Diablo 4 isn't the most taxing game when it comes to specs if you check out the PC requirements they are remarkably generous. You may want to know just how well it does perform on the Xbox Series S though, given it's the smaller of the two Xbox consoles but still promises to deliver 60FPS and 1080p.

I've been playing Diablo 4 primarily on the Xbox Series S both connected to a standard monitor and the Depgi attachable screen and can report it plays absolutely fantastic on this little box. 

Download size

Due to not needing the high-resolution 4K assets, the download size on Xbox Series S is considerably smaller at 40GB compared to 74GB on the Xbox Series X. 

Loading times

The loading time between the two systems is honestly barely perceptible, in fact I'd argue my Series S loaded a millisecond faster due to not having the high-resolution assets to consider. 

Visuals

Diablo 4 is a stunning game that showcases the dark and gritty world of Sanctuary with impressive lighting, shadows, and textures. The game also features ray tracing, which enhances the realism and atmosphere of the environments by simulating how light interacts with objects. However, the Xbox Series S doesn't have ray tracing, only the Xbox Series X, PC, and PS5 have this feature enabled.

There is some visual fidelity and detail lost when playing Diablo 4 on the Xbox Series S, but it's extremely minimal and as I tend to play on a smaller screen when using my Series isn't something that particularly bothered me. You have to physically see the two versions side by side to really notice the difference in small detail and lighting, the candle lighting specifically being just that bit better on the Xbox Series X.

The video below on Youtube is the best side by side I have seen and very reflective of the visuals I myself experienced. On the whole though, the game still looks absolutely beautiful. The shadows are still just as reactive, the textures are great and the character models still have plenty of detail.

Performance

Diablo runs solidly at 60FPS on the the Xbox Series S, the only time I felt this dip minimally was in busy town hub areas like Kyovoshad, which is similar to what I experienced when playing on the Steam Deck. It's rare for a game to run consistently and stably at 60FPS all the time but Diablo 4 is pretty damn close and I was impressed in busy dungeons and fighting world bosses with its smoothness. 

The Xbox Series S is still a great choice to upgrade to current gen at a lower price

The Xbox Series S is the smallest Xbox console ever made, able to easily fit into a backpack, or squeeze inside its bigger Xbox Series X bigger brother.

The white Xbox Series S is priced at $299, or £249 in the UK in various online or retail stores but it's often on sale. Additionally, you can spread the cost of the Xbox Series S over 24 months using Xbox All Access, at $25 per month on a two-year contract.

This contract also includes Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, giving you access to hundreds of Game Pass games right out of the gate. Soon we'll even have an all-black version as announced at the Xbox Games Showcase, with 1TB of storage for all the best Xbox Games. If you're wanting the darker sibling, you can pre-order now for delivery in September for $349.99, which is still a great entry price into current-gen console gaming. 

The Xbox Series X is one of the most sought-after home consoles on the market with its sleek design and powerful hardware capabilities. Its younger sibling, Xbox Series S, boasts almost the same level of quality and power but at a cheaper price.

Sitting at a retail price of $299, the Xbox Series S is considered cheaper than a Nintendo Switch in some markets. At this price, you get next-gen features such as gaming up to 120 FPS, aiming at 1080p to 1440p resolution, taking advantage of the fact that there are still millions of people who haven't upgraded to a 4K TV.

But that's not all the Xbox Series S has to offer, there is a ton of features packed away in this console. Here is everything you need to know about the Xbox Series S so you can decide if this console is the right one for you. 

Xbox Series S: How powerful is Xbox Series S?

The Xbox Series S contains a 4TF GPU, a graphics processor which is far smaller than the 12TF GPU within the Xbox Series X or even the Xbox One X's 6TF GPU. However, the Xbox Series S is equipped with a modern NVME SSD to match the Xbox Series X load time speeds and leverage Xbox Velocity Architecture, while also boasting a far more powerful CPU than that of the Xbox One X. The switch to the new "RDNA" architecture also provides improved per-teraflop returns over the "GCN" architecture used by the Xbox One X GPU, making it far from a 1:1 comparison.

The SSD alone will make it a far more pleasant experience than last-gen consoles, letting you fast resume multiple games, reducing loading speeds down to mere seconds or less. Its hardware allows it to run a majority of Xbox games at 120 FPS, providing a smoother, responsive, immersive, and fun gameplay experience.

It also supports ray tracing lighting and shadows, which is truly absurd given its $299 price point. These features make the Xbox Series S the cheapest entry point to real next-gen gaming.

Marketing materials we saw in 2019 positioned the Xbox Series S as an entry-level next-gen console, designed for those on a tighter budget, or parents who want their kids to be able to experience the latest games, but not necessarily at 4K resolution. Its advertisement turned out to be accurate as most games played on Xbox Series S can only reach 1080p resolution.

While the resolutions aren't as high as the Xbox Series X's 1440p or 4K resolutions, the Xbox Series S's resolutions are a massive improvement over the Xbox One S's resolutions on QHDTVs and monitors. These devices are far more likely to be present for the Xbox Series S' target audience of casual gamers, as well as students' or children's bedrooms.

Here's a list comparing characteristics between the Xbox Series S vs. Xbox Series X.

Xbox Series S: design, ports, and features

The Xbox Series S is actually the smallest Xbox console ever made, able to easily fit into a backpack, or squeeze inside its bigger Xbox Series X bigger brother. It's roughly 60 per cent smaller in volume, even smaller than Xbox One X.

The Xbox Series S lacks a disc drive, meaning if you wish to play games or movies on it, you will have to buy and download them online. It also sports the same SSD expansion port seen on the Xbox Series X, which is used to connect to a dedicated Seagate-branded memory card for extra storage space. It sports a similar "Robot White" coloration to the Xbox One S, bringing it in line with that family of devices. The key differentiator is the industrial-looking black fan grill, which gives it a very stark contrasting profile to previous-gen consoles.

Like the Xbox Series X, the Xbox Series S works with your best Xbox One headset, and all of your favorite current Xbox One accessories, including controllers. It also runs every single Xbox One game (except Kinect titles), giving it the largest generational launch lineup in console history.

Xbox Series S: Series S, Series X, and GameCore

During the Xbox Series S' development, lots of armchair devs on internet forums claimed to be "worried" that the Xbox Series S would "hold back" game development on the Xbox Series X, as developers build games for the lowest common denominator. This doesn't happen on PC, and nor has it happened on Xbox Series consoles. Game developers have been targeting vastly different hardware profiles for literally decades, and the tools for porting games and optimizing games for separate hardware levels have only got better as time has passed.

Developers are able to target Xbox Series S through beta versions of GameCore, which is a new development environment set to replace Xbox One's ERA system in the coming years. Infosec engineer TitleOS previously revealed the June GDK documents recently, which mentioned both the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X profile modes.

GameCore has brought PC and Xbox development closer together than ever before, allowing developers to more easily target different Xbox hardware profiles with as minimal code changes as possible. Some Xbox Series X titles were among the first to use GameCore in its early form, allowing Microsoft to refine and improve the system for general availability.

GameCore has formed a large part of how much more easily it has been for developers to seamlessly strip out different features in order to meet the specific needs of both the Xbox Series X and Series S. A good example showing how easily developers tone down a game's visuals to match hardware levels can be found in Gears Tactics, whose graphics settings showcase in real-time how sliding different graphical features up and down can help or impede performance.

Xbox Series S: launch date, price, and Xbox All Access

Xbox Series S launched on Nov 10, 2023, priced at $299, or £249 in the UK in various online or retail stores. Additionally, you can spread the cost of the Xbox Series S over 24 months using Xbox All Access, at $25 per month on a two-year contract. This contract also includes Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, giving you access to hundreds of the best Xbox games right out of the gate.

We're back with another exciting episode of the Windows Central Podcast, and this week, there's a new developer build of Windows 10 available, which features significant changes to the Start menu. Daniel and Zac have the details on that as well as the Arm-based Lenovo Flex 5G.

Speaking of Arm processors, they compare Apple's efforts with their own designs with Microsoft's SQ1. The guys also talk about Xbox Series S Lockhart rumors and even touch on wearable computing with devices like the Oura Ring and Google's acquisition of North.

This episode of the Windows Central Podcast was recorded on July 3rd 2020.

Links:

• Hands-on with Windows 10 build 20161 showcasing the new Start menu | Windows Central
• 'World's first 5G PC,' the Lenovo Flex 5G, now available on Verizon for $1,400 with a Snapdragon 8cx | Windows Central
• 'Xbox Series S' Lockhart: Everything we know so far | Windows Central
• Microsoft SQ1 is a custom chipset made for the Surface Pro X | Windows Central
• Oura Ring: the most accurate sleep and activity tracker

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Hosts

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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The Xbox Series X is set to be the world's most powerful console, launching later in "Holiday 2020," according to Microsoft. Launching somewhere around the same timeframe will be an Xbox Series "S," codenamed "Lockhart," which we revealed in reports quite a while ago.

With testing units shipping out to internal testers, the official reveal of this console is likely imminent. In addition to ourselves, various journalists from major tech sites have composed a picture of what Lockhart could be when it's finally revealed, and I've compiled all the latest rumors here, along with some of our own independent sources and verification.

Spoiler: This thing is definitely real.

How powerful is Xbox Series S Lockhart?

Last year we noted that Lockhart would be around 4TF, which sounds far smaller than the 12TF on the Xbox Series X or even that of the Xbox One X. However, Lockhart will boast a modern NVME SSD to match the Series X on load times and leverage Xbox Velocity Architecture, while also boasting a far more powerful CPU than that of the Xbox One X.

Marketing materials we saw last year positioned Lockhart as an entry-level next-gen console, designed for those on a tighter budget, or parents who want their kids to be able to experience the latest games, but not necessarily at 4K resolution. Indeed, it's likely that Lockhart will primarily be a 1080p machine, far more capable than the current-gen Xbox One S on HDTVs and monitors, which are far more likely to be present in students' or children's bedrooms.

The Verge's Tom Warren recently teased that Lockhart may boast 20 CUs, which is up from the Xbox One S's 12 CUs. We previously heard that Lockhart has eight 3.4GHz CPU cores, which came with the proven-accurate 3.6GHz CPU cores we revealed for the Xbox Series X last year. The exact speeds may change slightly from our previous info, which is admittedly quite old at this point, but I think it's a safe bet for sharing.

What will the Xbox Series S Lockhart look like?

Although we often use the cube-shaped concept art (because c'mon, it looks awesome), the Xbox Series S Lockhart will actually sport a more traditional console design, as per this concept art shared by Rand al Thor 19 on Twitter. It corroborates reports from Brad Sams of Thorrott.com that Microsoft is asking testers to hide their test units inside Xbox One S boxes, to keep it hidden from prying eyes.

We've also been told by multiple sources that Lockhart looks similar to the Xbox One S, lacking a disc drive, similar to the "All-Digital" edition. It will also sport the same SSD expansion port we've seen on the Xbox Series X. We've also heard that it could be dark grey in color, rather than white, to help differentiate it from the One S. It may be similar in color to the Xbox Series X dev kits, as seen in this tweet from The Verge's Warren.

Will Lockhart 'hold back' Xbox Series X?

No. Game developers have been targeting vastly different hardware profiles for literally decades, and the tools for porting games and optimizing games for separate hardware levels have only gotten better as time has proceeded.

Developers are able to target Lockhart through beta versions of GameCore, which is a new development environment set to replace Xbox One's ERA system in the coming years. Infosec engineer TitleOSrevealed the June GDK documents recently, which mentioned both the Lockhart and Anaconda (Xbox Series X) profile modes.

GameCore will bring PC and Xbox development closer together than ever before, while also allowing developers to more easily target different Xbox hardware profiles with as minimal code changes as possible. Some upcoming Xbox Series X titles will be among the first to use GameCore in its early form, as Microsoft refines and improves the system for general availability.

GameCore will form a large part of how much more easily it will be for developers to seamlessly strip out different features in order to meet the specific needs of both the Xbox Series X and Series S. A good example showing how easily developers can tone down a game's visuals to match hardware levels can be found in Gears Tactics, whose graphics settings showcase in real-time how sliding different graphical features up and down can help or impede performance.

When will Microsoft reveal Xbox Series S Lockhart?

Previously, Jeff Grubb of VentureBeat reported that Lockhart was planned to be revealed in June, and that certainly lined up with our information that Microsoft had begun sharing the device with testers, albeit in a limited capacity, back in May and April. For whatever reason, that reveal didn't happen. My guess is it's because without a price reveal, the narrative of a "less powerful" console is a little bit stunted.

Eurogamer is now reporting that Lockhart will be unveiled in August. And while we haven't heard specifically that Lockhart will get official in August, we confirmed with our own sources that Microsoft is planning to have another event during that month, following the July event, which we can confirm is currently gunning for July 23, 2020.

When will the Xbox Series S Lockhart launch?

Brad Sams recently reported that the Series X was originally planned to launch in August, with the Series S Lockhart planned to launch in October. Interestingly, I also heard a little while ago that the Series X was planned for a launch in September, with the Series S planned to launch in November, so I'm wondering if those dates shifted after Sams got his information, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The info I have on this is fairly old, but it sounds to me as though Microsoft is not planning to launch these consoles simultaneously. It sounds like the Series X will launch first, aimed at the hardcore, with the Series S Lockhart set to launch later, deeper into the holiday season to target parents and youngsters who may be looking for a good deal on a next-gen console.

As recession looms following the global pandemic, a cheaper console with a high-value Xbox Game Pass proposition sounds like a smart play for Microsoft right now.

Not long to wait now

The next big event for Microsoft is planned for this month, like July 23, and will showcase a broader roadmap of content Xbox fans can expect to enjoy in the coming months and years ahead. With the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 set to be on the higher-end in terms of price, the Xbox Series S Lockhart could be a particularly compelling option for specific audiences who want to join in on the next-gen fun without breaking the bank.

Additionally, the Lockhart architecture may also serve as a more cost-effective option for Project xCloud server blade upgrades in the future, since it's unlikely many of us will want to stream in full 4K any time in the near future.

What do you think of the prospective Xbox Series S? Let us know in the comments.

The Xbox Series "S" known by its codename of "Lockhart" has appeared once again, this time in the June 2020 release notes for the Microsoft Game Development Kit.

Security researcher on Twitter known by TitleOS has offered a glimpse at the relevant sections, which refer to Lockhart's "Profiling mode," alongside an AnacondaProfiling mode, which refers to the more powerful Xbox Series X. The profiles likely refer to graphics tiers developers can target for the different spec levels. Lockhart is expected to be around 4TF, targeting 1080p, with Anaconda (the Xbox Series X) hitting 12TF. We have verified the authenticity of the screenshots below.

Very little is known about Lockhart, but it's expected to be a slimmed-down, less-powerful all-digital next-gen Xbox, sporting boosted CPU and SSD capabilities over the Xbox One X, while also being less powerful in the graphics department. It's expected to be the cheapest next-gen entry level option, giving users the ability to jump ahead with the new features afforded by NVME SSD storage speeds, while also hitting a more affordable price point.

The info from TitleOS is just lends further credence to the fact that this thing truly does exist, at least right now. Microsoft has cancelled products at the last minute in the past, but from conversations with our sources, I know that some developers are already targeting the Lockhart profile with their games.

When will we see Lockhart revealed? At this point it's anyone's guess, but I expect we won't see Lockhart until Microsoft is ready to talk price. You don't announce a "less powerful" Xbox Scarlett console without being able to talk about its unique selling point. We'll just have to wait and see.

Xbox Series X/S

Main

• Xbox Series X: Everything we know
• Best games coming to Xbox Series X/S
• List of Xbox Series X specs
• What is the Xbox Series X release date?
• How much does Xbox Series X cost?
• Why you can't preorder Xbox Series X yet
• Best Xbox Series X Headsets

Microsoft continues to establish the foundations for Xbox Series X, the upcoming iteration of its flagship games console. The ambitious next-generation device targets heightened visual fidelity and performance, scheduled to hit store shelves later this year.

While Microsoft's focus currently sits with Xbox Series X, the prospect of an affordable, lower tier continues to circulate. Talk of the device has circulated for years, expected to accommodate the budget-conscious buyer, with some of the advancements provided by its sister console. With the "Series" moniker leaving space for models beyond an X-tier, Microsoft's next-generation positioning supports the theory.

The "Xbox Series S" looks increasingly feasible, with a recent trademark filing suggesting further groundwork to support the console. Microsoft has locked down the "Xbox Series" name as of June 12, as reported by Generacion Xbox, accompanying the existing trademark for Xbox Series X. While the filing doesn't guarantee new products, clearly also tying the existing Series X, it further fuels speculation surrounding the unannounced device.

Internally codenamed Xbox Lockhart, Xbox Series S is expected to target around four teraflops of graphical performance — roughly a third of Xbox Series X. The more affordable offering likely features some of the next-generation features, like AMD's latest generation hardware architectures, and solid-state storage. The status remains unclear, but we know a two-pronged approach remains under consideration.

Microsoft's latest will likely lead the market in terms of graphical prowess, but premium hardware doesn't come cheap. Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 pricing both remain unknown, as a factor likely to play a crucial role in the appeal of either console. Sony's recent PlayStation 5 unveiling also included a "Digital Edition" that cuts the disc drive, leaving a well-defined space in Microsoft's lineup.

Xbox Series X/S

Main

• Xbox Series X: Everything we know
• Best games coming to Xbox Series X/S
• List of Xbox Series X specs
• What is the Xbox Series X release date?
• How much does Xbox Series X cost?
• Why you can't preorder Xbox Series X yet
• Best Xbox Series X Headsets

What you need to know

• Microsoft will host a June live stream to "highlight the Xbox platform and services," Bloomberg reports in an interview with Xbox head, Phil Spencer.
• The scheduled monthly event could serve as the potential unveiling of the long-rumored Xbox Series S, alongside the growing focus on services like Xbox Project xCloud and Xbox Game Pass.

Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Series X continues to gun for late 2020 availability, with further reveals slated for the flagship next-generation console. The initial focus has fallen on Xbox Series X hardware, receiving a glimpse at its monolithic tower-style casing, and a granular dive into system specifications. The console shows promise, expected to lead the market with sizeable performance gains, establishing a firm baseline for the next console cycle.

The biggest mystery currently surrounds games — an area of focus of Microsoft on May 7, with the first of its "Xbox 20/20" streams. In an era of social distancing, the platform holder adopts monthly live streams, each spotlighting various elements of the next-gen box. The first includes a showcase of third-party titles from Microsoft "partners," with its July installment focusing on first-party titles from Xbox Game Studios.

Microsoft skirted reference to the expected June event in its Xbox 20/20 unveiling, focusing on the imminent third-party event and its Xbox Game Studios event two months later. However, it looks like June provides an outlook for the Xbox platform, potentially host to the long-rumored Xbox Lockhart — AKA Xbox Series S.

In an interview with executive vice-president of Gaming at Microsoft, Phil Spencer, Bloomberg reports June will "highlight the Xbox platform and services." Aaron Greenberg, general manager, Xbox Games Marketing at Microsoft, also teases the June event, stating "news will be done differently than [an] Inside Xbox show."

Talk of Xbox Series S has circulated for years, with Microsoft reportedly exploring a two-pronged next-generation approach. While the Xbox Series X current represents the pinnacle of upcoming hardware, Redmond continues to explore a more affordable entry point for budget-conscious gaming. We understand Xbox Series S targets graphical performance around four teraflops (TF), with some next-gen features, compared to the 12TF of Xbox Series X. But the main sell of Xbox Series S will be affordability, putting a focus on that price — still a mystery for both consoles in early May.

The event may also feature other fundamentals from the growing Xbox services and subscription library, such as Project xCloud, the upcoming Xbox game streaming platform targeting a public release in 2020. Xbox Game Pass also remains a continued focus, recently clocking 10 million subscribers across Xbox and PC.

Expect additional details in the coming month, following the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal on May 7. Let us know what you hope to see from Xbox 20/20 streams in the comments section.

Xbox Series X/S

Main

• Xbox Series X: Everything we know
• Best games coming to Xbox Series X/S
• List of Xbox Series X specs
• What is the Xbox Series X release date?
• How much does Xbox Series X cost?
• Why you can't preorder Xbox Series X yet
• Best Xbox Series X Headsets

Gamertag Radio is a legendary gaming podcast, established all the way back in 2005. The team has interviewed various industry heavyweights over the years, including most recently Xbox head Phil Spencer, to discuss the future of Xbox.

With Xbox Series X news heating up, I was invited to take part in this week's podcast to discuss the latest rumors and news, including our notes about the long-awaited "Xbox Series S" Lockhart, Phil Spencer's recent video game teases, and much, much more. You can catch the podcast below, or across various other podcasting services found here.

Xbox Series X/S

Main

• Xbox Series X: Everything we know
• Best games coming to Xbox Series X/S
• List of Xbox Series X specs
• What is the Xbox Series X release date?
• How much does Xbox Series X cost?
• Why you can't preorder Xbox Series X yet
• Best Xbox Series X Headsets

Xbox Series X hype train is heating up. With all the specs out in the open, the attention has turned to games, features, and the long-rumored Xbox Lockhart, what will effectively be a less-powerful, more-affordable "Xbox Series S."

There are tons of rumors about upcoming events, game reveals, and beyond, so I thought I'd round up what's out there, what we know, and sprinkle in some good old-fashioned speculation for good measure.

• Related: What game developers think of the Xbox Series X

'Xbox Series S,' a.k.a., Xbox 'Lockhart'

As per some of our earlier information on Xbox "Lockhart" and the Xbox Series X, we're expecting Lockhart to be a 4TF "entry-point" to next-gen gaming, and it should effectively replace the Xbox One X. This system is designed to be affordable but will offer aspects of a next-gen experience currently unavailable to past-gen consoles, presumably in the form of NVME loading speeds and perhaps some limited ray-tracing. We have no idea about the capabilities of Lockhart outside that magical "4TF" GPU number, which came alongside more of our detailed Xbox Series X info that turned out to be accurate.

Recently, we heard Lockhart is entering take home stages for Xbox employees to get their hands on the system and begin providing feedback and testing. The timing would indicate to me that rumors of upcoming showcases in early May are likely accurate. This is coupled with rumors from our Senior Editor Zac Bowden that Microsoft is gearing up to showcase new Surface hardware in May, as well.

A new wireless headset

In addition to Lockhart potentially moving out of the lab into the homes of internal Microsoft testers, we've heard Team Xbox is building a replacement for its 2014 Xbox Stereo Headset. If our sourcing on this is accurate, the new headset will be fully wireless, compatible with Xbox, PC, and mobile devices, presumably via separate Bluetooth and Xbox Wireless signals.

It could be Xbox's answer to the Surface Headphones, albeit with some of the more "premium" features stripped out. Given that the previous 2014 Xbox Stereo Headset was very much an entry-level affair, this may also be designed with entry-level users in mind, allowing for third-parties to target the more premium-end with the likes of the SteelSeries Arctis 9X and the Astro A50. It could also go the other way entirely, offering something at the premium-end as an "aspirational" product similar to the rest of the Surface product line.

What about Microsoft's Xbox events in this spring?

Whether Xbox Lockhart will break cover in May is unknown, but based on its imminent take-home status and the oddly coincidental (and wholly separately sourced) timing of the Surface rumors suggest an early May reveal could be on the money. With E3 2020 canceled, Microsoft perhaps has a bit more leeway in terms of what it can do with regards to marketing and its upcoming events, spreading them across a wider range of dates. A couple of Xbox YouTubers with good track records for accurate information have suggested a May event, as well, to coincide with the previously-announced digital showcases Microsoft mentioned would replace its E3 showing in June.

We've heard Microsoft may also be gearing up to show off a few upcoming games as part of its May press releases. Long-standing rumors of a Fable reboot under Playground Games make for an obvious candidate, but we've also barely seen anything about Halo Infinite, which is supposedly launching later this year presuming "work from home" delays are avoided.

Whether this will be a full-blown showcase event like Inside Xbox, a trailer reveal as we saw for Hellblade II, or a third-party deep dive with the expertise of outlets like Digital Foundry is completely unknown. But as they say, there's typically no smoke without fire.

Exciting times ahead for Xbox — and for you

As always, take these rumors with a pinch of salt. Plans can change, more so than ever in our present era of flux and chaos, but we're confident that Xbox fans could have something to look forward to in early May.

Xbox Game Studios is growing far bigger, far faster than the team ever has in previous years under Microsoft, adding hundreds of new posts across tons of game studios. Not only should this lead to bigger, bolder worlds but also more exclusives to bolster Xbox Game Pass on console and PC, and the platform in general, which has been on the back foot in terms of content throughout the Xbox One generation.

• Related: Everything Xbox Game Studios is working on

Xbox Series X/S

Main

• Xbox Series X: Everything we know
• Best games coming to Xbox Series X/S
• List of Xbox Series X specs
• What is the Xbox Series X release date?
• How much does Xbox Series X cost?
• Why you can't preorder Xbox Series X yet
• Best Xbox Series X Headsets

Update February 24, 2020: Microsoft's Xbox chief Phil Spencer confirmed many of the rumored Xbox Series X specifications. We've also since had a look at the XSX's ports.

Update December 19, 2019: Microsoft has now revealed Anaconda, dubbed the Xbox Series X.

Microsoft is gearing up to reveal a two-pronged attack for next-gen consoles, complete with a more affordable SKU, dubbed "Lockhart," and a more beastly premium SKU, codenamed "Anaconda." We have no idea what the next-gen consoles will look like, or be officially named when the time comes, but we do now have a credible idea of what specs these systems are targeting.

We believe the information we've received below from multiple sources, but as always, take these rumors with a pinch of salt until we get official confirmation from Microsoft itself. Plans can and do change as we move towards production. Xbox Scarlett is due to launch in 2020, in time for the holiday season.

In the 2019 reveal video, Xbox cloud architect Kareem Choudhry said Scarlett could "eat monsters for breakfast," and indeed, Anaconda looks as though it will be able to. According to several sources familiar with Microsoft's plans, Anaconda is targeting around 12 teraflops (TF) of computing power, compared to the Xbox One X's 6TF, and the Xbox One S's 1.4. Lockhart conversely will sport around 4TF, and according to marketing materials we've seen previously, it is being positioned as the most-affordable entry point to next-gen experiences.

It's important to note, however, that TF doesn't really tell the entire story of next-gen systems, owing to piles of custom tech Microsoft is planning to bake into these consoles. For example, Microsoft already spoke about how ray-tracing will be a factor in next-gen systems, and while Lockhart has less raw power than the X, it will have capabilities that elevate it further than the X in various ways.

Both Lockhart and Anaconda reportedly sport eight CPU cores targetting around 3.5GHz, with Anaconda reaching a bit higher per core than Lockhart. The relatively modest increase in clock speed over the previous-gen systems may seem mild, but vast improvements to caching, new silicon architecture, and other general bespoke, proprietary optimizations will see Anaconda perform anywhere up to four to five times better than the Xbox One X, if targets are met. We're told that at least Anaconda will guarantee 13GB of RAM for games, with 3GB on the OS a total of 16GB. The X, by comparison, offered a "maximum" of 9GB for games, which often varied based on what the OS was doing. Microsoft also said in its reveal video that the SSD could be used to throw in virtual RAM as necessary. Speaking of which ...

One huge focus area for Lockhart and Anaconda is on NVMe SSD proprietary tech, which dramatically decreases load speeds, nigh-on eliminating loading completely. Games with load times anywhere up to a minute will be reduced to mere seconds as a result of these SSDs, and the inclusion of Project XCloud across all Xbox systems will allow you to start gaming via streaming while waiting for games to download locally. Next-gen is all about saving you time, increasing read speeds by gigabytes per second, while also providing cutting-edge visuals that will elevate games to all new heights.

We've been told that while many games will function across generations, next-gen features such as ray tracing for dynamic reflections and the like will most probably be exclusive to Lockhart and Anaconda, requiring new APIs that come as part of Game Core OS (which is also part of the Windows Core OS effort we've been covering). That said, Scarlett will be able to run all previous-gen games that are available on Xbox One today, including backward compatible games as Microsoft has already announced.

Similarly to the Xbox One X, games with unlocked frame rates and dynamic resolution will perform better on Scarlett, once again, being able to take advantage of the improved hardware. For example, Monster Hunter World struggles to maintain 60 FPS on the Xbox One X even in its performance mode. Even without an update, it should manage to hit its target FPS without an issue on Scarlett. Games will also be able to take advantage of the increased SSD loading speeds on the newer consoles as well, without needing an update.

As noted, always take rumors with a pinch of salt, but we're confident in our sourcing on this. It's difficult to do direct comparisons between Project Scarlett consoles and off-the-shelf PC parts, due to the unknown quantities in Microsoft's proprietary optimizations. The proof, as always, will be in the pudding.

Plans can change between now and launch (looking at you, Surface Mini), but it's looking almost certain that Project Scarlett is, in fact, two console SKUs across Lockhart and Anaconda, with Anaconda representing the higher end, and Lockhart representing a more affordable entry point to next-gen features.

Either way, across Scarlett, bigger investment in games, and Project XCloud, 2020 is looking incredibly exciting indeed.

Xbox

Main

• What is Xbox Game Pass?
• Best 4K TVs for Xbox Series X and S
• Must-buy Xbox One Headsets
• Our Favorite Xbox One Wireless Headsets
• Best Upcoming Xbox Games for 2021
• Xbox One X vs. Xbox Series S