Xbox Series X specs and features confirmed so far, including 8K and 120 FPS support, SSD, CPU and GPU Teraflops details
The nitty gritty of Xbox Series X's hardware explained.
The Xbox Series X - which previously had the codename Project Scarlett - will be arriving in late 2020.
As we get closer to the Xbox Series X release, we now have an in-depth knowledge of the Xbox Series X specs and features, including 8K and 120 FPS support (for supported titles, of course) plus the first Xbox Series X CPU and GPU Teraflops details.
We also have a page dedicated to Xbox Series S specs - though we'll outline key differences in the Xbox Series X specs section of this page
On this page:
We know several other things about Microsoft's new console - including the Xbox Series X console design, the Xbox Series X controller details and confirmed Xbox Series X games.
Xbox Series X confirmed specs, including 8K and 120 FPS support, plus CPU and GPU details
Let's begin with the hard numbers - below you'll find the specs for the Xbox Series X:
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| CPU | 8x Zen 2 Cores at 3.8GHz (3.6GHz with SMT) |
| GPU | 12 TFLOPs, 52 CUs at 1.825GHz, Custom RDNA 2 |
| Die Size | 360.45mm2 |
| Process | TSMC 7nm Enhanced |
| Memory | 16GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 10GB at 560GB/s, 6GB at 336GB/s |
| Internal Storage | 1TB Custom NVMe SSD |
| IO Throughput | 2.4GB/s (Raw), 4.8GB/s (Compressed) |
| Expandable Storage | 1TB Expansion Card |
| External Storage | USB 3.2 HDD Support |
| Optical Drive | 4K UHD Blu-ray Drive |
| Performance Target | 4K at 60fps - up to 120fps |
How do these compare to the Xbox Series S specs? The key differences come to rendering resolution (thanks to a slower GPU and less memory) and a lack of disc drive, meaning if you want 4K native games and to use physical copies, the X is the way to go.
Now that we have the Xbox Series X specs, the question is - what do they mean for the upcoming console?
- Xbox Series X CPU and GPU: The Xbox Series X will have a customised AMD Zen 2 CPU, which will have contain eight CPU cores and 16 threads, while the GPU will offer 12.55 Teraflops. At its peak, the CPU will be able to run at a 3.8GHz frequency. If you'd like to know more about the CPU and GPU for the Xbox Series X, then check out Digital Foundry expert Rick Leadbetter's analysis of the Xbox Series X specs.
- Ray tracing support Ray tracing support that's real time and hardware accelerated "for the first time ever", according to Microsoft (Digital Foundry on the current state of ray tracing tech if you're looking for more background info.) In brief, the hardware acceleration means "Series X can effectively tap the equivalent of well over 25 TFLOPs of performance while ray tracing." There is some context to be considered with that, but in Rich's words: "Xbox Series X is capable of delivering the most ambitious, most striking implementation of ray tracing - and it does so in real time.
- Memory will be 16GB GDDR6, with a high bandwidth of 10GB at 560 GB/s and 6GB at 336GB/s.
- Storage for downloads and games will be, like the PS5 specs, a "next generation" Xbox SSD (solid state drive), which will allow for ultra fast loading times. In the terms of internal storage this will be 1 TB Custom NVME SSD and the expandable storage matches this. The Xbox Series X will also support external storage via a USB 3.2 External HDD Support.
- A disc drive, which was originally confirmed thanks to a look at the Xbox Series X console design, that will support 4K Bluray playback, much like the Xbox One S and Xbox One X before it.
- 8K resolution support is present, but the "target" for Seriex X games will be 4k at 60fps, up to 120fps.
- 120 FPS and variable refresh rate support will also be available for compatible displays.
- Other technologies include Variable Rate Shading (VRS) which Microsoft describes as: rather than spending GPU cycles uniformly to every single pixel on the screen, they can prioritise individual effects on specific game characters or important environmental objects. This technique results in more stable frame rates and higher resolution, with no impact on the final image quality."
- It also supports Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) with the HDMI Xbox Series X port and Dynamic Latency Input (DLI) through the Xbox Series X Controller to help minimize latency and improve responsiveness.
How many Teraflops is the Xbox Series X?
We've known for a while that the Xbox Series X would have 12 Teraflops of power. Digital Foundry's Rich Leadbetter analysed a possible GPU specs leak back in December and this leak was then by a teaser image from Phil Spencer, Xbox boss, which allowed for further analysis.
We now how Microsoft has given the Xbox Series X it's 12 Teraflops and it's all thanks to the Project Scarlett SoC - system on chip.
As Rich Leadbetter explains in his analysis of the Xbox Series X specs,"The chip itself is a 360mm2 slice of silicon (significantly smaller than we speculated), that pairs customised versions of AMD's Zen 2 CPU core with 12.155 teraflops of GPU compute power."
If you want to know more about Microsoft achieved this 12 Teraflops feat, then read Rich Leadbetter's analysis of the Xbox Series X specs. There he goes into depth about exactly how Micrsoft has delivered these 12 Teraflops.
Below you'll find how the Xbox Series X stacks up against other consoles, which was put together by Digital Foundry:
| Processor Size | Process Node | Compute Units/TFLOPs | CPU Architecture | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xbox Series X | Circa 360mm2 (confirmed) | 7nm | 52 (confirmed) /12TF (confirmed) | Zen 2 |
| Xbox One X | 359mm2 | 16nmFF | 40/6TF | Jaguar |
| PlayStation 4 Pro | 325mm2 | 16nmFF | 36/4.2TF | Jaguar |
| PlayStation 4 'Slim' | 208mm2 | 16nmFF | 18/1.84TF | Jaguar |
| PlayStation 4 | 348mm2 | 28nm | 18/1.84TF | Jaguar |
| Xbox One S | 240mm2 | 16nmFF | 12/1.4TF | Jaguar |
| Xbox One | 363mm2 | 28nm | 12/1.31TF | Octo-Core Jaguar |
The bad news is this could all have some real implications on cost, saying: "If the 56 compute unit makeup of the processor is confirmed, the cost implication is eye-opening to say the least."
Interested in learning more about Microsoft's next-gen plans? Here is everything we know about Xbox Series S vs X, the full set of confirmed Xbox Series X specs and features and the console design, size, dimensions and ports, the Xbox Series controller and confirmed Xbox Series games, including those which support Xbox Smart Delivery. The Xbox Series line of consoles will also support the ongoing library of Xbox Game Pass games. When you're ready, you can look for some Xbox Series X/S stock.
All other confirmed Xbox Series X features so far
Let's look at some of the non-hardware features we know about for Xbox Series X:
- Xbox Series X will support backwards compatibility across all Xbox console generations - including select original Xbox and Xbox 360 games, and likely all Xbox One and Xbox One X software.
- Select Xbox Series X games will be cross-generation titles, such as Halo Infinite, Microsoft's Matt Booty told Eurogamer. "We... want to make sure people who own an Xbox One get a game which runs well up and down the Xbox family. But it plays best on Scarlett."
- Xbox Game Pass support will be available at launch - which will see first-party studio games such as Halo: Infinite available through the service from day-one - as well as the existing library of original Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One games on the service.
- Xbox Smart Delivery is a feature which, for supported Xbox Series X games (such as Xbox's own first-party titles), means you only need to purchase a game once, and it'll run the best possible version on the Xbox you own. Third-party developers can also use this, allowing them to release Xbox One games with Xbox Series X upgrades down the line.
- Xbox Series X will support Xbox One accessories, including the likes of the Xbox Elite line will be included. Additionally, the Xbox Series X controller can be used on other platforms - including PC and existing Xbox One consoles.
- Existing Achievements and progression will all carry over to Xbox Series X, as it has done with previous generations, as part of your Xbox Live profile.
- Speed and reducing load screens is a key selling point, Matt Booty said in our E3 2019 interview. "It's the combination of speed, not just of the SSD but of the processor, the performance of the GPU and RAM... Just think, what are all the things right now which take you out of a game? You're playing then suddenly *bloop* a load screen pops up and drops you out. Our goal is to get rid of those things, that's what we're after."
- Quick Resume allows players to continue playing multiple games from a standby state "almost instantly", according to Microsoft.
- Xbox Series X won't be the last Xbox console - or at least that's the current plan, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer. There has to be a "meaningful" reason, but with the prediction game streaming won't take off in the short to medium term, the possibility of another box makes sense.
Want to know more about the new console? Our pages on Xbox Series X controller details and confirmed Xbox Series X games can help.