The next Microsoft console will be announced this May and be in retailers’ windows by November. That’s the rather bold claim by tech blogger, Paul Thurrot, made in his latest ‘What The Tech’ podcast.

Thurrot, who presides over Paul Thurrott’s Supersite for Windows, placed the date for the console’s reveal on May 21st. He also said that the new console will simply be branded ‘Xbox’ and not Xbox 720 as many industry analysts have speculated.

Thurrott also said that the device would require an ‘always-on’ internet connection in order to work, which seems to back up some of the rumours about the device stating that it won’t work offline.

“Going back and looking at some of the stuff I got a long time ago, it actually says ‘must be internet-connected to use’ in the notesm and that’s all I have, but it does say that,” said Thurrott.

Thurrott also mentioned a possible retail price for the new Xbox – “Durango is going to be expensive, you know $500, $300 for the subscription model” – and that it’s release date has been earmarked for November.

“Early November, yeah,” Thurrott said. “E3 is going to occur. Build is going to occur in San Francisco in June when they’re going to talk about the developer story because it’s a Windows 8 device.”

As E3 rumbles into view on the horizon, one has to wonder if Microsoft will have anything left to announce by the time it arrives.