HIGHLIGHTS
- The next-gen Xbox console will be called the Xbox Series X.
- The Series X will support 8K gameplay and hardware-enabled ray-tracing.
- The Series X will also come with the new Xbox controller.
The next-gen consoles are coming next year and Microsoft is the first one to come officially preview its upcoming Xbox console that will hit the shelves in 2020. Known so far as Project Scarlet, Microsoft will eventually call it the Xbox Series X, and you must have guessed, there could be more than one models similar to the Xbox One series- this is still a speculation. The Series X promises better performance with upgraded hardware and a new design.
The highlights of the Series X include 8K gameplay, up to 120fps frame rates, variable refresh rate and support for ray tracing. It is said that the hardware will be on par with what Sony will offer with its PS5 next year but Microsoft will obviously say the Xbox will be superior. The final product lineup hasn’t been shown yet but the flagship model from Series X will have some serious upgrades over the Xbox One X. Microsoft says the internal upgrades are more notable than ever.
Microsoft said it is using a custom design processor that’s based on AMD’s Zen 2 and Radeon RDNA architecture. The graphics are where most of the work has gone and Microsoft says the GPU performance has gone up to 12 teraflops, which is double than the 6 teraflops of the Xbox One X. The console will also use an NVMe SSD storage that will help with faster load times. The new Xbox will feature low latency tech that Microsoft claims will make it the most responsive console for next year.
At the Game Awards 2020, Microsoft previewed the first game that will be the launch title for the Series X- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. The game’s trailer was taken from in-game footage rendered on Series X and it seems quite realistic with powerful graphics enhancements.
As for the external hardware, Microsoft has changed the design of the console and it now looks more akin to an air purifier or a custom-built gaming PC. The Series X console is taller like a desktop CPU box and is rectangular, with a massive air vent on the top. Gamespot says the console is as tall as three Xbox One X controllers stacked on top of each other and as wide as one Xbox One X controller. The design is minimalist and it only has one USB port at the front. None of the connectivity options has been detailed yet but we expect Microsoft to release them next year when the Series X actually launches.
The Xbox controller has also been revamped and while it looks similar to the One X controller, it is slightly smaller than the existing controller and will feature a Share button to share screenshots and game clips more easily. The rumble triggers will stay on the controller. Microsoft says the new controller will ship with Series X for free and will also be compatible with older Xbox models as well as Windows 10 PCs.
The Xbox Series X will launch in Holiday 2020 and there are chances that Microsoft could sell a slightly affordable version as well with lesser computing abilities, similar to the Xbox One S. This is still a speculation and it all remains to be seen what kind of price does Microsoft ask for the Xbox Series X.
