Xbox 360 Blu-ray console shipping by September?
For all of Microsoft's denial, the Xbox 360 Blu-ray console rumors just will not die. In fact, they are getting more and more specific. The Chinese language Economic Daily News is reporting that Pegatron, an OEM subsidiary of ASUS, has won the order from Microsoft to assemble the Xbox 360 with Blu-ray Disc ROM drive -- shipments are expected to being in Q3 of this year. Now come on Microsoft, just come clean on the matter, we won't tell anyone.
Filed under: Blu-ray, Other hardware, Others
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DrXym @ May 2nd 2008 8:24AM
Microsoft desperately need something to compete with the PS3. I doubt a Blu Ray drive would ever be much use for games, but it would still allow Microsoft to superficially claim at least one model of the 360 is at parity with the PS3 feature wise.
mda20 @ May 2nd 2008 8:41AM
Might as well make games in BD, no one is watching movies on this crappy format!
superklye @ May 2nd 2008 10:07AM
Yes, brilliant idea. Make games on Blu-ray so that 99% of people who already own an Xbox can't play them, or, better yet, force publishers to put out two versions of a game and then deal with the nightmarish headaches of customers buying the wrong version because they (like the general population) are too stupid to properly read what they're buying.
But, then again, it sure would be sweet to have to install my games onto the 360's HDD because BD drives spin too slow to effectively play games.
El perron @ May 2nd 2008 8:03PM
My concern is whats gonna happen to all the 360fanboys, that bashed the blu-ray technology for all this time, are they just gonna swallow their pride? We love HDDVD because microsoft supports hddvd, oh what? MS is now goin blu ray?
D-shan @ May 2nd 2008 9:06AM
It would be interesting to see if this will actually happen, but I'd be VERY leery of anything reported in the Chinese press.
Big Wizz @ May 2nd 2008 9:24AM
No way on God's green earth would I even consider buying something like this (yes, I own a 360).
the 360 is LOUD in a home theater environment. Do you really want fans kicking on in the middle of Atonement...err....I mean, Transformers?
Also, what kind of audio output does the 360 support? How much functionality could they cram into a Blu-ray add-on drive?
the 360 is a gaming and digitial DOWNLOAD device. Not a very good high-def physical media device.
Michael @ May 2nd 2008 10:40AM
While I can see your point, I personally loved watching my HD DVDs on my 360. The noise NEVER bothered me.
Pip @ May 2nd 2008 10:23AM
Yeah, I just came here to post what Big Wizz posted. The machine is just too loud to be used as a movie device. I love my 360, but with games they're up so loud that the noise can be drowned out for the most part. With movies, you often have a lot of quiet areas and the last thing I want to hear is WRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
I'll be going with Blu-Ray player once a standalone player comes out for $200.
Britton Yoder @ May 2nd 2008 10:54AM
I do a bit of business with a higher level Microsoft sales guy and we actually had this conversation yesterday. He said at some point the next generation 360 will support Blu-Ray.
Dave @ May 2nd 2008 10:55AM
It was meant to happen. M$ finally chose the right way :)
superklye @ May 2nd 2008 11:52AM
I know it's confusing because the dollar sign looks SO MUCH like an S, but looks can be deceiving and the dollar sign STILL isn't an acceptable substitute for an S from a grammar/language standpoint or a humor standpoint.
EPIC FAIL.
kthxbai.
Alex @ May 2nd 2008 1:23PM
Considering Microsoft's ridiculous pricing for all their Xbox stuff, I assume it will only be pennies more to just buy a PS3. The HD-DVD add-on wasn't exactly a flagship HD DVD player.
XDragon @ May 2nd 2008 3:25PM
I'm curious on how the pricing would be affected.
I need a 2nd Blu player so it would be nice if MS could make a reliable 360 so I could get the best of both worlds, but I doubt they'll update the ati chip to run cooler. At the end of the day, i think the PS3 would still be a better Blu player unless MS is really willing to improve their no gaming depandant hardware.
hey alex @ May 2nd 2008 10:50PM
First of all, how do you get over 1300 diggs, but only 13 comments?
Anyway....
I still leary about this. Why would Microsoft put a blu-ray drive into the 360, when that part would cost more than a DVD drive? and when they already offer an online movie service?
We already know the external HD DVD drive didn't exactly set the world on fire.
And we know they could never put games on a blu-ray disc, because it would create incompatibility with the 10 or so million units already out there.
So, the only real benefit to such an option would be so that you could play blu-ray movies on your 360, of which, I don't believe Microsoft has any current vested interest.
Don't get me wrong, it would be an interesting idea, but I'm not sure I'd be interested in paying more for such a feature. Give me a stand alone blu-ray player any day.
It just creates so many weird issues. Microsoft would have to support BD Java, which puts them in competition with themselves. And I wonder if the sound capability of the 360 supports everything in the Blu-ray specification.
Sigcys @ May 3rd 2008 3:45PM
It will come out in what ? 2009 ? The xbox 360 will have 4 years then. Ooh, guess what, the first xbox lived 4 years too (2001-2005).
They now have the chance to have bigger game disk, but if it's only on in another type of 360, it's useless.
See my point ?