Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox: 8K graphics, SSD storage, and ray-tracing for 2020

Jun 9, 2019

Microsoft is revealing the first details about its next-generation Xbox hardware today. Rumors suggested Microsoft would launch two new Xbox consoles in 2020, with one designed to be the equivalent of the current Xbox One X and the other, the Xbox One S. We’re now starting to get more information on the next high-end Xbox console, codenamed Project Scarlett.

Microsoft is including a custom designed CPU based on AMD’s Zen 2 and Radeon RDNA architecture, and it’s promising this new console will be four times more powerful than the Xbox One X. Microsoft is also using fast GDDR6 RAM, that it claims will “usher in resolution and framerates we’ve never seen before.”

This new Project Scarlett console will support 8K gaming, framerates of up to 120fps in games, ray-tracing, and variable refresh rate support. Microsoft is also using an SSD on Project Scarlett. “We’ve created a new generation of SSDs. We’re using the SSD as virtual RAM,” says an Xbox spokesperson in an unveiling video. This should boost performance by 40x over the current generation according to Microsoft, and that will mean games load a lot faster.

• Next Generation Custom Processor: 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.
• Variable Rate Shading (VRS): Our patented form of VRS empowers developers to more efficiently utilize the full power of the Xbox Series X. Rather than spending GPU cycles uniformly to every single pixel on the screen, they can prioritize individual effects on specific game characters or important environmental objects. This technique results in more stable frame rates and higher resolution, with no impact on the final image quality.
• Hardware-accelerated DirectX Raytracing: You can expect more dynamic and realistic environments powered by hardware-accelerated DirectX Raytracing – a first for console gaming. This means true-to-life lighting, accurate reflections and realistic acoustics in real time as you explore the game world.

Immersion in an instant

The next console generation will be defined by more playing and less waiting. And when play begins, we know many gamers demand ultra-low latency to be as immersed and precise as possible. To this end, the team analyzed every step between player and game, from controller to console to display, and asked how we could make it faster.

• SSD Storage: With our next-generation SSD, nearly every aspect of playing games is improved. Game worlds are larger, more dynamic and load in a flash and fast travel is just that – fast.
• Quick Resume: The new Quick Resume feature lets you continue multiple games from a suspended state almost instantly, returning you to where you were and what you were doing, without waiting through long loading screens.
• Dynamic Latency Input (DLI): We’re optimizing latency in the player-to-console pipeline starting with our Xbox Wireless Controller, which leverages our high bandwidth, proprietary wireless communication protocol when connected to the console. With Dynamic Latency Input (DLI), a new feature which synchronizes input immediately with what is displayed, controls are even more precise and responsive.
• HDMI 2.1 Innovation: We’ve partnered with the HDMI forum and TV manufacturers to enable the best gaming experience through features such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). ALLM allows Xbox One and Xbox Series X to automatically set the connected display to its lowest latency mode. VRR synchronizes the display’s refresh rate to the game’s frame rate, maintaining smooth visuals without tearing. Ensuring minimal lag and the most responsive gaming experience.
• 120 fps Support: With support for up to 120 fps, Xbox Series X allows developers to exceed standard 60 fps output in favor of heightened realism or fast-paced action.

Microsoft on Wednesday announced that its new Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S gaming consoles will be available on Nov. 10. Pre-orders start on Sept. 22.

The high-end Xbox Series X will cost $499 while the entry-level Xbox Series S will cost $299. Microsoft will also offer a financing plan that allows customers to pay for either console over 24 months.The Xbox Series S costs $24.99 per month on that plan while the Xbox Series X will cost $34.99 per month.

Microsoft said the financing plans also include access to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and EA Play, which allows you to download or stream more than 100 games to Xbox or PC. It will also include Microsoft’s new mobile streaming services that lets you stream from the cloud to an Android phone. You’ll have to buy a Game Pass subscription plan separately, which starts at $9.99 per month, if you don’t finance.
Microsoft teased a smaller, cheaper version of its next-gen Xbox Series X console Tuesday. The new device, called the Xbox Series S, will be Microsoft’s “smallest Xbox ever,” the company said.
MicrosoftThe Microsoft Series X is four times more powerful than the current Xbox One X and includes an 8-core AMD Zen 2 processor, the same that will power the Sony PS5, although the Xbox has a better graphics card. The Xbox Series S is 60% smaller than the Series X and doesn’t have a disc drive, so you’ll need to download or stream all of your games.

Microsoft buys Bethesda, the company that makes hit games Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, for $7.5 billion

Mon, Sep 21 2020

Microsoft announced Monday that it will buy ZeniMax Media, the company that owns well-known video game publisher Bethesda, for $7.5 billion in cash.

It’s one of the most notable video game acquisitions in Microsoft’s history. The company bought Mojang, the studio behind Minecraft, for $2.5 billion in late 2014. That proved to be a boon to the firm as Minecraft surged in popularity, rapidly becoming one of the best-selling games in the world thanks to its simple design and gameplay.

With a developer like Bethesda under Microsoft’s belt, that gives the company access to a raft of successful game franchises, including role-playing game series Fallout and The Elder Scrolls and the Doom shooter series.

“Gaming is the most expansive category in the entertainment industry, as people everywhere turn to gaming to connect, socialize and play with their friends,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said.

“With the addition of Bethesda, Microsoft will grow from 15 to 23 creative studio teams and will be adding Bethesda’s iconic franchises to Xbox Game Pass,” Microsoft said. “This includes Microsoft’s intent to bring Bethesda’s future games into Xbox Game Pass the same day they launch on Xbox or PC, like Starfield, the highly anticipated, new space epic currently in development by Bethesda Game Studios.