Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told Gizmodo in a recent interview that a Blu-ray accessory could be coming to the Xbox 360.
"Well I don't know if we need to put Blu-ray in there," Ballmer told Gizmodo, responding to a question about Blu-ray in the Xbox 360. "You'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories."
Ballmer then quickly hedged his bets a little, saying that he believes that "the future of movies is on-demand, actually, as opposed to via distribution on physical media." He then said that his company is focused on trying to create the "best overall entertainment experience" that it can.
Ballmer's comments about on-demand video echoes what we've heard from the Microsoft camp all year. The company has consistently said that it's tying its future to Netflix and streaming HD content.
But what about Blu-ray? Rumors have been swirling for over a year that a Blu-ray add-on is coming to the Xbox 360. In fact, last October, it was reported that Microsoft had Blu-ray add-ons from Samsung and Toshiba ready for store shelves. Those products (if they existed) were never released.
But are Ballmer's comments confirmation that a Blu-ray add-on is finally coming to the Xbox 360? It's tough to say. Ballmer might have misspoken. Or he could have spoken out of turn. When Gizmodo followed up with Microsoft press relations, they weren't so forthcoming.
"Our immediate solution for Blu-ray-quality video on an Xbox 360 is coming this fall with Zune Video and 1080p instant-on HD streaming," Microsoft told Gizmodo following the interview. "As far as our future plans are concerned, we're not ready to comment."
Microsoft did not immediately respond to my request for comment.
So what is Microsoft's vision going forward? Is the company focusing its efforts on streaming HD content or will it really deliver a Blu-ray add-on for the Xbox 360? At this point, Microsoft hasn't confirmed that such an add-on exists, so Ballmer's comments are open for interpretation.
So we leave it up to you. Will the Xbox 360 feature a Blu-ray add-on? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
