Microsoft Patent Lends Weight To Xbox 720 Set-Top Box Rumors

The rumors of next gen Xbox consoles from Microsoft are floating around all over the place over the last few months. Back in November, we heard that there would be two new Xbox consoles launch with one aimed at the gamer and the other packing in some set-top box tech for the gamer that wants to watch TV too. A new patent has surfaced that lends weight to the version with the set-top box capability.

The art you see here came from patent number 8,083,593 that was granted to Microsoft in late December. It shows a way to have a DVR app running along with TV content to allow the ability to record media and pause on the console. The awesome thing is that the tech allows the gamer to be playing a game and recording TV content at the same time.

Microsoft has been adding in a lot of media options of late with Netflix and more. The writing on the wall is clear; Microsoft wants the Xbox to be for more than gaming. I would love to be able to shed my satellite cable boxes and just toss a Xbox on top of the TV instead. I hope that the tech will actually make it to market. Sometimes patents are just ways to force others to pay; I hope that's not the case here.

[via Kotaku]