Posted By
Mel Martin
February 20, 2012 at 6:41am
We’re hearing that from several sources and a recent help wanted ad posted by Microsoft seems to back it up. The company is looking for an engineer to join the Xbox team that will be responsible for a number of duties, including “algorithm design and implementation into state of the art 3D imaging systems working in an integrated HW and SW leading team, working closely with peers in Redmond, and being part of a fast moving and growing development team.”
The posting doesn’t go into details, but it’s pretty easy to read between the lines. 3D gaming would be a natural step for the Xbox, as it competes to be the central hub in a home entertainment system. Other sources are reporting the new Xbox will have an integrated Blu-ray drive, which of course opens the door to playing 3D movies and other content as well. Sony has had Blu-ray on the Playstation 3 since it was introduced 5 years ago, which allows both games and movies to be played back. A single layer disc can hold 25 GB of data, while a double layer disc can hold 50 GB.
Previously Microsoft wouldn’t support Blu-ray because Sony was such a serious competitor, but with Blu-ray winning the competition over the failed HD DVD disc from Toshiba, Microsoft may feel it has no choice.
This new Xbox is said to be 6-8 times as powerful as the current version, and even 20% faster than the upcoming Nitendo console.
There is no official release date for the new Xbox, but it’s rumored to be in stores in Late October or early November of 2013. It’s also logical to assume the new Xbox will feature a new and improved version of Kinect that would enable more interactions. If it all comes to pass it will be a dream for 3D fans.