Microsoft Going Wireless for Xenon?

Controller cables everywhere shiver in their boots.

Microsoft could be on the verge of becoming the first hardware company to include wireless controllers as standard with its next console, if unconfirmed reports are to be believed.

Citing unnamed sources at Microsoft, tech site The Inquirer reports that Microsoft will go sans wires with Xenon, the Xbox successor [it has a new name every week these days but we'll stick with this one, thanks very much].

This would be a logical progression in controller design for Microsoft, who built the current Xbox controller with a longer cable in recognition that people were storing their game consoles in home theatre set-ups.

The idea of wireless controllers is not new. There are already several in shops for all three of the current major consoles. Although, of the three hardware manufacturers, only Nintendo has produced one of its own - the Wavebird for GameCube.

It's likely that Sony and Microsoft won't be changing their controller designs too much for their new consoles and wireless technology is now robust enough to be considered a standard feature. Early wireless controllers used infrared technology that has since been supplanted by using radio frequencies instead.

While Microsoft will not comment officially right now, all doubts should be removed when Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo unveil their next generation hardware plans at this May's E3 conference.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games