Rumors on the Xbox 720 graphics and visuals include possible built-in Natal technology including full HD stereoscopic 3D visuals. A possibility includes incorporation with the 3D television, with 3D technology similar to the 3D visuals in a 3D movie theatre. Chipmakers AMD and ATI have already made a GPU deal with Microsoft’s latest Xbox 720 development. The latest Xbox 360 Xeon GPU indicates its compatibility with legacy games.
Intel Larrabee or AMD Chipset ?
Speculation from the Inquirer newspaper in late 2008 reported that Intel is trying to get its latest high performance GPU Larrabee chipset into the latest next-generation Xbox 720. Sources from Inquirer states that Intel has offered Microsoft a deal in exchange for eliminating the use of AMD chip in its latest next-gen console. Intel will provide Microsoft with its own latest high performance chip including designing its thermals and enhancing the Larrabee chipset, allowing Microsoft to subcontract as it wishes. Larabee Two, the latest GPU design will possibly make a big impact in the deciding factor for Microsoft.
The current Xbox 360 is based on a PowerPC-based CPU made from IBM with a GPU designed by ATI. A possible Intel deal would change the landscape, with possible hardware backwards compatibility removed as a result. However, the advantages of a Larrabee chipset regarding its CPU function include an evolving toward throughput computing and are motivated by its energy-efficient performance capabilities. Its GPU component is evolving towards a general-purpose computing and is motivated by higher quality graphics and data-parallel programming.
The latest Xbox 360 Slim currently features a Vejle CPU/GPU combo processor. It is possible that the new Xbox 720 will use a AMD Fusion chip, possibly looking into the DX11-capable Krishna APU due to be released this year 2012. With AMD’s cutting edge technology, we could see Avatar-level visuals that involved high level CGI and 3D Capturing costing $1 million per every minute of footage. In addition to possible Avatar-level graphics, it will also feature enhanced AI and physics capabilities. An in-character game could take on its own individual AI personality.
What do you think of Xbox 720 potential graphic capability to reach Avator-like visual levels ? If gaming is becoming more realistic every generation, imagine the future it will hold when we will literally be in a virtual reality world of gaming where simulation will be as real as real life.