Microsoft has finally revealed a few new details about its upcoming console, the Xbox Series X, including its GPU power, as well as how cross-generation games will work on the system. Microsoft initially announced its next-generation console at its press conference at E3 2019, dubbing it "Project Scarlett." At the time, the company only teased a few details about the system, along with a holiday 2020 release date. However, it did announce that the highly-anticipated Halo Infinite would launch with the console.
Later that year, at the 2019 Game Awards, Microsoft finally unveiled the console's real name, the Xbox Series X, and showed players its final design. The company also used the awards show to drop a big game announcement, Hellblade: Senua's Saga, for the new console. Microsoft has since revealed more information about the console, including some details about its impressive specs. Microsoft also confirmed that the Xbox Series X would have backward compatibility, much like that of the Xbox One.
Xbox head Phil Spencer recently confirmed everything previously reported about the Xbox Series X specs on the Xbox Blog. Referring to Xbox Series X GPU, he wrote:
"Xbox Series X is our most powerful console ever powered by our custom designed processor leveraging AMD’s latest Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures. Delivering four times the processing power of an Xbox One and enabling developers to leverage 12 TFLOPS of GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) performance – twice that of an Xbox One X and more than eight times the original Xbox One. Xbox Series X delivers a true generational leap in processing and graphics power with cutting edge techniques resulting in higher framerates, larger, more sophisticated game worlds, and an immersive experience unlike anything seen in console gaming."
Spencer also revealed how cross-generation games would work on the Xbox Series X. He reiterated the company's commitment to all Xbox games, including those going back to the original Xbox, and promised that they would play even better on the new console. He also promised that developers wouldn't need to do any additional work on games to make that happen. The idea is that once a player has bought a game, it will play well on whatever console the player chooses to play it on, whether that be an Xbox One or Xbox Series X. Spencer referred to this as "Smart Delivery."
Spencer wrote about Microsoft's commitment for openness and transparency, perhaps in a dig towards competitor PlayStation, which has remained tight-lipped about its next-generation console, the PlayStation 5. However, Sony's strategy is in keeping with previous console releases: the company often waits for competitors to make their big reveals first and then follows with announcements of its own.
One thing Microsoft still hasn't revealed, though, is the price of the Xbox Series X. All that power could come with a hefty price tag, leaving gamers wondering if the new console is worth it. Sony has also not revealed the price of the PlayStation 5, but reports suggest that it could cost around $500. If the Xbox Series X has a similar price point, it could prevent players from adopting the new consoles early.
Source: Xbox Blog