14 DAY TRIAL // A fresh batch of rumors about the next-generation Xbox have just appeared, with reports stating that the device, codenamed Loop, will run a modified version of the Windows 9 operating system, and thanks to special hardware, will be both cheaper and smaller than the current Xbox 360.
Microsoft is confident that its current Xbox 360 will be around for quite some time, especially since the Kinect is helping it reach massive sales in front of its competitors. Still, its hardware is showing its age, especially when compared to the PC or even the PlayStation 3.
As such, quite a lot of people have begun reporting that work on the Xbox 360 is already underway, with rumors saying that working prototypes are already in the hands of certain developers.
Now, blogger MS Nerd, which according to Industry Gamers has been known to have accurate details about the inner workings of Microsoft, has revealed some interesting pieces of information about the next Xbox console.
According to him, the device, codenamed Loop, will run a modified version of the Windows 9 operating system and has a similar hardware setup to the Zune HD media player. This means that it's going to have a main processor and several smaller cores that will help it with specialized tasks like graphics, Artificial Intelligence, physics, sound, networking, encryption or sensors like the Kinect.
The hardware platform will be designed by Microsoft alongside several partners that have experience in ARM architecture, technology that has seen massive improvements recently, what with smartphones or tablets that use such processors. This means that the Xbox Loop will be cheaper to produce than the Xbox 360, and will have a smaller form factor.
Bear in mind that these are just rumors, but if Microsoft is considering to power the next Xbox console, formerly known as the Xbox 720, with Windows 9, then we still have quite some time before we get to see it, as Windows 8 will be only be released next year.