Microsoft is busy tending to all things that are Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8; however, hidden in a secret lab somewhere is the Xbox 720 gaming console. The console is expected to hit store shelves on Dec. 2013 according to sources, perfect timing to help get the game industry business back on track.

Follow us

It is not certain what would be the real name of the Xbox 720, but according to Sean Tracy from Crytek, the console is codenamed Durango, this name has also been seen on leaked pictures of the developer kit.

With the developer kit leaked, one can easily speculate that game developers are already hard at work creating games for the new console, which means that the release date shouldn't be two or three years down the line.

Rumored specifications of the Xbox 720 point to a Blu-Ray drive, 1080p 3D support for games and movies, DVR functionality, Kinect 2.0 built in, an Intel CPU, and a GPU equivalent to that of an AMD Radeon 7000. It has been conjectured that the Xbox 720 will come equipped with a solid-state drive (SSD) instead of normal hard drives; however, the speculations seem too farfetched to be believed.

Going strictly SSD with the Xbox 720 would propel the price of the console, which wouldn't bode well for Microsoft. However, what could happen is that the company could release multiple versions of the Xbox 720, one with an SSD drive and the other with an optical drive. Sony has done a similar thing with its PlayStation 3 Super Slim, and it would come as no surprise if Microsoft did the same thing with the Xbox 720.

To surmise, gamers and the industry on a whole cannot wait for the Xbox 720 to go on sale. The gaming industry needs a boost, while gamers now require something new to be excited about. While the Nintendo Wii U is schedule to hit store shelves on Nov. 18, many gamers may not be interested in the new system due to Nintendo's history of favoring children-oriented games.

Join Our Conversation

Smartphones

Oppo Find 7 may boast Snapdragon 800 processor, whopping 4000mAh battery

HTC One Mini (M4) to be T-Mobile exclusive?

HTC Desire 200 entry-level Android smartphone leaks in video ahead of launch

Samsung prepping new Galaxy S4 variant with LTE-Advanced, doubling data transfer speeds

Tablet / Laptop / PC

Apple's next iPad mini 7.9 inch Retina display will be Samsung-made

Next generation Google Nexus 7 could launch in July for $229

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 LTE version landing exclusively on AT&T ‘in the coming weeks’

Acer Iconia W3 8-inch Windows 8 tablet ships next week

Gadgets

OUYA team and E3 organizers battle over parking lot space

Sony PlayStation 4 to be available at $399 at the end of this year

Mad Catz to unveil M.O.J.O. Android game console at E3 to challenge Ouya

Xbox One always-on requirements and used game policy - What you need to know

OS / Software

iOS 7 Beta comes with a bug that opens the lock screen to access photos [Video]

Microsoft recovers missing Lumia 920 with prototype Windows Phone Blue

Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie, Motorola X Phone reportedly launching in October

Verizon pulls Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean VRBMD3 update for Samsung Galaxy S3 due to LTE issue

Internet / Social Media

What to expect from Facebook's June 20 event

WWDC 2013: OS X 10.9 Mavericks Safari is going to help you extend battery life

Samsung Galaxy S3 browser bug spikes data usage, slows loading times

Cisco appeals to European Commission to overturn Microsoft's 2011 acquisiton of Skype

What's App

Instagram may add video on June 20 to challenge Twitter's Vine

Microsoft Office now available for iPhones, but there's a catch

Vine for Android is no. 1 social app on Google Play Store

Chrome for Android updated with integrated Google Translate