Xbox Series X | Technical specifications, accessories, price and games

Xbox Series X | Technical specifications

Xbox Series X arrived on the market on November 10, 2020 at a price of € 499.99. Series X is the top-of-the-range console of the new generation of Microsoft, a platform that supports the younger sister Xbox Series S. Since its creation and codename, Project Scarlett, Xbox Series X was born to be the reference console for living room gaming, a place to play an infinite library of titles, also retracing past generations. The console of the Redmond company is the most powerful in the world, as well as the one with the largest SoC ever made in history, AMD, in fact, has collaborated shoulder to shoulder with Microsoft to be able to offer a high-performance and high-profile APU, among the best ever made. In this article you will find all the main information about Xbox Series X, including technical specifications, price, games developed by Xbox Game Studios and the release date.

Xbox Series X review

Xbox Series X, the official technical specifications

Phil Spencer was clear about the Xbox Series X during E3 2019: “ We want to build a powerful, fast platform totally dedicated to gaming; without barriers and perfectly programmable by the developers”. Born as Project Scarlett and with the code name of “Anaconda”, Xbox Series X was subsequently presented as a surprise during The Games Awards 2019 with a spectacular announcement video.

The wording "Series" exists due to the presence of a second Xbox named Xbox Series S and dedicated to medium performance next-gen gaming (1440p / 60FPS), maintaining graphic details, ray tracing and fast loading as Xbox Series X.

Xbox Series X, on the other hand, is a console dedicated to gaming in 4K at 60FPS, even if it is clearly not a constant for all games. To give you an example: Gears 5 has 4K performance at 60 FPS with ULTRA details of the PC version and 50% more effects on some graphic components, all while maintaining a stable frame rate, at the cost of a dynamic resolution; the multiplayer even reaches 120 FPS always in 4K with the appropriate optimizations. Even Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Dirt 5, Halo Infinite and many other games manage to reach 4K while maintaining 60 FPS. But what does it mean to focus on 120 FPS instead? It means that some titles or some modes can guarantee that fluidity, such as the multiplayer of Halo Infinite and Gears 5, Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Dirt 5.

The incredible Xbox Series X DIE

But what hardware is needed to enable all this? Below you can read the official specifications of Xbox Series X released through the official Xbox blog:

CPU : 8 Zen 2 cores, 3.8 GHz (3.6 GHz with SMT) GPU : 12 TFLOPS, 52 CU at 1825 MHz, custom RDNA 2 architecture Die size : 360.45 mm2 Manufacturing process : 7nm enhanced by TSMC Memory : 16 GB GDDR6 Memory bandwidth : 10 GB at 560GB/s, 6 GB at 336 GB/s Throughput I /O: 2.4GB/s (raw), 4.8GB/s (compressed) Internal Storage : 1TB custom NVMe SSD Expandable Storage : 1TB expansion cards External Storage : USB 3.2 HDD Support Optical Drive : 4K UHD Blu-Ray Performance Target : 4K @ 60 FPS – up to 120FPS As you can see it is a platform decidedly in step with the times, with GDDR6 RAM, proprietary SSD, ZEN 2 and RDNA 2 as regards CPU and GPU. One of the peculiarities is that the motherboard is divided in two, according to Microsoft this improves heat dissipation through the "Vapor Chamber" and fan, as well as improving consumption and optimizations. In total we are talking about an air flow of + 70% compared to Xbox One, and for the occasion Microsoft tested the console in no less than a desert, noting excellent performance. The RAM is also divided, 10 GB traveling at 560 GB/s and dedicated to the GPU, while 6 GB traveling at 336 GB/s and dedicated to the CPU. The RAM for using games is 13.5 GB, while for the operating system it uses 2.5 GB. The OS itself is similar to that of Xbox One, revised to support 4K resolution and animated wallpapers.

A painstaking work by Microsoft.

Besides resolution and framerate, what do these specs guarantee? On paper: ray tracing, additional graphic effects and upscale 8K resolution on some multimedia products such as videos and photos. In addition to this we have support for VRS – Variable Rate Shading – and VRR – Variable Refresh Rate.

The shape closely resembles an ITX case, quite foreign to the console world and similar to the PC Gaming world. A black monolith with a player, Xbox logo in the upper left corner and an upper air vent. The measures of Xbox Series X are 30.1 (height) x 15.1 (width) x 15.1 (depth), it can be positioned both vertically and horizontally and will be slightly raised to ensure that the air enters from below and exits from the top in in such a way as to refresh the whole system and components. The cooling system is innovative and guarantees a platform that is always cool and decidedly very silent.

Microsoft has been working on an architecture called the "Xbox Velocity Architecture" which guarantees incredible speed performance for the console, reducing loading times and introducing Quick Resume to start multiple games very easily without having to restart a title from scratch.

As for the new controller, Microsoft wanted to perfect the already excellent one of Xbox One. They smoothed out the entire contour making it softer, while improving the aesthetics. The coveted and requested share button already seen on the Dualshock 4 has been introduced in the center of the pad. The distance between the buttons has been reduced to allow everyone to use it both for those with large hands and for those with smaller hands. small; the goal is to ensure use from 8-year-olds. Speaking of this, the triggers and backbones are further improved, and grip textures have also been added just above. The D-PAD has also changed, improved, taking the Elite Series 2 as its inspiration, now more raised and easier to use. Finally, a USB Type-C input has been introduced for faster charging, but we stress that the controller still uses AA batteries. remember that you can use the same controller on Xbox One and PC.

Below, in the meantime, some clarifications on the terms used on Xbox Series X.

Variable Rate Shading : allows you not to use a cycle of the GPU uniformly on all the pixels on the screen, but to focus on certain elements, so as to optimize the work of the console and make higher frame rates and resolutions without worsening the image quality. Quick Resume : allows you to start one of the paused games instantly without loading; Xbox Series X will in fact be able to keep several video games suspended at once. Dynamic Latency Input (DLI): the controls will always be more precise and reactive; the DLI instantly synchronizes inputs with what is displayed on the screen; HDMI 2.1 : unique functions such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) will be exploited to ensure that by connecting Xbox One or Xbox Series X to a display, it automatically sets itself to the mode with the lowest latency and synchronize the fresh rate with the frame rate, so as to make the experience as fluid as possible 120 FPS : 120 FPS supported, so as to allow developers to go beyond 60 FPS on some suitably optimized titles. Smart Delivery : by purchasing an Xbox game that supports this function (like all Xbox Game Studios titles) you can automatically download the right version on the console used, without having to select it manually; this feature will be available to every developer. RNDA 2 : The Xbox Series X GPU architecture is RNDA 2 Optimized for Series X : It is the logo that confirms that the aforementioned game has been boosted with the benefits of Xbox Series X: ray tracing, 120 FPS and more. We remind you that the console does not have an S/PDIF optical audio output and an IR blaster, but don't worry, you can buy an HDMI to S/PDIF converter for optical audio. For the IR Blaster, Microsoft has replaced it with HDMI-CEC, essentially a standard that allows the platform to control HDMI-compatible devices. Already PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch used this standard. Among the missing formats we also point out the absence of Bluetooth and wi-fi 6

SSD cards sold separately

We then have support for hard-disks external USB 3.2, but be careful, because the latter support the installation of Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One games and Series X backups, but cannot install and start games of the latter, this is because the titles developed for the new consoles are adapted with the SSD. Precisely for this reason, there is the possibility of improving the storage space by introducing an upgrade card in a special proprietary entrance located in the rear part of the console. SEAGATE is collaborating with the Redmond company to sell them at prices around 249.99 euros. Load times with the SSD are significantly reduced, on State of Decay 2, for example, we go from 20-30 seconds on Xbox One X to less than 6 seconds on Xbox Series X, on The Outer Worlds the results are still more impressive, going from 56 seconds on the One S to 12 on the Series X.

Finally, how does backwards compatibility work? First of all, we specify that any peripheral purchased on Xbox One works on Series X, including pads, headphones and steering wheels. Even a large part of the Xbox and Xbox 360 games emulated on Xbox One, as well as obviously the bulk of the latter's library, are backwards compatible on the new platform, automatically improving resolution, framerate, loading times and even simulating HDR. In short, past titles improve and become decidedly better, at no additional cost.

Small mention of Smart Delivery, the Microsoft system that automatically recognizes the game version inserted into the console, updating it with all the Xbox Series improvements X|S or by lowering the settings if installed on Xbox One. An effective and well-ordered system that does not confuse players, leading them to always play the correct version, without having to make strange turns for game saves.

Where can I buy Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X ?

You can buy Xbox Series X|S from these links:

Amazon

Amazon: click here to pre-order Xbox Series X (499€) Amazon: click here to pre-order Xbox Series S (€299)

GameStop

GameStop: click here to pre-order Xbox Series X (€499) GameStop: click here to pre-order Xbox Series S (€299)

Microsoft Store

Microsoft Store: click here to reserve Xbox Series X (499€) Microsoft Store: click here to reserve Xbox Series S (299€)

UniEuro

UniEuro: click here to reserve Xbox Series X (499€) UniEuro: click here to book Xbox Series S (299€)

MediaWorld

MediaWorld: click here to book Series X (499€) MediaWorld: click here to book Series S (299€) Let's take a look at Microsoft's Xbox All Access service, which allows you to get a two-year subscription to Xbox for a small monthly fee, with no interest or contractual obligations.

Where can I buy Xbox Series X accessories?

Controller

Storage

SSD Seagate 1TB | Amazon

Headphones

Xbox Headset Wireless | Amazon

Xbox Series X: the exclusives

Every self-respecting console has its exclusives that make it unique and even Xbox Series X is no exception, with a long list. By now the Xbox Game Studios are many (more than 20) and when the acquisition of Activision-Blizzard is completed, the number will increase even more. Teams include Rare, The Initiative, The Coalition, Obsidian, inXile, Ninja Theory, Playground Games, Undead Labs, Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Mojang and Turn10, Bethesda Softworks, Arkane Studios, id Software and many more.

There are numerous games in development such as Fable by Playground Games , the new Forza Motorsport by Turn 10 , State of Decay 3 by Undead Labs, The Elder Scrolls VI and Starfield by Bethesda . However, we also have exclusive external projects such as Contraband or Kojima's game or other development experiences such as the first-person role-playing game Avowed by Obsidian or Project Mara by Ninja Theory. At work we also have The Initiative, who are working on the reboot of Perfect Dark; InXile, focus on a major RPG project and several others.

We remind you that the exclusives will all arrive on day one on Xbox Gam e Pa ss!

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Xbox Series X | Technical specifications, accessories, price and games