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Xbox Series X console promises ‘four times the processing power of the Xbox One X’
Mon, 16th Dec 2019
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Finally, Microsoft's Project Scarlett has a proper name, and a proper face: The Xbox Series X.

Described by Xbox head Phil Spencer as Xbox's ‘fastest, most powerful console ever', the company has set the bar high for performance, speed, and compatibility.

There's still a decent amount of tease and not a lot of specs going on just yet, but here's what we know so far:

The console will support vertical and horizontal orientation, and it will feature ‘four times the processing power of the Xbox One X'.

The console will support 4K resolution at 60 frames per second (FPS), with ‘possibility' of up to 120FPS, as well as support for 8K and variable refresh rates (VRRs).

There will also be a custom-designed processor under the hood, with hardware from AMD (the Zen 2 and RDNZ architecture) that will support hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

But there's more, to beat latency and lag issues, Xbox Series X will include what's called Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). Game developers can also use Dynamic Latency Input to improve response times.

“Xbox Series X is also designed for a future in the cloud, with unique capabilities built into the hardware and software to make it as easy as possible to bring great games to both console and elsewhere. Xbox Series X will deliver a level of fidelity and immersion unlike anything that's been achieved in previous console generations,” says Spencer.

 Xbox has also announced the first games designed specifically for the console. They include Halo Infinite and Ninja Theory's Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, which is the sequel to Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.Both games are taking centre stage for now, although Xbox mentions that game creators around the world, including Xbox's 15 game studios are busy creating content for the console.

Somewhat overshadowed by the allure of the Series X, Xbox also announced a new Wireless Controller that has been redeveloped to ‘accommodate an even wider range of people'.

Spencer explains, “Its size and shape have been refined to accommodate an even wider range of people, and it also features a new Share button to make capturing screenshots and game clips simple and a hybrid d-pad inspired by the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2.

The Xbox Wireless Controller will be compatible with Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs, and will be included with every Xbox Series X.

Xbox expects to release the Series X console in ‘Holiday 2020'.