Phil Spencer has revealed the Xbox Series X specs, as well as a host of other features. Via an Xbox Wire post in which Spencer proudly shared the specs for the Series X, it was revealed that next-gen upgrades will come free, the system includes double the teraflops of the Xbox One X, and raytracing is on the way, among other exciting details.
"At Xbox we value being open and transparent with you," Spencer wrote, "and I’m proud to be able to share details about some of the technologies we are enabling for the next generation, and look forward to boldly sharing more as we head towards E3."
The console's 12 teraflops make it nt just twice as powerful as the Xbox One X, but also eight times more powerful than 2013's original Xbox One. It uses a custom processor "leveraging AMD’s latest Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures." The console will also allow for Variable Rate Shading (VRS) which is use to improve frame rates and resolution by prioritizing individual effects within games rather than have the GPU cycling through total image refreshes.
The Xbox Series X is also the first console to ever allow for DirectX raytracing, though it's presumed Sony's PS5 will offer the same when revealed. Raytracing allows for more lifelike lighting and acoustics but to date has been a PC-exclusive feature.
Spencer also said the next generation will be defined by "more playing and less waiting," and thus revealed several features that will help Xbox players achieve that goal. This includes a solid state hard drive (SSD) which allows for greater worlds and faster load times. Quick Resume, which currently allows players to resume one idled game, will allow for "multiple" in the next generation, though Spencer didn't yet put a number on the feature.
The controller-to-console relationship will use Dynamic Latency Input (DLI), meant to improve response time between player and game. Series X games will also utilize HDMI 2.1 which enables the console to use Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and a Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) to further improve frame rates.
One feature sure to get attention is the Xbox Series X's ability to hit 120 frames per second. Surely not many, or even any, games at launch will hit such a number, but by the end of the gen it may be commonplace. Xbox is also committing to full ecosystem compatibility in ways players will appreciate. Any games already backward compatible on Xbox One will carry over to Series X, and Spencer hinted that players should expect that list to grow too. Accessories will still work on Series X too, like controllers and headsets. Xbox Game Pass will continue to offer Xbox Game Studios titles on day one, including Halo Infinite this fall, boasted Spencer.
Perhaps the marquee feature of them all is something the team is calling Smart Delivery. Essentially, it means one copy of a game will work on current and future Xbox models. This will apparently go beyond just Xbox first-party games as this morning Cyberpunk 2077's Twitter account quoted the Xbox Wire link and said Cyberpunk will allow players to upgrade to the Series X version of the game for free. "Gamers should never be forced to purchase the same game twice or pay for upgrades. Owners of #Cyberpunk2077 for Xbox One will receive the Xbox Series X upgrade for free when available." Smart Delivery, Spencer says "is available for all developers and publishers, and they can choose to use it for titles that will be release on Xbox One first and come to the Xbox Series X later."
Xbox Series X Specs - At a Glance
- 12 Teraflops
- Custom RDNA 2 & Zen 2 Processor
- Variable Rate Shading
- Hardware Accelerated DirectX raytracing
- Custom SSD
- Quick Resume Multiple Games
- Dynamic Latency Input
- HDMI 2.1
- Auto Low Latency
- Variable Refresh Rate
- 120 FPS Support
- Compatible with all Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Xbox backward compatible already available, with more to come
- First-party titles will continue to hit Xbox Game Pass on launch day
