Xbox 720: Microsoft will show off Kinect 2.0 & IllumiRoom at Xbox event tomorrow
- By Grant Brunner on May 20, 2013 at 2:50 pm
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After months of heavy speculation and outlandish drama, the next version of Microsoft’s Xbox will finally be unveiled tomorrow in Redmond, Washington. Be it the “Xbox Infinity,” “Xbox,” or even “Xbox 360 2,” we’ll know for sure tomorrow what the PS4 is up against. With rumors surrounding IllumiRoom, subsidized consoles, and Kinect 2.0, there’s a lot to think about before the announcement.
This morning, Paul Thurrott tweeted some very interesting details about what he’s hearing from his sources before the event. Apparently, Microsoft’s IllumiRoom technology will make its way to the stage at the reveal tomorrow. Will the Xbox 720 ship with a whole-room projector, or will this be little more than a quick look-see at the potential down the road? Back in February, Sony didn’t hesitate to show off its Gaikai streaming solution despite the fact that most of the headlining features might not even make it for the PS4 launch. Frankly, it won’t be much of a shock if Microsoft demos IllumiRoom tomorrow, and then stays mum on the subject for the next few months.
Thurrott also dropped some surprising information about pricing — specifically about the widely reported subsidized Xbox 720. After the launch of the $99 Xbox 360 with a two-year contract, rumors started swirling about the potential for a subscription-based Xbox 720. In recent months, the subsidy was said to be coming directly from cable companies likeComcast and Verizon. Surprisingly, Thurrott is saying that this is no longer the case. The subsidized version has been supposedly scrapped, but that doesn’t rule out an on-contract Xbox completely. Just like the $99 Xbox 360 program launched well into the lifespan of this generation, the same could happen for the 720. It’s possible that this is just a supply constraint issue, and we’ll see the subsidies launch after the initial sales start to trail off.
Things are really heating up in the next-gen race now that Microsoft is stoking the flames. Today, Sony released a short teaser for the PS4′s hardware reveal at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) next month. Combine that with Sony’s own Kinect competitor, and Microsoft has a lot to squeeze into its announcement tomorrow. Since this event is being televised, Microsoft doesn’t have the luxury of a lengthy presentation like Sony had. If the rumors are correct, we’ll see the Kinect 2.0, but we might not actually see the hardwareuntil E3.
As always, rumors are running wild in anticipation of a big tech reveal, so it can be difficult to separate the hype from reality. We’re now less than 24 hours away from the unveiling event, so make sure you check back with us after 1pm Eastern tomorrow to see all of the official details and photos.
source: http://www.extremetech.com/
"I envy you. You North Americans are very lucky. You are fighting the most important fight of all- you live in the heart of the beast."
Ernesto "Che" Guevara.
