It seems as though the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro were released just months ago, but soon it’ll be time for the next wave of consoles. Sony is set to release the creatively named PlayStation 5, and Microsoft is set to follow the Xbox One X with the equally originally named Xbox Series X.
So, what do we actually know about the next Microsoft flagship console? Just how high will Microsoft set the performance bar this time, and how much will gamers need to pay for it? And more importantly for Microsoft, just how impressive will the range of launch games be?
We’ve collated all the news, information and reliable rumours in one place, so keep reading for everything we currently know about the new Xbox Series X.
Xbox Series X: Games
Microsoft’s Phil Spencer has revealed some 15 Xbox Game Studios are working on a next-gen library for the Series X, but Halo Infinite, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 and Rainbow Six among others have already been confirmed for the new console.
Elsewhere, third-party games such as Watch Dogs: Legion and Battlefield 6 will come to the Series X eventually, with more to be announced in the future.
Are there two Xbox consoles?
Current rumours point to not one – but two – Xbox consoles, with Project Scarlett - now known as the Series X - sitting at the top. A second, cheaper disc-less console, called Project Lockhart, is set to appear later on. Microsoft hasn’t confirmed that ‘Xbox-Lite’ yet, though, so here you’ll just find rumours and information about the Series X.
Xbox Series X: Release date
Microsoft first announced its new console way back in 2019. Then known as Project Scarlett, Microsoft has since officially named the new console the Xbox Series X and revealed a launch date of late 2020. Xbox hasn’t been any more specific than that, but the smart money’s around November.
Those reading up on next-gen consoles will know that’s also when Sony’s PS5 is set to hit the market: PlayStation vs Xbox is happening again.
Xbox Series X: Specs
The new Xbox will make use of some custom-designed kit from AMD, with Zen 2 and Navi tech at its heart. Just like the PS5, the Xbox’s beefy processor and GPU will make the Series X capable of ray-tracing, for ultra-realistic-looking light. It’s not yet confirmed if it’ll also allow better 3D audio, though.
As you’d expect, the Xbox Series X will be capable of pushing out games in 4K, but it’ll also be capable of 8k gaming, too. Pictures of the tweeted by Microsoft console’s processor feature ‘8K’, and if Microsoft wants to keep up with its PlayStation competition, crisp 8K will need to feature somehow. GDDR6 Ram will be used, and overall the Series X should feature twice the power of the Xbox One X.
The Series S will also feature an SSD as standard – much like the forthcoming PS5, so loading times should be drastically reduced compared to the current gen. Pictures of the new console suggest gamers can still buy titles on physical discs, though Microsoft hasn’t release specs about them just yet.
Xbox Series X: Hardware
Unlike the PS5 which currently only exists publicly in logo form, we actually know what the Series X will look like. Official pictures from Microsoft show a something like an upturned cuboid with some heavy venting at the top. The controller on the other hand, remains unchanged in appearance from the last gen.
Consoles are essentially just low-cost custom gaming PCs nowadays, but the Series X isn’t doing a good job of hiding its roots. It’s also appears to be much bigger than the Xbox One X.
Leaked images have allegedly shown the rear of the console, and if the pictures are legitimate, Microsoft has crammed everything you’d expect: there’s USB, HDMI, S/PDIF, power and Ethernet ports on show.
Xbox Series X: Price
Microsoft has played with pricing in almost every generation, sometimes undercutting its competitors and other times competing with a more powerful, but more expensive product. In an interview with The Verge however, Microsoft’s head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, said ‘we will not be out of position on power or price.
‘If you remember the beginning of this generation,’ he added, ‘we were a hundred dollars more expensive and yes, we were less powerful. And we started Project Scarlett with this leadership team in place with a goal of having market success.’
With that in mind we’re expecting the Series X to debut at around £450 to £500 – the same region we’re expecting for the PS5. However, there’s a possibility that the Series X could cost more than the PS5, and that a cheaper disc-less system – currently called Project Lockhart, will undercut the Sony machine.
We’ll find out if Microsoft’s two-pronged attack is later this year, and we’ll update this article until then.