Microsoft could be readying a reveal of the Xbox 720 in April, according to reports that suggest the company was “caught off guard” by Sony’s announcement of the PS4. Sony fired the first shots in the next-gen console wars with their announcement earlier this week.
According to CVG, the company will showcase the new system in April at a dedicated event for the “Xbox 720”. This wouldn’t be far off earlier speculation that Microsoft would reveal their next-gen gaming machine at or near GDC ’13.
Sony set the bar pretty high with their feature set that was announced for the PS4, and has planted their flag in the ground for a Holiday 2013 release date. We’ll find out soon enough if Microsoft will be joining the next-gen fray shortly if these rumors hold true.
“Announce a console without actually showing a console? That’s one approach.”
And while Sony may have “ruffled some feathers” in the reveal of the PS4, Xbox Live’s Major Nelson was not impressed. Following the announcement, the Microsoft representative tweeted:
“Announce a console without actually showing a console? That’s one approach,” said Larry Hyrb via Twitter.
It will be interesting to see the direction that Microsoft takes with their reveal of the next Xbox. Sony left many details for a later date, keeping plenty of drama at the ready for E3 2013. Will Microsoft do the same? We’ll have to wait and see.
Microsoft hasn’t even acknowledged the Xbox 720 at this point. The company has been hushed about any prospects about their next-gen system, but that hasn’t kept the rumor mill from churning on. The console has been rumored to be taking a stance on used games by featuring an always online requirement on the new hardware. Recent rumors also suggested that Microsoft’s next console would be less powerful than the PlayStation 4.
Back in January, the rumor claimed that Sony’s PS4 would feature a processor capable of running at 1.84 teraflops (which Sony confirmed earlier this week) against Microsoft’s slower processor, capable of 1.23 teraflops. Those same rumors also put the PlayStation 4 as having only 4GB or RAM, as opposed to the 8GB that were announced earlier this week. That gave some indication that there may be a power tradeoff in Sony’s new console that might make the Xbox 720 comparable.
As it stands, Sony announced the best of both worlds and set a high bar for Microsoft to meet if this rumored April reveal of the Xbox 720 holds firm.
