When announced at E3, it was said that Project Natal, the full body sensing controller for the Xbox 360 would be fully compatible with all existing 360 consoles. Rumours are now emerging, however, that the new device may well launch alongside a brand new Xbox console next year.

The current rumour, which began in a report from 1UP.com, suggests that Natal will be included as standard with a new console platform, featuring slightly updated technological features over the 360, which will serve to benefit future games, although all existing 360 software will still be compatible.

Microsoft have yet to comment on these rumours, though the expected launch time of next Autumn close to the fifth anniversary of the original 360's launch time. Five years is often cited as the average time a console spends as the "number 1" machine for its company, which would put a new, Natal-based console right on track.