Microsoft To Design Xbox 3 CPU

In the gaming world right now, IBM is king. Its processors, come November, will be powering all three next-generation consoles, meaning that you'll inevitably end up on a POWER-based machine at some point. This won't be the case with the next generation of machines, as Microsoft has decided to make the Xbox "720" a completely in-house operation, designing and manufacturing the CPU on its own. This would be a first for Microsoft, as they've never designed a chip from the ground up before. It remains to be seen how well these design sessions go (and how much cash Microsoft is willing to sink into gaming); with any luck, it'll turn out better than Vista did.

[via GamePro]