Microsoft confirms Xbox Series X has 12 teraflops GPU
And a cross-buy scheme for developers to opt into.
Xbox Series X will boast a 12 teraflops GPU, Microsoft has said, confirming recent leaks.
The company's next-gen console will include AMD's new Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures, Microsoft said today in a new blog post which is stuffed with Xbox Series X details.
Microsoft also detailed how cross-generational games will work on Xbox Series X, with an opt-in scheme called Smart Delivery that will "empower you to buy a game once and know that... you are getting the right version of that game whatever Xbox you're playing on".
In real terms, that means if you buy Halo Infinite for Xbox One, you'll also be granted the Xbox Series X version of the game too (and vice versa). All Xbox Game Studios titles will support this as standard, and for all other publishers it is an opt-in (and encouraged) choice.
This differs a little to how things work on Xbox One and Xbox One X, of course, which play the same licensed copy of the game. On Series X, games are a different SKU - but Smart Delivery means you'll get access to this different SKU if a publisher chooses.
It makes sense for games with ongoing live services - like Destiny 2 or Red Redemption 2 - that could get a re-release for Series X and take advantage of its snazzier hardware. And while the possibility exists for a publisher to charge you again, we understand Microsoft to be encouraging Smart Delivery for all third-parties.
Backwards compatibility, of course, has already been detailed - all non-Kinect Xbox One games plus those from the OG Xbox and Xbox 360 era which are already in the back-compat program will also play on Series X. Microsoft notes that all of these will benefit from "steadier framerates, faster load times and improved resolution".
Digital Foundry is crunching all of this for its own detailed technical report, due later today.
There's a lot more in the blog post, though much of it brings together features Microsoft has already touched on in the past. Hardware-wise, there's the inclusion of Variable Rate Shading and DirectX ray-tracing, Dynamic Latency Input to optimise console to controller communication, the inclusion of an SSD for faster load times and support for up to 120 FPS.
Features-wise, Microsoft has again highlighted the ability to suspend and resume multiple games at once, and reiterated that first-party titles from its 15 Xbox Game Studios developers will continue to launch via the Xbox Game Pass subscription day and date with their general release.
Penned by Xbox boss Phil Spencer, the post mentions more Xbox Series X details will be coming before E3 in June.
"I'm proud to be able to share details about some of the technologies we are enabling for the next generation," Spencer wrote, "and look forward to boldly sharing more as we head towards E3."