Archive notice: This is a historical post from 2013 previewing the next Xbox ahead of its May 21 unveiling. The console was ultimately revealed as the Xbox One. Content is preserved for reference.
Microsoft had begun sending out invitations for its Xbox unveiling event, giving the press a first glimpse of the next generation gaming console. Paul Thurrott, a reliable source on all things Microsoft, predicted the unveiling for May 21st, with April 24th turning out to be the day invitations went out rather than the event itself.
What Thurrott Expected
Thurrott suggested that Microsoft would be more forthcoming with end-user details than Sony had been with the PlayStation 4, with deeper technical information reserved for developers at the BUILD conference in San Francisco in June. The next Xbox was expected to run a Windows 8 core and would finally include Blu-ray as standard, a feature many gamers felt the Xbox 360 should have launched with. An always-on internet connection was also rumoured, a detail that was bound to be controversial but arguably practical given the direction gaming was heading.
A Second Xbox 360 and Pricing Models
Thurrott also suggested Microsoft planned to release a cheaper variant of the Xbox 360, codenamed Stingray, to continue capitalising on the existing console's sales momentum while the next generation took hold. On pricing for the new Xbox, he predicted two models: a standalone version at $499 and a subsidised version at $299 requiring a two-year Xbox Live Gold membership at $10 per month, similar to the deal Microsoft was already offering on the Xbox 360 at $99 with a monthly Gold subscription attached.
A launch in early November 2013 was predicted, putting it squarely in the holiday window. Whether the subsidised model would prove popular depended heavily on how much value the Gold membership offered, but with online multiplayer and an expanding range of services tied to it, the lower upfront cost was likely to appeal to a significant number of buyers.
Were you looking forward to the next Xbox at the time? Drop a comment below and let us know what you were most excited about.
