Items tagged with project scarlett
Microsoft has just unveiled its next-generation Xbox, previously only known as Project Scarlett. We now know that the console is officially being called the Xbox Series X, and not only that; we've been given a clear look at the console, which takes on a tower-style form-factor. In fact, it kind of reminds of us of an enlarged Linksys Velop mesh router, albeit dolled up in black. On the front side of the Xbox Series X, we see a vertically-aligned, slot-loading Blu-ray player and an eject button. At the top of the tower are circular vents for cooling and green LED lighting. For those that don't like the vertical look, Microsoft says that it can also be situated horizontally. Getting down...
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While Sony has had some pretty loose lips regarding its upcoming PlayStation 5, Microsoft has held things pretty close to the vest with regards to its next-generation Xbox, codenamed Project Scarlett. What we do know, however, is that like the PlayStation 5, Project Scarlett will be powered by an 8-core/16-thread AMD Ryzen 3000 Zen 2 processor. Today, the folks over at Windows Central claim to have some inside information on performance targets for Project Scarlett, and the console is going to be an absolute beast. Anaconda is the alleged high-end version of Project Scarlett, akin more to the Xbox One X, while Lockhart will be positioned like the current Xbox One S. Anaconda...
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We all know at this point that the next-gen Xbox is in the works, and Microsoft continues to say that the console will be on par with the coming next-gen PlayStation 5. Microsoft says Project Scarlett will set a new bar for console power, speed, and performance. A new report claims that Microsoft is planning at least two versions of the console. In addition to the standard console, there will reportedly be a second version codenamed Lockhart. Lockhart was thought to have been canceled when Microsoft only announced one Project Scarlett console (Anaconda) in June. Kotaku now reports that the disc-less, digital-only Lockhart console is still in the works. The real question about the disc-less Lockhart...
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Earlier this week, Xbox chief Phil Spencer ruffled a few feathers in the gaming world when he spoke his mind on the state of virtual reality (VR) for consoles. Spencer at the time lamented problems that he saw with VR technology, and stated his reasoning for not pursuing the technology with Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Project Scarlett gaming console. "I have some issues with VR—it’s isolating and I think of games as a communal, kind of together experience. We’re responding to what our customers are asking for and… nobody’s asking for VR," said Spencer in an interview with Stevivor. "The vast majority of our customers know if they want a VR experience,...
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While many of the concrete details surrounding Microsoft's next flagship game console are still under wraps, much has already been made about its promised features, such as solid state drive storage and support for real-time ray tracing on the hardware level. If you are wondering how VR gaming might factor in Project Scarlett, however, Microsoft's answer is simple—it won't. As far as Microsoft is concerned, the demand is just not there yet. Or as Microsoft's vice president of gaming Phil Spencer puts it, "Nobody's asking for VR," so it's not a point of focus for Project Scarlett. "I have some issues with VR—it’s isolating and I think of games as a communal, kind of together...
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It's no secret that the next-generation consoles from Microsoft and Sony will both use a solid-state drive (SSD) in an effort to improve overall system performance and game loading times. However, up until this point, we had no idea who would be supplying this speedy storage subsystem for the Xbox Project Scarlett and the PlayStation 5. However, according to a presentation at the Samsung SSD forum last week in Tokyo, we're learning that Samsung is likely the vendor that has been selected. During a presentation on SSDs, Samsung presented a slide dedicated to gaming SSDs for consoles. The performance for the so-called "Optimized NVMe" SSD show it providing a substantial decrease...
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Even though Microsoft is not sharing many concrete details about Project Scarlett, the codename for its next-generation flagship game console, the company is certainly building up expectations. It seems Microsoft has some clear goals in mind, some of which it has been sharing lately. So, what do we know about Microsoft's plans and goals? That depends on who is doing the talking. Last week, Xbox boss Phil Spencer made it clear Microsoft's goal is to be competitive with Sony's PlayStation 5 console in power and pricing right out of the gate. What was not really the case when the Xbox One debuted. "I would say a learning from the Xbox One generation is we will not be out of position on power or...
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The console wars will enter a new field of battle late next year when Microsoft's Project Scarlett goes up against Sony's PlayStation 5. It is a war that will not be won by either side in short order. However, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has made it clear that things will be different next time around, and that Project Scarlett will be competitive in power and price. Comparing the current generation gets a little fuzzy because there are so many different iterations, and at this stage of the game, prices can fluctuate wildly (particularly with Black Friday right around the corner). But if we look at sales, the PS4 is the clear victor—it recently breached 100 million units sold, reaching the achievement...
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Last summer, Microsoft initially launched its Xbox All Access financing program for Xbox One purchases. Instead of paying the full upfront costs for an Xbox One S or Xbox One X console, those payments could be financed monthly over a 24-month period with Xbox All Access. Now that the holiday season is starting to ramp up again, Microsoft is burning back Xbox All Access. Like before, the bundle includes the Xbox One hardware along with a 24-month membership to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The base bundle with an Xbox One S All-Digital Edition costs $19.99/month, while stepping up to the Xbox One S will set you back $22.99/month. If you want a flagship Xbox One X, that cost balloons to $30.99...
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Do not hold your breath waiting for a version of Project Scarlett built exclusively for streaming. Xbox boss Phil Spencer threw cold water on what was becoming a hot rumor, fueled in large part by comments he previously made regarding the company's future console plans. As it stands, Project Scarlett will stick to the usual script. The speculation stems in part from Project xCloud, a streaming service Microsoft is working on that will allow users to play games on any device. This is not meant to replace power consoles like Project Scarlett, the codename of Microsoft's next flagship Xbox console, but rumors of a dedicated streaming SKU launching alongside the main console have persisted nonetheless....
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A new generation of game consoles will be unveiled next year, namely Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's next flagship Xbox codenamed Project Scarlett. Little by little, we are learning additional details about these consoles. As it pertains to the latter, Microsoft tipped one of its primary focal points, which is to deliver high frame rates. A big boost in performance is also going to be the expectation from gamers, given the time that has elapsed between console generations. Both the PS5 and Project Scarlett will feature custom silicon from AMD inside, with Zen 2 CPU cores and Navi graphics working in harmony. While the precise specs are not yet known (and probably have not been finalized),...
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Well, this is interesting—benchmark results for a mysterious AMD "Flute" chip have popped up online, leading some people to speculate that it is an early sample of the custom system-on-chip (SoC) that will find its way into Microsoft's upcoming Project Scarlett console. We cannot say for sure if that it is what it really is, but the reported specs are at least intriguing. Project Scarlett, if you are not aware, is the codename for Microsoft's next-generation Xbox console. It is expected to debut sometime in 2020, just as Sony will be releasing a PlayStation 5 console during the same year. Both systems are being built around AMD hardware, each with its own custom SoC featuring a Zen 2 processor...
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Microsoft wants to cover the full gamut of gamers in the next generation from the low-end to the high-end. Microsoft has talked about its cloud game streaming service that will allow gamers to play games on any device, including smartphone and PC devices. While Microsoft has talked up the high-end Project Scarlett console, a new report claims that the software giant still has plans for an xCloud streaming box that is low-cost to go along with the high-end, next-gen Xbox. Rumors had claimed in the past that there were two Project Scarlett consoles with the more powerful known as Anaconda still in development, but the mainstream console, codenamed Lockhart, having been canceled. Lockhart is...
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One thing that is a given whenever a new game console comes out is that it will have upgraded hardware that is leaps and bounds ahead of the previous generation—it comes with the territory of riding a console for several years before introducing an entirely new model. That is again going to be the case when the next Xbox arrives, but what will it look like? We do not know yet, but according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, expect something "cool looking." The design of the next Xbox—codename Project Scarlett—has not been finalized yet, which is not surprising since it is more than a year away from launching. Nevertheless, Microsoft at least has a general idea of the overall design,...
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The next generation of Playstation and Xbox consoles are at least a year away, but their developers are letting out a few key details about them. What do we know about the upcoming consoles? We will break down the interesting similarities and differences between the Playstation 5 and Project Scarlett/Xbox Two. Both Playstation 5 and Project Scarlett feature processors build on 7nm AMD Zen 2 architecture and both will feature AMD Radeon Navi GPUs. At this time, we don't have any specifics on clock speeds for the CPUs or clock speeds/compute unit counts for the GPU. Both console will feature GDDR6 RAM, support for up to 8K visuals, and hardware ray tracing. Both the Playstation 5 and...
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Intel continues to poach industry veterans in the graphics industry to advance its discrete graphics unit, which is scheduled to launch its first products in 2020. Intel got the ball rolling by nabbing Radeon Technologies Group chief Raja Koduri from AMD in 2018, and later nabbed AMD marketing director Chris Hook. John Sell More recently, Intel managed to pull NVIDIA Director of Technical Marketing Tom Petersen into the fold. Intel's hiring spree continues with the report that it has picked up John Sell, who was Microsoft's chief architect of the AMD-based SoCs powering the company's Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X. Sell also lead work on Project Scarlett, which...
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Earlier this week, Microsoft pre-announced its next-generation Xbox gaming console, codenamed Project Scarlett. Like the PlayStation 5 that has been talked about for the past few months, Project Scarlett is powered by a beefy octa-core Ryzen 3000 processor, a Radeon Navi GPU and its comes standard with an incredibly fast SSD instead of an old-hat HDD. However, with high-flying game streaming services like Project xCloud and Google Stadia on the horizon, some are questioning the need for expensive, dedicated hardware to play their AAA games. After all, Stadia can seamlessly stream games to your home in 4K HDR at 60fps with 5.1 surround sound. And both xCloud...
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For many years now Microsoft has worked to make older Xbox and Xbox 360 games backward compatible with the Xbox One game console. At E3 2019, Microsoft said that since the backward compatibility program was announced in 2015, over half of all Xbox One gamers have enjoyed legacy games on the current generation console. At E3 2019, Microsoft also gave up details on the next-generation Xbox dubbed Project Scarlett including that it will launch in the holiday 2020 season. Microsoft notes that over 600 titles, including entire franchises like Assassin's Creed, Gears of War, and Mass Effect are backward compatible with the current generation console. Backward compatibility with Project Scarlett will...
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Microsoft gave up some details on the highly anticipated game Gears 5 at E3 2019. One of the big details was a launch date; Gears 5 will land on September 10 on Xbox Game Pass or preorder. Microsoft had previously announced that the game would be part of the lineup for the new Xbox Games Pass For Windows 10, which was also confirmed at E3 2019. Gears 5 is bigger than ever with five game modes and the game promises the deepest campaign mode yet. Microsoft said of the game, "With all-out war descending, Kait Diaz breaks away to uncover her connection to the enemy and discovers the true danger to Sera – herself." The company also teased a tie in with Terminator Dark Fate, a move that...
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It's been a few months now since we first learned about what's in store for Sony's PlayStation 5. Today, it's Microsoft's turn as it delves into high-level details surrounding its next-generation Xbox, which has been developed under the codename Project Scarlett (something which Microsoft acknowledged in teaser trailers leading up to its E3 2019 press conference). If you've familiar with the hardware details behind the PlayStation 5, then things are pretty similar with respect to the new Xbox console. An AMD 7nm Zen 2-based, octa-core Ryzen 3000 processor is running the show, and that's backed up by a Radeon Navi-based GPU. Given the advances in processing power that have come...
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