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Entirely Speculative Headline of the Day

New Xbox Controller Might Have a Touchscreen, Crib the Wii U

by Max Eddy | 2:00 pm, February 11th, 2012

Not much is currently known about the forthcoming Xbox console being cooked up inside Microsoft, but a new rumor recently surfaced about the console’s controller. The story goes that Microsoft engineers are taking a page from the Wii U and adding a touchscreen to their controller in addition to the traditional buttons and triggers. 

Rumored to be announced this coming June at E3 and speculated to be in stores some time in 2013, it’s pretty much anything goes as far as Xbox rumors are concerned. The whisperings about a touchscreen controller came from a recent issue of Xbox World Magazine, quoted by NeoGAF:

The next Xbox will be a matt-black [sic] media hub with a mission to bring games to life in your living room with augmented reality, directional sound, and a four-player finger-tracking Kinect. We told you all that last month. This month, our sources tell us it will have a touchscreen, too.

Microsoft are experimenting with a tablet-like controller with a shape closer to Sony’s sleek Vita handheld / Apple’s iPad than Wii U’s bulky unit – it’s an HD screen surrounded by the traditional 360 buttons and sticks.

On 360 that touchscreen will be second only to Kinect in how you operate your console. It could be a remote control when you’re watching TV, a browser when you’re on the internet, extra buttons and information when playing a game or a portable display when you want to take your game with you.

Of course, none of this is confirmed by any stretch of the imagination. However, considering that both Sony and Microsoft were caught flat-footed by the popularity of the motion control-based Wii, it’s appealing to think that they would be working to counter what Nintendo plans for the WiiU. Whether consumers think that touchscreens is how they want to interact with their console games is another question altogether.

(Xbox World Magazine via NeoGAF via Geek.com)

Relevant to your interests

  • Jackbondnj16

    Aww come on Microsoft. At least when you came out with the Kinect you were copying a fad Nintendo started, but turning it into something you can call your own. This? I’d expect this from Sony.

  • Noriyuke15

    this is just pathetic..

  • Anonymous

    How is it pathetic? I would LVOe to hear how your stupid mind works.

    Good idea? Maybe not. But better than the Wii U since it will not be the main control scheme. But not pathetic.

    The only annoying thing is if the controller is uncomfortable to hold, which the Wii U will clearly be. though no one plays the Wii long enough to get hand cramps.

  • Megaman82

    You can ALREADY use a touch screen controller for the xbox. Its called Windows Phone 7 and the companion app for the xbox.

  • Jackbondnj16

    Try waiting until you actually hold one before you make judgements like that.

  • Anonymous

    I never even thought about it liek that before .Dude, makes sense.
    Total-Privacy dot US

  • Jimjohn

    It’s “matte black”. Not “matt-black”. Journalism is suffering.

  • http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=1108619592539794277&hl=en-GB Jenny Gulfshores

    Yeah I think this a natural development for them – everyone wants touch interfaces. To be honest though you can see that Microsoft in the long run is going to blow touch away with the ‘you are the controller’ message – in the interim I guess they just want to do away with old fashioned controllers while the perfect Kinect.

  • Jacob Kirchheimer

    lol no, I believe Microsoft is the bigger copier. It just copies apple os, watch in a couple years:
    Windows: Linux Kernel Unix edition.
    also sony did copy the wii remote type doodah but improved it.

  • Jacob Kirchheimer

    I believe it’s pathetic b/c not only is ms being a copycat, it is using a dumb shit idea.

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  • Anonymous

    its gonna be an epic fail once it gets out and im surprised sony hasent thougth of this earlyier and nintendo isnt really a compitision its more like sony vs. microsoft lol

  • Bob jackson

     You do realize that apples os’s are all also stolen right? Also apple doesnt make linux

  • Colton Hozjan@yahoo.com

    Microsoft is way better than Sony they bribe their customers from switching to the better network xbox live

  • Tracey_k80

    sic. Look it up.

  • Martijnvantr

    Yes because we all like paying for xbox live just shut up you fanboy

    -From somebody that has all 

  • Xxcl0n3xx

    I, personally, despise the direction gaming is moving. I like my good old buttons. When I exercise, I don’t wanna do it in front of my TV. When I game, I like sitting on my couch, controller in hand, with minimal movement. I don’t want a touch-pad, I don’t want to swing my arms around, I want to sit and push buttons, period. If microsoft comes out with a touchpad, my last safe haven will be sony…for a short time. Once sony grabs it…I’ll be shilling out about a grand for a gaming pc and being done with consoles.

  • H3LL0_KiTTi

    eeeee…….. as soon as u get caught up with technology nd buy kinects nd brand new games nd stuff…… they come up wit somthing better nd whatever u hav becomes shit…..

  • Shichiban

    Crib isn’t a verb.


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