E3 2017: Everything We Know About Xbox One X

Project Scorpio is dead. Long live Xbox One X. Microsoft’s upgraded console launches on November 7 for $499, but that’s not all you need to know. Below you’ll find detailed info on the Xbox One X hardware, games available on launch day, and technical enhancements that set the console apart from Xbox One and Xbox One S.

Hardware

AMD partnered with Microsoft to engineer cutting-edge GPU and CPU chips for Xbox One X. The system-on-chip, or SOC, contains a six-teraflop graphics processor and an eight-core processor—both designed from the ground up for Microsoft’s latest and greatest machine. The CPU was derived from a custom Jaguar chipset and sets all cores to 2.3 GHz. Microsoft is giving developers 12GB of GDDR5 RAM, allocating 9 of those gigabytes for game-related tasks. The rest will be used to juggle system tasks such as rendering the console’s dashboard in 4K.

As far as storage and media goes, the Xbox One offers a 1TB hard disk drive (HDD) and an Ultra HD Blu-ray drive. All that extra power requires more power: a 245-watt internal power supply pumps juice through the console, compared to the 220-watt external supply that came with the original Xbox One in 2013. A Hovis vapor-chamber cooling system keeps all those moving parts running nice and cool.

For all its faster hardware, the Xbox One X boasts the smallest form factor of any Xbox One console thus far.

Graphics

Unless specified otherwise, Xbox One X runs games at both native 4K resolution and 60 frames per second. That “and” conjunction distinguishes it from PS4 Pro, which can’t run all games at both max resolution and frame rate. Previously released Xbox One titles such as Gears of War 4 and Forza Horizon 3 will receive updates to boost visual fidelity when played on Xbox One X. Xbox OG games, which will join Xbox 360 titles in Xbox One’s growing library of backwards-compatible titles later this year, will also benefit from enhancement patches.

Additionally, AMD’s FreeSync tech matches your display’s refresh rate with a game’s frame rate, cutting down on screen tearing.

Release Date

Xbox One X will launch worldwide on November 7 at $499 US and $599 CAD. You can already pre-order the console at select retailers in the US, including Amazon, Wal-Mart, and GameStop.

David Craddock

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.