This morning, an updated post from Phil Spencer was shared on news.xbox.com providing more details of the Xbox Series X.
Now while most of these details have been known by those who follow the industry closely, and Porshapwr spoke to on his Industry Perspective on the Series X, having full confirmation from the Head of Xbox helps to put rumors to rest. Here are the keys to be aware of:
- Custom AMD Processor
- RDNA 2 architecture – what was previously referred to as “next-gen” RDNA architecture and reportedly designed hand-in-hand between AMD and Xbox. Early reports suggest up to 50% better performance than RDNA 1 while utilizing the same power consumption.
- 12 teraflops of GPU performance – on paper “twice the Xbox One X” but with advanced RDNA architecture it’s not a 1:1 comparison, and thus even more powerful than a simple 2 to 1.
- Variable Rate Shading
- Patented form of VRS will allow developers to optimize GPU cycles thus resulting in more stable frame rates and higher resolutions.
- Hardware Accelerated DirectxX Raytracing
- A first for consoles, it will result in true-to-life lighting in game worlds.
- Next-Gen SSD
- Instant access and minimal load times.
- Quick Resume Feature
- Multiple games can be held simultaneously and you will be able to switch between them almost instantly.
- Dynamic Latency Input
- A proprietary protocol for wireless communication that will minimize latency and input lag.
- HDMI 2.1
- The Series X will take advantage of the latest TV features such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR).
- Backwards Compatibility
- All of your existing game library, including original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles, that work on the Xbox One will come forward with you. They will also look and play better than ever before without any additional work from developers.
- Smart Delivery
- The Xbox ecosystem will support smart delivery on all first party titles thus ensuring that no matter what Xbox console you are playing on, you get the version of the game best optimized for that console. Whether playing Halo Infinite on a launch Xbox One or a Series X, it will be optimized.
- Xbox Game Pass
- Your service and game accessibility will be uninterrupted and the largest launch titles for the Series X, such as Halo Infinite, will be playable at launch.
Our Take
As we noted, most of these items were known or discussed previously. But to have confirmation that the Series X will use RDNA 2 architecture for its 12 teraflop GPU is incredibly impressive and there’s little doubt that the power of the system will be an absolute bargain comparatively to PCs capable of the same. Now…let’s start to see how all of this will impact the games.