Xbox Series X gets new hardware details

Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, has announced new details about the Xbox Series X, the upcoming next generation console from Microsoft.

Xbox Series X promises to be the powerful console ever powered by custom designed processor leveraging AMD’s latest Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures. Delivering four times the processing power of an Xbox One and enabling developers to leverage 12 TFLOPS of GPU performance – twice that of an Xbox One X and more than eight times the original Xbox One.

Microsoft's patented form of Variable Rate Shading (VRS) empowers developers to more efficiently utilize the full power of the Xbox Series X. Rather than spending GPU cycles uniformly to every single pixel on the screen, they can prioritize individual effects on specific game characters or important environmental objects. This technique results in more stable frame rates and higher resolution, with no impact on the final image quality.

Fans can also expect more dynamic and realistic environments powered by hardware-accelerated DirectX Raytracing – a first for console gaming. This means true-to-life lighting, accurate reflections and realistic acoustics in real time. With support for up to 120 fps, Xbox Series X allows developers to exceed standard 60 fps output in favor of heightened realism or fast-paced action.

With a next-generation SSD, nearly every aspect of playing games is said to be improved. Game worlds are larger, more dynamic and load in a flash and fast travel is just that – fast. The new Quick Resume feature lets you continue multiple games from a suspended state almost instantly, returning you to where you were and what you were doing, without waiting through long loading screens.

The company is optimizing latency in the player-to-console pipeline starting with Xbox Wireless Controller, which leverages our high bandwidth, proprietary wireless communication protocol when connected to the console. With Dynamic Latency Input (DLI), a new feature which synchronizes input immediately with what is displayed, controls promise to be even more precise and responsive.

Microsoft is committed to compatibility, which means existing Xbox One games, including backward-compatible Xbox 360 and original Xbox games, look and play better than ever before. Xbox One gaming accessories also come forward with you.

With Smart Delivery, whether you are playing a game on Xbox One or Xbox Series X – you are getting the right version of that game. Microsoft are making the commitment to use Smart Delivery on all our exclusive Xbox Game Studios titles, including Halo Infinite, ensuring you only have to purchase a title once in order to play the best available version for whichever Xbox console they choose to play on.

More details about the new Xbox are promised in the coming months, leading up to E3. Xbox Series X will be available Holiday 2020.

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