Xbox Series X: Everything on track despite COVID-19 outbreak
It’s easy to forget that Microsoft is developing a next-gen gaming console, the Xbox Series X, considering the amount of screen time that goes to Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 5 (PS5).
To keep the Xbox fans happy – everybody knows where my allegiance lies… – I’ve decided to gather all the bits of information, rumours and leaks in one place. A roundup of Series X can be viewed here.
First let me say, before we look at the new Xbox in more detail, that whoever is in charge of naming consoles at Microsoft should be looking for a new job. Right, that’s off my chest. Let’s move on.
Xbox X Series: Table of Contents
- News updates
- Release date range confirmed, despite coronavirus outbreak
- 8K TV sets for next-gen consoles
- Backward compatible
- Xbox X series intro
- Ports and connectivity
- Specifications
- Series X games
- Price and launch date
Check back regularly; we will update this article as more information becomes available.
Xbox Series X – Prototype, leaks, renders, rumours and more
Holiday season 2020, baby
Even though Microsoft is yet to confirm an official date for the Xbox Series X release, the company said that there is no “Plan B,” and that the console would be on the shelves by the 2020 holiday season.
This follows after the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the globe had gamers worried that the release of the Series X could be delayed to 2021.
Phil Spencer, who’s the executive vice-president of Gaming at Microsoft, said in an interview on 2 April 2020 that Microsoft will put the “safety and security of the teams at the top,” but added:
“We have nothing right now that says we’re not going to make the dates that we’ve been planning. But this is real time stuff, and I’m going to put the safety and security of the teams at the top, along with a quality product. I don’t want to rush a product out if it’s not ready. The thing that I’m going to put front and centre is safety and security of the team”.
New TV, who dis?
We’re all excited about the upcoming release of the Xbox Series X. The pricey downside, however, is that you might need to fork out your hard-earned monies for a new TV set.
Both Microsoft and Sony Entertainment have indicated their next-gen consoles will be designed for their next-gen TV sets. Any Fitbit user who has a Huawei phone will know exactly what is happening here…
Next-gen TVs with 120 Hz support and 8K streaming capabilities mean that those TVs’ refresh rate can display gaming content that runs on 120 frames per second, making it ideal for next-gen gaming.
What’s the problem, I hear you ask? Well, most people still don’t even own a 4K TV, let alone one with an 8K display. Prices vary according to size and specs, but a Sony Z8H 8K TV has a R100k price tag, so there’s that.
Backward compatibility
25 February 2020: Executive vice-president of Gaming at Microsoft, Phil Spencer, confirmed that the upcoming Xbox Series X will be backward compatible and will play up to four generations of Xbox games.
Spenser begins by saying that the future of gaming “has never been more inspiring”, and that creativity in games is flourishing. He then adds:
“At Xbox we value being open and transparent with you, and I’m proud to be able to share details about some of the technologies we are enabling for the next generation, and look forward to boldly sharing more as we head towards E3”.
Read more about the Series X’s backward compatibility and other features here.
Sony’s Xbox will arrive with a bang the same time as Sony’s PS5 – towards the latter part of 2020. That means you have more than enough time to save up.
The Xbox Series X is going to be a beast of a machine, even if I, as a die-hard PlayStation fan, have to say so myself. Not to pour fuel on the console wars, but the X Series is being described as the most powerful console.
Ports and connectivity
Earlier this month AMD held a press conference at CES 2020 in which an Xbox Series X render was shown with a glimpse on the back of the console and there were, of course, some ports to be seen.
AMD later stated that the render was fan-made, which admittedly took away some of its legitimacy. Now that other alleged renders surfaced online, fans are speculating if it’s the real deal this time around.
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Image via Twitter: @Doug_DragoX -
Image via Twitter: @Doug_DragoX
The latest rumours suggest that the console will have two USB Type-A SuperSpeed ports, an Ethernet connection, a single HDMI port, optical audio and a connection for the power supply.
The ports are reportedly located at the bottom rear of the console, surrounded by cooling vents to dissipate the heat. The render also shows that a lone USB-A port is situated on the front of the device.
3D renders of the Xbox Series X console
Let’s Go Digital’s graphic designer Giuseppe Spinelli aka Snoreyn created most of the 3D renders used in this article, as well as the video compilation. Other photos were sourced from Twitter user Doug Dragox.
Watch: Xbox Series X console preview
Xbox Series X specifications
As for what to expect from the Xbox, Microsoft is packing a lot of power into their unassuming new console. The box makes the console look more like a PC case than a console; which is an interesting decision.
The Xbox Series X model will be backward compatible. That means it will support games from the four previous generations. In addition, it will ship with an AMD Zen 2 CPU and GDDR6 memory and custom SSD storage.
The addition of the SSD storage means the end of jarring load screens and that’s a win on any day of the year. The Xbox will also offer 4K graphics at 60fps, as well as support for ray-tracing, 8K, and 120 fps.
Xbox Series X 8K game titles
Once again, we’ll have to wait and see how game availability and marketing combine to give one of the consoles a victory. The Xbox die-hards will have the newest Halo game, Halo Infinite, to look forward to.
The follow-up to the much-loved Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – Senua’s Sage: Hellblade 2 – will also be heading to Xbox as an exclusive from developers Ninja theory.
We have an exciting 2020 to look forward to. Sony has managed to see off every one of Microsoft’s consoles this far, could this iteration of the Xbox finally dethrone Sony?
Microsoft Xbox Series X price and availability
We’ll have to wait until June for confirmation, unfortunately. The Series X will be only unveiled during E3 2020. The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo set to take place from 9 to 11 June.
Microsoft shared some information about the console back at E3 2019. However, the console was still being referred to as Project Scarlett back then.
December 2020 seems to be the date set aside for the Series X’s release. That said, it’s still unclear whether it will be a global launch, or for the United States only. Only time will tell.
Microsoft hasn’t given a price for the upcoming next-gen console. Looking at the specifications, it is likely to be a bit more expensive than $499 (R7 100) the Xbox One launched at in the US.
The final price will likely be influenced by what the PlayStation 5 goes to market for with Sony promising to keep their new console’s cost reasonable.
Note: The high-resolution 3D renders of the Xbox Series X used in this article were created by Giuseppe Spinelli, aka Snoreyn, and licensed to Let’s Go Digital.
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