Microsoft Reveals Key Xbox Series X Specs

Finally, Microsoft has decided to unveil some of the Xbox Series X's key specs, putting to rest various speculations from recent times and further cementing the fact that it's way better than any current-gen gaming console to date.

In a company blog entry (spotted by The Verge), Microsoft's Xbox chief Phil Spencer shared some of the progress that the company has made when it comes to the Xbox Series X, particularly the technologies that will be working behind the scenes to deliver a very immersive gaming experience that players of the current-gen consoles could never enjoy.

“We know you expect the next generation of consoles to set new standards in graphical power and processing speed, converging together in games that look incredible and feel alive,” Spencer said.

“At Xbox we value being open and transparent with you, and I’m proud to be able to share details about some of the technologies we are enabling for the next generation, and look forward to boldly sharing more as we head towards E3,” he added.

Here's what Spencer revealed in the blog post:

A next-gen custom processor with 12 teraflops of GPU power

The Xbox chief said the Xbox Series X features AMD's latest Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures, capable of delivering 12 TFLOPs of GPU processing power. He said this is twice as powerful as that of the Xbox One X (known as the most powerful console to date), and more than eight times the power of the original Xbox console.

Variable Rate Shading (VRS)

Spencer said the Xbox Series X uses a patented form of VRS so that developers can maximize the console's power. The result is that games will have more stable frame rates and higher resolutions.

DirectX Raytracing

Raytracing is a very powerful technique used to create more dynamic and realistic in-game environments. The Xbox Series X, Spencer said, will feature hardware-accelerated DirectX Raytracing to bring true-to-life graphics and realistic acoustics.

Quick Resume

Spencer boasted that with the Xbox Series X's “Quick Resume” feature, players can continue where they left off “almost instantly” and without “long loading screens.” What makes this extra special is that players can stop playing a game, play several other games, then continue where they left off from the first game they played.

Smart Delivery

Spencer promises that with the “Smart Delivery” feature, players will only have to buy a title once and then be able to play it whether they are playing on an Xbox One or Xbox Series X.