Modern technology continues to push the limits of the “ideal gaming experience.” The launch of the Xbox Series X is another significant addition to console gaming. Microsoft launched its flagship gaming console: the Xbox Series X, in November 2020. Undoubtedly, the console entered the market to compete with Sony’s flagship Playstation 5 console, also launched in November 2020. The Xbox Series X offers a high-quality gaming experience, credit to its upgraded hardware configuration compared to older Xbox versions. Furthermore, the Series X supports a variety of popular video game titles, offering backward compatibility for older games as well. This article goes into detail about the Xbox Series X’s features, allowing you to get a clear idea of what the console offers.
Cutting-Edge Processing Speeds and Performance
The Series X comes with a massive upgrade in terms of computational capabilities. It runs on a custom-designed AMD Zen 2 processor paired with the RDNA 2 architecture. These modern hardware components allow the Series X to boast an astounding 12 teraflops of computational power.
The mentioned cutting-edge hardware features enable the Xbox Series X console to deliver rendering capabilities of up to 4k quality with 60 frames per second, potentially going up to 120 frames per second. These next-generation consoles also support ray tracing, a relatively new technology that significantly boosts games’ lighting, shadows, reflections, and other visual features. Unarguably, these additions create a much more realistic and immersive experience for gamers.
Faster Storage Handling
A sharp improvement in storage processing is another crucial feature the Xbox Series X offers. The transition to a custom NVMe SSD helps the console cut down on loading times. At first, loading times may seem small, but regular gamers understand how annoying it can get for a game to pre-process before diving into it. The Series X lets you get into your favorite games almost instantly.
Alongside this, the Xbox Series X also offers a Quick Resume feature, which allows users to switch between multiple games and applications quickly. Seamless multitasking is a vital feature targeted by modern consoles; therefore, this feature is an essential element of what the Xbox Series X offers. Leave one game for a bit, play another for a while, then jump right back into the first: with ease and fluidity.
Backward Compatibility and Optimization
The launch of newer consoles does not mean abandoning popular video game titles from older consoles, the Xbox One in particular. The Xbox Series X console offers backward for most popular video game titles launched on the Xbox One, the Xbox 360, or even the original Xbox.
Furthermore, the Series X console and the Xbox One have a Smart Delivery feature, allowing games to run optimally on the platform. Smart Delivery optimizes games in accordance with the hardware capabilities of the user, ensuring that the user gets the best possible gaming experience.
Overall Improved Gaming Experience
Certain newly added features to the Xbox Series X ensure gamers enjoy an overall elevated gaming experience compared to older generation platforms. The Series X consoles come with an HDMI 2.1 port that makes possible 4k resolution at a 120 Hz refresh rate. These features promote smoother gameplay with minimal input lag. Screen tearing is also reduced, with gaming experiences being more fluid and responsive, credit to Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology.
Modern video games focus on audio to make gaming experiences more immersive. The Xbox Series X supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, ensuring players get top-notch, high-quality in-game audio.
Xbox Live and Xbox Game Pass
Microsoft has also included critical Xbox Series X console features to ensure they form a complete, sustainable gaming ecosystem. The Xbox Game Pass is a subscription-based service that allows gamers to play multiple popular video games, including massive AAA titles, which otherwise would need to be purchased on a standalone basis. Meanwhile, Xbox Live creates a comprehensive online network for Xbox users to connect. Users with common interests can connect through Xbox Live, socializing at will and playing popular multiplayer games together in an all-immersive experience.
Xbox Series X: The Future is Now?
The Xbox Series X cannot be seen as the outright, undisputedly best video gaming console available on the current market due to being rivaled by the PS5. However, it certainly holds its own as a high-quality gaming console with various modern, high-quality features that make it stand out. An immersive gaming experience, smoothness, fluidity, responsiveness, minimal pre-processing, and easy multitasking are the key features gamers look for when choosing a gaming console. The Xbox Series X ticks all of these boxes with its latest hardware capabilities and is a viable option for gamers.
