Microsoft’s eagerly awaited new Xbox video game console is almost here, and you’ll be able to shell out an as-yet-unspecified amount of money for the Xbox Series X this November. Even as Microsoft provided that more specific launch date for the latest Xbox console, developer 343 Industries announced that it’s pushing back Halo Infinite, one of the titles Xbox fans have been most ardently anticipating, to 2021. That news came the same day as leaks about the Series X’s potential little brother, code-named Lockhart, called it the “Xbox Series S.”.

On a more prosaic level, we’re in the portion of the prerelease cycle in which Microsoft and Sony — slated to release its own PlayStation 5 console this year — leapfrog each other with feature and spec reveals. The latest lilypad was the Xbox Games Showcase on July 23, headlined by Microsoft’s abovementioned Halo Infinite.

During the event, Microsoft showed us gameplay footage from that game, as well as showing off and confirming a list of launch exclusives for the Series X — games that will launch exclusively on the console, but will not necessarily be available on the console at its launch. These include Stalker 2, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (2021), Tetris Effect: Connected and The Gunk (by the creators of SteamWorld).

Microsoft also confirmed that all its titles will be available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers on Day 1. Previously, it had offered up the news that its xCloud cloud gaming service, currently in beta, will officially launch in September as part of the $15-per-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate service, and subsequently rolled out beta access early to subscribers.

The Xbox Series X enters a scene that looks very different than when its predecessor, the Xbox One X, arrived three years ago. Though technically it’s competing with other living room game consoles, in practice it’s now challenged for a share of your entertainment time and money by hugely popular phone-based mobile gaming and the Nintendo Switch handheld console, as well as nascent cloud gaming options and established PC gaming.

Microsoft held the first of its Xbox 20/20 livestreams in early May to highlight upcoming games, as well as what was being called its xCloud platform and other related services. The company has frequently repeated that part of backward compatibility with older games includes its OS-level HDR reconstruction technology, which uses Microsoft’s machine-learning technology to create high-dynamic range tone maps for games designed in standard dynamic range.

We now have a clearer picture of what to expect from the Xbox Series X, short of the types of answers we can only get by booting one up and using it (such as how well backward compatibility works), including specifics like the configurations and storage capacity.

What’s the Xbox Series X release date, and how much will it cost?

Microsoft says it will ship in November, and we think likely the PS5 will follow suit. The company has put up a page for notifications, which will turn into the preorder page once pricing is available. Microsoft’s not the only one with a preorder placeholder page up – Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and the other usual suspects are ready as well.

As for price, that’s still unknown. The Xbox 360 cost $399 when it launched in the US in 2005 and the Xbox One cost $499 when it launched in 2013, as did the subsequent flagship Xbox One X in 2017.

But supply constraints on popular components such as memory and storage were already reportedly impacting the PS5 even before Sony was forced to change its promotion plans due to COVID-19, and shortages invariably drive prices up. Microsoft continues to say that the Xbox Series X launch won’t be affected. Current best guesses peg it at about $500 — a little less than its predecessors when you factor in inflation.

In a podcast with IGN on April 1, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said he’s feeling “good” about the new system’s price. He continued, “I feel good about the price and the performance capabilities that we have for Series X. I feel incredibly strong about the overall package.” Sony also increased its production target for the PS5, which may point to a more aggressive price as well, since the two will likely cost about the same.

If you were hoping to pick up an Xbox One X or One S All-Digital for a pittance if the 2020 model turned out to be a budget-buster, hope again: Microsoft has discontinued production of both models, so that will cease to be an option once stock runs out unless you opt to buy a used console. The Xbox One S will stay around, however, so Microsoft isn’t removing budget options altogether. The other cheap option is to hold onto your current console for a while longer until the sales begin.

However you may have another, cheaper option: the rumored Xbox Series S. According to the buzz, it looks like it’s a lower-power model with lower clock speeds, less RAM and reduced graphics processing that all make it more a 1080p console and possibly a tie in for gameplay via xCloud. The configuration should allow it to come it at a more attractive price but still be able to play Xbox Series X games; that could lessen the sting if the Series X does come in at more than $500.

What are the Xbox Series X’s specs?

The console is based around AMD’s current-generation Zen 2 processor architecture plus a graphics processor using AMD’s forthcoming RDNA 2 microarchitecture, so presumably built on the Navi 7-nanometer process.

The system’s CPU is an eight-core custom Zen 2 processor running at 3.8GHz (3.66GHz with simultaneous multithreading). Its GPU is a custom RDNA 2 processor at 1.825GHz with 52 CUs that will create 12 teraflops. This puts Microsoft’s new console among some of the higher-end gaming PCs.

Other hardware includes 16GB of GDDR6 RAM, a 1TB solid-state drive, an HDMI 2.1 connection carried over from the previous model and an optical drive for game discs. The SSD will incorporate a new feature called Xbox Velocity Architecture, which will let developers make use of up to 100GB of game assets instantaneously.

A proprietary 1TB Seagate expansion drive will be able to plug into the back of the Xbox Series X, providing even more storage for games. It’s designed to have the same architecture and give the same performance as the internal SSD.

External drives can still work with the Xbox Series X, but they can only store game data and will need to transfer games to the console’s SSD or expansion drive in order to play. We don’t know how much it will cost, but Seagate’s pre-preorder page is up and awaiting your email address. Ostensibly, the drive will be available at launch.

Unsurprisingly, it incorporates Microsoft’s DirectX 12 Ultimate, the latest version of the company’s graphics programming interface (which is in Windows 10), notably its GPU support for DirectX ray tracing and Variable Rate Shading (DXR 1.1).

In combination, these all will allow the Xbox to drive higher frame rates — 4K resolution at 120 frames per second — with variable rate refresh support when connected to TVs or monitors with an HDMI 2.1 connection. Both it and the PS5 also claim 8K capability at a lower frame rate, though then the question arises: do you really want it?

As for the physical size of the new console, it will measure 151x151x301mm (approximately 6 by 6 by 12 inches).

Specifications

Processor	8-core AMD Ryzen Zen 2-architecture CPU at 3.7GHz-3.8GHz
Graphics	AMD Navi/RDNA 2-family GPU with 52 CU at 1.825GHz (12TFLOPS FP32)
Video memory	16GB GDDR6 with 14Gbps 320-bit interface (10GB at 560GBps allocated to GPU, 6GB at 336GBps allocated to rest of system with 3.5GB for GPU)
Storage	1TB NVMe SSD; proprietary 1TB SSD add-on module; USB 3.2 external HDD support
Optical drive	4K Blu-ray
Maximum output resolution	8K
Maximum frame rate	4K/120fps
Audio	Ray traced
New controller features	Share button, Dynamic Latency Input
VR support	Unknown
Console streaming	Yes
Backward compatibility	Xbox One and supported Xbox 360 and Xbox games
Subscription tie-in	Xbox Game Pass
Release date	Thanksgiving 2020
Price	Unknown

With all the updated components, the Xbox Series X certainly seems like a big step up from its predecessor. The solid-state storage will allow faster startup of games and shorter loading screen times than the previous models’ hard disk drives provided, even for older games. While Microsoft vaguely says the updated processor has “four times the processing power of the Xbox One,” any speed update helps and will apply to all games.

For games that incorporate it, the DXR acceleration gives developers the opportunity to render far more accurate lighting, shadows and reflections without negatively affecting performance and without a lot of the optimization overhead otherwise required. And VRS lets developers choose where they can save processing power while rendering a frame based on how visually important an area is and how noticeable a slightly rougher render might be.

That means that games integrating it may also be able to sustain higher frame rates with better-looking graphics in select scenes than they might otherwise have had.In addition to supporting variable refresh rates — letting the console sync game frame rates with compatible TVs or monitors to minimize artifacts like stutter and tearing caused by mismatches — HDMI 2.1 adds ALLM, or Auto Low Latency Mode, which automatically sets the display to its lowest latency mode, and has been available in TVs from manufacturers like Sony and LG for at least a year. Keep in mind that to run 4K/120p, you’ll need an HDMI 2.1 connection in the TV or monitor as well.

Microsoft’s bringing back Quick Resume, a feature it introduced and then deprecated about five years ago. Previously, it allowed you to suspend (rather than exit) a single game and pick it up exactly where you left off, but now it will be able to do so for multiple games.

With all these upgraded specs, we also have no idea of how much the carbon footprint will change — despite rumors to the contrary, Microsoft hasn’t made over a quarter of a million carbon-neutral Xbox Series X consoles.

Will Xbox One and older games work on it?

Microsoft says yes, going back as far as the original Xbox, and that many of them will play and look better, thanks to the aforementioned upgrades that apply to every game running on the console. Of course, the devil’s in the details when it comes to compatibility, so we’ll have to wait for hands-on tryouts to find out how broadly it applies.

Unlike the transition from earlier generations, though, this one should go more smoothly. The new hardware is mostly just faster versions of the previous components, and the last Xbox One operating system also used DirectX 12 and supported HDMI 2.1, or at least there’s nothing that requires emulation or rewriting.

Microsoft has announced at least two new features to improve the experience of running multigenerational games: the aforementioned HDR reconstruction, for automatically tonemapping SDR games to HDR, and Smart Delivery. When you pay for a game, it gives you the rights to that game for both Xbox One models and the Series X and automatically chooses the correct version — but it’s also optional for developers and publishers, and it’s not clear whether it applies to older games you’ve already paid for.

It also seems to be intended to encourage upgrading from the Xbox One to the Series X without discouraging buying games for the older console: “This technology is available for all developers and publishers, and they can choose to use it for titles that will be released on Xbox One first and come to the Xbox Series X later.”

It’s possible you’ll be paying a premium for games as well; 2K has priced its Series X version of NBA 2K21 at $10 more than the Xbox One version.

Thus far, 12 games have announced support for Smart Delivery, including Microsoft’s Halo Infinite, CD Projekt Red’s upcoming sci-fi RPG Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Hellblade 2 and others.

Will there be a new controller, too?

Yup, though not as radically redesigned as the console, and it will be backward-compatible with older models. It’s based on the current Xbox Elite Wireless model but has a reworked D-pad and a share button. Microsoft has also done some work on reducing the wireless lag — and thereby increasing the responsiveness — between the display and the controller with what it calls dynamic latency input.

The D-pad, triggers and bumper also have a tactile matte finish to give the controller a bit more grip when playing.

Another aspect of the controller staying the same is the use of AA batteries instead of a built-in rechargeable battery. Microsoft says this choice was to keep the flexibility for those gamers who want disposable batteries and those who prefer rechargeables.

Games? Games!

Microsoft naturally has all of its studios working on games for the console, which we finally got a comprehensive look at at the July event; we had the first significant reveal of third-party games in early May.

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Microsoft used its in-development Forza Motorsport as the poster child for using the whizzy new features of the Series X. In addition to Halo Infinite, expected to be available at launch, we know about six titles that are slated to launch as exclusives on the new console and its older siblings:

• Stalker 2
• Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (2021)
• Tetris Effect: Connected
• The Gunk
• Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis (2021)
• CrossFireX

More notable titles confirmed for the console include (those available at or near launch are in bold):

• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
• Battlefield 6 (2021)
• Call of the Sea
• Chorus
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Dirt 5
• Fable
• Gods and Monsters
• Halo Infinite
• Hellblade II
• The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
• Outriders
• Rainbow Six Quarantine
• Scarlet Nexus
• Second Extinction
• The Ascent
• The Medium
• Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
• Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Xbox Game Pass will continue to be the major vault subscription option for the console. Though Microsoft hasn’t mentioned it explicitly, it’s also likely that the Series X will offer Xbox Console Streaming — a feature that lets you play Xbox One games on your phone that are running on your console — which is currently still in preview. You’ll also be able to hand off games from the console to PC or mobile device via what was formerly called Project xCloud integration. (The service, also in beta, lets you play Game Pass games on your phone or tablet that are running on remote pseudo Xboxes rather than on your local console.)

How does the Xbox Series X compare with the PS5?

Broadly speaking, the two consoles offer roughly the same specifications vis-a-vis processing power, storage and new graphics features like ray tracing. One potential performance advantage the PS5 might have is its new hardware decompression silicon, which could speed up loading of high-resolution textures even more. Sony also overhauled the controller, now dubbed DualSense, to add some intriguing-sounding haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

Read more: Sony PS5 vs. Microsoft Xbox Series X: Next-gen consoles power up

But it really comes down to games and game pricing. Sony had its big Future of Gaming stream in early June to show off new titles.

Comparison of PS5 and Xbox Series X

	PlayStation 5	Xbox Series X
Processor	8-core AMD Ryzen Zen 2-architecture CPU at max 3.5GHz	8-core AMD Ryzen Zen 2-architecture CPU at 3.6GHz or 3.8GHz
Graphics	AMD Navi/RDNA 2-family GPU with 36 CU at 2.23 GHz (10.3 TFLOPS, FP unit unknown)	AMD Navi/RDNA 2-family GPU with 52 CU at 1.825GHz (12TFLOPS FP32)
Video memory	16GB GDDR6 with 256-bit interface (448GBps)	16GB GDDR6 with 14Gbps 320-bit interface (10GB at 560GBps allocated to GPU, 6GB at 336GBps allocated to rest of system with 3.5GB for GPU)
Storage	825GB SSD at 5.5-9GBps; NVMe SSD slot; support for USB HDD	1TB NVMe SSD; proprietary 1TB SSD add-on module; USB 3.2 external HDD support
Optical drive	Yes, 4K Blu-ray	Yes, 4K Blu-ray
Maximum output resolution	8K	8K
Maximum frame rate	4K/120fps	4K/120fps
Audio	3D, accelerated by custom Tempest Engine hardware; for headphones only at launch, supplemented by virtual surround for speaker audio	Ray-traced
New controller features	Haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, USB-C connector	Share button, Dynamic Latency Input
VR support	Yes, compatible with PSVR headset	Unknown
Console streaming	Yes (Remote Play)	Yes (Console Streaming)
Backward compatibility	PS4 games	Xbox One and supported Xbox 360 and Xbox games
Notable launch game(s)	Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Godfall, Gods and Monsters, Observer: System Redux, Rainbow Six Siege, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Watch Dogs: Legion	Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077, Forza Motorsport, Halo Infinite, Rainbow Six Siege, Madden NFL 21, Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Subscription tie-in	PS Now	Xbox Game Pass
Release date	Holiday 2020	Holiday 2020
Price	Unknown	Unknown