Next-gen Xbox called ‘Xbox’, launch event pushed out to 21 May

According to sources (and The Verge), Microsoft is now delaying the launch of the next Xbox as it plans a 21 May event. The video below from What the Tech’s Paul Thurrott reveals Microsoft’s new plans, which have now shifted the supposed launch a month forward from 24 April to 21 May. The name of the next console is said to be “Xbox.” Perhaps Microsoft is copying Apple’s naming convention (“iPad” not “iPad 5”).

Watch from 54:44 for the Microsoft announcement Thurrott has unearthed some tasty tidbits regarding the launch. Firstly, it’s going to a minimal launch for the next Xbox, which has been code-named Durgano. We’ve covered the hardware of the next Xbox in an earlier article, so perhaps the later launch is needed for internal tweaking. Now that everyone knows what to expect, all Microsoft has to do is release a polished product.

Next up, the next Xbox will be “expensive”. So plan on dropping close to, or over US$500 on the new Xbox (launch price for the 360 was US$299). For us, US$400 seems too prohibitive for a product that needs to land in the hands of most consumers. Thankfully though there’s a subscription-based next-gen Xbox that will cost US$300.

Plus, there’s news of a revamped Xbox being released alongside the new Xbox. Codename: Stingray. Stingray will cost US$99 and it’s reason for existence can be pinpointed to backwards-compatibility, as the next-gen console won’t play Xbox 360 games.

It’s been an excellent few weeks for the next Xbox, with nuts such as Microsoft Studios creative director Adam Orth mouthing off about the “always online” necessity of the next Xbox. Microsoft later issued an apology, but most of the PR damage was already done by that point. The next Xbox will most assuredly be an always online console, much like the upcoming PS4.

What we know of the next Xbox so far (care of a leaked internal document) is that it’s a console obsessed with sharing, will rock  a blue-ray drive and will sport a new internal Kinect. Hopefully, the next Xbox will be shown at this years E3 in Las Vegas.