Xbox 720 Release Date for 2013, Chipset Production is Revealed
The Xbox 720 release date is slowly approaching as recent reports revealed that the chipset for the console has been in production since last month.
Technology news reports state that Microsoft has been making the chipset for the console that will go into full production by the end of the year.
"Recent speculation that the new main system on a chip SoC for the Next Xbox began production is apparently accurate," wrote tech site Fudzilla. "The SoC did indeed start production in late December 2011. Sources tell us that the code name for the chip is Oban, and it is being produced by both IBM and Global Foundries for Microsoft."
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The report also claims that, "the power behind then next Xbox will be PowerPC CPU that is married to an ATI Southern Islands GPU, or modified 7000 series." The Xbox 720 probably will not ship until early next year if these reports are accurate since full production will not begin until the end of 2012.
"The first run of these 32nm Oban chips will be destined for developer consoles, so any hope for a holiday console release in 2012 seems unrealistic according to the site's sources, but an announcement perhaps before the end of the year might be possible," the site continued.
"It would seem Microsoft's strategy of getting it in 2013 is all but assured. We do think that the chips will be in production by the end of the year for consoles destined to be sold in 2013, which seems to agree with what some others are saying," wrote Fudzilla.
SemiAccurate, another tech site made a similar prediction pertaining to the release of the Xbox 720. It seems that this year will not see the addition of a new console from Microsoft, but at least fans can look forward to some kind of announcement regarding it made by the company.
