Microsoft is rumoured to be facing manufacturing problems that could result in a delay to its planned Xbox 720 launch in September 2013.

That's according to tech site SemiAccurate, which claims that a chip for the console referred to as 'Oban' is producing "painfully low" yields (a measure of functioning devices).
Microsoft has reportedly outsourced production to three separate factories in the hope that one will come up with a fix.

Supply chain sources told the site that the platform holder's launch schedule can accommodate a six to eight week delay before Microsoft would have to delay its planned Xbox 720 release in September 2013.

The site also says of the Xbox 720's innards: "SemiAccurate has been saying for a while that all signs were pointing toward a PowerPC, specifically an IBM Power-EN variant.

"The dark horse was an x86 CPU, but it was a long shot. It looks like the long shot came through, moles are now openly talking about AMD x86 CPU cores and more surprisingly, a newer than expected GPU. How new? HD7000 series, or at least a variant of the GCN cores, heavily tweaked by Microsoft for their specific needs."

EA Labels president Frank Gibeau suggested last week that Xbox 720 and PS4 are due to launch "in about a year's time". More recently, he labelled next gen consoles the company's currently making games for "spectacular".

Posted: Sep 06, 2012 9:14 am

Source: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/366853/chip-problems-could-delay-xbox-720s-planned-september-2013-launch/