This article is more than 1 year old

Xbox 360 to go Blu, says Ballmer

CEO confirms Blu-ray drive incoming

Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer has promised that an external Blu-ray drive is coming to the Xbox 360.

During a recent interview on the future of Project Natal, the motion-control system for Xbox. Ballmer was asked if Microsoft plans to put Blu-ray into the games console.

Although he told website Gizmodo that he doesn’t know if Blu-ray needs to be integrated into the console, Ballmer added that “you’ll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories”.

Since the downfall of the HD DVD format, for which Microsoft famously produced a now defunct external Xbox 360 drive, the firm has been very cagey about the potential addition of Blu-ray to its console.

In fact, Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft’s Group Product Manager for the Xbox 360, stated back in October 2008 that Microsoft had “no plans to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience”.

Perhaps Greenberg actually meant that Xbox 360s with integrated Blu-ray drives will never be produced and that external Blu-ray drives will arrive for the console? Who knows - it's certainly been rumoured often enough that one is on the way.

One thing we can be certain of, though, is that – according to the horse's mouth – Blu-ray is coming to the Xbox 360. ®

More about

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like