Split-Screen :: The Game-Geek’s Daily Read

by Ravi Sinha

Microsoft’s new Jasper chipset – with a 65nm die (older systems had a 90nm die) – appears to address the burgeoning Red Ring of Death (RRoD) woes. According to VentureBeat (famous for their RRoD expose in September), the Jasper systems have a 150-watt power supply, and a smaller graphics chip, so the “thermal fatigue”, which previously caused it to come loose, has been eliminated.

In summary, all these new changes should eliminate the older hardware problems. But with the New Xbox Experience only compounding these problems in the older systems, you really have to question whether Microsoft’s long over-due fixes won’t be hampered by the same. Especially since NXE glitches, like the RRoD and overheating, are yet to be amended.

One user on the Official XBox forums had this to say after he bricked his first 360 and rented a new one,

“Guess what? No RRoD but now the DVD drive isn’t working on that. I’m starting to get the feeling that [NXE] wasn’t tested enough with all of the different types of 360 hardware out there. A lot of the components used are different depending on when the console was manufactured.”

It’s still unconfirmed whether the new chipset actually neutralizes the glitches – Microsoft couldn’t have known about NXE‘s flaws weeks in advance, which is when Jasper 360s entered into the mainstream. But shouldn’t they have at least waited until NXE was launched before going ahead and including it on every new chipset? Interestingly enough, when the glitches first appeared, the company waited more than a week to reveal Jasper, along with details about the inclusion of NXE – though the decision was indubitably taken much in advance.

To be fair, many of NXE‘s other glitches – connection freezes, slow downs, lock ups, broken TV connections – are yet to be fixed. Also, they exist independent of system architecture, many being attributed to immense traffic on Day 1 of the launch. Regardless, we hope Microsoft sorts out its firmware fiasco soon, so that the real and more eagerly anticipated 360 benefits aren’t overshadowed.