Microsoft is reportedly prepping its follow-up to the Xbox 360, with plans to start mass-producing the console’s components by the end of the year and release it in October or November of 2013.

Quoting unnamed sources, IGN reports Microsoft plans to get development kit in the hands of game makers in August. Many people have speculated that a more advanced version of the Kinect sensor would be built into the console, but IGN doesn’t address that rumor.

If the report is accurate, Microsoft might release some info at June’s E3 expo, which would be an excellent time to spoil Nintendo’s Wii U coming-out festivities. In any case, it’s comforting to Xbox 360 owners to know that their old warhorse still has more than a year and a half before it becomes obsolete.

Xbox 720 Will Be Six Times as Powerful as Current Gen [IGN]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.