Xbox Series X news and info - Nov. 10 release

ManteoMax · July 14, 2020, 11:48pm

Xbox Velocity Architecture: A Closer Look at the Next-Gen Tech Driving Gaming Innovation Forward on Xbox Series X
by Jason Ronald, Direct of Program Management, Xbox Series X •
Jul 14, 2020 @ 8:00am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lPzqRJanpU

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The Xbox Velocity Architecture comprises four major components: our custom NVME SSD, hardware accelerated decompression blocks, a brand new DirectStorage API layer and Sampler Feedback Streaming (SFS).

Let’s dive deep into each component:

Custom NVME SSD: The foundation of the Xbox Velocity Architecture is our custom, 1TB NVME SSD, delivering 2.4 GB/s of raw I/O throughput, more than 40x the throughput of Xbox One. Traditional SSDs used in PCs often reduce performance as thermals increase or while performing drive maintenance. The custom NVME SSD in Xbox Series X is designed for consistent, sustained performance as opposed to peak performance. Developers have a guaranteed level of I/O performance at all times and they can reliably design and optimize their games removing the barriers and constraints they have to work around today. This same level of consistent, sustained performance also applies to the Seagate Expandable Storage Card ensuring you have the exact same gameplay experience regardless of where the game resides.

Hardware Accelerated Decompression: Game packages and assets are compressed to minimize download times and the amount of storage required for each individual game. With hardware accelerated support for both the industry standard LZ decompressor as well as a brand new, proprietary algorithm specifically designed for texture data named BCPack, Xbox Series X provides the best of both worlds for developers to achieve massive savings with no loss in quality or performance. As texture data comprises a significant portion of the total overall size of a game, having a purpose built algorithm optimized for texture data in addition to the general purpose LZ decompressor, both can be used in parallel to reduce the overall size of a game package. Assuming a 2:1 compression ratio, Xbox Series X delivers an effective 4.8 GB/s in I/O performance to the title, approximately 100x the I/O performance in current generation consoles. To deliver similar levels of decompression performance in software would require more than 4 Zen 2 CPU cores.

New DirectStorage API: Standard File I/O APIs were developed more than 30 years ago and are virtually unchanged while storage technology has made significant advancements since then. As we analyzed game data access patterns as well as the latest hardware advancements with SSD technology, we knew we needed to advance the state of the art to put more control in the hands of developers. We added a brand new DirectStorage API to the DirectX family, providing developers with fine grain control of their I/O operations empowering them to establish multiple I/O queues, prioritization and minimizing I/O latency. These direct, low level access APIs ensure developers will be able to take full advantage of the raw I/O performance afforded by the hardware, resulting in virtually eliminating load times or fast travel systems that are just that . . . fast.

Sampler Feedback Streaming (SFS): Sampler Feedback Streaming is a brand-new innovation built on top of all the other advancements of the Xbox Velocity Architecture. Game textures are optimized at differing levels of detail and resolution, called mipmaps, and can be used during rendering based on how close or far away an object is from the player. As an object moves closer to the player, the resolution of the texture must increase to provide the crisp detail and visuals that gamers expect. However, these larger mipmaps require a significant amount of memory compared to the lower resolution mips that can be used if the object is further away in the scene. Today, developers must load an entire mip level in memory even in cases where they may only sample a very small portion of the overall texture. Through specialized hardware added to the Xbox One X, we were able to analyze texture memory usage by the GPU and we discovered that the GPU often accesses less than 1/3 of the texture data required to be loaded in memory. A single scene often includes thousands of different textures resulting in a significant loss in effective memory and I/O bandwidth utilization due to inefficient usage. With this insight, we were able to create and add new capabilities to the Xbox Series X GPU which enables it to only load the sub portions of a mip level into memory, on demand, just in time for when the GPU requires the data. This innovation results in approximately 2.5x the effective I/O throughput and memory usage above and beyond the raw hardware capabilities on average. SFS provides an effective multiplier on available system memory and I/O bandwidth, resulting in significantly more memory and I/O throughput available to make your game richer and more immersive

ManteoMax · August 11, 2020, 7:37pm

Xbox Series X Launches this November with Thousands of Games Spanning Four Generations
by Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire Editor in Chief
Aug 11, 2020 @ 12:00pm
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/08/11/xbox-series-x-launching-with-thousands-of-games/

turtleCZ · August 12, 2020, 4:54pm

We need info about Horizons I will buy Xbox first if Horizons will run at 60 FPS. Otherwise the choice is very simple…

ManteoMax · September 9, 2020, 10:23pm

Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X Launch November 10, Starting at $24.99 a Month with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and EA Play
by Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox
Sep 9, 2020 @ 6:00am
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/09/09/xbox-series-x-and-xbox-series-s-launching-november-10/

ManteoMax · September 15, 2020, 8:31am

Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

https://twitter.com/Dolby/status/1304132679324053511

ManteoMax · September 21, 2020, 5:46am

Pre-Order Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S Starting Tuesday, September 22
by Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire Editor in Chief
Sep 17, 2020 @ 3:00pm
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/09/17/xbox-series-x-xbox-series-s-pre-orders-september-22/

You can secure your place in the next generation by pre-ordering Xbox Series X at $499 (Estimated Retail Price) or Xbox Series S at $299 (Estimated Retail Price), or for a low monthly price through Xbox All Access. Or grab both, if that’s your thing!

Beginning on September 22, you’ll be able to pre-order Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S online at the following retailers:

– United States (8AM PT): Microsoft Store, Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club, Newegg, and other participating retailers
– Canada (8AM PT): Microsoft Store, Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, EB Games, The Source, and other participating retailers
– UK (8AM BST): Microsoft Store, GAME, Amazon, Dixons, Currys PC World, Argos, John Lewis, Smyths Toys, VERY, AO, Tesco, Simply Game, Shopto and other participating retailers
– Australia (8AM AEST): Microsoft Store, JB Hifi, EB Games, Telstra, Harvey Norman, and other participating retailers
– New Zealand (8AM NZST): Microsoft Store, JB HiFi, EB Games, Spark, and other participating retailers

Across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, you can pre-order online starting at 9AM CEST at Microsoft Store, Amazon, MediaMarkt, GameStop, FNAC, Elkjøp/Elgiganten, and other participating retailers. Retailers and availability may differ by country.

For in-store pre-order availability please check with your preferred retailer.

Pre-order is also available via the Xbox All Access program. Xbox All Access is your all-inclusive pass to Xbox where you can get the next-gen Xbox console of your choice plus 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, with over 100 high-quality games and soon an EA Play membership, from $24.99 a month for 24 months with no upfront cost. As with our standalone console purchasing, you’ll be able to pre-order Xbox All Access starting on September 22, aligned with regional start times at the following retailers:

– United States (8AM PT): Best Buy, GameStop, Microsoft Store, and Walmart
– Australia (8AM AEST): Telstra
– New Zealand (8AM NZST): Spark
– UK (8AM BST): GAME and Smyths Toys
– Denmark (9AM CEST): Elgiganten
– Finland (9AM CEST): Gigantti
– Norway (9AM CEST): Elkjøp
– Sweden (9AM CEST): Elgiganten

Pre-orders with Xbox All Access will not be available in Canada, France, Poland and South Korea on September 22, but the program will be available in these countries before the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S launch this holiday. We’ll have more details to share soon.

Also, as a reminder for existing Xbox All Access members, you now have even more flexibility when it comes to your upgrade path to the next generation. This means you are now able to purchase Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S with Xbox All Access at any time, including during the pre-order window, (US and UK-only, subject to availability) while still completing your minimum payment requirements for upgrade. Learn more about how to upgrade at xbox.com/xboxallaccess-upgrade.

ManteoMax · September 28, 2020, 4:59am

Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S: Designing the Next Generation of Consoles
by Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire Editor in Chief
Sep 23, 2020 @ 6:00am
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/09/23/designing-the-next-generation-of-consoles-xbox-series-x-and-xbox-series-s/

I recently had the chance to sit down with some members of the Xbox Design Team, including Partner Director of Design Carl Ledbetter, Principal Designer for Xbox Consoles Chris Kujawski, Senior Design Director Nicolas Denhez, Senior Designer Ryan Whitaker, and Senior Designer Erika Kelter, to talk through the process of designing two brand-new consoles from the ground up. Simply put, the team has designed the next-generation hardware to power high performance gaming experiences in a way that is more accessible, more flexible, and ultimately to seamlessly fit in to the modern lives and living rooms of Xbox fans around the world.

In developing the aesthetic of these devices, the team was inspired by our partners on the Xbox engineering team, modern technology, and the legacy of previous Xbox gaming products. Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S were designed to fit in anyone’s home; they are architectural in nature, have personality and a visual appearance that the team believes will stand up over time. The consoles become the physical representation of a quality experience that will pair with any style and game type. Most importantly, they can stand out or disappear into the environment they’re placed in based on our fans’ preferences.

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turtleCZ · September 29, 2020, 5:46pm

Still no info about Horizon 1, 2 and 3 in 60 FPS?

ManteoMax · November 3, 2020, 7:47am

Kicking off a New Generation of Play, Together
by Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox
Oct 30, 2020 @ 7:00am
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/10/30/kicking-off-a-new-generation-of-play-together/

Gaming connects us even in the most difficult of times. In a year that’s consistently thrown challenge and change our way, games told us new stories, enriched our lives, and brought us together across physical and social distances. Your actions in games showed the power of play and the imaginative feats we can accomplish together.

To honor the launch of the new Xbox generation, we invite you to celebrate this power of play with us. On November 10, we invite you, players of all identities and backgrounds, console generations and devices, skill sets and tastes, to celebrate, connect, and play together. We invite you to grab your device of choice and play alongside Team Xbox, your favorite creators, and our partners, right from your homes around the world. We invite you to take a glimpse behind-the-scenes of the next generation of games, hear the stories of people who make them, and play along with them. We invite you to tune in to our global livestream in celebration of play on November 10 at 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET on YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook Gaming.

Think of our livestream celebration as a companion to your gaming plans for the day. We’ll host “Let’s Play” segments with the creators, showcase special launch highlights from around the globe and harness the power of gaming to raise vital funds for great causes. This will be a moment of play, not press releases, as next generation consoles begin to land in the hands of players around the world. Instead of big announcements, we will mark the beginning of a new era by gaming alongside one another. We will take this moment to have some fun and look forward to having you join us.

November 10 marks a formative moment, the very beginning of the new generation of play.

You will be able to experience many of its benefits right away – like the incredible look and feel of movement at 120fps, faster load times, richer gaming libraries, the mobile reach of cloud gaming, and new unforgettable game experiences. As creators tap into the power of the new Xbox console generation over the next decade, you will see gaming shake free from its former limits. Unique custom-designed innovations will make Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S highly coveted this holiday season, and we are working hard with partners around the world to bring as many new consoles to as many players as possible over time.

With the goal of empowering everyone to join this new generation and experience the power of play everywhere on the planet, gaming with Xbox will transform throughout the next decade as our investments across content, console, cloud gaming and PC evolve in harmony – with each other and with what players want. For the gaming industry, there’s no better measure of success than more people playing, and more players discovering games they love.

I can’t wait to celebrate with you on November 10, and I’m looking forward to experiencing what we will all create through play. See you on Xbox soon.

Phil