The next-generation console platform from Microsoft, referred to colloquially as the Xbox 720, has been subject to a new round of leaks today courtesy of a Chinese website.
The website, TGFC (via GameChup), purports to have information about the upcoming device, with a post from someone claiming to be a former employee of Ubisoft in China. The individual disclosed a set of hardware specifications about the next-gen console, which he says the studio had in-house to work on as-yet-undisclosed next-gen games.
According to the poster, the Xbox 720 will feature a CPU with 8 cores, an AMD 8000-series GPU, 8GB RAM, and the Windows 8 kernel. The dev kit at the studio is also purported to contain a 640gb hard drive, which would make sense for a console heavily dependent on digital downloads.
Not to be confused with current Windows 8 devices, the next-gen console, if the specs are true, are certainly in line with Microsoft's plan to use Windows 8's architecture in everything they produce, from phones and tablets to desktop computers. It would only make sense for their flagship gaming device to be based on the same kernel, which would allow for better compatibility with their other products.
As with other rumors about next-gen hardware, the leak should be taken with a punch (and not pinch) of salt, as Microsoft itself has yet to disclose the existence of a device. Expect them to make some announcement at this year's E3 2012.
