This year’s E3 gave us our first peek at Microsoft’s XBox One X, as well as its technical specs. Previously, we knew nothing of the mysterious ‘Project Scorpio’. The console looks like a mere Xbox One. It has the same black colour scheme, XBox symbol, USB port etc. The controller is also the same design as the Xbox One Pro with a 1/2 slider on it. Microsoft boasts that the console is the future of gaming. Is it really so? Let’s take a peek under the hood of the Xbox One X.
XBox One X Specs:
The Xbox One X offers industry-leading hardware. The system comes equipped with an eight core AMD CPU that clocks at 2.3 GHz. It also has a 12GB GDDR5 memory and a 6-teraflops GPU. These allow the Xbox One X to run 4k games with little effort. An interesting addition to the console is the liquid cooling centrifugal fan that cools anything under 80 degrees with little issues.
With the aforementioned three upgrades, it sets itself apart from all the previous consoles. Microsoft boasts the Xbox One X will offer a lag-free experience with little to no hardware issues.
The design team also decided to go with a different approach for the HOVIS Method chip. This little device controls all the power in the console so nothing takes too much power or too little power. Think of it as the console’s regulating system which maintains a power balance in the hardware.
The console comes standard with a 8GB Flash memory and 1TB HDD memory. This addressed the lack of storage space of the Xbox One, which was a common complaint amongst gamers. Modern AAA titles take up 20 to 30 GBs each. Hence, the added space was a nice touch as most people would agree.
When it comes to video display, the console does not disappoint as well. The console comes with a 2160p frame buffers, 4k disk drive, HDMI 2.0b (Out) leading to crisp graphical display. Though this does raise a serious question. With the all the upgrades, how truly compatible is the Xbox One X with a non-4k television? Since the Xbox One X does have adapters for standard HDMIs I would assume the conversion wouldn’t be a problem but it would probably be wiser to wait and see.
Credit: pcworld.com
Pre-order or Wait?
When it comes to console reveals and the topic of preordering, a lot of people question if the price is worth it or should they wait for price drops. Just like most average consumers, I tend to stay away from pre-ordering in general. With this console I would hold off on giving Microsoft your hard earned cash upfront. At $500, the preorder comes with the console and a game, all which are not worth paying for.
This is because even with all the specs upgrades, there is no guarantee that the console would be any good. With the eighth generation consoles being sold at $300-400 , Xbox One X’s price does seem a little steep. A console’s success largely relies on initial marketing efforts and the ability to deliver on its promises. I would advise to wait to see how the well-received the console will be.
In concolusion, the Xbox One X is certainly something worth keeping an eye out for. It has significantly higher graphical horsepower, an improved ability to keep the system cool and looks sleek at first glance. All eyes on Microsoft to see if they can keep their promise and deliver a true powerhouse that will lead the console war.
