14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has already pulled a similar stunt, by redesigning their next-gen consoles' motherboard and using 65-nanometer chips. They called it Falcon and this breakthrough cut manufacturing costs big time. The second update of this type will bear the name Jasper and this chipset is said to be the savior of the Xbox 360, correcting most of its issues.
Once again costs will be cut, which is good news for Microsoft and probably for us, because in the long run that means that we'll be getting cheaper consoles, once the company decides to cut the device's price again. Jasper is the new Xbox 360 motherboard and it will use ATI Technologies' 65-nanometer graphics chip. We'll see an US release of the revamped consoles in August, although Microsoft doesn't want to allow the Wii to continue its domination and plans an earlier release.
We have all the reasons in the world to hope for yet another price reduction in the case of Microsoft's next-gen gaming device, specially since the Falcon motherboard also brought a $50 price cut of the Xbox 360. No details have yet been revealed by the software giant, but one can only hope that the new chipset stands for new shiny graphics, spectacular in-game eye candy and other such goodies. I, for one would be happy if those overheating problems were gone, plus the console's ruckus and the infamous Red Ring of Death.
It's funny to see that while Sony's keep changing the PS3's hardware only by adding or removing storage devices, Microsoft would much rather change the core of the console, by replacing its chipset and motherboard. It all comes down to what each console needs the most and what features need to be improved in order to answer the fans' discontents.