Wed, Mar 20, 2013 | 02:37 GMT

Durango: Kinect, always-on Internet, and installs all mandatory – rumour

A couple of rumours about the next Xbox console have resurfaced, describing a console that is always on the Internet, always watching you with its robotic eye, and always insisting you install your games.

A general overview of the hardware codenamed Durango was published by VGLeak as part of an article on Durango’s XDK. The site has released a number of documents believed related to the new Microsoft console, and although this information can’t be verified, independent sources have corroborated many of the details produced in the past. Even if authentic, the information may be out of date.

With those caveats in mind, here’s the full text. Bold text is my emphasis.

The Durango console is designed to offer developers modern hardware that is more powerful than the Xbox 360. It uses a familiar x64 Architecture and tools, and compared with Xbox 360 development, will reduce development time and effort spent on performance optimization. Hardware accelerators, including “move engines” for common tasks, will be added to the console. Move engines can perform common game tasks like compression and decompression while moving data around the system. The console also has dedicated hardware support for common audio processing tasks that reduce the amount of CPU time that must be devoted to audio. The GPU provides considerable computing power, and supports Direct3D 11.

Durango will implement different power states so that it can always be powered on, but will draw minimal electricity when not in use. The console will be ready instantly when users want to play, and will always maintain a network connection so that console software and games are always current. With this “Always On, Always Connected” design, users will quickly and easily enjoy their connected entertainment experiences, with no waiting for the console to restart or install updates.

Every Durango console will be sold with a new high-fidelity Kinect Sensor, which will be required for the system to operate. The console will provide HD video, and will use new depth sensor technology to provide better screen resolution and less noisy depth data. Active infrared illumination will provide high-quality monochrome images even in low ambient light conditions. A wider field of view allows play in smaller spaces, and removes the need for a tilt motor.

System software will offer a full set of system API for Natural User Interface (NUI), and the API set will be an improvement to the corresponding API used by Xbox 360. Skeleton tracking, identity and other NUI functions will be performed by the system, and for that reason, titles no longer need to allocate title resources to NUI.

The Durango controller will make the best-in-class Xbox 360 controller even better. it will have low-latency wireless connectivity to the console, and improved ergonomics. System interaction that use the controller will be simplified to make them easier for noncore gamers.

Every Durango console will have a hard drive, although its exact capacity has not been chosen. It will be large enough, however, to hold a large number of games. All games will be installed on the hard drive. Play from the optical disc will not be supported.

Durango consoles will have a Blu-ray Disc drive. Disc media will be used for distribution, but during gameplay, games will not use content from the optical disc. An installation system is being designed that will allow gamers to begin playing while the game is being installed on the hard drive rather than waiting until installation is complete.

Audio output from Durango will be all digital – 7.1 discrete PCM output through HDMI and [obscured]. Hardware accelerators will be included for decoding and decompressing common audio formats. There also will be a dedicated sound processor to perform common signal processing in hardware.

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Microsoft is expected to reveal its new console – which many people are calling the Xbox 720 or NeXt Box while we wait for an official name – sometime over the next few months, with most guesses putting its release down around the same time as the PlayStation 4 – during the 2013 holiday season.

118 comment-trail-alt Posted in: Microsoft, Rumour
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118 comments

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#101

Gadzooks!
21/03/13, 9:21 am

#99

Save your breath. That one is a well known Sony-loyal troll. It was never going to consider anything other than a Sony machine, regardless of the specs.

#102

DrDamn
21/03/13, 10:47 am

@Gadzooks!
I don’t remember this furore with WiiConnect24

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiiconnect24

That’s essentially what Always on, Always connected means. It’s a *feature*. A useful one at that.

#103

Djoenz
21/03/13, 11:00 am

@92
Were you referring to me? Cause I never complained about the always online aspect.

You delusional sheep. MicroMuff and their Nextboxthreetitty ftw.

Steambox yay!
Ok sorry im at work and kinda bored. But if im not mistaken I think you Nollie are a major xbot fanboy.

Im a sony fanboy so nice to meet you ;)
Im not always online btw sometimes I shut down my wireless router when I go to bed etc.

#104

monkeygourmet
21/03/13, 11:02 am

I can’t believe Dragon had the gall to complain about WOE posting news stories regarding Sony, when he’s pretty much a one man advertising man for the brand.

Same old, same old.

@101

Exactly, kind of proven with the 3DS. Holds a shit load of amazing JRPG’s and other solid classics, but won’t purchase one because it’s region locked…

Boo Hoo, just buy a jap system, or would it stick in his throat actually enjoying another system…

#105

bitsnark
21/03/13, 11:03 am

@102

I would agree with you, but the current train of thought is that Durango’s proposed connectivity means that the console is effectively totally useless without it (unlike the Wii and the Wiiconnect 24 example where the console can still be used offline regardless).

https://twitter.com/digitalfoundry/status/314344970465193984

#106

Gadzooks!
21/03/13, 11:04 am

#102

Indeed. I can’t see any downsides to it.

There are plenty of times I’ve kicked off a download via the XBL website and wished it had downloaded to my console ready for me when I get home.

Now it will. Tidy.

Oh no, hang on a sec. Sony didn’t come up with the idea, thus it is inherently evil and will give bunnies AIDS. Cute bunnies too, not tyrants like General Woundwort.

#107

Djoenz
21/03/13, 11:15 am

@106

If what @105 is saying is fact (no one is sure) a lot of ppl are kinda screwed.

Ive seen other forums talking about this and a lot of people in brazil or mexico and other places with weak internet connection are fucked.

#108

Gadzooks!
21/03/13, 11:15 am

#105 and 107

Do you honestly believe that any platform holder would produce a machine that doesn’t work without a net connection?

Of course not. No rational person would.

#109

Djoenz
21/03/13, 11:25 am

@108
Ofcourse.not hence I myself never complained about the.DRM aspect lol.
I only complained about the mandatory installs.

The only reason I will never buy a xbox is because of the online subscriptions. I wish they just removed tht shit.

Im a sony fanboy but if sony did this I would have complained as well. Doesnt matter which platform it is.

#110

bitsnark
21/03/13, 11:30 am

@108

Oh hell no, it would be suicide. I was merely remarking as to where the rumour mill was spinning at the minute.

But yeah, like you, I don’t see it becoming reality. At all.

#112

monkeygourmet
21/03/13, 1:26 pm

@111

He also called VGLeaks out on quite a few things earlier.

R.E Sources and recycling old news.

#113

Dragon246
21/03/13, 1:26 pm

I cant believe MG is thinking he is important enough for MS to spy. A dog would have been a better choice for MS to do that.
Same old, same old.

Rumor mills spew things all over the place so that at least something sticks. Just wait for the official thing.

#114

deathm00n
21/03/13, 2:06 pm

@107 Exactly, I live in Brazil, the internet here is so bad and in weekends it’s hard to stay online all the time. So yes, if any console require always on they are a no go for me. It’s already bad wanting to play your multiplayer games and being blocked for having a slow connection, imagine being blocked from using the console. If you are wondering how slow the connection is: I have the best connection I can have in my town (we don’t have optical fiber yet) my download speed is 254kbps tops, in 1 hour I download 700mb. And I pay for this connection almost 100BRL (50 USD)

#115

Djoenz
21/03/13, 4:36 pm

@114
I was happy for brazil when I heard gaming industry went bigger in your country. Im sorry to hear about your internet connection there.

I hope it gets better in the near future bro.

#116

deathm00n
21/03/13, 5:02 pm

@115 We hope for it too. But yeah, gaming is growing, I’m going to do a scientific iniciation in the college about gaming for education. The government is now learning that games are a big industry. Yet the majority of population still see gamers as imature people.

#117

nollie4545
21/03/13, 5:22 pm

#103

No I am not an Xbox or PS4 fan boy. I have a 360 and a PC. I would not rate one platform over any other.

#118

jonjonjonj
18/04/13, 6:10 am

isn’t win rt the arm version of windows for tablets? isn’t the xbox x64? why would ms waste time porting the arm version of win rt to use on a x64 hardware when they already have a x64 version of windows? do they have an arm cpu that is strictly for the os? if thats the case then i get it other then that i’m confused.

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