Paul Thurrott "confirms" new Xbox 360
We were a little apprehensive to post this "confirmation" of a new Xbox 360 coming out in late 2007. But we're here to serve up the goods no matter if it is rumor, spec, or official news. On This Week in Tech's (TWiT) weekly Windows podcast they had Windows SuperSite god Paul Thurrott come visit for a little post CES/Macworld chat. And around minute 28 of the podcast he starts to talk about the Xbox 360. Supposedly, he heard through the Microsoft grapevine that there indeed will be a newer Xbox 360 coming out later this fall with enhanced features. IPTV support built in, a bigger hard drive, and all being run by the new 65nm CPU. But Mr. Thurrott is not an official Microsoft spokesman. Our biggest gripe with all the info released in the podcast is that the knowledgeable Paul Thurrott gets his hardware basics messed up. He says that the crazy loud Xbox 360 will be a lot quieter when the new 65nm chips roll out ... twah? The main reason the Xbox 360 is crazy loud is because the DVD drive is running at full RPM to pull a massive amount of data off the disc quickly. The fans are loud, but not crazy loud. All a 65nm chip is going to do is possibly reduce the number of fans or fan speed, because the CPU die isn't getting as hot. So, smaller CPU isn't going to fix the loud DVD drive.
Now you can take this as "official confirmation" if you wish, as it may be true, but don't bet your life savings on it. Mr. Thurrott does have contacts, but things can (and often do) change in a year. Heck, we may even see the inclusion of the rumored HDMI input this fall ... something Paul didn't even talk about.
[Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
NOOOOOOOOOOo @ Jan 14th 2007 2:40PM
FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I Should of waited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hey does anyone kknow if its ok to return a 360 lik a couple days after 30 day limit?
ahamsandwich @ Jan 14th 2007 2:56PM
no, thats what a limit's for
The Dude @ Jan 14th 2007 3:03PM
If he didn't even know what made the 360 noisy to begin with, I doubt very much that he's in the know about what's coming. I'll beleive it when it comes from MS. My guess is if this was going to happen, they would have dropped the bomb at CES just for the sake of hammering another nail in Phony's coffin and not release it AFTER the show via some Podcast. I mean really.
Deadhead @ Jan 14th 2007 3:23PM
If they would have said it at CES it would have hampered sales. This isn't something you announce, or no one will buy a 360 now. You announce it the day it goes on the shelves.
Adam @ Jan 14th 2007 4:30PM
Maybe they will put in a better dvd drive :/
thehondaboy @ Jan 14th 2007 5:36PM
#1, you would return your unit and be waiting another 11 months before you could play again. That's not worth it.
As for the new box, I don't understand why they don't hold off a little longer before pushing this thing out and see if they can't shrink the unit down some like Sony always does several years after releasing a system.
Matthew Mac @ Jan 14th 2007 5:42PM
We knew a bigger HDD was comming, and anyone can buy that the replace their old one. The newer proccesor we've know aboiut for a while now, it doesn't do anything to enhance perofrmance, it just doesn't get as hot. And IPTV built in? Cool, I guess, but I won't use it anyway, so I don't care. Overall, nothing for current Xbox 360 owners to get worked up about.
Sneaky Sombrero @ Jan 14th 2007 5:53PM
BIG HALO 2 GAME GOING ON SOON!
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nick @ Jan 14th 2007 6:17PM
I agree, if true, this basically kills existing sales. Why buy the current model when you can have a later, revised model?
I suspect they're going to revise the core, and introduce a new premium bundle.
All signs point to it.
We have a forthcoming XLBA game that will exceed 50MB.
Last year, they already announced a 250GB memory unit, but it has never appeared.
That IPTV is coming holiday 2007, would seem to imply a larger harder is on the horizon prior to then.
What I'm curious about is if revised configurations are introduced, what price point will they have? Same? Lower?
Incidentally, anyone notice it's now a rumor almost every week regarding the 360? Capcom... HDMI... Extended Warranty... (which came to be true)
Olav @ Jan 14th 2007 6:29PM
It's HDMI output, not HDMI input. The input is on the receiver.
Hoffer @ Jan 14th 2007 6:31PM
I listen to this podcast every week. The way I heard it was that he was just reporting all the rumors and speculation as news. This guy does NOT know for sure there is some 360 coming. Everyone assumes a bigger hdd with the video marketplace and IPTV. He was treating these assumptions as fact.
While I think there will be a revision B to the 360, I don't think this guy knows anything.
Gobutkus @ Jan 14th 2007 6:33PM
No surprises here..
My best guess is basically what he laid out, plus the added HDMI Output and the big one I havn't heard yet.. wait for it.. BLACK! Why wouldn't they use this as a legit way to go black! Bigger HD, HDMI, IPTV, WiFi? All in a black case and replacing the Premium Bundle @ $400! That's my best guess!
Virtua Fanboy @ Jan 14th 2007 7:21PM
Keep dreaming people.
ninjasverre @ Jan 14th 2007 7:51PM
it is a fact that new BenQ drive is new devkits of 360 and that the 360 with the HDMI port that leaked a time ago had a BenQ drive. what to make of all of this? the benq drive? yeah, its quiet.
Zach @ Jan 14th 2007 8:11PM
For anyone that hasn't thought of the obvious -- cash in on your warranty. You did buy a two-year replacement warranty, didn't you?
Broken_Speed @ Jan 14th 2007 8:32PM
I did Last month so would this carry over to the new 360 If I decide to get it? I mean this pisses me off that they pull something like this only 2 years into this version....it seems like they're obsessing sony is gonna pwn'em if they didnt revise it now.....and besides wtf does future-proof mean if they just roll out a new version.....
fidgetwidget @ Jan 14th 2007 8:40PM
Paul is getting a few things confused by the sounds of things. He is claiming that the IPTV will require new hardware, and thats what the new version he is refering to is.
The prospects of a new version of the system comming are true, as they are going to have a new version of the chip rolling out soon, but other than the new chip, nothing is announced. The larger HDD, the HDMI output, etc... not announced.
Paul @ Jan 14th 2007 11:35PM
Those of you who think the 360 isn't loud aside from the DVD drive must be deaf. The 360 is still quite loud even when there's no disc present in the drive.
miguel @ Jan 15th 2007 12:23AM
if this new xbox 360 is coming out then i and other people like me will be pissed, why release a new 360 just 2 years after the one we all have came out!?!? Ahh well, guess ill have to be savin.. again.
fanan89 @ Jan 15th 2007 1:09AM
It's just a wild guess, but could be there a new driver in the works as well?
I mean, can't an "improved" driver be quieter and do the same job as the current does?
wilber1000 @ Jan 15th 2007 4:27AM
it sounds like the rumor that there will be an "home theater" version of the ps3, with a more traditional black case, MS might be trying or thinking about the same thing
JJ @ Jan 15th 2007 7:41AM
The man, they cant just release a "Cable" to convert an analog signal to a digital signal that is HDMI, tis impossible to do that. That would be like a composite cable magically outputting an HD signal. It just doesn't work that way.
and the whole Slim PS2 comparison is faulty for several reasons, 1. The slim PS2 is pretty much the EXACT same thing as hte big one, just smaller and with a built in ethernet port and you lose the ability to use the HDD is you had one. Simple as that, it wasn't a major hardware revision, they just "shrunk" the system and even then it was 4 years after the system came out (right around the end of a usual consoles life cycle).
This, if true, is a major hardware revision, which i dont think is a good sign only 2 years in.Now, smaller chips, etc etc. That happens in consoles from time to time, but a major revision that puts in functionality thats not possible on the current systems is pretty new to me. Now granted the hard drive can be added after the fact, as well as hopefully the IPTV functionality (although if its in high def and requires HDCP that could be... interesting).
To me this sounds a bit suspect, because it would appear that MS is almost playing catch up with Sony regarding the HDMI, and personally i htink the system is doing fine without all the added need of trying to turn it into a media hub (granted i know MS and Sony are both trying to do that...but i feel its unneccesary).
But i guess we have to wait and see.
Blaine Train @ Jan 15th 2007 9:57AM
It's all about ms making MAD money it its loyal customers. Everyone, lets just get a ps3. lmao
The Man @ Jan 15th 2007 11:55AM
@ 23 JJ
The slim line ps2 did away with the HD as being an option. So case in point hardware does change dramatically during a console life. We will see about the hdmi cable. Do you really know the know the 360s hardware in and out? I doubt it.
If a company should be revising a console is should be sony. The ps3 high def scaler issue which can not be fixed by firmware. And the ps3 backward ps2 compatibility looks all blocky. Not to mention you cant use the ps3 hdmi connection to play dvd's. Why they are at it they should drop the beta-ray drive that caused this mess of a system and lower the price by two hundred a pop.
h0mi @ Jan 15th 2007 9:51PM
"We knew a bigger HDD was comming, and anyone can buy that the replace their old one. "
My complaint is that MS doesn't make it easy to replace the HD... that is if you downloaded a bunch of XBLA games, how do you get them onto the new drive? Nevermind saves and whatnot. AFAIK they don't make it easy to transfer data to a newer 20 gig drive; upgrading to a 40 or 120 or whatever size drive would probably not be any easier.
Regarding the hardware revisions, there are still too many rumors, the only one we know to be true is the 65nm CPU which was said to be delayed to sometime around summertime. Noone knows how MS plans on implementing IPTV or if it will exist on older xboxes or not.
"This, if true, is a major hardware revision, which i dont think is a good sign only 2 years in."
Adding HDMI isn't a major hardware revision. The CPU change is a far more significant change, though MS has no plans to increase CPU speed. A major hardware revision would be something that affects gameplay... like the removal of a HD bay that prevents you from playing a game (FF9 anyone?).
Tom @ Jan 19th 2007 11:28PM
"That would be like a composite cable magically outputting an HD signal. It just doesn't work that way."
Wow JJ you must be really smart, 'cause I actually have a device that will convert a composite source to component... and S-Vid and VGA, for that matter. I didn't realize until reading your post that I've been hallucinating the whole thing.
Bobby V. @ Feb 18th 2007 8:59PM
i just bought a 360 not that long ago with the 2 year warranty. When the "new" one comes out, can i just go to the store and say mine crapped out and get credit towards the new one, or do they just give me another of the same 360?
The Man @ Jun 19th 2007 1:51AM
During a consoles life there are several revisions. Look at the ps2, I cant remember anyone getting pissed off when the slime line ps2 was released. If they release a 360 with an HDMI port, they will release a cable for the launch 360. IPTV will be a dashboard update. The larger HD will be sold separately. I have owned two 360's from the launch date. I have had no problems just kick ass gaming. Now This Is Living.