Veteran Tech Blogger Spills Xbox 720 Reveal Date, Pricing and More

Reveal supposedly pushed back to May, while a November release still looks good.
The Xbox 720 will be revealed on May 21 ahead of a November release and probably won't offer backwards compatibility, according to veteran technology blogger Paul Thurrott.

On the latest What the Tech podcast, Thurrott claimed that Microsoft's next console will be available from November for either $500 for a normal model, or $300 for a subscription model. He also weighed in on the mounting evidence that suggests the next Xbox will be always online.

"The thing that interests me, going back and looking at some of the stuff I got a long time ago, it actually says ‘must be internet-connected to use’ in the notes," he explained, before adding, "And that’s all I have, but it does say that."

Despite fears to the contrary, Thurrott also asserted in the podcast that the Xbox 720 will be a gaming device first and foremost, and will not attempt to serve as an entertainment hub for the living room. Supposedly another model of the console was originally planned to target that niche, but the idea has since been put on the back-burner.

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Looking at some of the stuff I got a long time ago, it actually says ‘must be internet-connected to use’ in the notes.

"We have talked for a while about this notion that there might be another version of the Xbox that was just aimed at entertainment—a non-gaming device," he revealed. "That device was code-named ‘Yumo’ and they’re not making it. They may make one in the future, but it’s not happening this year."

Of course one of the biggest features many gamers are keen to see in the next generation of consoles is backwards compatibility; sadly, while we already know that it won't be a feature in the PlayStation 4 at launch, Thurrott reckons that Microsoft's console won't be offering it either, citing the company's readiness to release a cheaper Xbox 360 model in November alongside it's new box.

"They're also going to sell a new Xbox 360 code-named 'Stingray' that will be $99," he revealed. "I don't actually know this for a fact, but based on the fact that they're making one—I don't think that the new Xbox will play 360 games. But that I don't actually know, that I'm guessing."

It's worth noting that at no point in the podcast does Thurrott offer a source for his information so, until we hear anything official, don't be too hasty to think of these rumours as anything more than just that - rumours. However, IGN's own sources lend credence to the notion that late May is likely for the full reveal. For the full list of everything we've heard lately about the Xbox 720,