Possible plans for Xbox 720, Kinect 2 and ‘Kinect Glasses’ revealed
A document has surfaced online detailing Microsoft’s suspected plans for the Xbox 720, second-generation Kinect technology, and an augmented reality project similar to Google Glasses. The document dates from 2010.
The document was published on Scribd and discovered by Neogaf members. Part of the presentation was already known, but now the entire 56-page document is online. Dating back to August 2010, the plans include Microsoft’s vision for the next-generation Xbox and technology associated with the console.
There should be a successor to the Xbox 360 in 2013 because that generation has had its day, the document says. Microsoft also foresees the arrival of new consoles from Sony and Nintendo and increasing competition from Google TV and Apple TV. Microsoft describes how the Xbox 720 forms the basis in the living room when it comes to entertainment. For example, the device should have support for Blu-ray and 1080p playback with 3D, and the Xbox 720 should be able to record TV images in the background. The Xbox should be built around a Windows 8 platform to make it easier for developers to write apps for PC, mobile and console.
In terms of hardware platform, Microsoft in 2010 envisioned a processor with six to eight arm or x86 cores running at 2GHz, along with three ppc cores at 3.2GHz for backward compatibility. The GPU should contain 64 alu’s at 2GHz. Two arm or x86 cores and 64 GPU ALUs at 500MHz should provide always on functionality. In addition, 4GB DDR4, a large amount of flash storage memory and, among other things, USB 3.0, Displayport, HDMI and Gigabit Ethernet should be present, while HSDPA and Wimax are being considered for special configurations. The hardware platform should also be scalable to accommodate more cores and higher clock speeds. At the time, Microsoft was targeting a price point of $299, including Kinect 2 hardware, and the platform should last for 10 years and aim to sell 100 million units.
Kinect 2 should, among other things, offer more accurate movement registration, support for four players and allow accessories to work with the sensor. The document also mentions the Kinect Glass project under the code name Fortaleza. The technology would resemble Google Glass and should offer augmented reality via glasses, where the connection must be via WiFi or 4G. The Kinect Glass products were not expected to be released until 2014.
It is unknown which parts of the vision will actually become part of the upcoming Xbox platform. There have been rumors for months about the Xbox 720, which to the disappointment of many was not announced at the last CES fair.