Rumor: Blu-ray equipped 360 ships Q3

by Dustin Burg on May 2nd 2008 12:30PM

Adding to the pile of Blu-ray rumors we've had the privilege of reporting on for the past few months, we get word that a Blu-ray equipped Xbox 360 is headed our way the third quarter of this year.

According to the Chinese Economic Daily News, Pegatron Technology (an OEM subsidiary of Asustek Computer who deals with computer component manufacturing) has been selected by Microsoft to assemble Xbox 360 consoles with Blu-ray drives which will begin shipping Q3 2008. And, as Joystiq points out, the report's wording hints at the Blu-ray drive being internal rather than an external add-on. So, how long will it take for Microsoft to deny this latest Blu-ray gem? We give them until 4:00PM eastern.

[Via Joystiq]

Source

Tags: blu-ray, microsoft, rumor, sony, xbox-360

Reader Comments (49)

I still want a PS3 for bluray. No need for this really unless the games will be bluray also. But depending on the cost, it might be worth it to sell my elite and swap the hard drives.

Dear Microsoft,

NO. Bad conglomerate! Bad!

Look, if they want to make an optional Blu-ray attachment ala the HD-DVD drive, they should go right ahead.

But if they release another friggin SKU, with a blu-ray drive *inside* the box, they're fragmenting the user base big time... and they're going to start alienating people. Me for one.

/waiting for coffin #2 to get to my house for my elite I foolishly "upgraded" to
//coffin #1 never got to me
///first 360 pro I had, sold to a co-worker, still runs like a dream.
////getting bitter

I agree, optional would be better. A new internal would upset a lot of people.

I give it until 3:30.

Why do you fucking care? They WONT allow games to use Blu-Ray, it will be for movies ONLY. Why do you care if they release a 360 with Blu-Ray inside!? If they do that, they will probably release an external one too.

@ Peter F

"Why do you f**king care?"

WHYYYY SOOOOO SERIOUSSSS!!!?????

Because I do. I stated my opinions why I think it's bad in my comment.

Also, just because it would be a bad idea to start putting out games on blu-ray disc doesn't mean they wouldn't... especially if enough people by the rumored blu-ray-60. I agree it's highly unlikely that MS would start publishing blue-ray games, but I wouldn't put it past them. It's not like MS hasn't already made some bone-headed plays.

In addition, since Microsoft is clearly still having problems making a reliable console, it'd be nice to have them focus on making the existing 360's rock-solid before tinkering around with their guts... again.

No, they would NEVER release Blu-Ray games for 360. EVER! It would mean ever single person who owns a 360 now couldn't buy it, and it would not make any money. Microsoft aren't as big of idiots as many people think they are. They will hold out until the next console for Blu-Ray games.

While I do agree with you about the alienation of gamers. I have to say that Blu-ray is the ONLY thing PS3 has in it's arsenal.

It would be good for consumers if xbox went to it's home turf and had a tug of war.

I say just wait for Xbox 720

This guy = win

No point, they can't release games on it and my PS3 serves me well as a brilliant Blu-ray player.

The only reason to trade up my 360s would be if they finally solved the noise issue.

Wait for the 720? Who's to say they won't ram more SKU's down your throat with the next Xbox. I love my 360, but by the time they catch up to Sony, my single PS3 will outlive 5 of my 360's. I'm on #4 and it's a Falcon.

Not my throat maybe someone else's...not interested in HD movies yet ;)

In what department of gaming does MS have to catch up to Sony?

Gaming?

OOOO YEAH

I want to know the costs, i will sell this old 360 and get that one, anybody guess as to price, i guess 500 bucks, wit the blu ray built in and a 200 gb drive. wut do you guys think.

They are obviously going to price match with the PS3. That just seems the most logical.

i wouldn't be surprised if it will be more than the PS3. sony (and the rest of the BD group) are gonna gouge the crap out of MS for backing hd-dvd and in order to get people to buy the ps3.

rumor... about as likely to come true as it is microsoft will buy linux.

You can _buy_ linux??

I mis-spoke, but about the same likelihood anyways.

Bad idea.They may as well implement blu ray into their next gen console,putting it into 360s will not go down with consumers who have bought the standard old machines.Lets face i ms got it wrong this gen with hd dvd,and should move on to using blu ray in their next console

MGS4 on Xbox360 confirmed!!

(kidding of-course...)

Wouldn't that mess with the load/access times of current DVD9 based games? Anyone have an answer?

This would be the bigger issue - Blu-ray drive speeds aren't as fast as current DVD drives, which is why PS3 games suffer from worse loading times even with the install feature. An internal Blu-ray would negatively impact gameplay by adding to load times, making it an extremely unlikely move. An external drive truly would satisfy everyone while eliminating this liability.

@C.T.

Sure, if you call 3-4 seconds max the "worse loading times." Although the bluray drives read slower, you hardly notice it.

Hell, Super Stardust HD takes longer to load than a loading screen for a bluray game, and Stardust is running off the HDD.

an external blu-ray option is what im hoping for/.

That really is the best option. Otherwise, we're like what, 10 SKUs now? It's getting a bit ridiculous.

As far as the skus go some will become obsolete, still out there but obsolete. The internal drive, a work around would be the dual laser drives that we have seen pop up but that might get costly.

They will definitely do it and we all knew it when HD lost the battle, they still have like 2-3 years with the console so they have to make it marketable.

MGS4 confirmed, 250 gb hard rive add on, confirmed, mgs4 special edition blu ray xbox 360 with wireless com set, confirmed.

I'd be all over it. I hope they release games on the larger discs, as well..

They need to release an external for an extremely good price as well as one with an internal one. If they make it to pricey it will alienate 19 million people that already own the 360.

Yes I would much rather spend 350 then give microsoft $100 to fix this 1st generation piece of shit sitting in my livingroom. I figure I have a better chance buying a new console with the new smaller chips and hopefully cooler running parts then to waste my money fixing my 1st gen only to get someone elses console back in the mail that has been fixed before only to have it break again in 1-3 months and be stuck again paying another 100 to fix it. I f@cking hate microsoft so much right now..the 360 is the biggest piece of shit console that has ever come out...ive owned almost every single console to date and none of them have broke except this junk from microsoft. If it wasnt for the great games for the 360 and xbox live I would never buy a microsoft gaming console again because they suck so much at making software/hardware that doesnt break. F@ck you Microsoft...seriously f@ck you!

I seriously am getting sick and tired of Microsoft's bullsh!t. I bought a 360 at launch and its been dead since last Nov...i refuse to pay the $100 to fix it so Im just gonna go out and buy a new one hoping they fixed the issues with the console...I swear to god if Microsoft comes out with a blue ray internal drive in another 3-4 months im gonna be completely done with the 360...that would piss me off so much.

Go call the WHAAAAAAAAAAAAMBULANCE

This reply is to PeterF

I could rip your head off I'm so angry right now.

So yea Im pretty pissed off. I just called Xbox Support and they told me they wont fix my console for free and I have to pay $100. Never in my whole life have I had a console break on me and I've owned almost every single home console to date. I hate Microsoft more then any other company on the planet. Bill if your listening I'm giving you a big FUCK YOU buddy...a big FUCK YOU right to your face!

Ryan, if your machine still turns on, just wrap it in a towel for 20 minutes while turned on so it'll RROD. Then you can get it fixed free.

You'd rather spend $350 for a new console than spend $100 for a replacement console......???

lol @ spending 350 rather than 100 to make a point.

Silly boy, don't you see? Your actions will just please Microsoft... because your feeble mind is going to add another console to their sales sheet.

I love my xbox 360. I think it is the best controller of all time, I love xbox live, and all of its features. However, i just got a PS3, for the sole purpose of playing blu-ray movies, and I dont mean to start a war or anything, but it is a great media center. The media center functions are amazing, and it is silent. Being able to upgrade the hard drive/plug in external hard drives is awesome. its difficult to want to just listen to music or watch a movie with the sound of the fan of the xbox going so loud.

so, my PS3, has replaced my xbox as a far superior media center, and I can't see xbox being a great blu-ray player if that fan is going to be so loud.

Microsoft is awesome my first 360 rrod i had it over a year and they replaced it with a new one in 2 weeks.

Sony told me to piss off when my ps3 stopped reading discs because it was to dusty.

Xbox wont have Blu-Ray EVER not the 360 and not the 720.

Why , Sony owns Blu-Ray , why would Sony disadvantage themselves , and Blu-Ray will just start going mainstream around the end of this gen , and will be how the norm through the next gen . 720 and even 360 games will be on multiple discs soon .

i dont really know why i am wasting my time replying to someone named "ps3 fanboy" but i had to because he/she is such an idiot. go to the website below and get educated you dumbass (aka sony is not the only people who "own" bluray)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray_Disc_Association

I think they should just fix the RROD, and keep working on their next Console project(i.e. 720, 3, or whatever you wanna call it). Hell if they put in that HVD drive(able to hold up to 3.9 TB on a single disc), or the PCD(Able to theoretically hold up to 50 TB), it would blow anything away... you have to remember that the 360 was meant to compete against the Ps2... not 3... and look at how well it's doing... MS could easily go and use far more superior components than the ones in the Ps3, because the hardware in the 360 is hardly anything.

wtf xb360 was supposed to be compete against
the ps2!!!
it took microsoft 2(xbox xbox360) consoles to take down 1(ps2) where the hell is there NEXT gen console

2011/2012 probably =P

And the first xbox was meant to see if MS could actually go into the gaming industry. Not really compete with Sony.

Does anyone think that the next next-gen console(s) might focus on digital distribution of games? I mean, it's happening right now with games (Halo, Fable, etc.) over Xbox Live Marketplace. Granted those games probably don't come close to the file sizes of current-gen games, but with memory getting bigger and less expensive, who's to say the next Xbox won't kiss goodbye the shiny plastic discs we're all accustomed to?

I hope they never move to all-DLC. What if the HDD shits the bricks on you? I'm too paranoid to just have a soft-copy of a game. I need a disc :[.

This is my opinion and some facts thrown in as well.
MS said the reason for not having a HD DVD drive IN the 360 was because it's main purpose is to be a GAMEING system. With that in mind, putting a Blu-Ray drive would do as it does to the PS3, cause bad load times and raise the price on people who wouldn't use the feature. IMO, the best option is to make an add-on just like with the HD DVD add on. Then, if it's wanted or they thing it's needed, make another SKU for a 360 with a Blu-Ray drive inside it and equal DVD seek times and transfer rates. I have the HD DVD drive, and I can honestly say if it was internal, I never would have bothered getting the 360 at launch because of the price. I don't want to replace my current 360, it works just fine. I would be EXTREAMLY fast in getting a Blu-Ray add on at this point (price dependent). And yes, USB 2.0 has the bandwidth to support Blu-Ray video without a problem no matter what coding is used.

Well what would be better... doing the add on thing again for blu-ray or bundling it within the system?

If the drive is quieter than the existing crop of DVD drives, more reliable, and faster than the ps3's (for DVD usage), this would be an ok move. The problem is though, the ps3 has better support for advanced audio than the 360 does, so it seems like a gimped "me too" solution.

If MS did a blu-ray add on drive (as well?) and if the drive could be used not just for blu-ray movies but for reading blu-ray discs (think about owning a blu-ray burner and burn to a blu-ray disc instead of using fat32 limited external drives) I would consider getting one. Chances are better I'd end up buying the new 360 if it could read BDR/BDREs.

Rumor: Blu-ray equipped 360 ships Q3

Reader Comments (49)

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