Xbox (Series X): Release Date, Price and Specifications

Xbox (Series X): Release Date, Price, and Specifications: Xbox (Series X) was officially unveiled in December 2019, during the annual Game A...

Xbox (Series X): Release Date, Price, and Specifications: Xbox (Series X) was officially unveiled in December 2019, during the annual Game Awards ceremony. It is the fourth iteration of Microsoft's home entertainment video game console and is positioned in front of the ninth generation of video games. Originally called the “Scarlett Project”, it is now called Xbox (Series X). Indeed, for semantic concerns, Microsoft simply describes it as “new Xbox” of which the Series X is the first version. As the IT giant reveals more and more about it every day, we want to take this opportunity to summarize as much of the official information as possible, but also rumors to be taken with tweezers. Note that this file is subject to modifications over the course of new developments that will follow its publication.

When is the Xbox Series X released and at what price?

During its presentation last December, Microsoft simply clarified that the Series X would be marketed during the holiday season 2020. The Redmond company has however not indicated its price. It only said that its price would remain "reasonable". If we allow the comparison with the previous generation, the Xbox One X - more powerful version of the conventional Xbox One - was marketed at around 499 dollars (449 euros) while the Xbox One S - the lighter version of the console - has it launched to less than 300. Given its promise of technical power, the Xbox (Series X) may well be slightly more expensive than its predecessor.

What are its technical characteristics of the latest Xbox? And its performance?

First, the manufacturer said that its Zen 2 architecture microprocessor specially designed by AMD is based on eight 3.8 GHz cores. Its RDNA 2 GPU, also supplied by AMD, with 12 teraflops of power already confirmed previously, works, thanks to 52 computing units of 1.825 GHz each. This is all linked to a 16 Gb RAM - including 10 for graphics memory, 3.5 for standard memory and 2.5 for the operating system - and a 1 TB NVMe SSD.

This disproportionate power will then accelerate the DirectX Ray-tracing to take advantage of more realistic virtual environments. In addition to the raw power, the new console from Microsoft will offer various refinements to enjoy a better gaming experience. Thus, we will find support for HDMI 2.1, which should allow us to transform a native 4K Blu-Ray resolution, at 60 fps but would be able to go up to display frequencies up to 120 fps and even the 8K. We will also find an “Auto Low Latency” mode to reduce latency, as well as the “Variable Refresh Rate”, already present on the Xbox One X.

Because of these impressive features, the Series X takes 40 seconds less than the Xbox One X to launch the same game (in this case, State of Decay 2) from its home menu. The loading screen is not, however, destined to disappear. The Series X takes ten seconds to load the game. According to Microsoft, this considerable reduction in time is allowed thanks to its new “architecture speed” technology, which would more easily coordinate hardware capacities and constraints. software.

List of confirmed games:

• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
• The Ascent
• The Medium
• Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
• Yakuza: Like a Dragon
• Bright Memory Infinite
• Call of the Sea
• Chorus
• DiRT 5
• Madden NFL 21
• Scarlet Nexus
• Scorn
• Second Extinction

The redesign of the menu of the future Xbox Store, which will soon appear on Xbox One and later on Xbox (Series X), has “leaked”. The Windows Central site took the opportunity to reveal its design and how it works. As on Steam or Netflix, the menu includes automatic mini-trailers for each item - video game or film, in particular - and allows you to add a title to a wish list. It also gives access to the online store of non-dematerialized products, such as joysticks or game accessories.

What will the new controllers look like?

If there is one point on which the Series X seems more secret than the PS5, it is the capabilities of its new controllers and the potential of multiplayer. The new Xbox Controller that will accompany the Xbox Series X remains more or less similar to the previous generation. It does, however, include a “Share” button to facilitate the online sharing of screenshots and video clips between users.

Backward compatibility, Smart Delivery, and other specifications

The Xbox (Series X) is able to move from game to game with rare speed. As seen through a recent update of the Xbox One interface, it is indeed within the reach of the Series X to move from one game to another, without going through a loading screen, as it is possible to resume a Netflix video with one click. There is therefore no longer any need to wait for the automatic saving of a game to be taken into account and to return to it via its home menu to be sure that you can resume a game exactly where it was interrupted.