We’ve all heard about how “convergence” is what will drive future technology. And it looks like we may be closer to that idea than most imagined. A new Xbox could be coming our way as a patent reveals (rather complicatedly) some of the features that could be available on the next generation of a Microsoft console. Although it cites Xbox as an example of how the patent describes a “gaming device”, it’s not completely clear if that is what the patent is for:

“A gaming system including handheld devices and console devices has variable functionality and processing performance as determined by the number of components in the system. Gaming components can be combined wirelessly, by wired connections (e.g., via a docking station), or a combination thereof. The processing capabilities and functionality of each gaming component in a combination are augmented by the processing capabilities and functionality of other gaming components in the combination. To take advantage of another gaming components processing capabilities and memory capacity, each gaming component is capable of utilizing another gaming component to process gaming applications. Further, each gaming component is capable of rendering audio and/or video information provided by another gaming component.”

The rise of the ultimate home entertainment device is here! Expect to see errors across all your Windows devices, from phones, to consoles, your MP3 players, PCs and even your car, if it will tie in to the system! Looks like Microsoft is already hard at work creating the successor to the Xbox 360, considering it’s market life of about five years! One thing’s for sure though, that patent’s probably got the largest use of the word “gaming” in all that have ever been filed. I wonder whether the next generation of the Microsoft console could “lend” its processing power to an Xbox Portable Gaming device, at least that would somehow allow me to play Fable on a handheld. Boy, how I would like something like that…

via [UnwiredView]

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• Krishnan Rajagopal Says:
  Wednesday, April 25th, 2007 02:49 pm GMT +5.5 at 2:49 pm

  That’s all I want now. To see a “The data on this refrigerator is corrupt. Please call Microsoft Support and give them this reference number:
  0X 101001001000100…. 2!
  Dumping contents of fridge. Microsoft Windows Fridge Edition would like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy Ramadan fast!” error.

  Oh what the hell, as long as I can somehow carry the Xbox 1 games on a handheld, they’re redeemed.