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Xbox 720 to be called just 'Xbox', tipped for spring launch

The Xbox 720 might be more simply known as 'Xbox' and will be unveiled before E3, according to rumours.

Joe Svetlik Reporter
Joe has been writing about consumer tech for nearly seven years now, but his liking for all things shiny goes back to the Gameboy he received aged eight (and that he still plays on at family gatherings, much to the annoyance of his parents). His pride and joy is an Infocus projector, whose 80-inch picture elevates movie nights to a whole new level.
Joe Svetlik
2 min read

The Xbox 720 might be more simply known as 'Xbox', according to the latest and last-but-one issue of Xbox World magazine. That's right, just like the original Xbox console Microsoft launched back in 2002.

The magazine which announced the rumour will soon go the way of Comet, but it's heading out with a bang by revealing everything it knows about the Xbox 720 in a special eight-page feature. It's important to note that all information it gives is still speculation, being based mostly on rumour reporting, a leaked document and talking to game developers.

One of the surprises it claims Microsoft has in store is a simplified console name. Could that be right? Apple named its latest iPad just 'iPad', so anything could happen. Maybe Apple has started a new trend. It does get a bit tiresome adding an endless succession of numbers after product names, especially when a company only launches a new console every few years.

The magazine's editor-in-chief seemed confident that he had his facts right, even implying a pre-E3 launch, which would see the console unveiled in the spring. "Unless something really dramatic changes, everything we reveal in our penultimate issue will be revealed long before E3 in June," he told CVG.

In terms of specs, Kinect 2.0 is rumoured to come as standard, as will support for Blu-rays, which is something Microsoft ruled out for the 360 following its HD-DVD drive. Inside will be 8GB of RAM and a CPU with "four hardware cores, each divided into four logical cores," according to the magazine.

Back in June, we got our most comprehensive look yet at the next Xbox. A leaked document detailed the plans for Blu-ray, as well as saying it'll have 3D functionality. Kinect 2 was first tipped back then, and was described as being more accurate, with stereo imaging, better voice recognition and dedicated hardware processing.

A set of Google Project Glass-style specs was also revealed, but specifically for gaming. You'll be able to use them with the console, as well as away from it. Which opens up all kinds of possibilities.

What do you think of Xbox World's revelations? And how about the name? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.