If you’ve been keeping abreast of the brewing console battle between Sony and Microsoft, then it’s likely that you are on the edge of your seat in anticipation of what the Redmond company will introduce with their next-generation Xbox. Sony has already let the cat out of the bag with the introduction of the PlayStation 4 back in February, and it looks like the Xbox unveiling isn’t too far away with the originally planned April event being pushed back a few weeks to take place next month.
Console gaming and technology fans alike have been eagerly waiting to see what direction Microsoft is planning on going in with the new Xbox platform. Speculation about the new Xbox has been rife on the net, with attention being paid to all aspects of the product including rumored technical specifications, potential aesthetics of the device and the speculated, but extremely controversial “always-on” requirements. It looks like we can begin counting down the days until we find out what’s really going on, with multiple sources agreeing that Microsoft will hold a May 21st Xbox event.
Details surrounding the potential event are cagey at the moment, but it looks like it will be held at a relatively small and intimate venue, with the intention being to only cover certain aspects of the product. If that is the case, then it’s likely that a larger, more traditional product unveiling will happen at a later date. With the new Xbox and PlayStation set to officially hit shelves at the back-end of this year in time for the holiday shopping season, it’s almost guaranteed that Durango and Orbis will be put through their paces at the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) in June.
We have a potential reveal date, but what exactly will Microsoft reveal? The most interesting aspect for us will be whether or not the new console will actually require a permanent internet connection to be used. Microsoft Studios Creative Director Adam Orth has angered gamers and done nothing to dismiss the speculation by taking to Twitter to ask why consumers have such an issue with that type of setup, but that doesn’t actually provide any hard evidence that Microsoft are heading down that route.
With the event set to happen late in May, a more thorough unveiling at E3 in June and an actual product launch later in the year, we really don’t have long to wait to see what’s in store.
(via: TheVerge)
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