Quick resume will be such a blessing for games like Destiny, ESO, Fortnite or The Division. They take forever and a day to load up. I really need to get a SSD for those types of games.
And another hands-on
2 Likes
Microsoft put out some tech demo videos.
The load time one is crazy for how fast it is.
Xbox Series X playlist
This morning, Microsoft dumped a massive cache of details on the Xbox Series Xâs internal specs and features. But the most surprising revelation buried in that info dump might be the fact that the system uses a proprietary solution for expanding its 1TB of internal game storage.
Digital Foundryâs deep-dive report on the Series X, created in close conjunction with Microsoft, shows off a 1TB SSD expansion card, which the site says is âvery short, quite weighty for its dimensions, and actually presents rather like a memory card.â The NVMe memory on that card (which looks about half the size of a standard NVMe stick) connects through the back of the system using the same PCI Express 4.0 connection as the systemâs internal memory (this is the rectangular âmystery slotâ seen next to the Ethernet port when images of the Series X ports leaked in January).
The Series X will still support standardized USB 3.2 hard drives, according to the Digital Foundry report, but those can only be used to natively run backward-compatible games designed for previous Xbox systems (the Xbox One, 360, and original Xbox). For Series X games, a USB hard drive can only be used as a backup solution, where you can âparkâ games that then need to be shuffled over to the internal storage to be played.
The use of the proprietary memory format is apparently to enable what Microsoft is now calling the âXbox Velocity Architecture,â the long-teased feature that allows for much faster loading of content than that of even high-speed solid-state drives. Digital Foundry says this custom NVMe drive system in the Series X can access data at a constant 2.4GB/s, compared to just 0.6 GB/s for a USB 3.0 hard drive or 0.75 GB/s for high-end SATA SSD drives. That allows â100GB of game assets stored to be instantly accessible by the developer,â as Microsoft puts it (though the companyâs use of âinstantlyâ is a bit squishy for our tastes, especially when compared with the systemâs much faster RAM access speeds).
Despite the exclusive format, Microsoft does not look like it wants to be the exclusive manufacturer and seller of these storage expansion cards, as it was for the overpriced proprietary hard drive format on the Xbox 360. Seagate has already announced its own 1TB Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X that it says is âbuilt in partnership with Xboxâ and âseamlessly replicat[es] the full speed and performance of the Series Xâs internal storage.â
Neither Microsoft nor Seagate is discussing pricing for these storage expansions as of yet, but we canât imagine theyâll be cheap. A 1TB Seagate NVMe drive for PCs currently sells for a $200 MSRP at retail, compared to $130 for a standard SSD or about $50 for an external USB hard drive of the same size. Microsoftâs proprietary size and format for the Series X expansion could increase the manufacturing costs and pricing as well.
Proprietary storage formats in game consoles have been falling out of favor ever since Microsoft charged a hefty premium for its exclusive hard drive design on the Xbox 360. Since then, Sonyâs PSP and Vita portables stand out for using expensive and cumbersome proprietary memory card formats.
The Nintendo Switch uses standard MicroSD cards for game storage. On the PlayStation 4, you can replace the built-in internal hard drive with a standard 2.5 inch drive, though the process is a bit cumbersome.
Expandable NVMe memory. i guess that is a first. They wanted speeds faster than SSD, i get it. Does make upgrading expensive.
Good. My birthday is the 29th.
Earlier this week, Xbox shared new spec details about their Xbox Series X, as well as a first look at the new wireless controller to be included with it when it releases in the Holiday period later this year. Now, just days later, Sony has released their first proper look at the PlayStation 5, their own next-gen console releasing alongside, and in direct competition with, the Xbox Series X. Hereâs what we know so far.
As noted by Eurogamer, we now have the initial specs for the PS5, contrasted with the Xbox Series X specs as laid out in an Xbox Wire post.
CPU
- Xbox Series X: 8x Cores @ 3.8 GHz (3.6 GHz w/ SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU
- PS5: 8x Zen 2 Cores at 3.5GHz (variable frequency)
GPU
- Xbox Series X: 12 TFLOPS, 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU
- PS5: 10.28 TFLOPs, 36 CUs at 2.23GHz (variable frequency). Custom RDNA 2
Memory
- Xbox Series X: 16 GB GDDR6 w/ 320b bus, 10GB @ 560 GB/s, 6GB @ 336 GB/s
- PS5: 16GB GDDR6/256-biT, 448GB/s
Internal Storage
- Xbox Series X: 1 TB Custom NVME SSD
- PS5: Custom 825GB SSD
IO Throughput
- Xbox Series X: 2.4 GB/s (Raw), 4.8 GB/s (Compressed, with custom hardware decompression block)
- PS5: 5.5GB/s (Raw), Typical 8-9GB/s (Compressed)
Expandable Storage
- Xbox Series X: 1 TB Expansion Card (matches internal storage exactly)
- PS5: NVMe SSD Slot
External Storage
- Xbox Series X: USB 3.2 External HDD Support
- PS5: USB HDD Support
Optical Drive
- Xbox Series X: 4K UHD Blu-Ray Drive
- PS5: 4K UHD Blu-ray Drive
Cerny claims an 100% load speed improvement over the PS4, and some impressive technology that allows performance on the components to allegedly be unaffected by ambient temperature. Cerny also claims that the smaller and more agile GPU will deliver higher performance across the board, something that canât be defined by TFLOPs alone. Digital Foundry, reporting for Eurogamer, speculate that the PS5âs approach to power may put more of an onus on the developer to optimise for it compared to the Xbox Series X.
This is everything revealed so far, but PlayStation has promised more news on games later in the year. We have a roundup of all Xbox Series X news, including the Xbox Series X specs, so be sure to check those out if youâd like to know more.
Xbox Series X release date still Holiday 2020, not Thanksgiving â Update
UPDATE: Microsoft PR says that Xbox Series Xâs release date has not changed to Thanksgiving 2020. The company says the release is still planned for âHoliday 2020â alongside the release of Halo Infinite.
âXbox Series X will be available Holiday 2020 alongside Halo Infinite,â said a Microsoft representative.
Xbox Series X Expandable Storage - everything you need to know
When Xbox dropped its huge info dump on the Xbox Series X including its full specs, it was met with a mixture of delight and confusion. That confusion came from the decision to use a proprietary storage expansion card that can be used to store games on.
Many believed that their USB storage devices would now be redundant and theyâd have to fork out for an expensive new memory card to store and play their older Xbox games. That is not the case.
- Existing Xbox One games, including backwards-compatible games from the 360 and original Xbox era, will be playable on Xbox Series X from any external hard drive currently compatible with the Xbox One.
- Xbox Series X games will need to be stored on the internal drive or on the new Seagate drive.
- You only need to get the new Seagate drive if you want to keep more Xbox Series X games installed, but you have filled up the internal drive.
The new custom NVMe SSD along with several other systems, make up the new Xbox Velocity Architecture found in the Xbox Series X. The SSD makes use of something called DirectStorage. This new system is designed to make maximum use of the SSD and is designed for gaming in mind. Games today make use of a technique called asset streaming that loads the world around you as you play. This puts a lot of stress on the CPU; however, DirectStorage relieves some of the pressure on the CPU and allows the game to use the freed-up power for things like physics or more NPCs in an area. Sampler Feedback Streaming â another component â allows for the hardware to load in specific parts of textures that the GPU requires for a scene. This makes both memory and the SSD operate more effectively. Itâs these systems, combined with the hardware in the Series X, that makes the SSD so unique. New Series X games running off of the SSD will vastly benefit from the Xbox Velocity Architecture.
`
`The Storage
â
Expansion Card slots into the back of the Xbox Series X, expanding
storage with the full speed and performance of the Xbox Velocity
Architecture. #PowerYourDreams
pic.twitter.com/PnCSILEJNg
Xbox UK (@xboxuk) March
18, 2020
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`Bring your
â
favourite games with you to Xbox Series X! Simply connect your existing
external USB hard drive to Xbox Series X and your entire library is
instantly accessible. #PowerYourDreams
pic.twitter.com/R1LQOWZhqU
Xbox UK (@xboxuk) March
18, 2020
The new Xbox Series X Expansion Card from Seagate makes use of that architecture for Series X games, hence why they need to be stored either on the card or the internal SSD. All previous generations of Xbox games can still be stored and played from an existing external hard drive that connects via USB. Simply plug it into the Series X, and youâll have instant access to your Xbox One library. Youâll only need to buy an expansion card if you want Series X games to take full advantage of the architecture.
You can check out all of the latest details on the Xbox Series X console including its specs here. We also have the info on the controller and a comparison between the Series X and the PS5.
Those PS5 throughput numbers dont look right to me.
The xbox expandable storage is gonna suck, probably expensive.
New Xbox Series X details to arrive every month as Microsoft sets out reveal schedule
Xbox will be offering monthly news updates throughout the rest of 2020 in a new series called âXbox 20/20â. Starting with the May 7th Inside Xbox stream, Xbox 20/20 will bring regular updates on the Xbox Series X console, Xbox Game Studios, Xbox Game Pass and Project xCloud.
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`Boot up Xbox
â
20/20 with a new episode of #InsideXbox
this Thursday, May 7 @ 8am PT for a First Look at Xbox Series X
gameplay from our global developer partners.
More
info: https://t.co/ummOmjwjP9
pic.twitter.com/3tyac72s7W
Xbox (@Xbox) May
5, 2020
On May 7th we can expect to see Xbox Series X gameplay and trailers from different publishers and independent developers from across the world. Game creators will be discussing what they are doing with their titles on the upcoming Xbox Series X. Xbox will also be confirming games that make use of the new Smart Delivery feature. All the games shown will be optimised for the Xbox Series X, so we can expect to see 4K gameplay footage at up to 120fps. As we all already know, more will be shown on Ubisoftâs Assassinâs Creed Valhalla including a gameplay trailer.
Julyâs Xbox 20/20 will take a look at some of the first-party games currently in development at Xbox Game Studios. New game announcements, gameplay and insights from developers will all be shown.
You can tune into the Inside Xbox live stream this Thursday at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET / 4 PM BST.
The Xbox team promises to show a first look at Xbox Series X games and gameplay next week, to be premiered on Inside Xbox on May 7th, 8am PT.
It seems we already know one game to expect. Earlier today, Ubisoft revealed the first trailer and gameplay details for the newly announced Assassinâs Creed Valhalla. Now, theyâve confirmed that Valhallaâs first gameplay trailer will be shown during the Inside Xbox event.
As for the other games that might be shown; weâve got a list of Xbox Series X games â along with more details â and itâs possible that any one of these might be featured. Another massive Ubisoft title is Gods & Monsters, an open-world action adventure game set in the world of Greek mythology, and thought to be Ubisoftâs answer to Breath of the Wild. It was originally planned to launch earlier this year, yet was delayed to a vague period later in 2020. The Ubisoft store still lists a 2020 release date, so itâs possible this title could be released around the holiday period too, in which case itâd be a great choice for a first look at gameplay next week.
Another possible choice is Senuaâs Saga: Hellblade II. This was first announced alongside the Xbox Series X, with a cinematic trailer captured on the next-gen console. Since this was the first game to be shown for the Xbox Series X, itâs more than likely the game could also be the first to have next-gen gameplay shown.
Either way, weâll be sure to bring you all of the news from next weekâs Inside Xbox, when the first look at Xbox Series X gameplay takes place on May 7th. What do you think will be shown? Let us know in the comments!
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Valhalla looks cool but so different from where the series came from. That game has evolved so much.
This weekâs Xbox Series X gameplay reveal wonât show any first-party games
Later this week, we will finally get to see some substantial gameplay footage from games developed for the Xbox Series X. The live stream, scheduled for May 7th, will premiere gameplay from upcoming Xbox Series X titles, but only from second- and third-party studios.
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`Yes this show is
â Aaron Greenberg
timed as more of a typical pre-E3 beat and to give a first look at Xbox
Series X gameplay from our partners. We got a lot to share this summer
and heading into holiday, so will give more details on that next week
too!(@aarongreenberg)
April
30, 2020
No footage from Xbox Game Studios titles will be shown during the live stream, as confirmed by the general manager of Xbox Games Marketing, Aaron Greenberg. Responding to a question on whether the stream would only be for second- and third-party games, Greenberg replied, âYes, this show is timed as more of a typical pre-E3 beat and to give a first look at Xbox Series X gameplay from our partners.â Greenberg also says there is more to share over the summer and heading towards the holiday period and details will be given on that at some point this week.
Last week, Ubisoft unveiled Assasinâs Creed Valhalla and confirmed that a gameplay trailer would be shown at the next Inside Xbox event.
Phil Spencer recently announced that gameplay reveals were on the way, but didnât go into specifics about what exactly weâd be seeing. Hopefully, we wonât have to wait too much longer to see what the developers under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella have been up to.
The Inside Xbox stream will take place on May 7th at 11 AM ET/8 AM PT/4 PM BST.
How to watch tomorrowâs Xbox Series X gameplay reveal live stream
Tomorrowâs Inside Xbox live stream is set to be an exciting one. We are finally going to see some Xbox Series X gameplay from various third-party studios from across the world. According to Xboxâs general manager of games marketing, Aaron Greenberg, the stream will be under an hour long. We will see more on Assassinâs Creed Valhalla, some new next-gen gameplay, sneak peeks, and Xbox will be confirming games that utilise the new Smart Delivery feature.
The stream will start at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET / 4 PM BST on Thursday May 7th , and is available to view on a number of different websites. You can tune in on Mixer, Twitch, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for a 4K stream.
Xbox says that live language support will be available in English, LATAM Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German and Italian. Over on Mixer, the stream can be watched with live audio descriptions at MixerAD.
Xbox announced that news on the Xbox Series X, Xbox Game Studios, Xbox Game Pass and more would be coming via a new monthly series called Xbox 20/20. Both the Series X and Halo Infinite are still on for a Holiday launch, and the next-gen consoleâs startup sound has seemingly been revealed in a YouTube video.
What are you hoping to see from this monthâs Inside Xbox?
Cyberpunk 2077
This would be an ideal game to show at the event. Cyberpunk 2077 was originally planned to launch last month, on April 16th, before being delayed to September 17th. CD Projekt Red have been doing their best to maintain hype by gradually releasing more information about the gameâs gangs, and most recently, with a call to fans to âbreak the codeâ on a site related to the Arasaka Corp, one of the gameâs major factions. This resulted in the reveal of the Xbox One X Cyberpunk 2077 bundle, which will also be the last limited edition Xbox One X console ever. Yet thereâs still several months to go before the game is released, and the most recent trailer we got for the game was at E3 last year. Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most anticipated releases of this year, even without any additional boosting, but a gameplay trailer certainly wouldnât go amiss with fans. CDPR has already confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 will come to Xbox Series X via Smart Delivery as a free upgrade for players who already own it on Xbox One, and the Inside Xbox event would be a great platform to discuss this feature in more detail.
Gods & Monsters
Ubisoftâs Gods & Monsters looks hugely promising. Like Cyberpunk 2077, we were originally expecting to see it launch earlier this year, but it was delayed, along with Watch Dogs Legion and Rainbow Six Quarantine. Ubisoft hasnât yet given a new concrete release date, but hinted at Q2 to Q3 in the financial year 2020/21. When Ubisoft announced the delay, Yves Guillemot noted the games would be optimised for Xbox Series X; the Inside Xbox event would be the prime place to show off this optimisation.
Gods & Monsters is thought to be Ubisoftâs answer to Breath of the Wild. Like Assassinâs Creed Odyssey, itâs set within the mythology of Ancient Greece, but with a more story-book, âpainterlyâ art style, as the gameâs site describes it. The gameâs set on the Isle of the Blessed, where the Greek gods are under attack from Typhon, a giant serpent and one of their deadliest enemies. Typhon has an army made up of some of Greek Mythologyâs most fearsome monsters, and the player has to face off against these, using powers gifted from the gods. Itâs a new concept from Ubisoft, with a distinctive art style and an entirely customisable protagonist. The game looks amazing, and parts of the gorgeous open world have already been shown off in screenshots and the short teaser trailer â but thereâs been no news on it since last year, and the Inside Xbox event would be the perfect time to show off some more of Gods & Monsters.
Biomutant
This one might be a long shot. Biomutant was announced two years ago, and then pushed to a 2019 release window, before falling mysteriously silent. No news has been shared about the game since 2018, aside from a Collectorâs Edition trailer, until about three months ago, when developer Experiment 101 took to Twitter to assure fans the game was still happening. They confirmed that not only was it on the way, it was in the final stages of development. âWe are doing everything we can to make this the best game all of us have ever worked on and that it will be as entertaining and great as we can possibly make it,â, it said, adding that it will âreveal the release date as soon as everyone at our studio feels confident about hitting that date and that the game is ready for itâ. This confirmation that the game was in the final stages of development came about in February, so itâs possible we might see more of Biomutant at the Inside Xbox event.
Biomutant is an interesting mix of genres, billed by the developers as a âpost-apocalyptic kung-fu fableâ, with open world action RPG elements. The player character is entirely customisable, and all we know about the story is that it revolves around the Tree of Life, which is dying, and that the tribes living in the land around it are divided. Everything about this game is shrouded in mystery, and although it would be great to see a new gameplay trailer, even new screenshots would be very welcome. The confirmation itâs in the final stages as recently as February is very promising, at the very least.
Elden Ring
This is an interesting one. Those fans waiting for The Winds of Winter book might be irritated by author George R. R. Martinâs seemingly continuous desire to do anything other than write it, but the fact that upcoming action RPG Elden Ring comes from a collaboration between Dark Souls developer FromSoftware and Martin makes the game more than worth keeping an eye on. Aside from the title, however, thereâs not a whole lot known about it. Itâs a third-person game, rumoured to be open-world, and with a fantasy setting. The gameâs creator, Hidetaka Miyazaki, recently said that the gameplay âis not so far from Dark Soulsâ. âThat doesnât mean that the gameplay is identical,â Miyazaki continued, âbut you could say that Elden Ring belongs to the same genre.â The gameplay is apparently designed with the more open-world experience in mind, as opposed to the ânarrow and complex dungeonsâ of the Dark Souls games. The last we heard of this game was that it would be at the 2020 Taipei Game Show â which has since been postponed â so itâs more than possible we could get a new look at this game at the Inside Xbox event.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum was a bit of an unexpected announcement last year. Lord of the Rings fans will always be happy for more LOTR content, but a Gollum game seemed a bit of a curveball from Daedalic Entertainment. It wasnât all that clear what youâd actually be doing in a Gollum game, aside from using various stealth mechanics, and nor was it clear where the story could go; Gollumâs life is eventful, but it also includes a near-500 year stint in a cave. The game will serve as something of a prequel to the books, but Daedalic appears determined to make the game its own thing, separate from the movies. Itâs already confirmed Gollum wonât look like Andy Serkis, who played the character in the films, saying, âWe started with the person he was and then evolved him. You can see that this was once something like a human being before the Ring corrupted him.â
We know itâs a stealth action-adventure game set in Middle-Earth, featuring a ânarrative-driven experienceâ. Gollumâs split personality will be one gameplay mechanic, as will narrative choices between these personalities. âYou will have maybe two, three or four conflicts per chapter that lead to a final decision point. And at this final decision point, it will be harder to pick Smeagol, for example, if youâve always fought for the Gollum side before.â Aside from that, we donât know much of this mysterious game about one of LOTRâs most conflicted characters, and although The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is slated for a 2021 release, it would be interesting to see some gameplay at this Inside Xbox event.
In the meantime, we already know of one game weâll definitely be seeing at this weekâs Inside Xbox event. Fans had long been hoping for a Viking/Norse themed setting for the next Assassinâs Creed game, and Ubisoft subsequently caused a stir with the reveal of Assassinâs Creed: Valhalla. After months of fan rumours and silence from Ubisoft, thereâs now a huge focus on the game, with only a week or so between its cinematic trailer and Thursdayâs gameplay trailer.
Thatâs just a few of the many possibilities we might see at this weekâs Inside Xbox event.
XBox Series X hype will infinity increase this July for Microsoftâs 20/20 with Halo Infinite gameplay officially confirmed.
Shitâs about to get real! Really looking forward to this title. Halo 5 night was a blast with GRG.
2 Likes
Xbox boss âfeels good about timelinesâ for Xbox Series Xâs holiday launch
Microsoft has suggested there will be no delay to the Xbox Series X release date, with Xbox boss Phil Spencer saying he feels âreally good about this holidayâ. In a recent interview, Spencer discussed how the Xbox team has faced some âchallengesâ but âfeel good about timelinesâ for the Series X launch.
On the latest episode of the Talking Games with Reggie & Harold podcast, Spencer discussed the impact of the current global situation, how the team was faring, and whether the Series X timeline is still on track for the holiday period. Spencer says the team had a recent hardware review and feel good about the supply chain and the hardware side â it âfeels like weâll be able to get enough unitsâ â as well as the software and platform side, which, along with the games, are âmaking progressâ. Spencer reiterates that he wants to avoid launching the Series X in the same way as the Xbox One with a delay in different territories, and says, âweâre pretty committed⌠to a worldwide launch which regretfully we didnât do with Xbox Oneâ.
Spencer also discussed the change to working from home, and how he and the team are adapting to it. âOver time, the emotional toll is something we shouldnât shy away from talking about,â he says, speaking about how âpeople are physically away from their friends and co workers⌠I feel it, I want to be with the teamâ.
âI understand the privilege I have of working at a company that allows me to work from home,â he continues, adding, âItâs not lost on me that there are so many people out there that arenât afforded that same privilegeâ, and that the Xbox team aim to "make sure thatâs in our minds⌠with everything that weâre doingâ. It seems the Xbox teams have been adapting well, with Spencer describing how some of Microsoftâs first party teams have been using private mixer streams to test games, now that they canât test them in the same room.
Microsoft has repeatedly made efforts towards clear and concise messaging about their Xbox Series X, but Spencer says thereâs still some things that are hard to get across. âOne of the things⌠is the way it feels to play games on a box where frame rates are higher,â he says, adding that without getting too technical about variable refresh rates, showing âthe fluidity ⌠in video form is just impossible â how do you show how something feels?â He continues, saying, âit is a physical medium⌠itâs interactive and the interactivity is something⌠that makes this art form unlike any other art form thatâs out thereâ.
Overall, it seems Xbox feels pretty ready for a holiday launch of the Series X, especially if Spencerâs comments mean the only thing theyâre having trouble with at the moment is showing just how good it is. âWeâve been through so many generations⌠I think weâre getting to the point where the immersion feel that you get⌠is now up to par with the visual capabilities," he says, âand thatâs just something that we continue to be challenged with â how do you share that with people?â Weâve still got no word on an exact release date, but according to Spencer, although the Xbox team has âhad to work through some challengesâ, they âfeel good about timelinesâ and "feel really good about this holidayâ.
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Xbox Series X will be backwards compatible with âthousands of gamesâ at launch
The Xbox Series X will not only be backwards compatible with thousands of games at launch, but some will also perform better by making use of the next-gen consoleâs hardware. The new Quick Resume feature will also work with backwards compatible titles, and the Series X can automatically add HDR support to older games including Xbox 360, and original Xbox titles with zero impact to performance.
A post over on Xbox Wire from the director of program management for Xbox Series X, Jason Ronald, says, that more than â100,000 hours of playtesting has already been completedâ and âthousands of games are already playable on Xbox Series X todayâ. This includes some of the âbiggest games and cult classicsâ. Ronald continues, âMany of us in Team Xbox play on the Xbox Series X daily as our primary console and switching between generations is seamless.â
Backwards compatible games will run natively on the Xbox Series X hardware making full use of the new CPU, GPU and SSD. There is no boost mode or downclocking, meaning that each backwards compatible title will use the full power of the Xbox Series X. Because of this, some games will see a performance boost with higher and more reliable frame rates. Ronald says, âThe compatibility team has invented brand new techniques that enable even more titles to run at higher resolutions and image quality. We are also creating whole new classes of innovations including the ability to double the frame rate of a select set of titles from 30 fps to 60 fps or 60 fps to 120 fps.â Games will also be rendered at the maximum resolution and will see a reduction in load times thanks to the new NVME SSD.
The Xbox Series X will also deliver a new âHDR reconstruction techniqueâ that will automatically add HDR support to older games, including Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles. The technique is âhandled by the platform itselfâ and adds HDR with zero impact to the gameâs performance.
The new Quick Resume feature for the Series X will also work with backwards compatible titles, and allows the player to pick up where they left off across several different games.