It finally happened, gamers! Microsoft stepped up to the plate to unveil not just the official name of Project Scarlett, but also the console’s design. I’m already a fan of the simple slab of gaming device Microsoft unveiled a few hours ago. It’s simple and subtle, and it’ll fit well with whatever entertainment setup you got going on. That’s apparently the point of the whole thing. The name isn’t as thrilling. Xbox Series X sounds confusing and boring, but, as I explained before, it’s a problem of Microsoft’s own making. However, the company is taking steps to streamline its marketing efforts, and that “Series” moniker suggests naming might be a lot easier down the road. These are just a couple of the Xbox Series X secrets that Microsoft is ready to reveal with almost a year to go until launch date.
The Design
Microsoft surprisingly managed to beat Sony when it comes to revealing the design of its 2020 console.
“We wanted to design a console where the form was driven by the function,” Xbox chief Phil Spencer told GameSpot. “And the function–as I said–was to really play the highest power, most immersive games possible.”
The design is also supposed to make the Xbox Series X as quiet as possible, with a single, large fan pushing high volumes of air out of the top.
The Name
Project Scarlett was a marketing nightmare for Microsoft, especially considering how neat PlayStation 5 (PS5) is. Xbox Series X is far from perfect, but it’s a start towards hopefully cleaning it up.
While Microsoft previously said that Xbox names were used to describe their purpose, it sure looks like they’re planning to make it work with future Xbox versions. “Obviously,” Spencer said, “in the name ‘Series X’, it gives us freedom to do other things with that name so that we can create descriptors when we need to.”
The Controller
The controller is almost similar to the old one, although it’s slightly smaller to improve coverage. One other thing the controller is getting is a share button, which is something fans have been asking for.
“There were certain things that we’ve learned through doing the Elite controller and just listening to fans,” Spencer told the GameSpot. “One of them is on the d-pad we have a new hybrid d-pad that we’ve been working on that we think is important, so you’ll get a sense of that in the new Xbox wireless controller. We do have a share button. We’ve heard the feedback. We’re not the first ones to do a share button, so we’re not going to say that we invented that, but we’ve heard feedback that sharing is such a part of a gaming experience now for many of our players that I wanted a dedicated hardware button to share, so you’ll see that. We’ll still have all the rumble triggers and haptic feedback that you’ve had in the console before.”
Microsoft is also improving connectivity to further reduce the latency of the controller. The Elite controller will also work with other devices, PC included.
The SSD
Like the PS5, the Xbox Series X will feature a solid-state drive, and now we know more details about it. The console will feature an NVMe SSD, and it’ll pack GDDR6 RAM. This combo will let buyers resume playback from where they left off on multiple games, not just the latest one.
The Cloud
Xbox Series X’s improved processing powers will help it deliver even better gaming experiences than before, but you won’t necessarily need a powerful gaming computer in your living room to enjoy these games. xCloud gaming will be part of the Xbox experience, allowing players to take their gaming with them on the go. And developers won’t have to worry about working extra to get the cloud gameplay done.
“We literally show up to third-party publishers, and we hand them a phone [with] their games running in xCloud,” Spencer said. “They didn’t have to do any work to make that happen.”
The Games
What better way to prove the amazing gaming capabilities of the new Xbox than teasing a new game for the console? The Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II trailer below was done in engine, in real-time, without pre-rendered graphics, GameSpot reports, which is proof of the console’s massive capabilities.
Release Date and Price
The Xbox Series X’s release date and price are two key details that are still secret. Microsoft wasn’t willing to offer fans an actual launch date for the 2020 gaming device, other than the 2020 holiday season. And the same goes for price. But the company teased that E3 2020 will be a “big beat” for them, and that’s probably well we’ll learn those details.
