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The specs that Microsoft unveiled may seem like a bunch of mumbo jumbo but it translates into a big performance boost, as Microsoft is targeting 4K gaming at 60 frames per second, up to 120 fps, which is wild. Leaving the forsaken realm of 30 fps is literally the best thing I could imagine for the Xbox Series X. Here’s a quick run down of the Xbox Series X specs revealed (opens in new tab) so far:
Xbox Series X specs
CPU: 8x Cores @ 3.8 GHz (3.66 GHz w/ SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPUGPU: 12 TFLOPS, 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPUDie Size: 360.45 mmProcess: 7nm EnhancedMemory: 16 GB GDDR6 w/ 320mb busMemory Bandwidth: 10GB @ 560 GB/s, 6GB @ 336 GB/sInternal Storage: 1 TB Custom NVME SSDI/O Throughput: 2.4 GB/s (Raw), 4.8 GB/s (Compressed, with custom hardware decompression block)Expandable Storage: 1 TB Expansion Card (matches internal storage exactly)External Storage: USB 3.2 External HDD SupportOptical Drive: 4K UHD Blu-Ray DrivePerformance Target: 4K @ 60 FPS, Up to 120 FPS
Some of the above specs we already knew about, but now we know we’re getting a 1TB SSD, which is great, as it matching the Xbox One X’s current storage but greatly increases the speed. Microsoft even showed off what kind of difference an SSD makes compared to an HDD in a neat little video: The video demonstrates the loading times in State of Decay 2, which loaded in about 9 seconds on the Xbox Series X vs. around one minute on the Xbox One X – that is crazy. Working on an HDD will be the thing of the past and I can’t wait to see it go. Microsoft also took the liberty to share how its “Quick Resume” feature would work in another cool video: They started with State of Decay 2 then jumped to Forza Motorsport 7, Ori and the Blind Forest, The Cave and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, then all the way back to State of Decay 2, leaving right off where they were in-game. That is a total of five games that can be in a suspended state all at once. It is incredibly what kind of power that the SSD has. It’s also nice to finally get confirmation about the expandable storage slot in the back, which can give you an extra 1TB of storage, adding up to 2TB. We’re also getting USB 3.2 external HDD support, which is nice for those who want to expand storage even further, although I wouldn’t want to put anything on an HDD after those demonstrations. Microsoft also revealed the power of its ray tracing capabilities. Microsoft showed off in a little GIF of a Gears 5 screenshot on the Xbox One X vs. Xbox Series X. When I played Gears 5 on the Xbox One X, I thought it was gorgeous, but seeing the difference between the Xbox Series X version and the version I played, I am blown away. The lighting genuinely looks gross on the Xbox One X, as it blows out all of the objects around you. The best part about this is that Microsoft revealed that the Xbox Series X Optimized version of Gears 5 will be available at Xbox Series X launch. Additionally, Microsoft talked up how it’s improving latency (opens in new tab) by relying on the Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) functionality, which automatically enables your display’s lowest latency mode when you start playing (this is a feature on current Xbox One consoles). The company also talked about Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which is a new feature for HDMI 2.1 that helps eliminate screen tearing and reduces latency. These are incredibly important, especially when you’re gaming at high resolutions, as you don’t want to experience any sort of input lag. To top it all off, Microsoft revealed the dimensions of the Xbox Series X on Twitter in the funniest way possible, aka comparing it to the size of a fridge. The Xbox Series X comes in at 5.94 x 5.94 x 11.85 inches, which is relatively slim for what’s basically a PC tower. With everything out in the open about the Xbox Series X, we’re more than excited to get our hands on the console. I cannot wait to see what my favorite games look like on Xbox Series X and see which games are getting Enhanced for the new console.
