The one and only head of Xbox himself, Phil Spencer, has revealed a wealth of new information for Microsoft's next-generation console: the Xbox Series X. The console has been confirmed to have a 12 teraflops of graphical performance, which is stated to be twice the power of an Xbox One X, or alternatively, eight times more powerful than the Xbox One. Additionally, players will be able to quickly pick their games up from a "suspended state", without having to wait through load screens, thanks to a new Quick Resume feature.

Next Generation Custom Processor: Xbox Series X is our most powerful console ever powered by our 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 (Graphics Processing Unit) performance – twice that of an Xbox One X and more than eight times the original Xbox One. Xbox Series X delivers a true generational leap in processing and graphics power with cutting edge techniques resulting in higher framerates, larger, more sophisticated game worlds, and an immersive experience unlike anything seen in console gaming.

The new Xbox also promises more stable performance in games, and higher framerates. The console will support up to 120fps, and by using HDMI 2.1 the Xbox will automatically switch your TV or monitor to the best settings for gaming, including auto low latency mode, and a variable refresh rate, which will change the screen's refresh rate to match your current game.

• Variable Rate Shading (VRS): Our patented form of 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.
• Hardware-accelerated DirectX Raytracing: You can 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 as you explore the game world.

Immersion in an instant

The next console generation will be defined by more playing and less waiting. And when play begins, we know many gamers demand ultra-low latency to be as immersed and precise as possible. To this end, the team analyzed every step between player and game, from controller to console to display, and asked how we could make it faster.

• SSD Storage: With our next-generation SSD, nearly every aspect of playing games is improved. Game worlds are larger, more dynamic and load in a flash and fast travel is just that – fast.
• Quick Resume: 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.
• Dynamic Latency Input (DLI): We’re optimizing latency in the player-to-console pipeline starting with our 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 are even more precise and responsive.
• HDMI 2.1 Innovation: We’ve partnered with the HDMI forum and TV manufacturers to enable the best gaming experience through features such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). ALLM allows Xbox One and Xbox Series X to automatically set the connected display to its lowest latency mode. VRR synchronizes the display’s refresh rate to the game’s frame rate, maintaining smooth visuals without tearing. Ensuring minimal lag and the most responsive gaming experience.
• 120 fps Support: 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.

As previously confirmed, the Xbox Series X will have backwards compatibility for all currently supported original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles, along with the Xbox One library. Unique to the new Xbox will be "smart delivery", which means users can buy a game for the Xbox One, and if they have an Xbox Series X, they'll get the new version for no extra charge. This feature is on a per-game basis however, with only Cyberpunk 2077 and Halo Infinite announced as part of the smart delivery program.

The next generation of game compatibility

The benefits of the next console generation extend in every direction, bringing greater visual fidelity and improved loading speeds to your existing gaming legacy, in addition to new games. We’re continuing our commitment to compatibility with Xbox Series X and investing in technology that makes game ownership easier across generations.

• Four generations of gaming: Our commitment to compatibility means existing Xbox One games, including backward-compatible Xbox 360 and original Xbox games, look and play better than ever before. Your favorite games, including titles in Xbox Game Pass, benefit from steadier framerates, faster load times and improved resolution and visual fidelity – all with no developer work required. Your Xbox One gaming accessories also come forward with you.
• Smart Delivery: This technology empowers you to buy a game once and know that – whether you are playing it on Xbox One or Xbox Series X – you are getting the right version of that game on whatever Xbox you’re playing on. We’re 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. This technology is available for all developers and publishers, and they can choose to use it for titles that will be release on Xbox One first and come to the Xbox Series X later.
• Xbox Game Pass: In addition to games from across four generations of consoles, our leading game subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, will continue to have our first party games, like Halo Infinite, included at their launch. We look forward to millions of you experiencing the Xbox Game Pass portfolio and immersing yourselves in a deep library of high-quality games, playing those you love now and also discovering your next great adventure.

A generation with players at the center

Xbox Series X is our fastest, most powerful console ever, designed for a console generation that has you at its center. This means a high-fidelity gaming experience enclosed in a quiet and bold design, with the ability to discover thousands of games across four generations, all with more playing and less waiting.

Whether it’s empowering amazing creators at our 15 Xbox Game Studios, fueling game discovery with Xbox Game Pass, or expanding what and where you can play with Project xCloud, Team Xbox stands for frictionless pathways between players and the best experiences our remarkable art form has to offer. Xbox Series X represents that same commitment for players who want immediate immersion in games that also look and feel better than ever.

We can’t wait to share more details about the new Xbox with you in the coming months.

Source

 

[codezer0]

It will be interesting to see what this console is capable of once it's out. Hopefully it won't be plagued by poor thermals like their 360 was, but it seems like they had it ironed out by the Xbox One

The Xbox One was designed with hyper paranoia about runaway thermal situations, especially compared to any given release of the ps4.

To put it in perspective, a common mod for those affluent enough, is to open a ps4 up to apply liquid metal between the apu and heatsink, especially on the ps4 pro for being famously hot. A video on YouTube showed doing this to a ps4 pro and an xbox one x. Long story short, both showed improvements, but the ps4 pro was drastically improved, both in the efficiency of thermal transfer and how loud the fan needed to get to keep things under control. The Xbone did improve, but didn't seem to need the assistance like the Sony console did.

 

[kumikochan]

So...here is the deal:
I skipped the Xbox One because all of my xbox 360 games (99% shmups) were incompatible with their backwards compatibility.

From this news article I get the impression that, with the Xbox One Series X, *every* game will be compatible.
Am I right in my thinking that I can just download my previous purchases (everything was bought Digital on the 360 by me) on the Xbox One Series X, and that they will just work?

The OG Xbox as well as the 360 had some of my most beloved games and I would love to play them all on one console.

If that is the case this *might* be the tipping point that convinces me to invest in an Xbox One Series X.
The Ball is on your side now Sony - impress me.

Not every game, they said xbox box compatible games meaning they still have to make it work through emulation. The upside of this and not doing it natively is that when they do decide to make a game compatible they make it run better smoother with not only an increased resolution but also update the textures in that game itself to a much higher resolution than running it natively would. The xbox one one games however from their statement are gonna do that automatically because it is the same architecture so they don't have to resort to emulation like with the 360 games.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

The Xbox One was designed with hyper paranoia about runaway thermal situations, especially compared to any given release of the ps4.

To put it in perspective, a common mod for those affluent enough, is to open a ps4 up to apply liquid metal between the apu and heatsink, especially on the ps4 pro for being famously hot. A video on YouTube showed doing this to a ps4 pro and an xbox one x. Long story short, both showed improvements, but the ps4 pro was drastically improved, both in the efficiency of thermal transfer and how loud the fan needed to get to keep things under control. The Xbone did improve, but didn't seem to need the assistance like the Sony console did.

I just drilled a hole where the fan is on the bottom and hot glued a meshing to the inside over it and screwed a cleaner looking dust filter over the outside and raised it in height a bit so the air could blow out properly. Mine didn't go over 65 degrees celcius once since i've done that

 

[DryerRaptor4441]

Good to see AMD. Massive fanboy here

 

[Plasmaster09]

Project Spark was so cool. Cancelled. Fable Legends cancelled, Scalebound cancelled. Nothing exclusive in the works.

I'd rather buy Stadia TBH.

that's the best insult I've read in months and I don't know if you meant it that way

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

The unique experience of the Wii sold it. Exclusives really don't matter to most people. Xbox Live is so much better than any other similar offering and has been for a long time. People forget that the 360 outsold the PS3 outside of Japan. There's a lot of considerations that go into a console purchase. For me personally it really comes down to: Is it from Sony? If so, then no thanks.

...the Wii also had an obscene amount of exclusives, whether first-party, third-party or indie. Nintendo pulled triple A titles out of their library like a poker cheat pulling two decks worth of aces from his sleeves.

 

[sarkwalvein]

You know, many people here talk about gaming on PC.
And gaming on PC is good, I mean I've gamed on PC when I was younger quite a lot.
But TBH, for me the best about gaming on PC was enjoying a lot of experimental stuff and customizing everything. It was not about cutting-edge, never was.

That said I should say I consider I have a quite decent PC (bought a couple of years back).
It can probably play many things in medium to high settings in 1440p, GPU-wise it's probably around a PS4-Pro, CPU-wise it destroys any console. I have many games for it... but I don't play on PC, I just can't. I get on the PC and I completely lose any will to play. I have an idea for the reason, I work the whole damn day with PCs and at the end of the day I see a PC and I can only think of work... probably just me, can't get in the mood anymore.

But well, other than that I consider what many of you say just false. If you don't take piracy into consideration building a PC that would give you equivalent gaming pleasure as a console is always more expensive, and keeping a PC in a state the it still can play games well enough is also more expensive than buying a console. IMHO.

 

[Jayro]

This new generation is gonna be awkward as fuck, unless they change that awful name. Project Scarlett was way better of a name, even if it was only used internally for development. Now it will be abreviated to SeXbox or Xbox SeX all over the internet, and that can't be good for business.

 

[sarkwalvein]

The sexy SXbox! Sounds good enough.

 

[D34DL1N3R]

The Xbox Series X will have a 12 teraflops GPU, quick resume feature, "smart delivery", and no exclusives.

Fixed that for everyone.

 

[sarkwalvein]

The Xbox Series X will have a 12 teraflops GPU, quick resume feature, "smart delivery", and no exclusives.

Fixed that for everyone.

No exclusives is not so bad (though it will sure have some Halo and Forza).
If you are going to fix it in a way that hurts somebody write something like "mediocre third party support, specially regarding Japanese games".

 

[DANTENDO]

No exclusives is not so bad (though it will sure have some Halo and Forza).
If you are going to fix it in a way that hurts somebody write something like "mediocre third party support, specially regarding Japanese games".

Mayb Microsoft need to rethink its strategy in Japan - bundle the machine with free vouchers of a month supply of noodles

 

[D34DL1N3R]

No exclusives is not so bad (though it will sure have some Halo and Forza).
If you are going to fix it in a way that hurts somebody write something like "mediocre third party support, specially regarding Japanese games".

No exclusives is certainly a bad move and I will never understand why XB people think it isn't. What does it have to offer, if not exclusives? What incentive is there to buy an XB system when I can play it's entire library on a PC? The XB1 has a total of THREE retail exclusives, while the PS4 has around 80. What is not win win about gaming on a PC for all of the MS and multi-platform titles, and having a Sony and/or Nintendo console for it's exclusives? To me that's kind of an undeniable win win. I know people are going to disagree, but it's also my opinion and it's not going to change. For me personally, buying an XB system is a complete waste of $ when I have a gaming PC. Using a PC you also don't need to pay for XBL to play online. PC games are also usually cheaper and/or go on sale much more quickly and more often then on consoles. Not to mention every game will look better in the graphics department, than playing the same title on ANY console.

 

[DANTENDO]

No exclusives is certainly a bad move and I will never understand why XB people think it isn't. What does it have to offer, if not exclusives? What incentive is there to buy an XB system when I can play it's entire library on a PC? The XB1 has a total of THREE retail exclusives, while the PS4 has around 80. What is not win win about gaming on a PC for all of the MS and multi-platform titles, and having a Sony and/or Nintendo console for it's exclusives? To me that's kind of an undeniable win win. I know people are going to disagree, but it's also my opinion and it's not going to change. For me personally, buying an XB system is a complete waste of $ when I have a gaming PC. Using a PC you also don't need to pay for XBL to play online. PC games are also usually cheaper and/or go on sale much more quickly and more often then on consoles. Not to mention every game will look better in the graphics department, than playing the same title on ANY console.

How many mor times top end pcs are mor expensive and mor hassle to set up - if a kid or teenager has an xbox they don't a bloody pc - just because pcs are easy for you to use or build don't think everyone else is like you-and as what most people are saying the xbox series specs are top end pc

 

[kumikochan]

xbox is microsoft, microsoft is xbox, microsoft is mostly a pc software company, xbox is microsoft. A microsoft game is still a microsoft exclusive game. People always like to ignore and like to view Microsoftr and Xbox as 2 seperate things to fuel their idiotic sony fanboyism.

 

[TheRealNGB]

This all sounds promising but its the exclusive games that sell a console which xbox one lacked this gen.

Pretty much this, though i use my xbox for gaming considerably more than my computer and any other current gen system, the xbox ultimate deal is just too good to pass up.

Basically I have no interest at all in this system unless it plays games I can't play on my xbox one or pc, especially if my existing xbox one library doesn't fully carry over to it without additional charges, really at some point better graphics and load times becomes redundant without innovation which Microsoft has pretty much written off after two failed motion camera peripherals, Windows Mixed Reality eventually kind of got it right, but by the time they worked out most of the bugs people had already given up on it.

 

[sarkwalvein]

What incentive is there to buy an XB system when I can play it's entire library on a PC?

For me it's the other way around, what incentive is there to buy or use my PC for gaming, when I can play it's entire library on a cheaper, better performing XB system that doesn't make me think of work every time I sit in front of it?

Of course the entire library part is far from reality, and that annoys me (well, not that I would want the entire library, but actually a lot of those Japanese games that go to PS4 and Steam, but not to XB).

 

[Kubas_inko]

I'm honestly glad that these fools got so greedy that most folks would rather buy a console than a expensive PC that needs to be upgraded every couple of years. I always said it was a money pit being a PC gamer and it's now even more true now than a year or so ago.--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------I worry about that the most as that's probably why people even care about this stupid looking system.

No idea where you console fanbois keep getting the idea, that pc gamings is just about upgrades. If I want a closed platform only for gaming, I'd go for console. But if I want to do anything, I can go for PC. And, you know, graphics settings exist...

 

[Deleted User]

"Why would anyone want a console when PC is better at everything a console can do, can do more and is customizable?"
"Why are you putting a Blu ray drive in your PC?"
"Why are you putting a GTX 1650 in your PC?"
"Why did you build a gaming PC to play with a controller? Get a console if you want aim assist, noob!"
"This PC port is horribly optimized and performs much worse than the console version."
"How to make insert game here run correctly in only 99 steps."
"Why do you want to own physical copies?"


Arguments I've heard from the same people.

 

[mightymuffy]

12 TFlops is pretty impressive. The only issue is that PS5 will likely be using the exact same hardware, so there's no compelling reason to stick with Microsoft and their terrible UI/lack of exclusives.

Also, next gen consoles are gonna come in between $500 and $600, so there's going to be some sticker shock.

Similar hardware, like the current gen. Expect the PS5 to be SLIGHTLY more conservative though, with the gpu being rumoured around the 9-10 Tflops count ...but maybe a lower rrp? The current UI on the Xbox One is actually pretty good too, dunno when they changed to it though, probably about 3 or so months ago, it's a vertical thing now, but agreed if it's the previous UI you're talking about, fuckin hell that thing sucked... Most of the 360 UI's were fantastic though, especially the 'blades' one, but it does piss you off when they decide to break something that doesn't need fixing.

Elsewhere: OP - 'Smart Delivery' actually means in the case of BC games, the machine will only download the game data for the version you're going to run, ie if you're playing the Series X version of a game and that has a higher resolution texture pack, then it won't download (and waste storage space) the 'Xbox One' version texture pack, etc.

SSD bolted on to the board someone asked? Where does it even say that? What are you talking about...... Also the back of the unit has been shown and clearly shows room for an expansion slot, probably using some sort of caddy.

Finally, exclusives... ah yes the big Sony fans sarky comment! *Yawn* There's some great exclusives on the Xbox One that you can't play on PS4, true you can also play them on a gaming PC rig (that's aimed at hardcore PC gamers, that aren't interested in 'lowly' consoles etc etc ) but with Horizon Zero Dawn moving to PC this year itself, do you not think your PS exclusives are gonna follow suit? Of course they are, MS are just first to start it..

 

[geodeath]

No interest but love it when they said almost 2x the power of xbox 1 x, 8x the power of the original xbox one.

Yea snd guess what, no fucker takes advantage nor have they pushed either to its limits.

We do not need a next gen console yet. Its another shut up and take my money thing again.

This isn's true though. The current gen has been pushed way more than the same hardware has ever been on PCs.

Remember the original PS4 and XBONE came out 8 years before the next one will come... The hardware they carry, by PC standards is antiquated and laughable. Remember that the hardware is very limited and the drives are also mechanical.

I am not saying the hardware is not 'good enough' but do pop AC Odyssey or God of War, or Forza (which goes to 4k 60fps and is beautiful!) on an Xbox one X and see what they did with the 4k and HDR and tell me if you think the current gen can keep going for a long time.

It 'could' be supported for more years, which is what MS wants to do with the 'smart delivery' of the next xbox games, which is really cool, BUT you have to keep in mind developers won't bother with a platform when it reaches a certain gap of processing power (just like the Switch not getting the AAAs most of the time).

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

12 TFlops is pretty impressive. The only issue is that PS5 will likely be using the exact same hardware, so there's no compelling reason to stick with Microsoft and their terrible UI/lack of exclusives.

Also, next gen consoles are gonna come in between $500 and $600, so there's going to be some sticker shock.

MS bought a lot of studios while failing this gen, so expecting them to do the same mistake twice is not realistic, if anything, MS has shown they listen for feedback, they did change the model of the Xbox One after criticism and there is nothing to suggest that they will not have great exclusives this time around. If anything, exclusives lists have been getting smaller and smaller each gen, there are possibly 3-4-5 exclusives that i cared on the PS4 this gen, on the PS3 were more, etc. The UI is to taste, i prefered the UI of Sony in the beginning but MS refined it a lot lately as well.

 

[Codemastershock]

Except that's not what sold the Wii, if it were, the crappy motion control would be more common this gen. Exclusives are what sold the Wii. Exclusives are the only thing that moves Nintendo hardware other than their portables. Nintendo hasn't had a console worth buying non-exclusive games for since the GameCube. If a person had a Wii & PS3/360, they were buying AAA non-exclusive games for the PS3/360 not the Wii. Same can be said about the Wii U. Face the facts, software moves hardware, hardware doesn't move software. Microsoft doesn't have the software to move the hardware. Why buy an Xbox when it's literally nothing more than a limited PC that you can not upgrade & it has no exclusive content. Next gen Xbox online community for multiplayer games is going to be small compared to Sony.

I highly disagree about exclusives moving hardware especially for Nintendo.
If it was just Mario Kart Wii or Wii Sports alone it would sell ok, the novelty factor alongside the software is what sold the games. The Wii U had really good exclusive games especially compared to the competition at the time (the first years of PS4 and Xbox One were very weak, the graphical jump was small and it had a lot of cross-gen games and last-gen remasters), but the "innovation just for its sake" drove people mad (and the lack of a price drop made a purchase hard to justify). Even if the Wii U was more powerful and made the gamepad optional, it could not work because people would expect something new especially for Nintendo, like the GameCube. It has good games, decent performance and good price at the time, but lost because it was nothing new, people were soured by the 64 and it was slim in features. Even though the GC was cheaper and more powerful than the PS2, the Sony console was more valuable to the consumer because of its extended multimedia features and the GC was just a gaming console. Sony and Microsoft are kinda on a comfortable position that people just expect hardware gaps and not much else, but even then, these gaps are smaller and smaller (especially to show to a less tech-aware audience).
What it drives forward is not just gatekeeping software, but what you can offer based on the hardware you have, so it can truly feel like the hardware is capable of things never seen before.
Sony is not doing well because of exclusive content, many people see it as a bonus (or just to make dumb comparisons between manufacturers), because multiplatform games are always on the top of the most sold games of any platform. They are doing well mainly because the competition did worse, similar to the 5th gen, and history shows that the launch year is the most important period of any console.
I agree that Microsoft is kinda too focused on raw specs but not showing something worth of this power.

About the UI, I really hate the Switch and PS4 ui based on horizontal scrolling.
It is only good if you have like 6 games at most with some apps sprinkled, because if you have slightly more things installed, going all the way to the end of the list to access the content installed is so annoying, at least you can slightly avert this on the PS4 by creating folders. I like how the entire library is easily accessible on the Xbox One dashboard by pressing down and clicking the all games and apps section or y to bring the search bar (and now using the google assistant is kinda neat too). The main screen shows tthe recent 8 or so games and apps but you dont need to scroll all the way if you want to revisit a game or to watch something on an streaming service you had just renewed its subscription. The only true issue was the ui downloaded a lot of data for features that werent always useful to the player (the twists tabs like mixer, community...), so the browsing experience was slow, especially on a bad internet connection, but the 2002 update is quite nice, focusing more on loading less content and just with user request (which they should do this from the beginning). If you dont care about mixer or community, you can remove it, or the ready to install section is loaded if you want to redownload stuff and not on the startup of the console...