Microsoft Already Prepping Blu-ray Move: Xbox Blu in the Works?

Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:46PM EST

See Comments (22)

Once one of the major holdouts supporting the beleaguered HD DVD platform, Microsoft appears to be planning already to make the move to Blu-ray as the high-definition format of choice for its Xbox 360 console. Rumors today say that Microsoft could have a Blu-ray 360 out by May, allowing it to go "head to head" with the PS3 and picking up all the Blu-ray mojo that's currently going around.

Microsoft's HD DVD player, an add-on to the Xbox 360, has long been one of the most popular HD DVD products on the market, letting any Xbox owner upgrade his console for high-definition output, and for less than $200. But now Microsoft's connection to the HD world is looking mighty tenuous.

Good for MSFT: Sources say that Microsoft has already built a Blu-ray version of its HD DVD player and could hit store shelves with it by May of this year. Even more tantalizing: The possibility of a 360 with built-in Blu-ray is also apparently on the docket. 

On the record, Microsoft is mum on its HD plans but did say in a statement that "We will wait until we hear from Toshiba before announcing any specific plans around the Xbox 360 HD DVD player." According to most rumors, that announcement from Toshiba could come as early as this week.

LINK: Blu-ray Xbox 360 Planned By Microsoft 

Comments on Microsoft Already Prepping Blu-ray Move: Xbox Blu in the Works?

Post a Comment

Join in the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.

  • 6 Posted by mfvarallo@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:17PM EDT Report Abuse

    Toshiba had no choice but to give up. With the announcements from Best Buy, Netflix, Walmart and Warner Brothers, they are doomed. It is best to get out now not only for themselves but for the sake of their customers. Before anyone bashes Toshiba, please take these facts into consideration first.

  • 7 Posted by apinkel on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:57PM EDT Report Abuse

    Of course they will do Blu-ray... they have too to keep up with the PS3. It's perfect timing too, the 360 had a ton of momentum intially, it's waning a bit right now... adding a BD drive would bring it back to life... that is if they put in a quiet drive and and improve the playback quality.

  • 8 Posted by rick_brisco on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    So, does that mean a trade in for the suckers who bought a regular xbox and all of the expensive games?

  • 9 Posted by the_mizz_006 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:06PM EDT Report Abuse

    my main concern is that MS will start now developing games on the bluray format and therefore forcing me to upgrade my 360 yet again. I am so freakin sick of this new console or add on ----- every year. I paid for the "elite" 360 and now they are making an even more elite version?? What a joke, its bad enough they make us pay for a wireless adapter, recharge packs for controllers, and now how about we all sheck out another $200 for a bluray player?

  • 10 Posted by goucho727 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:11PM EDT Report Abuse

    The battle for next gen was lost when microsoft failed to fully back HD DVD by not integrating the HD player with the console. 360 has outsold PS3 by far but when it comes to sheer numbers you cant look past the fact that every PS3 has a blu-ray player and only 1 in 100,000 people who bought a 360 also bout the hd attachment. this was a huge oversight from microsft who could have tipped the war but now have given the ultimate prize on a platter to sony. toshiba should be unhappy with themselves for not selling microsoft totally on their product. this all could have turned out differntly but in the end I guess i will just have both and remember that this could be the last format we use before everything goes downloadable. -out

  • 11 Posted by memphiseagle5 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:16PM EDT Report Abuse

    Two issues here: 1 underappreciation for material things. 2 alienation First of all people want their movies where they can get them, they are not going to spend lots of money on something that is stored on a nonportable hard-drive (at least not in the near future) Second, if you know anything about the latest generation of consoles, you that the Blu-Ray portion of the PS3 is not just for movies. They use this technology to store larger games on the disks. If the XBOX attempted to incorporate the tech into their newer consoles, then newer games would be unplayable on the standard DVD drive of the current 360. This would alienate the huge console base that is giving Microsoft the lead right now in the console wars. I wouldn't expect to see an actual Blu-Ray Xbox until the next-gen (Xbox720?). And yes this is in the works, at least one major game franchise is already working on a game for the future system.

  • 12 Posted by trickygamester on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    The heck with Xbox 360 and PS3. I am getting a Wii. It's the best selling console anyway.

  • 13 Posted by bkmc916 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:08PM EDT Report Abuse

    Microsoft has repeatedly stated that they have not bundled the HD-DVD drive with the system in order to give the consumer the choice of buying it or not. I seriously doubt they will go against this and force people to buy a Blu-ray player in order to play newer games. Anyone can tell you this is bad business. If I wanted a Blu-Ray player I would have bought a PS3 instead of a 360. PS3 system sales are starting to rise, but where are the blockbuster games? DVDs still look good on my LCD and I don't plan on upgrading to a Blu-Ray player any time soon. I don't believe the average consumer even cares about these formats.

  • 14 Posted by jaybiv on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    Wow, it looks like MS is going to follow one bad decision with another. Like it was mentioned earlier, MS killed HD DVD from the start by not including it in the 360. To now integrate BD into the Xbox will add another subset of Xbox customers. They already have machines out in the market with and without hardrives. Will developers put forth the effort to create two Xbox skus? You have to give Sony credit, every PS3 sold have the same core capabilities, so when a developer makes a PS3 game they can do so with some confidence that the entire PS3 universe can play the game. Finally, by incorporating BD, they would be putting extra coin in Sony's pocket. That's gotta hurt!

  • 15 Posted by pvtpritchard on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:22PM EDT Report Abuse

    One of the big things everyone was missing about the PS3/XBOX360 blu-ray/hd-dvd formats wars is that the PS3 plays blu-ray games. The xbox360 is still using dvd format for its games. Even with the hd-dvd add-on, the xbox360 does not utilize large storage space for its games. Sony is producing games that nearly take up all 25gb of space on the blu-ray disc. Microsoft is too far behind to catch up. They always suprise me though so lets see what they can do!

  • 16 Posted by bigbetr3 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:06PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think that a blu-ray player is great for the 360, but what about all those people that bought the add on hd-dvd players..maybe they should do a combo hd-dvd blu ray player so the people that bought the hd player dont feel "too" ripped off....

  • 17 Posted by wrt583 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    pitiful... and sad. i feel for you 360 buyers, when are they going to just get it right after selling people insufficient hardware and failed concepts?

  • 18 Posted by mcjknell on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:13PM EDT Report Abuse

    Here is a question for all you folks out there. Why cant they just make a blue ray player that is external that hooks up to the 360 and plays dvds as well as games. That way they could start to do games in blue ray and people would only have to buy the external one and still keep there original 360? Then start to make the new 360's with it already built in... Its a win win. right?

  • 19 Posted by druss9499 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    Does anyone think Sony will let this happen without a fight? Isn't it their technology?

  • 20 Posted by lalodb on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    "...allowing it to go "head to head" with the PS3 ..." yeah, and the CELL processor? its not only the Blu Ray reader.. there is a lot of hardware difference between PS3 and the xbox360

  • 21 Posted by hkey_current_config_system on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    We all knew "hd dvds" were gonna die it wasnt if it was when. Me i dont really care im a audio guy dont really care about video though bd will offer new kinds of surround sound.

  • 22 Posted by sangsou_strykejern on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm a bit surprised if it actually happens. For Microsoft to adopt Sony's format, and, if I'm not mistaken, pay royalties to do so seems pretty desperate.

More Posts: First Prev 1 2 Next Last

Post a Comment

Sign In to Post a Comment

My Tech

Please enable your browser's cookies to activate the My Tech column.

Also on Yahoo! Tech

Computers Home Office Wi-Fi & Networking Phones & PDAs Cameras & Camcorders TV & Home Theater Portable Audio
 

Site Map | Tour | Subscribe to Yahoo! Tech

Question and Answer content at Yahoo! Tech is written by Yahoo! users at Yahoo! Answers. Yahoo! does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any Yahoo! Answers content. For more information, read the Full Disclaimer.

Opinions expressed by the Advisors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Yahoo! Inc. Yahoo! receives no compensation from any manufacturer or distributor nor does it compensate any Advisor for the coverage of any product or service in any Advisor's content.