Xbox 720 to copy Wii U touchscreen controller

Microsoft looks set to copy some of the features of Nintendo's Wii U, with plans to use a touchscreen controller in its Xbox 720 next-generation game console.

 

Sources cited by Xbox World magazine said that Microsoft is experimenting with a tablet controller with touchscreen capability, but that it will be closer in shape and size to the PlayStation Vita than the Wii U's somewhat larger controller.

 

Gamers might immediately accuse Microsoft of being a copycat, but it likely learned its lesson when the Wii released with features completely different to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. While some are not sure about Nintendo's new controller, Microsoft appears to recognise its potential, which takes advantage of the tablet craze since the launch of the original iPad in 2010.

 

 

Other features rumoured to be included in the Xbox 720, expected for release at the end of 2013, include augmented reality, directional sound, and a revamped Kinect which can track four people, with accuracy right down to identifying individual finger movements.

 

The tablet controller appears to be a smaller part of the next Xbox's feature list, playing a secondary role to the Kinect, so there will still be some major differences between Microsoft's console and the Wii U.

 

The Xbox 720 is likely to be expensive, however, with rumours suggesting a price tag of £399, which would be about €480 or $630. While the Wii U will be packing more punch than its predecessor, we can likely expect it to be significantly cheaper than its rivals.