Xbox 360 Blu-ray rumours return

It’s been

claimed

, and

denied

, repeatedly since

the demise of HD-DVD

, but now new talk of a possible Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360 has emerged.

Xbit Laboratories claims that the Toshiba-Samsung Storage Technology Corp has already entered into a contract to build external Blu-ray drives for Xbox 360, which is expected to have an RRP of between $100-$150.

Achieving this would mean buying an Xbox 360 and additional Blu-ray drive would still be cheaper than buying Sony’s console. PS3’s Blu-ray support is still one of the console’s main selling points, though some commentators have cast doubt on Blu-ray’s long-term future.

Some are predicting a pre-Christmas launch, though others point to an unveiling at next year’s Consumer Electronics Show.