Microsoft opened their E3 presentation with a short montage of upcoming games; a couple we knew about, and a couple we do now. After that it was straight down to business regarding their much awaited next console – The Xbox One X.
Originally announced at E3 2016 as Project Scorpio, Xbox One X is the next step in the Xbox series; a technological leapfrog in Microsoft’s transition to iteration upgrades – with new models launching every few year for the more dedicated, graphically-minded players, while other players play catch up as the years go on. This kind of plan is similar to the way PCs work; however with Microsoft controlling all iterations the ease at which developers can design for multiple entry levels is easier.
Details until now have been bled out through non-traditional means, with Microsoft giving Digital Foundry -a well-respected, computer spec and technology focused component of Gamer Network- access to the hardware back in April. DF were very impressed with the specifications, revealing the 12GB of GDDR5 memory and eight 2.3GHz core CPU pairing. They also stated that the console certainly looked capable of running the supplied Forza Motorsport demo at both 4K & 60 frames per second. It was also confirmed that it would include a 1TB hard-drive as standard, as well as a 4k UHD Blu-Ray drive (like the Xbox One S).
The 6 Teraflop, 326GBs Memory, liquid cooled processor even has it’s own pet name in, “Scorpio Engine”.
Out on stage the Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, confirmed the title of the new console as the Xbox One X, and the worldwide release date of November 7th, before passing the microphone to Kareem Choudhry who had overseen the development of the new hardware.
Kareem confirmed that the new console had been in development for three years, before describing the three core concepts behind its manufacturing – Power, Compatability and Craftsmanship.
Alongside the above statistics he also confirmed that the entire existing titles and accessories will be fully compatible on the new platform, and will undergo enhancements, finessed visuals, and faster load times.
He then went on to detail that the game would be using a power-management method called the ‘Hovis Method’ which will apparently allow the computer to re-prioritise power management on the fly.
He also confirmed that the Xbox One X is the smallest Xbox ever; certainly an accomplishment considering the Xbox’s history of large, awkwardly shaped consoles.
Keep your eyes peeled on the site as we continue our E3 coverage in what is looking like a bumper year for Microsoft.
