successor at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show, to be held in Las Vegas in January 2005.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games