Xbox 720 Rumors; New Kinect, Voice Control to Require Internet Connection

By Dexter Keyton

Microsoft's upcoming Xbox 720 may require the sensor function of Kinect in order to operate the console.

The latest rumors were reported by Kotaku that cited a person known as SuperDaE who claimed the next-generation console will be shipped with an improved Kinect.

SuperDaE, who was also Kotau's source about the PlayStation 4 devkit rumor last month, stated that every Xbox 720 will require the sensor on Kinect to be connected in order to function.

The new Kinect will apparently come with substantial performance improvements with the sensor capable of tracking six simultaneous players. It will also be able to detect small gestures and facial expressions, according to PC Mag.

This latest rumor may lend some credence to other related speculation that the Xbox 720 will require a host of other features in order to run as a combined framework for the gaming console.

Sources close to the development of Microsoft's next-generation game system said it will function only with a constant internet connection to the new Xbox Live, according to The Edge.

The internet connection rumor also follows along with a report from The Verge which claimed that the Xbox 720 will have a voice control feature that is similar to Siri on Apple's iOS devices. Since Apple's voice assistant only works with an internet connection, the addition of a similar feature may force the Xbox 720 to need the same thing.

The rumored specs currently reported for the console include an 8 core CPU running at 1.6GHz, 8GB of RAM, an 800 MHz graphics card, 50GB Blu-ray disc drive and feature Gigabit Ethernet.

Microsoft has yet to set an official release date for the Xbox 720.

Some of the most likely dates for the consoles upcoming unveil include the Game Developers Conference on March 25 and the E3 tech and gaming expo on June 11, according to VideoGamer.com.