A web-site reported on Thursday that Microsoft Corp. decided to code-name its next-generation Xbox game console "Durango". Previously it was reported that the software giant's future console is code-named "Loop".

According to "multiple sources" of Kotaku web-site, Microsoft Xbox Next will be code-named Durango until it is released to public sometimes in 2013 or 2014. Earlier a leaked Microsoft roadmap suggested that the code-name of Microsoft's future gaming system was Loop. Unfortunately, Microsoft did not confirm either code-name officially, therefore, both may have to do something with the next-gen Xbox.

The currently available Xbox 360 carried various code-names before it was officially unveiled, including Xenon, Xbox 2 and even Xbox FS. As it later turned out, Xenon was the code-name of an exact design (mainboard, CPU, GPU, etc.) of the Xbox 360: the one that was available at launch. More advanced versions of the X360 were code-named Zephyr, Falcon, Opus, Jasper, Trinity/Valhalla and Corona.

While it is unknown for sure, the whole Xbox Next project may be called Loop, whereas the first commercial version of the system can carry the code-name Durango.

Rumours suggest that Microsoft has already started to send development kit of Xbox Loop video game console to game developers. It was reported in January that contract manufacturers had already started to produce system-on-chips for Xbox Next development kit. The SoCs are reportedly code-named Oban and feature PowerPC microprocessor cores, AMD Radeon HD graphics processing engine based on the so-called GCN (graphics core next) architecture. Earlier it was reported that Xbox Next would feature an ARM-based heterogeneous system-on-chip (SoC) with  multiple dedicated assistive cores for graphics, AI, physics, sound, networking, encryption and sensors.

Microsoft did not comment on the news-story.

Tags: Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Next, Xbox Loop, 32nm, Globalfoundries, IBM, Durango