Xbox Series X is Microsoft's new game console for 2020

[Polycount]

Highly anticipated: We've known Microsoft has been working on a new Xbox gaming console (codenamed "Scarlett") for some time now, but at 2019's annual Game Awards, the company finally saw fit to showcase it to the world. The device is called the "Xbox Series X," and it'll be available during 2020's holiday season.

First, the design: it's quite a bit different than the Xbox One. It's square-shaped instead of rectangular, and it's far taller than you might expect. In fact, in many ways, it more closely resembles a compact desktop PC than a gaming console. In the end, though, the unit's looks matter much less than its capabilities, and in that regard, the Xbox Series X is set to impress.

Xbox chief Phil Spencer showed off the full power of the device with an in-engine trailer for Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, which you can watch below. Hellblade II is the sequel to Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, the mind-bending horror adventure game developed by Ninja Theory -- one of the many indie studios recently swallowed up by Microsoft.

The trailer looks simply stunning (not to mention terrifying), and if Spencer's words are to be believed, it should be fairly representative of the final game's look when it releases.

To accomplish that level of visual fidelity, the Xbox Series X will be running on AMD's next-gen RDNA graphics architecture with GDDR6 RAM, as well as the "latest" Zen 2 processor. The console will feature hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and the ability to pump out 4K visuals at a smooth 60FPS.

Microsoft also says 8K and 120FPS gameplay will be supported, but we wouldn't be surprised if players have to make some visual compromises to reach those numbers.

The Xbox Series X will feature Variable Rate Shading technology, "Auto Low Latency Mode" for minimized input lag, and a "next-generation SSD" that can "eliminate load times."

If you're worried about being forced to give up your existing collection of Xbox One games, Microsoft promises full backward compatibility with "thousands" of Xbox titles across "four generations" of gaming. Further, all of your existing Xbox One gaming accessories will work on the new system.

If that's not enough compatibility for you, the Xbox Series X will also let you transfer your saves over from the Xbox One for titles that are available on both consoles. It's also worth noting that the Xbox Series X still features a disc drive, so it seems the gaming industry's dream of streaming-only gameplay has not yet come to fruition.

Other details about the Xbox Series X, such as its specific GPU and CPU model, are still up in the air. Microsoft says more information about the highly-anticipated console will come throughout 2020.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/83174-xbox-series-x-microsoft-new-game-console-2020.html

 

[m4a4]

I just hope the NVMe SSD is at minimum 1TB (and they allow an easy external storage).

As for everything else, it's sounding pretty good. Though I wonder what the actual starting price will be with how good the hardware sounds...

Edit: I don't see mention of the GDDR6 RAM.

 

[psycros]

Utterly bizarre and unfriendly shape for most living rooms. Is that a vertically oriented DVD drive at the *bottom* of the thing? Good grief, this is the Apple Trashcan of consoles.

 

[Polycount]

Edit: I don't see mention of the GDDR6 RAM.

That would be because it was not mentioned in the press release or news post (from what I could tell). Looking into it now, thanks.

Utterly bizarre and unfriendly shape for most living rooms. Is that a vertically oriented DVD drive at the *bottom* of the thing? Good grief, this is the Apple Trashcan of consoles.

I don't mind it, honestly. I already stand my Xbox consoles up most of the time, so this just makes it a bit safer to do so. This is actually a more convenient form factor for me, since I usually have less horizontal space than I do vertical space (this would easily fit onto my desk, for example).

But I understand why others feel differently.

 

[onestepforward]

Looks like a trash can. MS just proved Apple was correct with its Mac Pro design to improve thermal efficiency. It is surprisingly stylish for a product from MS.

 

[Irata]

I just hope the NVMe SSD is at minimum 1TB (and they allow an easy external storage).

As for everything else, it's sounding pretty good. Though I wonder what the actual starting price will be with how good the hardware sounds...

Edit: I don't see mention of the GDDR6 RAM.

It has to be sub 1,000 USD to be viable, probably a good bit less.
4k 60 fps at that price point is rather impressive and I doubt we'll be able to build a PC anywhere near that price point that can offer this.

Now if they added keyboard and mouse support...

 

[bas416]

I can't believe they put Zen2 in it. Why on Earth?? Only reason can be to release a Series X Pro with +30% processing power with Zen3 in a year.... Why can't they just get it right once??

 

[Unusual Kmc]

Basically a PC with paid multiplayer and no mods

 

[MasterMace]

I can't believe they put Zen2 in it. Why on Earth?? Only reason can be to release a Series X Pro with +30% processing power with Zen3 in a year.... Why can't they just get it right once??

For mass production and price, consoles will forever be a generation PC behind at minimum. The only time this wasnt the case was when Big Blue swung their hammer, and the price was so high they lost that generation's war.

 

[NightAntilli]

Utterly bizarre and unfriendly shape for most living rooms. Is that a vertically oriented DVD drive at the *bottom* of the thing? Good grief, this is the Apple Trashcan of consoles.

It can also be placed horizontally, according to Phil Spencer. Honestly, I don't see the issue. It seems smaller than the average receiver.

 

[Jaryn211]

I can't believe they put Zen2 in it. Why on Earth?? Only reason can be to release a Series X Pro with +30% processing power with Zen3 in a year.... Why can't they just get it right once??

Because a zen 2 8 core 16 thread cpu is more than enough for the console. You act like zen 2 is horrible. 30% more performance doesnt mean anything when you already have a cpu capable of high refresh rates, it especially doesnt mean anything when the vast majority of games will more than likely run at 60. At that ppint they would make the console needlessly more expensive for no tangible boost to performance.

 

[Vulcanproject]

It certainly has the size to house a decently beefy spec, by going off the length of the disc drive slot and known pad dimensions it has more internal volume than an Xbox One X.

I'm more interested in the spec than just the look of this Xbox bread loaf edition. It does mean a significant hike in hardware demands for PC games though.

PC came off very well in 2013, consoles were post financial crisis hardware. Very budget constrained with weak CPUs even for that time and their GPUs were never better than lower midrange. Everyone already had a better CPU, and a host of graphics card models out 18 months before were still faster.

These look like they will have everything AMD can conjure on 7nm thrown at them.

 

[Hardware Geek]

Xbox

Xbox 360/S

Xbox One/S/X

Xbox Series X

Seems like a perfectly obvious and natural evolution of the name to me. Doesn't matter, I'm going to eventually get both anyway.

"Marketing department: Hey Phil! What are we going to call it?

Phil: I don't give a f***! We gotta announce before Sony!"

 

[neeyik]

It certainly has the size to house a decently beefy spec, by going off the length of the disc drive slot and known pad dimensions it has more internal volume than an Xbox One

I suspect the increase in case dimensions will be before a larger internal PSU and cooling for relatively high TDP. When the likes of the RX 5500 is 110W, this custom Navi is likely to be in the same ball park figure (the One X GPU is something like 150W max but that might be for the whole chip, including the CPU).

 

[vayeate]

I still doubt it can do true 4K and 60fps. And I bet that next generation SSD is probably some QLC garbage.

 

[RaXoR]

I still doubt it can do true 4K and 60fps. And I bet that next generation SSD is probably some QLC garbage.

Yep, overinflated claims. If it does manage 4k60, it'll be at the cost of graphical quality for sure. It'll be like looking at a potato vs a work of art on PC as it usually is the case.

 

[kira setsu]

It wont hit a true 4k60, it'll be some upscaling magic. ps4pro/xbox still cant guarantee 1080p60 even now.

oddly the game I wanna see in action on the new tech is FF14, sure it's not a graphical test but it hits the cpu hard, play it on pc then play it on ps4pro to see my point, choppy as can be even on a pro

 

[m4a4]

Now if they added keyboard and mouse support...

Xbox One and PS4 have both supported K&M for a while now. This new generation will be no different.

 

[amstech]

I gotta say I am a little surprised by the design myself.

 

[dirtyferret]

I still doubt it can do true 4K and 60fps. And I bet that next generation SSD is probably some QLC garbage.

4k 60 FPS on what is basically medium settings for PC games
On more difficult games im sure they will be 1440p "upscale"
Of course they will cost cut the SSD, can't wait to see all the threads about MS/Sony consoles SSD slowing down once filled up or the SSD failure rate three years down the line

 

[gamerk2]

4k 60 fps at that price point is rather impressive and I doubt we'll be able to build a PC anywhere near that price point that can offer this.

?I've been running 4k60 for a year now. It's not new; current PCs can handle it just fine.

 

[gamerk2]

It wont hit a true 4k60, it'll be some upscaling magic. ps4pro/xbox still cant guarantee 1080p60 even now.

Because their CPUs are cripples. The XB1 CPU is about as powerful as the X360 CPU, and the PS4 CPU is about half as fast as the Cell was (at maximum throughput). Current consoles are simply comically CPU limited, hence the mid-generation refresh.

 

[Karl Hungus]

Yah, the power is great and all and if it spurs innvoation in the PC hardware market, great. But really all the power in the world can't detract from the fact that the games on consoles are pretty much all the same re-tread shooters. Both my sons have Xbox One S consoles and after about 15 min on there looking for something interesting to play, I'm bored and just go back to my PC. COD is still COD no matter how many FPS you throw at it.

 

[Ravalo]

It has to be sub 1,000 USD to be viable, probably a good bit less.
4k 60 fps at that price point is rather impressive and I doubt we'll be able to build a PC anywhere near that price point that can offer this.

Now if they added keyboard and mouse support...

There’s actually keyboard and mouse support in xbox, but it doesn’t have support for every mouse

And actually the gpu might be as powerful as an rx 590 since it can do 4k 60 at medium and 4k 90 at low
https://www.gpucheck.com/gpu/amd-radeon-rx-590/intel-core-i7-8700k-3-70ghz/low/?lang=en&currency=usd

 

[QuantumPhysics]

They are gonna have to work really hard to sell me on this. If I don't see some must-have exclusives, I may end up cancelling Xbox Live at the end of next year.