'Xbox 720' with 'Kinect 2' hinted at in leaked document

Microsoft may be working on a new Xbox gaming console with an enhanced Kinect gesture-based accessory, a tech site reported over the weekend.

 

The Verge cited a newly leaked 56-page document that pointed to a $299 next-generation Xbox console with "Kinect 2" is in the works for 2013.

 

It said the presentation for the "Xbox 720," which appeared to be from as early as August 2010 and hinted at future improvements such as SmartGlass, a Metro dashboard, and Xbox TV apps.

 

"Microsoft rounds off the document with a promised price point of $299 with its Kinect 2 hardware and a prediction of a 10-year lifecycle with more than 100 million units sold," it added.

 

The Verge said the document hinted at a 6x performance increase, true 1080p output with full 3D support and an "always on" state for the console.

 

Other potential features include support for Blu-ray, native 3D output and glasses, concurrent apps, and additional sensor and peripheral support.

 

Core hardware

 

Also, The Verge cited a slide on core hardware that suggests the new Xbox may be scalable in the number of CPU cores and their frequencies.

 

"Microsoft appears to have been debating whether to use six or eight ARM or x86 cores clocked at 2GHz each with 4GB of DDR4 memory alongside three PPC cores clocked at 3.2GHz each for backwards compatibility with existing Xbox 360 titles," it said.

 

Windows 8

 

The Verge said Microsoft appeared to be positioning its Xbox 720 as the only device needed for living room entertainment.

 

It cited background recording functionality for TV content and a unified Windows 8 foundation to make it easier for developers to build apps that target Xbox, PC, and Windows Phone.

 

Kinect 2

 

The Verge said the next version of the popular Kinect gaming accessory may have an incremental improvement over the current version.

 

It said Microsoft indicated higher accuracy, stereo imaging, improved voice recognition, support for four-player tracking, an improved RGB camera, and dedicated hardware processing.

 

One particular aspect of the leaked slides is a focus on four-player gaming and Kinect props.

 

"The Kinect accessories idea appears to be one that is not designed to replace controllers, but will allow devices to interact with the sensor. Microsoft's plans for four-player Kinect gaming reference carnival, darts, and basketball games as a broad way to use the new tracking," it said.

 

Kinect glasses

 

Microsoft also hinted at development of "Project Fortaleza" Kinect Glasses, which may be be Wi-Fi- or 4G-enabled.

 

The Verge said the glasses incorporate augmented reality similar to Google's "Project Glass" augmented reality glasses.

 

But it said the Kinect Glasses are marked for 2014 and may not launch with the Xbox 720. — TJD, GMA News