Xbox 360 Blu-ray Rumors Heat Back Up

It’s been a clean five months since we’ve last heard rumors about a prospective Blu-ray add-on for the Xbox 360, but that can of worms has just been re-opened with the help of X-bit labs. They claim that Microsoft is working on preparing an external Blu-ray drive, although the site is currently unsure when we’ll see an actual launch. They believe that since the format isn’t overly popular, Microsoft may decide to wait until January’s CES to build up a huge buzz.

Toshiba might not want anything to do with Blu-ray, understandably so, but their joint cooperation with Samsung is the company contracted to build these drives, which Microsoft is hoping to launch for between the $100 – $150 price-point, in order to compete with the Playstation 3, which of course includes support for the format without the need for an external drive.

This move would make sense for Microsoft, and the posting at X-bit seems quite sure that it’s going to happen. It may result in a clunky setup, but it would be nice to have a choice between paying for a high-def format or not having one. I’m incredibly happy that the Playstation 3 came with Blu-ray, but it’s obvious that not everyone takes advantage of the movie capabilities. The choice should be made easier when the next-gen consoles arrive, as long as another format isn’t going to be introduced.

The main reason why Microsoft is unenthusiastic regarding Blu-ray is mandatory support of BD-Java interactive technology and Sony’s reluctance to adopt competing tech called HDi that was developed by Microsoft. Even though Microsoft managed to push its VC-1 codec onto both Blu-ray and HD DVD markets, the company’s negative attitude towards Java prevented it from supporting the former standard in general. As a result, the company used to sell external HD DVD drive for Xbox 360.