We already knew that Microsoft’s next-gen game console was going to be a high-performance device with a custom AMD processor and graphics card, up to 12 TFLOPS of GPU performance, and support for 4K gaming at up to 120 frames per second.

But now we know a lot more about the hardware that makes that possible. Microsoft has shared a bunch of new Xbox One Series X details, including a few demo videos, a series of articles looking at the spec sheet, latency, and other aspects of the technology used in the upcoming game console.

One thing we still don’t know? Exactly when you’ll be able to buy one — Microsoft just says “later this year,” and suggests the Xbox One Series X will be available in time for the 2020 holiday season.

First up, let’s take a look at the specs… and how they compare with the current-gen consoles they’ll replace:

Xbox One Series XXbox One XXbox One S
CPU8x Zen 2 Cores @ 3.8GHz (3.6GHz w/SMT)8x Custom Jaguar Cores @ 2.13GHz8x Custom Jaguar Cores @ 1.75GHz
GPUCustom AMD RDNA 2 w/12 TFLOPs, 52 CUs @ 1.825GHz6 TFLOPs, 40 CUs @ 1.172GHz, Custom GCN + Polaris Features1.4 TFLOPS, 12 CUs @ 914MHz, Custom GCN GPU
Die Size360.45mm2366.94mm2227.1mm2
Process7nm EnhancedTSMC 16nmFF+TSMC 16nmFF
Memory16GB GDDR6 w/320b bus12GB GDDR58GB DDR3, 32MB ESRAM
Memory Bandwidth10GB @ 560GB/s, 6GB @ 336GB/s326GB/s68GB/s, ESRAM at 219GB/s
Internal Storage1TB Custom NVMe SSD1TB HDD1TB HDD
IO Throughput2.4GB/s (Raw), 4.8GB/s (Compressed w/custom hardware decompression block)120MB/s120MB/s
Expandable Storage1TB Expansion CardN/AN/A
External StorageUSB 3.2 External HDD SupportUSB 3.2 External HDD SupportUSB 3.2 External HDD Support
Optical Drive4K UHD Blu-ray Drive4K UHD Blu-ray Drive4K UHD Blu-ray Drive
Performance Target4K @ 60fps, Up to 120fps4K @ 30fps, Up to 60fps1080p @ 30fps, Up to 60fps

In terms of real-world performance, that means the Xbox Series X will be one of the first game consoles to support hardware-accelerated raytracing for more realistic lighting effects, a feature that’s currently limited to high-end gaming PCs.

Microsoft notes that other improvements include support for displaying more texture detail so that scenery and effects (like fog) look more realistic. And game loading times are faster, transitions from cut scenes to game play are smoother, support for variable screen refresh rate and auto low latency technology, and a Quick Resume feature that lets you save your state in several games at once, allowing you to pick up where you left off in three or four games rather than just the last one you played.

If you’ve already invested heavily in games for older consoles, Microsoft notes that the new game system is backward-compatible with every other Xbox console to date, including the original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Xbox One accessories will also work with the new console.

via Microsoft and Eurogamer

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5 replies on “Full Xbox Series X specs unveiled”

  1. They really seem to be trying to compete with game streaming.
    Of course, that’s going to cost a lot of money. Trying to slow the march of the cloud overtaking all aspects of computing always does. It is always cheaper to have the computing power be centralized and always running. That comes at the cost of restrictions on what you’re allowed to do with it (some of which are really hard to object to and still be thought a good person…not that anyone is really good anymore), but this is a console, it’s already pretty restrictive, so the only way to compete is in performance.
    I have no reason to expect this or the PS5 to cost less than $600. If it costs any more than that, it’ll be hard to justify it over Shadow.
    In any case, it’s clear that, for the time being, it is no longer smart to have a PC just for fun. If you want to come out on top in the usual flamewars, you have to be doing something productive with it, and in particular, something productive that Shadow doesn’t allow you to do.

  2. I’m impressed, if they can ship that 1TB box with USD$499 or under.
    They even surpassed my expectations on a few things, namely the frequency of the CPU and GPU. There’s more performance in there than it needs to be. I guess the form-factor is something people are going to have to learn to live with it.

    Where they disappoint me is in Memory.
    That 16GB Module, after all the formatting, OS, background tasks, etc etc, is only going to be ~10GB for the game. That doesn’t sound like a lot, because it isn’t. It’s enough for the current era 2018-2024, but it is not going to age well. I have to keep remembering that consoles are meant to last for 6-8 year periods, and the hardware cannot change. They can adjust the price after launch, or even the storage, but they cannot adjust the internal specs.

    If Sony attacks this weak point, it is possible they can win the crown with the PS5 Launch. They should have upgraded that to 32GB GDDR6 RAM. And if that was impossible to do without some other spec changes, then I would say they should have changed the Storage. They could have gone with a 256GB nVme drive (soldered), and a 1TB 2.5in drive (removable). Obviously the removable storage would be a cheap SSD, or even cheaper HDD for the monotonous things (maps, textures, etc etc)… but its totally fine with the 256GB SSD doing the brunt of the work (OS, Settings, User Files, game engine, game assets, save states etc etc). And maybe after a year, when mass production is in full swing, the finances are secured, and the virus epidemic impact has been mitigated… then they could update. They could then start selling the same Xbox but with 1TB nVme drive (soldered), and leave the 2.5in bay empty. Ta Da! Solved. But they can’t do the same thing with Memory as that affects (all) games directly.

    1. I am also disappointment with memory, but I wouldn’t go to 32 GB, 24 GB would be enough. As for 256 GB SSD that is simply unacceptable at this point because there are already games over 100 GB large for this generation. They can’t use a cheap larger one because then it would affect those fast loading features they talked about.

    2. Actually, the OS only uses 2.5GB, the rest of 13.5GB is available for the developers.

      Also, GDDR6 is really expensive, putting 24GB or 32GB would increase a lot the final price

      1. I reckon Microsoft should wear that cost.
        Sure it means they’re losing $50-$100 per unit, but after a year, that will balance out. And after several years, they will be making net profit due to sales of games, accessories, and licenses.

        As for the solution of 256GB nVme SSD, it is acceptable.
        Because while most games these days store about (50-70GB), most of that is “non-essential” stuff. So you can have about 10GB of the core game installed in the 256GB SSD…. then the rest of the fluff can go in the Removable 1TB drive. This drive can be a HDD, as it won’t impact games that much, or better yet it could be a very very cheap SSD.

        And as explained, this “Founders Edition” of the Xbox V/Series X will be discontinued after 1 year, and replaced with one which comes with 1TB nVme SSD and has a blank slot where the Removable Drive was. Which means effectively there’s an equal amount of performance, and equal amount of storage, between the two consoles.

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