Videogame News

16-Core CPU used in Xbox Project "Durango"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The next-generation console rumors are heating up, and this week brought a lot of new detailed gossip on that front.

Microsoft’s next-generation machine is rumored to be code-named Durango. That name was partially verified on Feb. 28, when a senior technical artist at Crytek tweeted that he was “enjoying the Durango developers summit in London. So far, great swag and interesting talks.” He then deleted the tweet and his account. In meetings, Microsoft reportedly showed details of the new console hardware.

Now Xbox World magazine is reporting that development kits for the new console were shipped to developers in March. Those kits include an IBM PowerPC central processing unit (CPU) with 16 cores, compared to just three cores on the Xbox 360′s CPU. The graphics chip is equivalent to an Advanced Micro Devices Radeon HD 7000-series graphics card, and the machine has a Blu-ray optical drive. The report mentioned that Kinect 2 (the sequel to Microsoft’s motion-sensing system) will chew up as many as four cores tracking multiple players.

If Microsoft is shipping the dev kits now, then it is likely on schedule for a launch in 2013. The developers need a year or more to make launch titles for the increasingly complex console hardware.

Nintendo got dinged by unnamed developers who said that the Wii U’s performance isn’t as good as either the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3. It’s a little hard to believe that a brand new Nintendo console debuting in the fall of 2012 won’t be faster than the consoles that debuted in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Nintendo will make the leap to high-definition TVs with the graphics on its new machine, and it has never put a priority on processing power in the first place.

“We do not focus on technology specs,” said a spokesperson for Nintendo of America. “We understand that people like to dissect graphics and processing power, but the experience of playing will always be more important than raw numbers.”

Nintendo isn’t confirming that the report is untrue, but it isn’t denying it either. Do such rumors matter? Based on the news, Macquarie Equities Research analyst Ben Schacter downgraded his stock rating on Nintendo.

Sony’s PlayStation 4, code-named Orbis, got outed by Kotaku last week. The Orbis reportedly has an AMD 64-bit CPU and an AMD Southern Islands GPU (graphics processing unit). The GPU will be capable of displaying games at a resolution of 4096 x 2160. And it will play games in stereoscopic 3D at 1080p high-definition resolution. It will not be compatible with PS 3 games and will not play used games.

VG247 said that the next PlayStation will be released prior to the Durango machine from Microsoft.

We’re checking with the companies to see if they want to comment further, but don’t hold your breath.

I'd also like to thank Mr. Morris Ramsey for quickly telling me about this information seen at Venturebeat.

Note: I will soon be writing an article explaining what I have repeatedly heard about project "Durango" and how it relates to project "Loop."

Xbox Infinity Specification Rumors - Two GPU Chips and Six-Core CPU!

New rumors now exist for Xbox Infinity! The newest reports continue to say the Xbox Infinity is in fact on schedule for a Christmas 2013 release. These rumors now say a Blu-Ray drive will be included as an optical disc format. This disagrees with previous reports saying Microsoft’s new Xbox would not use optical disc formats.

The new rumors also claim that multiple sources have confirmed that the new console will feature not one GPU has other rumors have said. Instead the new console will uses two GPU’s. From this point of view, it's easy to see why some people have said “It’s like two PCs taped together."

Final specs have still not been determined. Several sources have said they believe the graphics cards will be similar to AMD’s 7000 series of graphics processing units, but not the CrossFire or SLI. Apparently it is puzzling why developers felt the need to specifically point out this difference.

One theory is based on the fact that a normal PC configuration in which the two processors alternate drawing lines of the same object -- one may control odd lines and the other even lines. But the Xbox Infinity′s two graphics cards would be capable of workding independently! This benefit would allow the processor to simultaneously draw separate items. This design will always offer better graphics because of sharper detail and a smoother look combined in a way that offers an overall better-looking graphic quality.

The Xbox Infinity will feature between four and six cores. One core will be reserved for the Kinect (apparently Kinect 2) which will be built into the console. The other core will be dedicated to the operating system which will constantly be functioning.

Xbox Infinity will use a form of Internet connection dedicated to prevent piracy. This is something game developers love to hear. This may be something certain gamers don't enjoy hearing, but it may be for the best because new games would probably see prices rise to $70 or $75 if something was not done to stop the sale of used games. The development costs continue to rise each generation while the used game industry continues to grow.

Apparently, Microsoft won’t announce the Xbox Infinity at this years E3 show. Microsoft will apparently announce Xbox Infinity in early 2013. The name of "Durango" is also being used as the current codename for the console. However, my sources continue to say the final name of the console will be either Xbox Infinity or Xbox 365.

There are too many sources to thank this time, folks. However, I would like to thank our sister sites: Ramsey Digital and our facebook representative: Xbox Tech