Is Xbox One X The Xbox 2
Normally, that wouldn’t even be a question, but in a post PS4 Pro world, we have to wonder if it’s truly a next generation console, or something iterative like the Pro, which Sony has explicitly stated is not the PS5.
Typically, we classify generational leaps as a jump in power that’s significant when compared to the last console. That’s why models like the Xbox One S don’t count, because they’re largely the same.
Now, Xbox One X offers things like native 4K which is something you would normally expect from only the most powerful PC rigs.
Another major component of a “new generation” is usually a new format, and in many cases, the inability to play older titles . This is where things get murky with Xbox One X, because Microsoft is trying to break down the walls between generations as we know them.
The End Of The Xbox One Family
Microsoft refers to the Xbox One, the S, and the X as part of one Xbox Family. This means that you can play your games on any one of these consoles and use your accessories on each of them too. No one gets left behind.
Its pretty exciting, especially when you look at the effort Microsoft has put into backwards compatibility. With a huge selection of Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles available to play on the current generation, the plan is to keep this compatibility moving forward.
Can they do it? Will they be able to transition to the Xbox 2 and still keep everything backwards compatible? If anyone can do it, its them. With Phil Spencer at the head of the charge, the possibilities are endless.
Come check out our page on The End of the Xbox One to see how we believe Microsoft will make this important transition into the future.
Xbox Series X Review: Games And Ecosystem
Witcher 3’s performance mode hits 4K 60 FPS with ease, even without the future optimization patch CD Projekt RED is working on.
The Xbox Series X has promised to be the “world’s most powerful console,” but what does that mean in reality? At least, in theory, it means that games will hit 60 frames per second more consistently, at 4K resolution more consistently, while also bringing in some next-gen visual features. Some of those advanced features include ray-tracing reflections and shadows, which aims to cast light more dynamically, rather than artificially, elevating the visual fidelity of your games. Microsoft also offers FPS Boost and Auto HDR to enhance past-gen games, too, while other companies are eager to sell those enhancements for a premium.
The architecture brings in some of the latest tech from AMD, with a massive CPU boost over the past-gen consoles. The way Microsoft has built its Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S platform enables past-gen games designed for Xbox One to gain natural performance boosts on Xbox Series X.
Gears 5 is staggering in its beauty, a monument to the skill and passion of The Coalition.
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New Xbox Series S Model Coming In 2022
According to the leak, this new Xbox will feature a higher-spec 6nm AMD Zen APU, which will result in higher clock speeds and, ultimately, a faster console. In simple terms: This upgraded Xbox Series S is expected to be 50% faster. As expected, this upgraded Xbox Series S model will also be a little bit costlier, but, in return, the current Xbox Series S line will continue production and will be sold at a cheaper price.
Whether this new Xbox Series S model will retain the ‘S’ name is unclear. It certainly would cause confusion if the old line were to be continued. Still, adding a number or creating a model with a whole new letter is not ideal either. Then again, Microsoft has always had the worst naming department ever, and its comedy at this point, so we’re personally hoping for an Xbox Seies Ñ.
New Xbox Series X Series S Controller: Price Release Date And Everything We Know
Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are now available. The more powerful Xbox Series X rocks a 12TF spec sheet, alongside a more affordable Xbox Series S at 4TF, complementing our earlier exclusives. One thing we did not know about, though, was the revised controller.
Microsoft has built a brand-new iteration on its current-gen Xbox controllers, evolving its existing ergonomics and features while also adding new ones.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Xbox Series X/S controller.
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Xbox Series X Review: Features And Os
The Xbox Series X is a tale of gains and losses, at least when it comes to features. On paper, this is an all-new generation, but the reality is more complicated. The Xbox Series S and X share an OS with Xbox One, and the 2013 Xbox One is a wildly different proposition than what we have today.
Xbox Series X media support is a bit of a mixed bag.
For fans of the old school Xbox vision as the center of your entertainment system, the reality is that the Xbox Series S and X are dropping many of the features that enabled that. HDMI pass-through is gone, along with the IR Blaster. This means that the Xbox Series S and X cannot control your TV/cable box for surfing channels seamlessly without switching hardware signals.
The OneGuide TV app has been completely removed, and perhaps oddly, even the ability to play 3D Blu-ray has been killed as well. Typically, Microsoft cites low usage as its primary reason for removing features. In fairness, the trends certainly seem to suggest viewership is increasingly moving towards apps like Netflix and Disney+, as over-the-air and cable TV viewership wanes. Still, if you built up your entertainment system around the Xbox One’s features, it may sting to know that these are gone.
While the Xbox Series X media support is a bit of a mixed bag, Xbox doubles down on gaming features with considerable success.
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Xbox Series X: Is It Worth Buying
In our Xbox Series X review, we had only positive things to say about the console. At least, for the most part. The console runs cool and quiet, it provides impressive visuals, and the collection of small improvements across the board really elevate the experience.
As of writing, the main issue with the Xbox Series X pertains to its exclusive lineup, which is a bit thin. Games like Watch Dogs: Legion and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla are a good glimpse at what next-gen gaming will be like, but it won’t be until 2022 where we start to see games built natively for the new architecture, utilizing all of the console’s features. Most games available for Xbox Series X are effectively Xbox One X versions with extra options and features. In 2021, we were supposed to see The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 get native versions on Xbox Series X, but things like the pandemic and the chip shortage have delayed much of the work in this space.
Some games have received impressive enhancements, like Metro Exodus. We should also see more from Microsoft’s first-party studios, including Halo Infinite, Hellblade II, and many more. One of the first “big-name” franchises to go next-gen only will be the next Battlefield 2042, set to launch towards the end of 2021.
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Senuas Saga: Hellblade Ii
Announced at The Game Awards 2019, this game is as visually stunning as it is exciting. It will release alongside the new console later this year. This will be an Xbox exclusive game, releasing simultaneously on Xbox 2 and PC. Theres no word yet on whether it will only be available through the Microsoft store, though.
Xbox Series X Hardware And Design
The Xbox Series X casts a commanding silhouette. It’s a monolithic slab of matte black plastic that stands 11.8 inches tall, 5.9 inches deep, 5.9 inches wide, and weighs in at 9.8 pounds. On its face, you’ll find a pairing button that handily conceals an IR receiver, a 4K UHD Blu-ray optical drive, a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, and an Xbox logo power button that lightly glows white while you play.
While the Xbox One was built to fade into the background of your home entertainment centre, the Xbox Series X is designed to quietly dominate it. If you can find a suitable place to stand it , it’ll soon feel like another fixture not unlike that of a PC tower. The Series X doesn’t draw attention to itself, like the provocatively designed PS5 an angular mass complete with pulsing strips of blue lighting that seems purpose-built to attract the eye.
Even with all of these system-intensive features in play, I have been pleasantly surprised to find that the console runs quietly and efficiently, even after lengthy sessions with games optimised for Xbox Series X. The console also runs considerably cooler than the Xbox One X, although there is clearly some expectation that owners will think carefully about where they place the Xbox Series X so that air is able to flow unimpeded from behind the console and up through the curved venting array that sits at the north end of the console.
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Where To Buy The Xbox Series S
The Xbox Series S costs $299.99, a whopping $200 less than the Xbox Series X, priced at $499.99. This low price is welcome news, especially during this pandemic craziness.
If you dont want to spend that large sum of money all at once, you also have the option to subscribe to Xbox All Access. With Xbox All Access, you can get an Xbox Series X or Series S console and 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Plans start at $24.99/month for 24 months. Thats a great deal if you were already planning to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which costs $14.99 on its own.
Availability was somewhat limited at launch, but things have improved greatly since then. The same cannot be said about Series X and PS5, which continue to be nearly impossible to find. Check both retailers below often, and before you know it, youll be next-gen gaming!
Auto Hdr On Xbox Series X
Like the Xbox One, the Xbox Series X allows for calibration of HDR for games. We’d advise setting this before playing any games, as it ensures the balance of contrast is spot-on, giving you the best visuals possible.
For our initial review, we primarily had access to a selection of backwards-compatible titles which are the best indicator of the boost in performance the Xbox Series X delivers over its last-gen counterparts. With the above settings enabled, we found that the games immediately looked better on the Xbox Series X which isn’t particularly surprising, given that Microsoft has implemented native HDR for these titles.
We go into detail as to how this performance boost improves Xbox Series X Optimized titles further down, but in short, when playing backwards-compatible titles on the Xbox One S and Xbox Series X versions side-by-side we could clearly see the visual upgrade.
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Initial Unveiling And Launch
Industry rumors of new Xbox hardware had started as early as June 2018, with Microsoft’s Phil Spencer confirming they were “deep into architecturing the next Xbox consoles” at that time. The hardware was believed to be a family of devices under the codename “Scarlett,” including a low-cost version following a similar scheme as the Xbox One family of consoles, with major emphasis on game streaming and backward compatibility. By March 2019, further industry rumors had led to speculation of two consoles within the Scarlett family under codenames “Anaconda” and the low-cost “Lockhart” version.
Microsoft confirmed Project Scarlett at its E3 2019 press conference. Microsoft said they wanted a “soft” transition from Xbox One to Scarlett, with Scarlett supporting backward compatibility with all games and most hardware supported on the Xbox One. During a presentation at The Game Awards 2019, Microsoft officially revealed the design of Scarlett and its branding, “Xbox Series X,” as well as a late 2020 release date. Following the event, a Microsoft spokesperson stated that Xbox Series X constituted an entry in a fourth generation of Xbox hardware, which will be branded simply as “Xbox” with no subtitle.
On July 16, 2020, Microsoft announced that it had ended production of the Xbox One X and all-digital version of the Xbox One S in preparation for the new products.
What Are The Xbox Series X Specs
- CPU: 8x Zen 2 Cores at 3.8GHz
- GPU: 12 TFLOPs, 52 CUs at 1.825GHz, Custom RDNA 2
- Die Size: 360.45mm2
- Memory Bandwidth: 10GB at 560GB/s, 6GB at 336GB/s
- InternalStorage: 1TB Custom NVMe SSD
- I/OThroughput: 2.4GB/s , 4.8GB/s
- ExpandableStorage: 1TB Expansion Card
- ExternalStorage: USB 3.2 HDD Support
- OpticalDrive: 4K UHD Blu-ray Drive
- PerformanceTarget: 4K at 60fps – up to 120fps
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New Xbox Console Reportedly Releasing Next Year
A new report has emerged stating that Microsoft may look to release an all-new Xbox console at some point within the coming year. While this supposed model wouldn’t be entirely new from top to bottom, it would instead look to update the Xbox Series S, which is currently the cheaper console that Microsoft offers to customers. Despite the platform’s lesser power when compared to the Xbox Series X, it seems like this new iteration may end up beefing up the internals just a bit more.
Word on this new version of the Xbox Series S comes from a recent video on YouTube channel Moore’s Law Is Dead. The video in question says that Microsoft is currently in the early stages of planning to “refresh” both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. However, the Series S is the console that is currently that Microsoft is placing a larger focus on and it might begin releasing a new model of the platform late in 2022.
As a whole, this report should be taken with the typical grain of salt until we learn more directly from Xbox. Still, what is being mentioned here isn’t all that surprising in the slightest given that mid-generation console upgrades are pretty standard nowadays. It seems to be only a matter of time until new Xbox consoles end up releasing to the public, but when that release actually happens remains to be seen.
What Is The Xbox Series X Release Date In Australia
Microsoft has officially confirmed that the Xbox Series X will launch on 10 November 2020 in Australia. It will launch simmultanously with the Xbox Series S.
This beats out Sony’s PlayStation 5 by two days, as it launches on 12 November 2020. It’s a win for Microsoft that it has got its Xbox Series X console out before its rival, even if it’s marginal. The date is also well-timed to make the most of the lead-up to Christmas. The end-of-year buying frenzy is a key event to be a part of, not to mention it’s the start of the cold months for the Northern Hemisphere where more time inside is a given.
It should come as no surprise that the last three consoles in the Xbox family the Xbox One, Xbox 360 and the original Xbox all released in November.
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Xbox Series X: Price And Costs
We revealed exclusively via our sources that the current intended retail price of the Xbox Series X is going to be $499, matching the launch price of the Xbox One X of yesteryear. Microsoft later confirmed it to be official. The Xbox Series S is expected to cost $299, similar to the Xbox One S. Microsoft has now confirmed these reports.
Microsoft has been expanding its Xbox financing program, Xbox All Access, and we expect Microsoft will leverage these financing options more broadly to try to help people manage costs, making next-gen more accessible than ever.
What Games Are On The Xsx
- New Halo, Forza Motorsport, Fable and Hellblade games announced!
- Microsoft has acquired Bethesda and its sister studios
- Backwards compatible across four generations
- 100 games at launch, including 22 console exclusives
- 23 Xbox Game studios currently developing exclusives for the XSX
- Games also playable on PC and mobiles
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Xbox Series X: Features And Improvements
Microsoft has made comments about improving load speeds and access to your games through the Xbox Series X, and Microsoft’s proprietary Xbox Velocity Architecture allows the SSD to offload computational scenarios that would typically be handled by other components, freeing them up for extra juice due to its speed and decompression tech.
The NVMe SSD, coupled with some of Microsoft’s own tweaks near-eliminates loading. Games with loading times of anywhere up to a minute are reduced to mere seconds, with the SSD having anywhere up to 2GB/s read speeds. Microsoft confirmed this with a side-by-side comparison of the State of Decay 2’s loading times recently.
The Xbox Series X NVMe SSD will also provide developers with more power to use, offloading asset streaming tasks typically handled by the CPU thanks to new features in DirectX, called DirectStorage .
Microsoft is also planning to bring cloud gaming to the new Xbox consoles too. This will help circumvent installation times for some games. Ultimately, next-gen is all about saving you time. Microsoft also engineered this thing to be as quiet as possible, and we’ve heard that even under heavy load, it’s virtually silent.
Another benefit of the SSD is that games will be able to save in suspended states, as per a with Major Nelson.
As noted earlier, the proof is in the pudding, though. Microsoft has already shown off at least one game that is built from the ground up for these next-gen features, and that is Hellblade II.