A new report from insider sources suggests that Microsoft's next video game console will require a persistent Internet connection to lock out second-hand games from being played on the system.

Edge is citing "sources with first-hand experience of Microsoft's next generation console" saying that games for the system will be available via download or as Blu-ray discs with a capacity of up to 50GB. The disc-based games will reportedly all ship with an activation code tying the game to a single user account, making the disc essentially worthless on the second-hand market.

Reports that Microsoft would use some method to stifle the secondhand game market on its next console first surfaced over a year ago, though this report is one of the strongest indications that such a system would require an Internet connection. Tying the system to the Internet would limit the next Xbox's potential reach, but maybe not as much as you might think—a 2010 study found that only 27 percent of Xbox 360s weren't connected to the Internet, and that number has likely declined in the years since.

Rumors surrounding Sony's next PlayStation suggest that Sony may also be looking into used-game-blocking technology for its system, but a recent patent application shows that Sony's method could use RFID chips embedded on discs rather than requiring an Internet connection. There's some legal question as to whether these kind of technical prevention methods would run afoul of the first-sale doctrine in the US. Sony is expected to announce more about its next home console on Feb. 20.

The Edge report also reiterates previously reported rumors regarding the next Xbox's technical specs: an AMD eight-core x64 1.6GHz CPU, a D3D11.x 800MHz GPU, and 8GB of DDR3 RAM. Edge also hints at an improved version of the Kinect 3D motion-sensing camera shipping alongside the new system.