Whilst the experts argue over the varying merits of the two upcoming formats which hope to succeed the humble DVD, the only thing ultimately certain is that a lot of consumers are going to loose out when one format eventually emerges from the fracas on top. Given that the format is backed by Sony, it is unsurprising that are initially throwing their weight behind the Toshiba backed HD-DVD, having announced an external drive supporting the format, to be released for the later this year. However, as we today learn, this does not meaning that Microsoft are throwing everything into Toshiba's corner, instead admitting that an external Blu-ray drive could also be released if HD-DVD fails to win over the industry. The battle, despite looking like a potentially pivotal clash for the industry, in fact means very little to Redmond, who only make games on standard DVDs for the 360's internal drive.

The however, is all about Blu-ray, boasting a full internal drive which will play both films and games on the new format. Microsoft have in the past questioned the PS3's stance, stating that could be in trouble if HD-DVD emerges as the eventual roadmap forward for DVD technology. Not that this looks particularly likely, with most major film studios having pledged support for Blu-ray, which no longer lags behind HD-DVD in release schedules. We'll keep you posted on all this as we learn more.

By Luke Guttridge

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