Microsoft has today revealed the full specifications for their next gen, Xbox Series X console. The Xbox team has invited Digital Foundry and Austin Evans to Xbox’s HQ where they got a closer look at the hardware and the new features that will take the new Xbox on to the next generation of gaming.
The new unorthodox design for a gaming console is planned to boost the cooling efficiency of the device. This design is also very compact, sharing the same height as the Xbox One S. With this design, the Xbox team is pretty confident that Series X will have no overheating issues. Microsoft has managed to maximize cooling efficiency thanks to an innovative split motherboard design.
The Xbox Series X also counts with a passive mechanical, non-electronic heat sink that is integrated into the chassis of the console. According to Microsoft this solution is key for the reliability and performance of the console.
Xbox Series X boast a custom designed processor powered by an 8 core AMD Zen 2 CPU and an RDNA 2-class GPU, This architecture will allow the console to reach a very high level of performance, developers can now create more realistic experience. AMD will also benefit for working closely with the DirectX ecosystem.
“While the Xbox Series X will deliver a massive increase in GPU performance and continue to redefine and advance the state of art in graphics with new capabilities such as hardware accelerated raytracing,” said Jason Ronald, Director of Product Management on Xbox Series X, “we don’t believe this generation will be defined by graphics or resolution alone.”
“The Xbox Series X is going to be a beacon of technical innovation leadership for this console generation and will propagate the innovation throughout the DirectX ecosystem this year and into next year.” Said Sebastien Nussbaum, Corporate Vice President & Senior Fellow, Semi-Custom Products and Technologies at AMD.
AMD has taken a big role in delivering what Microsoft needed for the Xbox Series X, a revolutionary system on a chip and API design was produced closely with Microsoft. Thanks to this chip, the console is capable of delivering unimaginable performance at such a small form factor.
| CPU | 8x Cores @ 3.8 GHz (3.66 GHz w/ SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU |
| GPU | 12 TFLOPS, 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU |
| Die Size | 360.45 mm2 |
| Process | 7nm Enhanced |
| Memory | 16 GB GDDR6 w/ 320mb bus |
| Memory Bandwidth | 10GB @ 560 GB/s, 6GB @ 336 GB/s |
| Internal Storage | 1 TB Custom NVME SSD |
| I/O Throughput | 2.4 GB/s (Raw), 4.8 GB/s (Compressed, with custom hardware decompression block) |
| Expandable Storage | 1 TB Expansion Card (matches internal storage exactly) |
| External Storage | USB 3.2 External HDD Support |
| Optical Drive | 4K UHD Blu-Ray Drive |
| Performance Target | 4K @ 60 FPS, Up to 120 FPS |
One of the biggest features of the new Xbox is the ‘Xbox Velocity Architecture’. This new technology is accomplished thanks to the new NVMe SDD, a dedicated hardware decompression block, the all new DirectStorage API, and Sampler Feedback Streaming. Xbox Velocity Architecture allows developers to radically improve asset streaming and effectively multiply available memory. Aside effectively eliminating loading times, games will be able to feature more “richer and more dynamic living worlds unlike anything ever seen before.”
“The CPU is the brain of our new console and the GPU is the heart, but the Xbox Velocity Architecture is the soul,” said Andrew Goossen, Technical Fellow on Xbox Series X at Microsoft. “The Xbox Velocity Architecture is about so much more than fast last times. It’s one of the most innovative parts of our new console. It’s about revolutionizing how games can create vastly bigger, more compelling worlds.”
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