Latest News on Xbox One and PS4

Latest Updates:  
There are still no firm facts on price or release dates for either system.  Wild rumors are everywhere, and you are able to put down "deposits" or "pre-orders" for both on some websites.  

Persistent "leaks" and "rumors" are putting the Xbox One price anywhere between $299-$450, so we still have to wait and see as more info dribbles out.  E3 in July may provide more details about both platforms, but again, who knows?  Both Microsoft and Sony have yet to provide firm release dates, but gaming industry insiders think neither wants to miss the all-important USA Christmas Shopping season.  

PS4 rumors are putting the price around $450, but again there are no facts to back this up.  Release date:  "2013".   Could they be less definite?

KNOWN FACTS:

Hardware facts are easier to come by.  Here's what we know about the Xbox One: (thanks to Techradar)  Xbox One comes packing an x64 8-core AMD CPU, USB 3.0 ports, 500GB hard drive and 8GB DDR3 RAM. Connectivity-wise you've got 802.11n Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct functionality for exchanging data between devices - specifically the new Xbox controller. 

There's also the addition of a Blu-ray drive, which marks Microsoft's first move to embrace the disc format created by Sony et al, which vanquished HD DVD back when TechRadar was but a glint in someone's eye.So as expected, then, the new Xbox One is more like a mini-PC than any Microsoft console that's come before. These specs put the console on a par with the PS4 and bode well for developers who want to make cross-platform games. 

The console has not only an HDMI-out port but also HDMI-in too. This is for interfacing with set-top boxes in order to integrate the Xbox One with your TV-watching experience. As far as you're concerned, you'll only have one device instead of two.

We also know quite a bit about the PS4 (again, thanks to Techradar) : 

PlayStation 4 Specifications

• CPU: low power x86-64 AMD "Jaguar", 8 cores
• GPU: 1.84 TFLOPS, AMD Radeon™ Graphics Core Next engine
• Memory: GDDR5 8GB
• Hard Disk Drive: Built –in
• Optical Drive (Read only): BD 6xCAV, DVD 8xCAV
• I/O: Super-Speed USB (USB 3.0), AUX
• Communication: Ethernet, IEEE 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth® 2.1 (EDR)
• AV output: HDMI, Analog-AV out, Digital Output (optical)

DualShock 4 specifications:

• External Dimensions: Approx. 162mm x 52mm x 98mm
• Weight: Approx. 210g (tentative)
• Buttons: PS button, SHARE button, OPTIONS button, Directional buttons (Up/Down/Left/Right), Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square), R1/L1/R2/L2/R3/L3, Right stick, Left stick, Touch Pad Button, Touch Pad 2 Point Touch Pad, Click Mechanism, Capacitive Type
• Other Features: Light Bar, Vibration, Built-in Mono Speaker
• Ports: USB (Micro B), Extention Port, Stereo Headset Jack
• Wireless communication: Bluetooth® Ver2.1+EDR

Known Title Releases:

XBOX ONE:

Microsoft has announced that its own games studios will release 15 games in the first year of the Xbox One's life cycle. Other than that, we also know that FIFA 14 will launch on the console with exclusive content, and the new COD game, Call of Duty: Ghosts, will also have exclusive content on the Xbox.

PS4:

A number of games have been revealed for the PS4. They Are: Deep Down(Capcom), Destiny (Bungie), Diablo III (Blizzard), Driveclub (Evolution Studios), Final Fantasy (Square Enix), Infamous: Second Son (Sucker Punch), Killzone: Shadow Fall (Guerilla Games), Knack (Sony), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt RED), Watch Dogs (Ubisoft).

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS:

XBOX ONE:

No backwards compatibility to Xbox360 games.  

PS4:

Ditto for not backwards compatible to PS3 games.

There are persistent rumors that both consoles will be able to stream older games to the new box.   This is still unconfirmed.

So we all have to wait as information is leaked, released, rumored, confirmed.  Some facts are known, some guessed, some ???????

Stay tuned........

Techradar for technology news updates.

For news and of course, great looking skins, visit videogame-skins.com

New Xbox? "Durango" rumors about price and features.

The video game world is abuzz with rumors, various web sources are speculating about everything from features, release date, possible pricing, you name it.

Some rumors seem to crop up repeatedly, leading to speculation of an inside source or leak: Multiple sources are talking about the possibility that the new Xbox may require an "always on" internet connection, which is problematic for some users. Stack.com says the latest reports suggest that fans may not have anything to worry about. A source recently told Ubergizmo, "You are not required to be connected to the Internet in order to play Durango games." Take this and all unverified reports with a grain of salt, but what a gamer will be able to do offline is still a question.

According to engadget.com multiple unnamed sources suggest the plan is to include an HDMI passthrough and guide overlay, similar to the method used by Google TV. There's no word on any possible IR blaster (or IR GamePad, Wii U-style) integration, but thanks to Microsoft's partnerships with cable TV providers, it's trying to provide integration that goes a "step further" than what we've seen so far. That includes Kinect control, with next generation hardware that can recognize when viewers have turned their heads away and pause video automatically.

Many sites are talking about the hardware, and when decoded, it seems the Durango will not have as much graphic processing power as the PS4: Reports say that Xbox 720 will be released with a graphics chip comparable to the AMD Radeon 7790, vs. PS4's custom 1.84 TFlops, AMD Radeon Graphics Core Next Engine. Durango is also rumored to come with 8GB GDDR5 RAM and 32 MB of ESRAM, compared to the PlayStation's unified 8GB GDDR5 RAM. The Kinect 2.0 will also reportedly get a major boost to help cut down on lag. But the controller is expected to remain essentially the same.

As always, the excitement will build when we find out more about new or revamped games, and actually get a look at the thing! May 21st is the day Microsoft is supposed to officially unveil the 720 or Durango, or whatever it gets called. Check back for updates on the specs and features as we find them out.

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