Microsoft unveils the Xbox One X console at E3

by Mark Tyson on 12 June 2017, 09:31

Tags: Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)

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At E3 2017 Microsoft has taken the wraps off "the world's most powerful console," the Xbox One X. Yes, this was previously codenamed Project Scorpio, so you already know quite a bit of background to this console, which was originally teased at E3 a year ago. The other headlining news is that the Xbox One X will be released in all Xbox One markets starting 7th November, priced at $499 USD / 449 GBP / 499 EUR / 599 CAD/ 649 AUD.

Interestingly, the new Xbox One X will be Microsoft's smallest ever console, and its PSU is built-in. The compact form is facilitated by Microsoft's vapour chamber cooling tech which keeps the custom 8-core AMD processor comfortable under pressure. On the topic of processors, the AMD CPU is clocked at 2.3GHz, backed up by a 6TFLOP GPU clocked at 1.17GHz. There's 12GB of GDDR5 RAM installed in the system with a minimum 1TB HDD, and 4K Blue-Ray drive. Three USB 3.0 ports (one in the front and two in the back), and IR blaster are installed for convenience.

The point of all the extra muscle is to enable true 4K gaming in a console (no word on VR as yet). You will play the same games as the Xbox One but to get the best of the One X you will have to watch out for enhanced versions which have been upgraded to take advantage of, not just extra speed and higher resolutions possible, but HDR and wide colour gamut imagery. At launch Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, Minecraft, Resident Evil 7, Final Fantasy 15, Rocket League, and Forza 7 will all offer enhanced experiences.

Xbox One backwards compatibility adds original Xbox titles

Much of the E3 presentation by Microsoft was dominated by the Xbox One X, its capabilities and the new enhanced games software on the way. However Microsoft continues to please retro-gamers with its backwards compatibility with older Xbox titles.

Now it is expanding the backwards compatibility to times long before, as original Xbox games will start to become playable on today's Xbox One consoles. One of the first old titles coming to modern consoles will be Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge. Microsoft says that all backwards compatible titles, from whatever generation will "load faster and look and play better, on Xbox One X".

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Posted by Kato-2 - Mon 12 Jun 2017 10:06
It's actually looks pretty good value for money in comparison to the over priced and underwhelming PS4 Pro but MS really needs to work hard at the marketing to get it's point across which is also Microsoft's biggest weakness.

Your already seeing idiotic comments like it's DOA or just buy a PC, why would they if that were true consoles wouldn't exist at all, the PC has downsides like maintenance issues, no physical media and a constant peer pressure to spend money on new hardware (that few like to talk about). PC's work for some and for others consoles, if you want 4K/60fps console the One X looks pretty good value & it looks like a whole bunch of past games are being patched to take full advantage of it but even those that don't get a partial boost.

But expect MS to fumble all of that PR wise, not even a mention of Freesync TV's either which was disappointing, no Dolby Vision either.
Posted by Saracen - Mon 12 Jun 2017 10:25
Initial impression = looks good.

However, at £449, too rich for me for a games console, especially given that it's party trick appears to be 4k, and I neither own, nor have any intention to own, a 4k TV. The only way I see me buying a 4k TV is if either :-

- as will probably happen over time, 4k becomes standard and you can't buy anything less, OR
- I end up buying a TV for other reasons, features, connectivity, etc, and it just happens to be 4k too.

Ultimately, for me, two things determine whether I'll buy into XOX or not. The first is where the market price, as opposed to that £450 launch price, settles down at. The second is whether there are any of the type of privacy gotchas that MS seem to have become belived of recently, dating from XBO always-on net connection, and built-in Kinect-type microphones and/or cameras, together with highly suspect licencing T&Cs. If they do that, then I wouldn't put one in my house if they gave it to me.
Posted by 3s-gtech - Mon 12 Jun 2017 10:41
At that price it'd make a cheap and powerful PC! I know it runs Windows 10 already, but if it could be ‘engineered’ to run the desktop OS by someone…
Posted by 3dcandy - Mon 12 Jun 2017 11:03
Saracen
Initial impression = looks good.

However, at £449, too rich for me for a games console, especially given that it's party trick appears to be 4k, and I neither own, nor have any intention to own, a 4k TV. The only way I see me buying a 4k TV is if either :-

- as will probably happen over time, 4k becomes standard and you can't buy anything less, OR
- I end up buying a TV for other reasons, features, connectivity, etc, and it just happens to be 4k too.

Ultimately, for me, two things determine whether I'll buy into XOX or not. The first is where the market price, as opposed to that £450 launch price, settles down at. The second is whether there are any of the type of privacy gotchas that MS seem to have become belived of recently, dating from XBO always-on net connection, and built-in Kinect-type microphones and/or cameras, together with highly suspect licencing T&Cs. If they do that, then I wouldn't put one in my house if they gave it to me.

4K DOES appear to be the way forward, and for once we appear to have a standard that appeals to most people when the price gets to the right one to tip into mainstream (which I guess isn't too far away).
I actually applaude the steps being taken to look after most people and whilst not cheap, and privacy concerns are not clear it seems to be the way we are moving
Posted by MrRockliffe - Mon 12 Jun 2017 11:16
The big question is, and it's not obvious to me, is whether you'll be able to play Xbox one multiplayer titles, such as black ops 3, across the different consoles (S Vs X). If so, I'll pick one up, as I was about to get a second Xbox one S anyway.

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