Phil Spencer, head of Xbox has finally revealed what the official specifications for the next-generation Xbox Series X are going to be when it's due to launch later this year.
Spencer states that players are expecting next-generation games to "set new standards in graphical power and processing speed" which will be defined "with innovative leaps in CPU, GPU and storage technology".
First up, the Xbox Series X has a next-generation custom processer, "leveraging AMD’s latest Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures." This allows the console to deliver 4 times the processing power of an Xbox One. It also allows developers to leverage 12 teraflops of GPU performance, which as he states, is twice that of an Xbox One X which is 6 teraflops. These advancements will allow the console to provide higher frame rates and offer larger game worlds.
Variable Rate Shading (VRS) will allow developers to "prioritize individual effects on specific game characters or important environmental objects" rather than using GPU cycles uniformly to every pixel on the screen. This should bring stable frame rates as well as higher resolutions to the players without any effect on the final image quality.
The Xbox Series X will also include hardware-accelerated DirectX ray tracing, bringing much more powerful lighting, reflections, and global illumination to the next-generation of games.
Additionally, Xbox wants to ensure players are getting a fast experience that they can enjoy. To achieve this the Xbox Series X will include a next-generation SSD, allowing larger game worlds that can "load in a flash" with fast travel being "fast." A new Quick Resume feature will allow players to continue playing multiple games from a suspended state. Meaning I can DOOM, get bored and jump into Metro Exodus and then jump directly back into DOOM for some more skull-crushing.
Dynamic Latency Input (DLI) will improve the player-to-console experience, a new feature that synchronizes wireless input immediately with whatever is displayed, and "controls are even more precise and responsive."
Xbox has partnered with TV manufacturers and the HDMI forum to deliver HDMI 2.1 innovation. Players can expect Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) to be present with the Xbox Series X. ALLM means that the Xbox One and the Xbox Series X will automatically set the connected display to its lowest latency mode. VRR will work to synchronize the display's refresh rate to ensure it matches the games frame rate without causing tearing and keeping lag to a minimum. With that said, the Xbox Series X will also support up to 120 frames per second.
Spencer also talks about game compatibility with the upcoming next-generation console. He says that Xbox is "continuing our commitment to compatibility with Xbox Series X and investing in technology that makes game ownership easier across generations."
Existing Xbox One games, backward-compatible Xbox 360, and original Xbox games are all supported. Not only that, they'll run better with Spencer saying they'll benefit from steadier framerates, faster loading times, and with improved resolutions and visual fidelity. Additionally, all Xbox One gaming accessories can be carried over to the Xbox Series X
Smart Delivery is a commitment that will be present on all exclusive Xbox Game Studios titles, which includes the upcoming Halo Infinite. This commitment means that players will only have to purchase a title once to be able to play the best available version for whatever Xbox console they want to play on. Smart Delivery technology is available for all developers and publishers and can be used on titles that plan to release on Xbox One first before moving over to the Xbox Series X.
The Xbox Game Pass service will still be continuing with Halo Infinite slated to arrive at launch as well as other first-party games. We also know other things about the console, such as that its cooling system is incredibly quiet, and that the player can lay the console down despite being shown in teaser images as standing.
To recap
The Xbox Series X will be faster, and more powerful than the Xbox One X thanks to the Next Generation Custom Processor alongside the Variable Rate Shading. The console will be supporting ray tracing with its hardware-accelerated DirectX raytracing.
Players can also expect to jump into games a lot quicker thanks to the next-generation SSD Storage as well as traveling game worlds much quicker with fast-travel. Dynamic Latency Input will also be present and should to improve input speed to improve the player-to-console experience. The HDMI 2.1 innovations will help with keeping the games looking smooth on displays, especially with the support for 120fps. Additionally, a new Quick Resume feature will allow players to continue multiple games from a suspended state.
As for other features, Xbox One, and backward-compatible Xbox 360 and original Xbox games will be supported on the Xbox Series X as well as any Xbox One accessories. Xbox Game Pass is still staying around and still has first-party titles, such as Halo Infinite heading to the service. There's also a new Smart Delivery service will ensure players only have to purchase a title once in order to access the best available version of the game for whichever Xbox console they choose.