Even though the PS4 will not be debuting at E3 2012, popular opinion says Microsoft is still poised to make a big announcement at this summer's show. While details regarding that next-gen console, heretofore known as the Xbox 720, have popped up here and there, nothing concrete has been confirmed by the folks at Microsoft.
However, we do have some hints as to how powerful this next-gen console might be, both in terms of current processor comparisons and claims made by folks involved with the tech. What we have found out is that the Xbox 720 will be about six times as powerful as the current console generation, and will yield about 20 percent more performance than Nintendo's next-gen console the Wii U.
To put that into a more real world perspective, tech blogs Fudzilla and SemiAccurate are claiming the graphics processor for the 720 is a riff on AMD's 6000 series GPU, not the 7000 series. Those same tech blogs point to the Radeon HD 6670 as the closest comparison to what will be under the Xbox 720's hood. Of course, to be six times as powerful as this current gen, one has to imagine some added flourish will be put into whatever GPU Microsoft manufactures or licenses.
Aside from that, though, we really have no idea how powerful of a machine Microsoft is creating for the next-gen, but we imagine that to change within the next couple of months. Much like when the Wii U details started floating around, we expect more details to slip out here and there to give a clearer picture of the Xbox 720 — with hopefully a big reveal taking place during E3 2012.
And then there is Sony, who is going to be watching from the shadows, keeping a careful eye on what their competitors are doing, so it would behoove Microsoft to go create a console with a little more longevity.
What would you like to see out of Microsoft's Xbox 720 in terms of a GPU? Are you disappointed to hear that the closest comparison to that GPU is a lesser model PC GPU?