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Xbox Series X keeps fewer and fewer secrets, and now its creators have indicated some of its functions and technical characteristics, which make it clear what Microsoft will propose with its new console.
Actual images of Xbox Series X recently leaked, and now we know details of how it will work. We already knew that the console would use SSD storage to make loads faster, and various rumors about the fluidity of the machine are confirmed.
For starters, Xbox Series X will allow games at 120 fps, double the 60 frames per second typical of many titles. Of course, Microsoft has not commented on the resolution and it is to be imagined that the 120 fps will force us to lower the 4K that will mark the new generation.
And at the performance level the 12 teraflops of power on the graphics card are confirmed. According to these figures, Xbox Series X would be more powerful than PlayStation 5, although we will have to wait for Sony to provide its data to be sure.
It was already known that the Xbox Series X processor will be based on AMD's Zen 2 architecture, and the graphics on RDNA 2, extremes that have been made official. Therefore, we will have hardware-accelerated ray-traced lighting.
Perhaps most technically striking is that Microsoft has created Variable Rate Shading, a system that allows developers toSpend fewer resources on pixels in certain areas of the screen : For example, focus on the character in the foreground instead of the background.
A lot of focus on fluency
On the other hand, Xbox Series X will bet on speed and has designed a system to return to games without going through long loading screens. We can quickly continue from several games, not just the one that was last opened and still in memory.
Work has also been done on Dynamic Latency Input, which optimizes the sending of signals from the controller to the console, and makes it faster the answer, something that can be key in online multiplayer titles.
Although few TVs support it yet, Xbox Series X will take full advantage of HDMI 2.1. It will probably be necessary for 120 fps, but also, thanks to this standard, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) will be enabled, which synchronizes the frames sent to the television with those it generates the console.
VRR will bring decisive improvements in fluidity, and in addition Xbox Series X will be able to automatically activate "gaming mode" of TVs with HDMI 2.1.
Full backward compatibility
After rumors that PS5 would play games from previous PlayStation, Microsoft is the first to confirm that Series X will be able to play titles from previous Xbox. Also, Xbox One controllers will work on the new machine.
The generation change will be smooth, and Microsoft has created Smart Delivery so that any game we buy is updated with the optimal version for the console we have.
That is, if we acquire an Xbox One game that has a version for Series X, when we put it on the new console it will become the appropriate version.
Microsoft has ensured that its titles, such as Halo Infinite, will support Smart Delivery, which implies that it will not be mandatory for publishers. If that were the case, they could sell the same game separately in Xbox One and Series X editions, something that happened quite early in the previous generation.
What we have seen so far suggests that Xbox Series X will be a tough rival for PlayStation 5, but we will have to see the games that prepare both companies to assess which is more attractive.
What do you think of these Xbox Series X features? Do you think the console will be a success?
