Microsoft recently launched its new gaming console called the Xbox One X at the 23rd Electronic Entertainment Expo, more popularly known as E3. All the “Project Scorpio” speculation the gaming community had been hearing for the last few months, this is it, without the code words.
Microsoft is hyping its new device as “the world’s most powerful console.” Based on its internal specs, Microsoft isn’t bragging. But since this kind of iterative releases are a bit untraditional for gaming devices, one might have questions about what exactly this new Xbox is, and where it fits into the larger gaming market.
Here’s everything we know about the Xbox One X.
Microsoft’s Version of the PS4 Pro
The Xbox One X is not a newer generation of the device. Instead, it’s more like Microsoft’s version of Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro — it simply takes the existing Xbox One and makes it stronger. The Xbox One X’s headlining features are its support for 4K and HDR gaming at up to 60 frames per second. If a given game supports all of that, it should be sharper, look more lifelike, and run smoother than it does on other consoles.
Most Powerful Home Gaming Console Yet
Microsoft is touting the Xbox One X as the world’s most powerful console. It comes with 6 teraflops of graphics performance. By comparison, the PS4 Pro has 4.2 teraflops and the standard Xbox One has 1.31 teraflops, and the standard PlayStation 4 has 1.84 teraflops. In addition to that, the device boasts 12 gigabytes of GDDR5 memory. Every other current Xbox and PlayStation console has only 8 gigabytes of memory.
Prettiest Xbox till Date
It’s hard to believe that Microsoft was able to make the latest generation Xbox so compact, and yet still so much more powerful. It’s the slimmest Xbox yet, even slimmer than the Xbox One S, released last year. Microsoft has also decided to ditch the white out outlook and has gone back to the more traditional matte black finish.
It’s Backwards Compatible
The Xbox One X will play all the same games you can play on the original Xbox One or Xbox One S. There is no deviation in any of the three devices’ game libraries. All additional accessories for the previous models will also be compatible with this new device. In addition, Microsoft is promising that games on the Xbox One X will look and run better than they will on other Xbox One devices, provided that those games are built with the Xbox One X’s extra horsepower in mind.
It’s Coming Out this November
The Xbox One X will be launched for sale on November 7 and will cost $499, almost $100 more than the less technically capable PS4 Pro. That’ll make it the most expensive console on the market. By comparison, the Xbox One S costs $249, the PlayStation 4 Slim costs $299. Hardware wise, the Xbox One X seems like good value for what it’s packing, but it’s possible success is still very speculative.
The Xbox One X is not for Everyone
Microsoft is trying to sell its latest device, leveraging on its enhanced graphical abilities. But the kind of gamers who care deeply about such graphical upgrades usually just buy a PC, which, may be pricier, but is stronger and also upgradeable. With the Xbox One X, Microsoft is attempting to mix the graphical abilities of a PC with the convenience of a console. But it might not be shocking if the device struggles to find that niche market of hardcore console players. Guess, we will have to wait till November to find out.
