It’s gotten real! Microsoft and Sony are now in heavy competition after Thursday’s live stream reveal of the Playstation 5.
More specs and a look into the performance of the Xbox Series X leaves us with very high expectations for the console, predicted to hit the stores “Holiday 2020” – this means between October and December of this year.
At first glance, the rectangular shape of the console resembles that of a PC tower; its black finish and clean look adding to the aesthetics of a gaming beast. The recently elaborated specs promise that this will far surpass its predecessor and allow Xbox users to fully enjoy the Xbox experience.
With graphics getting more refined, and all platforms going the 4k route, this console has not only confirmed its 4k capability but has put forward the notion that 8k resolution will be hitting our screens with the X Series. This is definitely something that grabs the attention of sceptics – I know it certainly piqued my curiosity, as 4k is still considered the best today.
Here are some specs, as seen from our source:
- Price – TBD
- Release date – Holiday 2020
- Processor – 8-core, 3.8-GHz AMD Zen 2
- GPU – 12 teraflop AMD RDNA 2
- RAM – 16GB GDDR6
- Storage – 1TB custom NVMe SSD
- Ray Tracing – Yes
- Maximum resolution – 8K
- Optical drive – 4K UHD Blu-ray drive
- External storage – USB 3.2 external HDD support
- Maximum framerate – 120 frames per second
- Key features – Quick Resume for suspending multiple games, Dynamic Latency Input, Variable Refresh Rate
This being said, it’s also worth mentioning that the X Series will feature broad backwards compatibility, especially for Xbox One titles. However, it has been noted that not all games will be able to run at 4k. Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla is said to be aiming for at least 30fps, which is no different to AC: Odyssey on Xbox One. It seems that we have to keep in mind that 60fs is a target and not a guarantee.
The Xbox interface is also going to be an interesting feature, as the system will be using the “Mercury” upgrade. This will see a more animated menu, instead of just the static drop-down.
“This program will revitalize the Xbox storefront, focusing on a side menu and animated selections rather than the static, top-down menus that the system currently employs.”
The controller has also had a slight redesign to make it more “accessible” – great news for us, smaller handed folks, I hope. A couple of additions include a dedicated share button that will allow the capturing of screenshots and game clips, and the bumpers and triggers will have textured dots.
Microsoft has also revealed that the X Series will be able to work compatibly with Xbox One wireless remotes and accessories.
The price and availability for pre-order has not been disclosed as of yet, but Microsoft has mentioned that they will not make the same error in over-pricing the console, as done with previous releases. However, this in no way means that it will be cheap; it simply means that the price charged will be a lot more agreeable in terms of components used.
Games that will be launched for the X Series:
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
Halo Infinite
Sensua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
It also appears that Xbox has opted for a solid backwards compatibility approach – meaning that games released as X Series exclusives will also be available for Xbox One and PC. Time will tell if this is a wise decision, but it does look like Xbox has kept their fan-base at heart.
This all being said, the Xbox Series X has indeed talked the talk, but will it walk the walk against the giant that is Sony? We’ll see…