Xbox Series X Specs and Details Revealed

The wait is over folks: Microsoft has made the leap and unveiled the specs for its upcoming Xbox Series X console, leaving Sony looking increasingly tight-lipped in the run-up to the consoles' releases later this year. Read on for the juicy details...

• Custom AMD Processor - Microsoft's console boasts a custom processor that combines AMD's latest Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures and lets developers use "12 Terraflops of GPU performance". In slightly more tangible terms, the processing power is four-times that of the base Xbox One's; while the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is eight-times more powerful than the base console, and four time more powerful than the Xbox One X.
• Solid-State Drive (SSD) - With a solid-state drive, the Xbox Series X's storage will be lightning fast, as well as less prone to failure than the traditional hard-drives of consoles' past.
• HDMI 2.1 -  This HDMI technology allows for the use of Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), which optimises a player's display for the lowest possible latency. It also enables Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which synchronises the refresh rate of the display with the game being played and reduces tearing. These two technologies will help ensure a player's experience is smooth, instantaneous and free from visual imperfections.
• Dynamic Latency Output (DLI) - A controller related feature which enables use of the Xbox-exclusive wireless protocol, essentially making controller inputs quicker and interruption-free.
• Variable Rate Shading (VRS) - Microsoft's "patented form of VRS" helps prioritise certain graphical elements in-game to achieve the best performance possible while sacrificing nothing visually (at least, as far as any player will be able to observe).
• Hardware Accelerated DirectX Raytracing - "A first for console gaming" Microsoft proudly states. Raytracing is a technology which allows for dynamic rendering of light and reflections. It sounds minor, but trust me, it's huge. There's a reason Raytracing is such a buzzword these days: it's an evolution of graphics the likes of which we haven't seen in quite some time.
• Upgraded Quick Resume - With the Series X, multiple games can be suspended in 'Quick Resume' mode simultaneously. Here's hoping it's not so prone to error this time around.
• 120 FPS - With support for 120 frames per second, games have the potential to be buttery smooth. Although, don't expect all—or even many—games to support this feature.
• Backwards Compatibility - Any game playable on Xbox One—including compatible 360 and OG Xbox games—will be playable on the Xbox Series X with "steadier framerates, faster load times and improved resolution". In addition, Xbox One accessories will be compatible with the Series X too.
• Smart Delivery - A consumer-friendly initiative that applies to all exclusive 'Xbox Game Studios' titles and will be available for any developer/publisher to opt into. Put simply, it's a cross-buy scheme that only requires players to buy a game once to access all versions of it across the Xbox ecosystem. 

These are the major points of Microsoft's unexpected info dump. From the image the company is putting out, the Xbox Series X is a force to be reckoned with and one that will hopefully live up to its promise of "A generation with players at the centre".