Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer yesterday seemingly confirmed a brand new version of the Xbox 360 hardware that includes the motion-sensing Natal technology built in to the hardware.

TGDaily reports that the iconic exec told attendees at The Executive’s Club of Chicago that a new hardware SKU equipped with Natal is “really close to actuality”.

However, just hours after word of the claims begun to spread Destructoid got on the phone to Microsoft’s director of product management Aaron Greenberg who outright denied the claims: “I can tell you that we are not launching a new console in 2010.”

“We’re not going to have to require customers to reinvest in an entirely new platform. We’re able to add Project Natal on top of what’s already there. This will work with your Xbox 360 if you’re buying one today, a year from now, or if you bought one at launch.”

With most now believing that the current generation of technologies is here to stay for quite some time, it’s hard to believe that none of the current platform holders will try and gain a market advantage by releasing a new SKU that whilst supporting existing catalogues also offers added value.

Only time will tell whether that will be a Natal-equipped Xbox 360, a slim PS3 or an HD Wii.