Xbox 720 Tablet To Have 1.6GHz Processor

Media reports are flying that the next generation Xbox is going to have a 1.6GHz processor. Our source has told us that this is incorrect for the next generation Xbox, however it’s not 100% false. The next-gen Xbox will also feature a “tablet” like controller. Inside that controller will be a 1.6Ghz CPU.

The Xbox 720 will have much, much more computing power than a 1.6GHz CPU can offer. Regardless of the amount of cores the CPU offers, at 1.6GHz it won’t be able to survive the full life cycle of the next generation consoles. Microsoft is hoping to get upwards of another 10 year span from the next generation consoles. Much like they are trying to squeeze out of the Xbox 360. The Nintendo Wii U recently debuted with lower specs, but their graphics are only where current generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft are at.

According to our source, the Xbox 720 CPU will be more in the 2.5GHz-3.0GHz range and offer 8 cores. This would provide a dramatic improvement over the current generation Xbox 360 specs which is 3.2GHz over 3 cores. The Xbox 720 will also feature a dedicated GPU in the 512MB to 768MB range. Microsoft hopes to keep prices low by using near top of the line technology, rather than full-blown enterprise level specs.

Keep in mind however processor speed isn’t indicative of performance or capabilities of the unit. We need to take in to account the entire console, and not just one aspect of it. A console with a 1.6GHz 3 core processor and no dedicated GPU, is going to perform different from a 1.6GHz 3 core CPU with a dedicated GPU. Until we know the full spec sheet of the Xbox 720, it’s hard to judge its performance.

The next generation Xbox console is slated to be released in 2013, and many analysts expect it to hit shelves in time for the 2013 holiday shopping craze. We’ve recently had a pleasure of a guest blogger tell us their thoughts and present some interesting looks at Xbox 720 specs. The article makes for a good read, and brings some common sense to the next generation speculation craze.