Sony: Microsoft considering Blu-ray for Xbox 360

Rumors of a Blu-ray drive—or even built-in Blu-ray—for the Xbox 360 have been floating around since HD DVD bit the dust, but now a Sony exec confirms that Microsoft has, indeed, been thinking Blu thoughts.

According to the Financial Times, Sony Electronics U.S. president Stan Glasgow says both Sony and Microsoft have been discussing bringing Blu-ray to the Xbox 360. Talks are also underway with Apple, Glasgow said.

Microsoft won't confirm the FT report ("We have made no such announcement")—but that's not exactly a flat-out denial, either.

Now, as I've said before, Blu-ray makes a lot of sense for Microsoft and the 360—and as the FT points out, even Sony, maker of the competing PlayStation 3, would stand to make a tidy profit by licensing Blu-ray technology to Microsoft.

Assuming the purported Sony/Microsoft talks come to fruition, we might end up with a version of the Xbox 360 with a built-in Blu-ray drive, although I think a more likely option would be an add-on deck, a la the now-discontinued Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on.

Here's my little request, though: how about a Blu-ray add on that lets you daisy-chain an old 360 HD DVD drive? Yes, it would be an unwieldy setup, but it would be a nice touch for those of us with HD DVD collections (and just how long will we have to wait for the "Matrix" trilogy to go Blu-ray, anyway?).

OK, 360 gamers: you want built-in Blu-ray for the Xbox, or would you rather have the choice of an add-on drive?

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Sony, Microsoft discuss Blu-ray for Xbox 360 [Financial Times]