Next Xbox Rumor: Tablet Controller Similar to Wii U

Xbox Magazine has speculated that the next Xbox will feature a new HD touch screen controller. The size of the controller will be comparable to the Vita and the iPad instead of the Wii U.

The next Xbox will be a matt-black 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.

If this is true than both the Wii U and the Xbox 720 will have similar functionality with it‘s controllers. Sony can also give the PS3 the same set of features due to its “Cross Play” with the PS Vita.

Wondering how much the Xbox 720 will cost you? “Microsoft are playing it safe with the CPU and GPU but running wild with the functions that will change how you play, but it won’t be cheap.”  The article speculates that the price will be over $600, which makes sense if rumors about its graphics capabilities and tablet controller are true.

Sources: NeoGaf and Game Trailers