Xbox Series X: Everything we know about Microsoft’s next-gen console

Microsoft has officially unveiled the name and appearance of its next-generation console, now known as the Xbox Series X. It certainly isn’t the name we expected, and the appearance also abandons all the conventions we’ve come to expect from the brand in the past two decades. It’s really something, and now we finally know more about it. 

Trusted Reviews has compiled everything you need to know about Xbox Series X including all the latest news, specs, release date, games and more. The next chapter in the console war is drawing closer than ever, and we can’t wait. 

Related: Best Xbox Series X Games

Xbox Series X – at a glance

• The next-generation console from Microsoft
• Xbox Series X plans to launch in the latter months of 2020
• Will launch alongside Halo Infinite and other major unannounced titles
• Much like PS5 – it will be backwards compatible with SSD and ray-tracing support
• Services such as Game Pass and Project xCloud will be supported from launch

Xbox Series X – What is it?

First revealed at E3 2019 and given an additional dose of information at The Game Awards, Xbox Series X is the latest console from Microsoft, providing more power, more games and more features than ever before. We’ll be delving into its specs, games and other juicy details below. 

Xbox Series X release date – When is it coming out? 

Microsoft confirmed its upcoming next-gen console will release for Holiday 2020. That means it will arrive just in time for Christmas next year, which is just what we expected. We won’t be surprised if it’s competing against the PS5, either.

There’s no specific release date just yet, but Xbox did reveal that 343 Industries’ Halo Infinite will be a launch title, which will no doubt whet the appetite of Master Chief fans, set to be the final chapter in The Reclaimer Trilogy.

Related: PS5 vs Xbox Series X

Xbox Series X Specs and Features – How powerful is it? 

Judging from all the details that were dropped for the Xbox Series X, this looks to be a seriously powerful console. Xbox claims the new hardware is 4x more powerful than the current Xbox One X, which is frankly absurd considering that console is already capable of running select games in 4K. With the AMD Zen 2 CPU and AMD Navi GPU running the show. AMD Navi has only recently been revealed, and is yet to be properly introduced to the public to experiment with, whether through dedicated consoles or graphics cards.

What kind of performance will these components bring? The Xbox Series X reveal trailer suggests the upcoming Xbox has 8K capabilities. It also suggests Project Scarlett will be able to run games at up to 120fps, although we expect that to be while running games at a Full HD resolution at the very most. That, and many players won’t have displays supporting such silky-smooth refresh rates.

The next-gen Xbox will also be capable of real-time ray tracing, meaning it should be able to match the likes of the Nvidia RTX graphics cards and PS5 for the revolutionary light rendering technique. This sees in-game light look and behave significantly more realistic, and adds a beautiful polish to the visuals. The inclusion of support for variable refresh rate meanwhile, means the new hardware can eradicate screen stutters and the like for a far smoother look.#

Related: What is raytracing?

It’s perhaps not the GPU and CPU power that’s the most exciting though, with the Project Scarlett reveal trailer also confirming the new hardware will sport a next-generation SSD, which will look to reduce loading times by a significant margin. In fact, Xbox claims the SSD performance will be 40x superior to that of the current generation of consoles, which is mind blowing to say the least. This means developers will be able to create more complex open worlds without concerns that players will have to suffer tediously long waits staring at a loading screen.

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has also confirmed that backwards compatibility will be returning in a big way with Project Scarlett. All of your physical and digital purchases for the past two generations (360 games pending developer support) will be available at launch, ensuring you already have a substantial library to take advantage of Xbox Series X in 2020.

Xbox Series X Games – What games will be on Xbox Project Scarlett?

Microsoft confirmed that Halo: Infinite will be a launch title for the Xbox Series X, which is certainly exciting news. Sadly, we didn’t get any confirmation for any other games, although we’re sure the likes of Fable 4 or the new Elder Scrolls game will feature. Hellblade: Senua’s Saga was also confirmed recently with a gorgeous trailer running in real-time on console hardware. Check it out for yourself below: 

Related: Cyberpunk 2077

Xbox Series X Design – How will the console look?

The Xbox Series X has a seriously strange design when you compare it with pretty much every single console on the market right now. Judging from the renders and early footage, it looks more like a gaming desktop you’d place under a desk as opposed to something that sits alongside your television. 

So, it’s a massive departure for Microsoft, and whether that’s a good thing remains to be seen. A power button is located on the top left, alongside a traditional disk drive and what might be an eject or sync button for controllers and other peripherals just below it. It’s really different, and we dig it. 

While the console is a massive departure from traditional design conventions, the controller is far more familiar. At first glance it looks almost identical to its older sibling, but actually has a few nice refinements. A share button is now found in the middle and it’s slightly smaller and more comfortable overall.

“There were certain things that we’ve learned through doing the Elite controller and just listening to fans. One of them is on the d-pad we have a new hybrid d-pad that we’ve been working on that we think is important, so you’ll get a sense of that in the new Xbox wireless controller,” explains Phil Spencer in an interview with Gamespot.

We’ll be going into further analysis on Xbox Series X in the future ahead of its release in 2020, and you can find all of that right here on Trusted Reviews. Keep an eye on our website for all the latest gaming news and updates. 

 

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