LAS VEGAS -- Microsoft said at CES that it plans to offer an add-on drive for its Xbox 360 gaming console that employs the HD-DVD optical drive format.
The drive, expected later this year, will allow Xbox 360 owners to watch high-definition movies on HDTVs by playing them through the console, said Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices division. No price or launch date was given for the product.
The Xbox 360, which Microsoft launched in late 2005, supports high-definition gaming. Later this year Sony is expected to launch its own high-definition gaming console, the PlayStation 3. The Sony console will be based around Blu-ray optical drive technology, which is a competitor to HD-DVD in the race to become the de facto replacement for high-definition DVD content.
HD-DVD Supporters
Microsoft declared its support for HD-DVD last year before the Xbox 360 was launched. At the time Bill Gates, Microsoft's chairman and chief software architect, said HD-DVD wouldn't make it into the launch player but might play a part in the future of the console.
Earlier at CES, Toshiba unveiled its first two commercial HD-DVD players. Both will go on sale in the U.S. in March, and they will be priced at $500 and $800, Toshiba said.
For more CES coverage, head to PC World's CES Info Center.
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