According to reports by Japanese newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Ballmer made the remark during a press conference in Japan. Many had expected the new Xbox to arrive a year earlier.

Microsoft representatives refused to confirm the 2006 date. "No date has been announced for future Xbox products or services," the company said in a statement. "Our executives often talk about the future in terms of vision and the possibilities of technology. This is what allows us to be innovative as a company."