On the occasion of N7 Day, BioWare announced the Legendary Edition of Mass Effect, a remaster of the trilogy starring Commander Shepard. The RPG will also have a brand new episode, but it’s still too early to get more detailed information.
by Pasquale Fusco published 08 November 2020 , at 14: 07 in the Videogames channel Electronic Arts
Last Saturday, November 7th, the so-called N7 Day : is the day chosen by BioWare to pay homage to the Mass Effect franchise, one of the greatest creations of the Canadian software house. On the occasion of this event, the return of the science fiction RPG was announced, with the remastered version of the original trilogy – excluding Andromeda, therefore.
In addition to the new Legendary Edition, coming to PC and console, Bioware is also working on a unedited episode of the sci-fi saga.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition Comes Spring 2021
With the reveal of the Legendary Edition, the Edmonton team confirmed a rumor that was circulating online for months. The official announcement therefore comes from Casey Hudson , general manager of BioWare and one of the minds behind the conception of Mass Effect.
On the blog of the software house, Hudson turns to fans thanking them for the continuous support and reveals the main news proposed by Mass Effect Legendary Edition: it will be available on ‘old’ and new generation consoles and will include the singleplayer adventures of the original three chapters – excluding the mode third chapter multiplayer – and all content released in related expansions. Everything will be remastered in 4K Ultra HD for compatible platforms.
Your choices. Your squad. Your Shepard. Relive the legend in a remastered edition of the highly acclaimed trilogy. Mass Effect Legendary Edition arrives Spring 2021 .https: //t.co/jLUj8FUGaI pic.twitter.com / vxTKyq4LQ1
– BioWare (@bioware) November 7, 2020
We are not only talking about higher resolution, but also about higher frame rates – starting from 60 fps, probably – and of “beautiful visual enhancements” , of which, however, he has not disclosed further details. “Having the opportunity to remaster the trilogy means that the fruits of a decade of our work will last over time, and will be lived in a better and clearer than before “.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition will be available during Spring 2021 , when it lands on PC, PS4 and Xbox One; It will also be backwards compatible with the new PS5 and Xbox Series X | S, where it will enjoy further technical improvements, according to BioWare.
About the next chapter of Mass Effect , the project is currently in its early stages of production and a team of BioWare veterans has been involved. That’s all we can know, sadly, but we’ll keep an eye out for any announcements from the developer.
The original Mass Effect trilogy is getting a 4K remaster and its coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One in 2021. The game will also have enhancements for the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
During N7 day celebration, BioWare announced Mass Effect Legendary Edition a compilation of the first three installments in the studio’s action RPG series, which released between 2007 and 2012. Mass Effect Legendary Edition will also include all the single-player DLC plus additional in-game content such as weapons and armor. BioWare also confirmed that the compilation will be optimized for 4K Ultra HD visuals.
It is important to note, however, that this is not a full remake but enhanced versions of the first three Mass Effect games with BioWare’s focus on improving the games so players can experience the epic space opera. The compilation follows similar remasters that BioWare’s publisher EA has released in recent years, including Burnout Paradise and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit.
Despite no official release date being announced yet for the compilation, the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game are now up for preorder on Amazon and Best Buy.
For months, information has appeared on the web that BioWare is working on remasters of three parts of Mass Effect. Initially, it was thought that the remastered trilogy would be released later this year, but eventually EA opted for another remaster – Need for Speed Hot Pursuit. Today the so-called N7 Day, a celebration of all fans of the Mass Effect brand. During a special panel, BioWare finally officially confirmed the long-lasting work on a special edition called Mass Effect Legendary Edition. It will include all three parts along with the DLCs released for them. Interestingly, in the official press release, BioWare confirms the start of work on the new part of Mass Effect.
BioWare studio officially announced the remaster of the Mass Effect trilogy. Refreshed games in Legendary Edition will debut this spring 2021.
Initially, Mass Effect Legendary Edition was supposed to go on sale this year, but due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, work on remasters has been extended. Ultimately, the complete edition will be available in the spring 2021 of this year. We will know more details about the changes after the New Year. The title will debut on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In addition, there will be more packaged versions for the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. According to the press release, there will be renewals, among others. textures, lighting and shading. All platforms should also receive support for 4K Ultra HD resolutions and 60 frames per second.
BioWare’s Casey Hudson with the Mass Effect Legendary Edition reveal he also announced another piece of information. Well, the production process for the new Mass Effect game has started. The first concept art is presented below. As the work on the next Mass Effect has just begun, we will certainly have to wait a few more years for our debut. So we don’t know if the potential Mass Effect 5 will continue the story of the Andromeda galaxy or whether it will be a whole new chapter in the saga.
The first concept art for the new Mass Effect game.
Matthew Wilson 29 mins ago Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming
Just as anticipated, BioWare today announced Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, a remastered re-release of the original trilogy.
There is a short teaser trailer to go alongside the announcement, but the bulk of our new information comes from none other than Casey Hudson himself.
In a blog post, Hudson explained that the studio has “been hard at work updating the textures, shaders, models, effects and technical features of three enormous games”. This is not a remake or a reimagining, Hudson points out, instead this is intended as a way for players to experience “the original work in its best possible form”.
As you would expect, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition contains all three base games and all of their DLCs, in addition to remastered graphics. The game will release in ‘Spring 2021’ for PC, Xbox One and PS4.
KitGuru Says: Are many of you looking forward to the Mass Effect remastered trilogy?
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Hardly anyone expected the first outbreak of information about the new installment of the popular Battlefield series this year. EA DICE studio has repeatedly emphasized that it plans to release the game in 2021, three years after the release of the last part, i.e. Battlefield V. A similarly long period of time has come for us to wait for Battlefield 1 although in the meantime players did get the Battlefield Hardline side effects from another developer. The plans of Electronic Arts have not changed. Andrew Wilson, the company’s president, revealed in a freshly released financial report a more precise date of the premiere, which was set for the pre-holiday period 2021 of the year. He also revealed some secrets about what to expect from Battlefield 6. When will the game be officially announced?
EA has confirmed that the premiere of Battlefield 6 for PC and next-gen consoles will take place at the end of 2021 of this year . The game will offer a scale unprecedented in the series. What else is known about production?
Battlefield V Performance Test – Hardware Requirements Don’t Kill?
The Battlefield 6 release date announced by EA is not surprising – games from the series usually come out in the hottest period for players, i.e. October or November . It will not be any different this time. According to Wilson, the new version of the war FPS will bypass PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, using the power of next-generation consoles, which will translate into “an unprecedented scale”. It can be assumed that the Frostbite engine will get a new version with significant improvements. According to rumors, there are plans for versions for the current generation consoles, but they are to be very limited in technical terms, but EA has not confirmed anything.
Battlefield 6 will return to the present day. Premiere on 2021
The new Battlefield is now in a fairly advanced stage. Electronic Arts admitted that internal tests are underway, which so far has received a positive reception, but due to the fact that EA DICE studio wants to implement the vision of a truly “next-gen” production, the publisher gave the creators more time. The official announcement of Battlefield 6, which is rumored to take place in modern times, will take place in the spring 2021 of the year, i.e. about half a year before its premiere. The new Need for Speed from Criterion Games will also make its debut in a similar period.
For consoles, it’s officially next gen. We have reviewed both the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5. Both have made similar upgrades, jumping to Zen 2 CPUs, RDNA 2-based GPUs and SSD storage. Both support ray tracing and 4K 120 Hz gaming (though not necessarily simultaneously), but there are some major differences when it comes to the game library, design, controllers and more.
There’s an argument that you don’t need either new console right now, as many games are still coming to current gen systems. But if you can’t wait, here’s how the two new systems stack up fresh off of our reviews.
Design
Of the two consoles, the Xbox Series X is the more understated of the two. It’s a 5.9 x 5.9 x 11.8 inch (151 x 151 x 301 mm) black rectangle, similar to something like the Corsair One. The obelisk has a USB Type-A port and a disk drive on the front, but is otherwise spartan. It has a 12 x 12 grid of exhaust holes on top with green painted accents that make it look like there’s a green circle similar to the original Xbox, which is a subtle design element. But that’s as flashy as it gets.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
In contrast, the PlayStation 5 has a, to put it politely, divisive design. It’s the biggest modern game console at 15.4 x 4.1 x 10.2 inches (390 x 104 x 260 mm), towering over the Series X. The white side panels draw attention to the system in your living room. The center of the console is a shiny black plastic that easily attracts fingerprints.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Xbox Series X can be stood vertically on an attached stand, or horizontally… with the same attached stand. There are four small feet on its right side, but the bottom stand doesn’t come off. It’s permanently attached. Iti’s fairly small, though, and not distracting.
The PS5’s stand is more complex. To attach it vertically requires screwing it into the system. The stand rotates to reveal a compartment hiding the screw (and where you can store a protective cap covering the screw hole). You can also attach it horizontally to the rear of the system, but with no screw, it doesn’t feel as secure and could move slightly if you reach around it to jostle cables.
From a purely aesthetic perspective, the Xbox Series X is the clear winner here, though you’ll see below that the PS5’s design does enable some other advantages.
Winner: Xbox Series X
PlayStation 5 vs Xbox Series X Specs
Both the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 use tech from AMD, with CPUs based on Zen 2 and GPUs based on RDNA 2. That lets both consoles use hardware ray tracing and a number of other effects.
Sony PlayStation 5
Xbox Series X
CPU
Custom Zen 2, 8 core/16 thread, up to 3.5 GHz
Custom Zen 2, 8 core/16 thread, up to 3.8 GHz
GPU
Custom RDNA 2, 36 CUs up to 2.23 GHz, 10.3 teraflops
Custom RDNA 2, 52 CUs, 1.825GHz, 12 teraflops
RAM
16GB GDDR6
16GB GDDR6
Storage
825GB NVMe SSD
1TB NVMe SSD
PSU
350W (340W on Digital Edition)
315W
Optical Drive
4K Blu-ray (none on Digital Edition)
4K Blu-ray
Wireless
802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)
802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5)
Price
$499.99 with disc drive, $399.99 all digital
$499.99 or $34.99 for 24 months on Xbox All Access
The PS5 has an 8-core/16-thread CPU that clocks up to 3.5 GHz, while the Xbox Series X has the same core and thread counts but goes up to 3.8 GHz.
As for the GPU, the PS5 has 36 compute units and goes up to 2.23 GHz, or 10.3 teraflops. The Xbox Series X has 52 compute units at a slower clock speed of 1.825 GHz, or 12 teraflops.
As of right now, it’s hard to say how much of an advantage the Xbox Series X will have with a faster CPU and more compute units, or if the faster GPU clock speeds on the PS5 will give it an advantage in some games. But the games we have played on both systems have run the best they ever have.
Both systems also have SSDs. Sony’s drive feels blazingly fast, but it’s 825GB, with only 667.2GB free out of the box. The Xbox Series X has a 1TB SSD that ends up with 802GB usable. Microsoft has done more with the SSD functionality by instituting Quick Resume, which lets you suspend and resume games in place.
One place the Xbox Series X falls behind is with 802.11ac Wi-Fi, as compared to the newer Wi-Fi 6, which the PS5 uses.
Winner: Xbox Series X, but only barely. Much will have to do with optimization for the games.
Power and Noise: PlayStation 5 vs Xbox Series X
So the big question about the APUs in both of these consoles is how much power they draw. As of our reviews, we didn’t have access to multiplatform games that run on both consoles, so we had to go with some flagship titles that take advantage of the system’s features.
Xbox Series X Games
Peak Power
Forza Horizon 4
169.2 watts
Gear 5
192 watts
PlayStation 5 Games
Peak Power
Spider-Man: Miles Morales
225.5 watts
Astro’s Playroom
224.2 watts
Both PlayStation games that we tried caused the system to draw more power than the Xbox Series X games we played (and Spider-Man: Miles Morales had the same peak wattage for both its performance and fidelity modes).
In that regard, the Series X may be the cheaper console to run.
Sony PlayStation 5
Xbox Series X
Sleep
4 watts
11.7 watts
Idle
49.6 watts
41.3 watts
In their default power modes, which allow downloads and updates, the PlayStation 5 drew less power than the Series X, and they were close at idle, with the PS5 drawing slightly more.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
From our sound meter, the Xbox Series X was quieter both at idle and running games than the PS5. The Series X was effectively silent. The PS5 wasn’t terribly loud, though our unit’s fan did make some high pitched noises intermittently at idle and when sleeping.
Winner: Xbox Series X
Upgradeability of PlayStation 5 vs Xbox Series X
While the Xbox Series X is the more compact system, that system is sealed shut. You can, however, add storage to the system with proprietary SSDs from Seagate, currently retailing for $219.99 for 1TB.
The PlayStation 5 has a slot for a standard PCIe 4.0 SSD. You have to take off both side panels and remove a Phillips-head screw, which makes upgrading more like a PC than the Series X. It also allows more choice for capacities and price points, though we do have to wait for the support from a future software update, which is a bit of a bummer.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
With the ability to take the side panel off comes the option to remove dust from specially designed dust catchers on both sides of the system. Microsoft told Tom’s Hardware that “There is not a user accessible way to open/clean the system, which was designed to be very open for air flow, and blowing compressed air through the intake vents will help loosen any dust that has accumulated.”
Winner: PlayStation 5, though largely on potential.
Controllers on PlayStation 5 vs Xbox Series X
Microsoft’s controller for the Xbox Series X and Series S is iterative. It’s basically the Xbox One controller all over again, but that means any muscle memory you have won’t need to be retrained. It’s a bit smaller, but everything is where you expect it.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Xbox wireless controller also has a new D-Pad, similar to what you see on the Elite Controller. It’s a major improvement and is nice and clicky. Additionally, there’s now a dedicated share button.
But Sony overhauled its controller completely. While there’s less forward compatibility with old controllers, the new controller, the DualSense, feels more next-gen in some cases than the jumps in graphics and loading speeds. It’s a bit heavier and bigger, but it’s a multisensory experience with tons of potential.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The DualSense has haptic feedback, adaptive triggers (which I found to be the best part), a speaker, microphone, light bar and touchpad. In Astro’s Playroom, it showed off with sound synced to the action and with detailed rumble that imitated rain, stepping in tar, diving into water, and getting hit from all sides. In Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the triggers felt great while swinging through Manhattan. I truly hope third party developers spend the time to utilize this.
Winner: PlayStation 5
Game Library of PlayStation 5 vs Xbox Series X
The winner of this category is a real toss-up, depending on where your priorities lie.
If you value exclusives, the PlayStation 5 is the easy winner right now. It’s launching with Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Astro’s Playroom, Demon’s Souls and Sackboy: A Big Adventure. Bugsnax and Godfall are third party games exclusive to Sony’s console (Godfall is also coming to the Epic Store on PC). It’s backwards compatible with all but ten PlayStation 4 games, as well. Additionally, Sony has started the PlayStation Plus Collection with popular PS4 games like God of Wari, The Last of Us: Remastered, Fallout 4, Battlefield 1, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, The Last Guardian, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard and more included in the subscription.
Microsoft doesn’t have any exclusives at this launch, and the two majors ones it had planned — Halo Infinite and The Medium — have been delayed into 2021. However, the system is backwards compatible with almost every Xbox game ever, going back to the original console (with the exception of some Kinect games). And some popular Xbox One titles like Forza Horizon 4, Sea of Thieves and Gears 5 are being optimized for the Series X.
What Xbox does have is Game Pass, Microsoft’s subscription service with over 100 games to play, some of which are among the 30 games that are ready for the Series X launch day. So if you’re happy playing a back catalog in its best form, there’s still plenty to do.
Both systems will ultimately have a substantial third-party library, including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs: Legion, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Cyberpunk 2077.
Microsoft will eventually have exclusives like Halo and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, but Sony has a reputation for incredible games you can only play on its systems. So this category is a tie, because it all really depends what you prioritize.
Winner: Tie
Round
Sony PlayStation 5
Xbox Series X
Design
✗
Specs
✗
Power and Noise
✗
Upgradeability
✗
Controllers
✗
Game Library
✗
✗
Total
3
4
PlayStation 5 vs Xbox Series X: Bottom Line
It’s the very beginning of the console generation, and both Xbox and PlayStation are coming out swinging.
The Xbox Series X has superior specs on paper, a more elegant design, is effectively silent and has a big back catalog for Game Pass subscribers.
Sony, with the PlayStation 5, has an innovative controller, a design that, while divisive, will appeal to enthusiasts who want to keep things clean and a game library with more immediate exclusive content to play.
While Microsoft wins the battle of PlayStation 5 vs Xbox Series X by a hair in this count, those who prefer PlayStation Studios titles would still be best off going with the PS5. And frankly, if you have either last-gen system, there’s no reason you can’t wait to see how the chips fall, as many of the most exciting games will come to the PS4 and Xbox One through at least some of next year.
But both new systems are exciting, and for those who either prefer to play on a console or to augment a PC, both systems have a ton of potential.
(Pocket-lint) – PlayStation and Xbox are head-to-head once again. The Xbox Series X is duking it out with the PlayStation 5 in the battle for next-gen supremacy and we’ve tested both in our Pocket-lint labs.
Here’s how they stack up against each other.
Oh, and if you want to compare the consoles with their sister models, check out our Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S and PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition features roo.
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Pocket-lint
Design
We are being treated to two very different-looking consoles. Quite unlike anything we’ve seen before – as you can see above, with both consoles shot alongside the smaller Xbox Series S.
The PS5 is massive – the tallest games console we’ve ever seen. It is also uniquely-designed, with two faceplates protecting the main console unit sandwiched between.
It retains some of the company’s flair for curves (remember the original PS3?) but adopts white as a launch colour for the first time. It can be stood on end or laid horizontally, but either way it could be struggle to fit it in an average-sized AV cabinet.
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The PS5 Digital Edition dispenses with the disc drive, so is slightly thinner, but is still extremely tall.
Microsoft has gone for almost the opposite – chunky and squat. There are few curves to be found here. The Xbox Series X looks more like a mini-tower PC than a games console, which is essentially what it is. We suspect heat dissipation is playing the biggest role in the design of both next-gen machines this time around.
Luckily, the Series X too can also lie flat, not just stand on its end, so you’ll have a bit of control over how you align it near or under your TV.
Both consoles weight roughly the same – the Xbox Series X is 4.44kg, the PS5 is 4.5kg.
Processing and graphics hardware
Each of the new consoles is clearly and significantly more powerful than their predecessors, but by how much? And which is the most powerful full stop?
The Xbox Series X is “four times more powerful than Xbox One X”. It sports a custom Zen 2 eight-core processor running at 3.8GHz per core.
The PlayStation 5 runs on an eight-core Zen 2 processor too, but at 3.5GHz per core.
RAM inside both is similar: 16GB GDDR6.
They also both run RDNA 2 graphics. However, the Xbox Series X has a slight upper hand with its GPU having 12 TFLOPS of power across 52 CUs. In comparison, the PS5 has 10.3 TFLOPS of power across 36 CUs.
This effectively means that developers could potentially eke more from the Series X than PS5. But, in reality, both display excellent handling over games with ray tracing, full resolutions, even 60fps enabled.
Graphical capabilities
In terms of their initial graphics capabilities, both are ably matched with similar features.
Both manufacturers say that they will be able to output 8K video/games but that’s unlikely to be reached for some time (if ever) and is more that the HDMI 2.1 output on each has the bandwidth for it.
In the here and now, however, they are capable of up to 4K (2160p) resolutions at 60 frames-per-second. They can also output 120fps, which will be an option on some games, but likely only at up to 1440p on Series X, 1080p on PS5.
They each include support for ray tracing, which will put them on a par with modernPC graphics cards. It introduces accurate and realistic lighting to great effect.
Storage and memory
SSD is where it is at with both next-gen consoles. Both have adopted solid state drives for storage in order to speed up loading times.
The Xbox Series X features a 1TB internal SDD, with approximately 802GB available to the user after system software, etc. The PS5’s has less storage space, with an 825GB SSD, but only 667GB of that is available for games.
This could be important to you as some modern games can be well over 100GB in size.
Both have the ability to increase that storage through expansion cards. In the case of Xbox, you can purchase an official 1TB Storage Expansion Card that slots into a dedicated port on the rear.
The Sony machine will also be able to be boosted, through third-party PCIe Gen4 SSD cards, but that option is not activated at launch, we understand.
Each of the consoles can also play games stored on external hard drives and SSDs, but some of the next-gen features, such as loading times, will not work in that case. In fact, PS5 games stored on an external drive will not work at all – external storage is for PS4 games only, therefore.
Optical disc drives
Neither manufacturer wants to ditch the physical disc drive yet. Both the Xbox Series X and standard PS5 will sport 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray drives. Neither the PS5 Digital Edition nor Xbox Series S have disc drives though.
It’s worth noting that while the Xbox Series X is the only console to boast Dolby Vision support, for media streaming and future games, its 4K Blu-ray drive is not compatible with it at launch. The PS5 does not have Dolby Vision at all.
Cloud gaming
Here’s a major differentiator between the two consoles.
Xbox has Cloud Gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (formerly known as Project xCloud). It comes as part of the montly Game Pass Ultimate subscription service and allows you to play over 100 Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S games on mobile devices.
We are yet to see whether the PlayStation 5 supports PS Now – Sony’s own cloud gaming service.
Backward compatibility
Both PlayStation and Xbox backward compatibile with thousands of their respective back catalogues – often introducing performance and frame rate enhancements to older games.
How PlayStation 5 backward compatibility works: What PS4 games will play?
In Xbox’s case, that means almost everything that runs on an Xbox One, including Xbox 360 and original Xbox games, will also work on Xbox Series X. In some cases where HDR wasn’t originally implemented, they will even make use of the console’s Auto HDR feature for a wider colour gamut and greater contrast.
All Xbox One accessories work on Xbox Series X (and S) too.
The PlayStation 5 is also compatible with the vast majority of PS4 games already out there. And the PS4 DualShock controller will work with them running on a PS5. It won’t be able to be used to play native PS5 games, however.
Other older accessories will work with PS5 too, including PSVR, although you do need a PlayStation Camera adapter that Sony is offering to eligible customers for free.
Can you play Xbox One game discs on Xbox Series X or S?
Price
Probably the most important factor of all, both the Xbox Series X and PS5 cost around £450 in the UK, $500 in the US. However, should you not need a disc drive, the PS5 Digital Edition is significantly cheaper as you can see here:
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With both costing around the same amount, the main choice could come down to the games and, we have to say, PlayStation 5 slightly edges it in the exclusive title list.
However, owners of Xbox Series X can pay for Xbox Games Pass membership and instantly have access to more than 200 games (albeit mainly Xbox One titles). It’s an intriguing choice between the two for sure.
Mustafa Mahmoud 2 hours ago Featured Announcement, Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming
As we approach the final weeks of the Eighth generation of consoles, it’s high time that we took a deep breath, looked back, and showed appreciation for all of the fun, exciting and emotional experiences that we’ve gone through over the past 7 years. This generation of video game systems may have had its ups and downs, its highs and lows, but there is no denying that these machines offered some of the greatest video games of all time. With that said, let’s look back at some of the best PlayStation 4 and Xbox One video games.
Best Games of the Generation
Before we begin the list however, I should clarify the parameters of this discussion. Firstly, this list will not include any Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, or PC exclusive titles. While there have been many games released for these platforms during the life cycle of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, both Nintendo’s systems, and the PC market operate on independent generational cycles. As such, any games which released exclusively for either of these platforms could not be included in this list – sorry Breath of the Wild.
Secondly, while I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum, many of these games’ most affecting moments are why I enjoy them so much. I will attempt to be vague with my descriptors, but do be warned that moments from these games may be spoiled for you.
Finally, and most crucially, these opinions are my own. Video games are wide, varied and cater to many different audiences. Some games are beloved by some and may be hated by others. This is okay. In fact, that is part of what makes video games so great as a whole: to be united by a single medium, while acknowledging that not everything will be to your liking makes for a healthy and creative industry, serving to push video games forward.
With all of the semantics out of the way, let’s get into my top 6 video games of the generation.
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Home/Software & Gaming/Console/Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order joins Game Pass Ultimate on the 10th of November
Mustafa Mahmoud 6 hours ago Console, Featured Tech News, Online, PC, Software & Gaming, Tech News
One of the biggest moves by Microsoft in bolstering its Game Pass line up was when the console manufacturer announced that EA Play would be joining the service. While EA’s own game subscription service allows for players to experience many of its older titles, newer games are time limited. That being said, on the 10th of November, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will be joining EA Play, and by proxy, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
In an announcement on its blog, EA revealed that “A galaxy-spanning adventure awaits in STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order – and starting November 10, you’ll be able to begin your Jedi training with an EA Play membership.”
As EA Play is included for free to all those with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription (or alternatively an Xbox Game Pass subscription for PC), one of the biggest games of 2019 will now be made available essentially for free.
This addition also lines up with the launch of the Xbox Series X and S, giving players who missed out on the title one more game to enjoy on the next-gen console’s launch day.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order first released on the 15th of November 2019 for PS4, Xbox One and PC, and received high praise from both critics and fans alike. Selling over 10 million copies, it is likely that you may have already played the game. If not however, then Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is an exciting addition to look forward to.
KitGuru says: Are you excited by this addition? What game will you be playing on the Series X/S launch day? What do you think of Star Wars? Let us know down below.
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Our first response on the new Xbox Series X, the console that kicks off the ninth generation. Waiting for the PlayStation 5, here are the performance considerations, the tests on consumption, noise and loading times, and everything we can expect in the tomorrow of video games
by Rosario Grasso published on November 2020 in the Videogames channel Microsoft Xbox
“The ninth generation begun is” as Master Yoda would say. Well, after the endless flurry of rumors, rumors, more or less definitive specifications, announcements, denials and the usual process that anticipates the debut of a new generation of consoles, Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are between us, or at least in the hands of the specialized press. A point that should not be overlooked so superficially, given the difficulties that producers are encountering in churning out the new systems en masse, with the health crisis that complicates everything.
new generation of consoles starts from two assumptions: greater computing power with the ability to play, even on consoles, at high refresh rates , resolutions up to 8K in upscaling and with latest generation visual effects such as Ray Tracing . The second assumption is the SSD , which will significantly speed up uploads and remove some historical obstacles for developers, who will be completely free to structure their game worlds without having to mind the restrictions related to the bottleneck generated by mechanical discs.
Let’s start from one point, the Xbox Series X review , with this type of timeline, cannot be exhaustive: it’s not so much because we have the console in the editorial office for only two weeks, but it is more a matter of vision and perspective. Evaluating if a console is presenting the specifications and has the prerogatives to be successful is almost impossible in such a short time, because “win” a “console race” depends on many factors, not all, or perhaps few or very few, controllable by console manufacturers. It would be better to say that it is a challenge, a bet that is launched by trying to guess what the entertainment tastes of current and future players will be (considering that PS4 and Xbox One have been on the market for 7 years now).
We can immediately make some assessments on energy consumption, temperatures , operating efficiency, skin characteristics, interface user, noise, loading times , but then the quality of the next exclusive and non-exclusive games, the capacity to update systems with new firmware, future features and offers for customers will, as usual, make a difference.
Although PlayStation has hands down won the previous generation, the two rivals (Nintendo, for obvious reasons, plays on a separate field) are very close. We saw it in the war of embargoes they triggered at the time of unboxing and we see it on many other fronts, starting with the technical specifications. Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are both based on Zen 2 architecture for the CPU and RDNA 2 with hardware support for Ray Tracing as regards the GPU. This obviously comes with a lot of advantages, and could be considered indispensable from the point of view of developers, who are not so forced into a laborious conversion work when switching from one console to another.
Xbox Series X features a GPU at 52 Compute Unit , i.e. a significantly higher architectural density than to PlayStation 5, which stops at 36 Compute Unit . So, in terms of theoretical maximum computing power we are at 12 TFLOPS versus 10, 23 TFLOPS . Microsoft has thought of a fixed frequency system, with the CPU (practically identical between the two consoles, 8 cores) running at 3.8 GHz and the GPU set to 1825 MHz, against the variable frequencies of PS5, i.e. up to 3.5 GHz for the CPU and up to 2, 23 GHz.
It is very difficult, if not impossible, to say which of the two producers has guessed the correct path. Because it depends on how the games are made and to what depth they can exploit the hardware they run on. It can be said that a game well optimized for the Xbox Series X hardware has the potential to run better than the corresponding version of the PS5. This is what currently happens with Xbox One X and PS4 Pro : Several games feature a more stable frame rate and slightly higher resolutions on One X than on PS4 Pro. But in the coming months, this comparison will be done game by game .
Technical specifications
Here are the full technical specifications of the two new Xbox consoles.
Xbox Series X
CPU
3.6 core custom Zen 2 CPU GHz (3.4 GHz with SMT)
GPU
Custom RDNA 2 GPU 12 TFLOPS, 52 CU a 1, 825 GHz
SOC size
360, 45 mm
Processing
7 nm Enhanced
Memory
GDDR6 from 16 GB with bus from 320 bits wide
There memory bandwidth
10 GB a 560 GB / s (memory accessible by games), 6 GB at 336 GB / s
Internal memory
1TB Custom NVME SSD
Actual I / O Speed
2.4 GB / s (Raw ), 4.8GB / s (compressed, with custom hardware decompression lock)
Expandable storage space
support for the 1TB Seagate Expansion Card for Xbox Series X | S perfectly matches the internal memory (sold separately). Support for external HDD with USB 3.1 (sold separately).
Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, Dolby TrueHD with Atmos, L-PCM up to 7.1
HDMI
1 HDMI 2.1 port
USB
3 Gen 1 USB 3.1 ports
Wireless
802. 11 ac dual band
Ethernet
802. 3 10 / 100 / 1000
Radio accessories
Dedicated Dual Band Xbox Wireless Radio
Format
15, 1 x 15, 1 x 30, 1 cm
Weight
4.4 kg
Xbox Series S
CPU
3.6 GHz (3.4 GHz with SMT) 8 core custom Zen 2 CPU
GPU
4 TFLOPS, 20 CU a 1, 565 GHz
SOC size
197 , 05 mm2
Memory
GDDR6 from 10 GB with bus from 128 bits wide
Memory bandwidth
8 GB a 224 GB / s (memory accessible by games), 2GB a 48 GB / s
Internal memory
NVME SSD customized by 512 GB
Actual I / O Speed
2 , 4GB / s (Raw), 4.8GB / s (compressed, with custom hardware decompression lock)
Expandable storage space
Support for Seagate 1TB Expansion Card for Xbox Series X | S perfectly matches internal memory (sold separately). Support for external HDD with USB 3.1 (sold separately)
Performance target
1440 pa 60 fps, with support up to 120 fps. It also supports native 4K if the developer chooses to render at 4K. It also contains advanced scalar hardware if connected to a 4K TV
HDMI 2.1 Features
Auto low latency mode. HDMI variable refresh rate. AMD FreeSync
Audio functionality
L-PCM up to 7.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, Dolby TrueHD with Atmos
HDMI
1 HDMI 2.1 port
USB
3 Gen 1 USB 3.1 Ports
Wireless
802. 11 ac dual band
Ethernet
802. 3 10 / 100 / 1000
Radio accessories
Dedicated Dual Band Xbox Wireless Radio
Format
6.5 × 12, 1 × 27, 5 cm
Weight
1, 92 kg
Test
These assessments must also be made in the light of the cooling systems and the energy efficiency of the two systems. Consoles, even more so than traditional desktop PC systems, must not overheat and must not incur energy inefficiencies, so that they can be used by the widest possible audience. After our first tests, we must say that they both work well and that they give a feeling of efficiency and stability greater than previous console launches. Xbox Series X features a voluminous fan at the top , and blows the hot air through a grille, towards the top.
In other words, if you are playing a Gears 5 and put your hand over the console, then you can feel a flow of hot air. Perhaps disturbing, certainly unusual if it is true that we are used to systems that emit the air from the rear. That said, based on the tests we’ve had so far, Xbox Series X overheats less than Xbox One X, is significantly less noisy, and is more efficient on the floor. of energy consumption . Immediately above the fan we have a perforated structure where, for each hole, there is a part in reflective green which returns a pleasant aesthetic effect, recalling the I find the typical green of the Xbox world. As for the power supply, the Xbox Series X comes with a 315 W and, as with all Xboxes from Xbox One S, the power supply will be internal. The regulators supply up to 100 W per square inch, with a charge peak of 128 TO.
The temperature test was done with the thermal imaging camera FLIR One , already used here in the editing of Hardware Upgrade for other works, for example for the thermal tests of laptops. We recorded a temperature of almost 48 ° C in the upper part of the console, which is the one that, for obvious reasons, heats up the most. Even after hours of gameplay, however, the Xbox Series X does not overheat excessively, and it always remains very quiet.
We were surprised that with the game running there is no noticeable increase in noise compared to the console at idle. We also tried to run Gears 5 for several hours and noises and temperatures increase a little: the console is therefore confirmed to be really very efficient in both aspects. The figure of just over 30 dB means that it is almost completely silent. Of course, as long as it is positioned in an airy environment and with the upper part completely free from obstacles.
Rather, it is the optical reader, when engaged in reading a disc, that generates the conditions of greatest noise. Moreover, it is a much quieter reading than that of the PS4 Pro player, which represents one of the sore points of the previous generation Sony console. Xbox Series X also is the most efficient console in terms of power consumption .
We ran the consumption test in idle and with three different games, Halo 5: Guardians, DooM Eternal and Gears 5 . Xbox Series X always holds firmly under the 190 Watts of power consumption and, beyond the case of Gears 5, always shows superior performance to the previous generation console. A very interesting data, which confirms the excellent manufacturing quality of the Xbox Series X power supply.
Given the debut of the SSD on consoles, it is very interesting how they improve i loading times of the games. It’s not so much how much it takes for the console to boot up in wonder, but how game loading times are cut, as our graph shows. The tests were carried out under normal conditions and not the presence of the Quick Resume functionality, which we will see better later.
The importance of the SSD does not end in the loading times because, as mentioned before, the very approach of the game developers, and will affect the shaping of the game worlds of future titles. We will explore this point further below.
Xbox Series X also gives the feeling of being a very compact system from the point of view of internal components, pursuing an approach already started with Xbox One X. An excellent engineering, therefore, which allowed to contain the dimensions and to give the console a minimalist aesthetic appearance, in line with the trend of the moment in terms of furnishings. In other words, if the designers of Microsoft Xbox drew on the way of thinking of an interior designer when they thought about the design of the new console, it seems that those of Sony were more based on the tastes of gamers and younger audiences.
The new Xbox Series X gamepad
The Xbox Series X gamepad is certainly not an evolution from previous generation Xbox gamepads. When you have it in your hand it immediately gives the feeling of great agility, with a very stable grip thanks to the increase in the knurled surface. This type of motif is in fact more accentuated and now also affects the upper part of the gamepad, starting with the triggers. Microsoft has also revised the buttons, since now they return a consistent sound feedback, as well as tactile, to the pressure, which provides greater guarantees about the fact that the pressure has occurred. The directional cross has also been significantly improved, and is now much more precise, with interesting implications also as regards the typing of the texts.
In addition, a vibration effect has been applied to the two upper triggers that reproduce a different type of feedback depending on what is happening in the game. These triggers have a different operation than the Xbox One pad triggers: inside them, in fact, there is an ERM (Eccentric Rotating Mass) motor , i.e. a system similar to the one already integrated into the controller handle. These vibration motors are activated at specific points and at different levels of intensity through a mechanical oscillation that rotates around a point of balance. This is a different technology than those based on sound waves (at the base, among others, of the Linear Resonant Actuators of the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con), which on paper guarantee more articulated vibrations and different levels of intensity.
Compatibility with a multitude of devices, apart from Xbox, is very important. The new controller, in fact, works with both Xbox Series X and Xbox One through the classic Xbox Wireless Radio proprietary protocol. At the same time it is compatible with PC, Android and iOS via the Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) protocol . Compared to the past, change the type of port on the controller, now type USB-C where up to the past generation was mini-USB type. The console, on the other hand, has no USB-C input on the body (unlike the PlayStation 5).
In addition, the new controller uses a higher frequency of communications with the system, in order to reduce latency. It falls within the concept that Microsoft with the new console is identifying with the name of Dynamic Latency Input (DLI) , that is a series of system-wide improvements that include a specific technology in the console and that also affects the HDMI connection to the TV / monitor.
At the bottom of the device we find the share button . With a single press we will create a screenshot, while with the double press on the screen the acquisitions and shares section will open where we can configure the type of acquisition. In all cases, however, these are clips with strong compression, basically usable for editorial purposes like ours (we had to proceed with the acquisitions with external box with the contents on the new consoles you see on the site these days).
SSD
With Xbox Series X debuts in console world the SSD as a reference point for storage. This has very important advantages not only in terms of game loading times, but also and above all of gameplay. Developers will have more design freedom for game worlds and will be able to manage large open worlds and populate them with very different polygonal objects.
At the same time, we have lower specifications compared to PlayStation 5. Sony beat a lot on this point in the advertising phase of its new console: where PS5 is inferior in terms of GPU, it catches up compared to Xbox Series X thanks to the technology behind the SSD . If at Microsoft the declared performances in terms of Throughput I / O are the following, 2.4 GB / s (raw) 4.8 GB / s (compressed) , Sony declares 5.5 GB / s (raw), 8-9 GB / s typical (compressed) . Also from this point of view it is extremely difficult to immediately verify what the real repercussions of the theoretical specifications are, because we will have to wait for the work of the developers from the point of view of optimizing their games on the basis of the new hardware.
Microsoft has inserted a new chip of custom I / O located in the SoC of the new console and a decompression system that has been designed to deliver data in a precise and timely manner. With the new API DirectStorage and the new hardware decompression, Microsoft is able to further improve the performance of I / O and reduce CPU overhead, both of which are essential for speeding up loads. Looking ahead, the Xbox Series X Streaming Feedback Sampler (SFS) is a game changer for streaming game worlds and their levels of visual detail.
SFS can be further exploited to increase the level of detail of the textures by loading on the memory only the strictly necessary contents. In fact, much of the latency of a hard disk is that it employs a mechanical head that moves across the surface of the disk (platter) to search for the data it needs: a mechanism that takes more time to search than to do. actual reading. Therefore, the same data is often duplicated hundreds of times simply to make it easier to find.
One point where Microsoft seems weaker than Sony is the available storage expansion system. . On the rear of the console is one slot for the Seagate Branded 1TB Expansion Card , at prices not exactly affordable. Sony, on the other hand, has thought of a more versatile NVMe SSD slot inside the console, to which it is possible to connect a traditional NVMe SSD, easily available on the market.
Microsoft has the advantage if you look at the size of the main unit inserted into the console. If in the case of PS5 it is 825 GB, of which just over 650 GB available to the user, Xbox Series X offers a 1 TB drive which, net of the console operating system installation, offers approximately 900 GB freely manageable by players.
HDMI 2.1 and 120 Hz
A separate discussion must be made regarding the connection HDMI 2.1 . If up to Xbox One X we had two HDMI ports (one input and one output) now we only have one port, but of the HDMI 2.1 type, which is capable of providing enough bandwidth to handle image streams up to to 4K and to 120 Hz . It is precisely this latter aspect that interests us most, since now, even on consoles, you can enjoy very high refresh rates, with a consequent reduction in latencies.
Who plays on console is used to much higher latencies than 100 thousandths of a second, with disadvantages especially from the point of view of the integrity of the competitive multiplayer gaming experience. Now, since launch, Xbox Series X allows you to play Gears 5, in multiplayer mode Versus , with latencies wandering around on 30 / 40 thousandths of a second . But be careful, because to enjoy the 120 Hz you need to have the right monitor / TV, considering that traditionally in the PC environment, high refresh rates are managed via DIsplayPort and not HDMI. It may therefore happen that your monitor to 144 or 240 Hz has the HDMI 1.4 connection, insufficient for new consoles (bandwidth level to play in 1080 p requires at least an HDMI 1.4b connection).
Once the connection is successfully established, the Xbox Series X dashboard will immediately detect the ability to activate the 120 Hz and will ask if you want to switch to high refresh rate. From the display and TV options in at any time the user can choose the resolution and refresh rate based on the specifications of the connected monitor / TV. There is also a diagnosis screen, where Xbox Series X clearly highlights what the TV supports and what it doesn’t: for example, with the monitor 360 editorial Hz reports that “Your TV configuration supports up to 1080 p natives to 120 FPS “.
To these is added the tool to calibrate the TV: step by step, right from the console point of view and therefore in such a way that it is affordable for everyone, it explains how to perform a precise calibration for any type of television. A similar tool allows you to calibrate the HDR for games. Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are able to leverage an innovative HDR rebuild technique to enhance existing SDR games with no developer work and no impact on available CPU, GPU or memory resources.
Xbox Series X, like the previous generation, can read discs Blu Ray 4K Ultra HD .
Xbox App
The new Xbox Series X debuts Xbox App (also available for Xbox One). This is associated with the console and allows you to remotely manage its contents, then start a download, manage friends lists, chat with them, search for new contents and purchase them, manage the acquisitions made on the console and share them, and much more. yet. As happens for a device like Oculus Quest 2 , even the Xboxes are in this way manageable via the smartphone.
Xbox Game Pass
A key component of Microsoft’s offering for this generation is Xbox Game Pass, to the point of being integrated directly into the console dashboard. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold and beyond 100 quality games for console, PC and Android mobile devices, all at a low monthly price.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can also access the EA Play at no additional cost. EA Play subscription includes more than 60 among the best games for PC and Electronic Arts consoles, such as FIFA 20, Star Wars Battlefront II, Titanfall 2 and Need for Speed Heat. It also includes some of EA’s most popular franchises, such as Battlefield, Mass Effect, Skate and Sims, access to trial versions of the games and discounts on EA digital purchases.
To Regarding backward compatibility , Microsoft has done a great job, making almost all games from the past Xbox available also on the new Series X and Series S. There may be problems only with certain games built around the logic of Kinect , but otherwise it almost always goes smooth as oil. While in the case of PS5 there may be some more hitches, probably due to the major architectural changes especially related to the functioning of the storage unit.
Smart Delivery and Quick Resume
These are two of Microsoft’s most touted Xbox Series X features. Very interesting is Smart Delivery , the technology of Xbox Series X that allows you to play the best version of games in based on your console. All Xbox Game Studios games that are optimized for Xbox Series X, including Halo Infinite , will support Smart Delivery. This means that if you purchase the Xbox One version of a supported title, Microsoft will identify it and serve you the optimized version for the new console on the Xbox Series X, at no additional charge, when available. Smart Delivery is implementable by all Xbox developers.
For some years now, Microsoft’s strategy has provided for a decentralization with respect to hardware , in order to allow for gamers to choose which device to play on while remaining in the Xbox ecosystem. This started with Xbox Play Anywhere and reaches a later stage with Smart Delivery. In the future, the approach will be further expanded when the cloud gaming technology Project xCloud is sufficiently refined.
The Quick Resume technology, on the other hand, will allow you to resume the game from where you left off . Quick Resume allows you to resume several games at the push of a button, instantly switching to the action, where you left off (even weeks later), “for multiple games at the same time”. It needs to be specifically supported by games, so it may not work with the 60% of titles.
Think you are playing a game and turn off the console later. Upon reopening, if you decide to return to play with that specific game, just click on the corresponding icon and the game will be immediately restored, as can happen in a Windows environment with an application running and immediately available through the taskbar.
Conclusions
Ultimately, what is Xbox Series X like? It certainly represents a very important evolution in hardware compared to the previous generation, from a certain historical point of view in consideration of the fact that Zen 2 and RDNA 2 are recently introduced technologies also in the PC world. The GPU configuration gives it more computing power than the PlayStation 5 which, together with the SSD, will allow developers to release gaming experiences that in many ways are unprecedented in the console world.
Xbox Series X gives the feeling of being engineered in an accurate and very precise way, and offers interesting performances both in terms of silence and temperatures. In addition, it is the most efficient console ever in terms of energy consumption. Of course, as we mentioned, there is insufficient data to be able to give a complete judgment, because the performance on the market will depend on other factors, on the future support and on how the video game and entertainment industry will change. From these points of view, despite recent efforts, Microsoft could still pay a gap compared to Sony PlayStation, in terms of games and exclusives.
Xbox Series X is also minimalist, not only in appearance but also in functionality. Microsoft gives the feeling of having wanted to develop something “clean”, without overdoing it. It provides a very competitive hardware, for the price at which it is granted, but leaving doubts about the level of innovation of the Series X project. Microsoft gives the feeling of having taken great care in improving the hardware, but the rival has focused on the ‘to offer players a different experience compared to the past generation, in terms of controllers, user interface and other elements in such a way as to convey the idea that something changes in the way of playing, beyond the power made available to the players. We close with a scheme of Pros and Cons in comparison to PS5 .
PRO
More powerful hardware than PS5, especially the GPU
Quiet and optimized from the point of view of energy consumption 5873
The upcoming game Cyberpunk 2077 is such a phenomenon that in a moment a large part of the market will be flooded with products signed with the game logo, and the game, if it was not, is not there. However, let’s leave the bibs aside and come back to said cyberpunk products. This time, Adidas shoes appeared on the horizon, to which unfortunately fans of the game outside of Asia will have limited access. It will be exactly five pairs of sneakers, referring to the Cyberpunk universe 2077 not only with the logo or motifs, but above all with the colors of the five main characters of the game. As far as we know, the footwear was marked as series X 9000, and its availability was designated as 11 November 2020.
Several models of sneakers have just joined the list of things signed with the Cyberpunk logo 2077. Adidas X 90004 D and Adidas X 9000 L4 will unfortunately only be available in Asia. Sales start 11 November 2020.
Cyberpunk 2077: PS4 and Xbox One versions the main reason for the decline
Signed with the Cyberpunk logo 2077 will include Secretlab gaming chair, Razer mouse or OnePlus 8T smartphone. This list has just been joined by shoes that 11 in November this year will appear on Asian markets, i.e. in Singapore, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan. As it turns out, even the United States did not manage to distribute it. The biggest fans of the game will always be able to import footwear, but it will certainly not be a cheap investment.
Reviews Ghostrunner – Polish cyberpunk FPP collects high marks
Model Adidas X 90004 D (above) are black and yellow shoes referring to the main colors of the universe. In turn, the Adidas X models 9000 L4 (below) are footwear in four color versions. Other than model X 90004 D where the Cyberpunk inscription is completely on the outside of the shoe, on models X 9000 L4 , the word has been split into Cyber and Punk, and placed on either side of each shoe. How much madness for this? Unfortunately, the prices are not yet known, even approximately. We also regret that the shoes will not appear in European sales, because it must be admitted that they look pretty good.
Microsoft’s new generation of consoles, the Xbox Series, builds on the Xbox One series and can in turn be used as a streaming client for commercial music and video services and – in the case of the Xbox Series X – as Blu-ray and UHD -Blu-ray player use.
In the past few days, lists had already appeared in the US media stating which streaming services should be launched will be usable on the Xbox Series. However, some of them are limited to the US market.
As of today, the German series consoles will launch for Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney +, Sky Ticket, Zattoo, DAZN, Eurosport, Spotify , Deezer, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitch apps are available. There are also apps for a range of services related to US sports (NBA, MLB, NHL). At the 10. According to US media reports, Apple TV + will be added in November.
We can already confirm that Netflix and Disney + in 4K with increased contrast range in the formats Dolby Vision or HDR 10 and stream it to the new consoles with 3D sound in Dolby Atmos format. At Amazon Prime, there are currently still problems with HDR on a test device, but Microsoft is already working on a solution.
“No Dolby Vision for physical media” fans of the Ultra HD Blu-ray had hoped that with the new generation of consoles, Microsoft would finally support Dolby Vision when playing 4K discs. This is currently not the case on the Xbox Series X, however. Upon request, Microsoft issued the following statement:
” Xbox Series X | S support Dolby Vision for streaming applications at launch and are off Spring 2021 the first consoles to offer Dolby Vision for video games. Xbox Series X supports UHD Blu-Ray media and game discs – Dolby Vision for physical media is not supported. ”
It is worth noting that Microsoft is correct in its opinion on supporting Dolby Vision for physical media categorically denied. In contrast to video games with Dolby Vision, the company does not give any outlook that this situation will change in the future.
Before the new Microsoft game consoles Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S were launched, heise online had the opportunity to test the final models in detail. After many days full of measurements and extensive gaming sessions, we can state that compared to their predecessors, the new consoles are not only particularly powerful, but also extremely quiet. Our detailed test of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S shows: The game consoles usher in a new era of inconspicuousness – but not always in a positive way. Because at least for the market launch on 10. November there will be no real, exclusive next-gen games that demonstrate the capabilities of the consoles.
The Xbox Series X costs 500 Euro and should be most games in 4K and 60 fps. The console even remains whisper-quiet during games – we only measured 0.1 sone each time – unless a Blu-ray (0.6 sone) is rotating in the drive. Microsoft has managed the cooling concept really well and the comparatively large case volume (15 x 15 x 30 cm) used. The waste heat is transported away efficiently – however, when setting up, you should make sure that the fan grill always remains free. The Xbox Series S also remains nice and quiet when playing (less than 0.2 sone). The maximum power consumption determined by us in Gears of War 5 is around 200 Watt (Series X), or 90 Watt (Series S). When playing back movies, the Series X burned up to 80 Watt, the Series S round 50 Watt.
Test discussion on the Xbox Series S & X from heise online.
Fast loading, little space The particularly fast SSD significantly reduces loading times for most games – some games load around the Factor 5 faster. Among the games tested, Forza Horizon 4 and Monster Hunter: World benefited the most from the Xbox console’s SSD. There is also the practical Quick Resume function, which allows gamers to switch back and forth between several games within a few seconds – thanks to the fast SSD cache. That worked in the test with up to eight games at the same time.
The Xbox Series X has an HDMI 2.1 port, three USB ports (USB 3.1 Gen 1), an Ethernet port and memory expansion slot.
Unfortunately, the storage space is a bit tight: On the Series X, 801 Use GByte, on the Series S only 364 GByte. In the meantime, however, some games are partly well over 100 GByte in size, e.g. Call of Duty: Warzone. When buying the new consoles you should keep that in mind and, if necessary, use the proprietary one, 240 Order expensive SSD storage expansion at the same time. This is especially important for players with lame internet connections who cannot “just quickly” download a game again.
Almost all games run on the Series X and Series S, which also run on the previous One and One X work. Even without special adjustments, many benefit from the new console performance, show sharper textures through a sixteen-fold anisotropic filter or prettier colors through a more or less well-functioning Auto-HDR mode.
To the new functions like 4K at 120 To use Hz or a variable refresh rate, the game must be adapted to the technology and the television must be compatible. In the test with Dirt 5 the game worked with 100 Hz more fluid and remained sharper with fast movements, but the rendering resolution was lower and some details were missing compared to 60 – fps mode. At the time of testing, however, the game was not yet finalized.
Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S outperform their respective Predecessor Xbox One and Xbox One X in every way. They are faster, quiet and, thanks to modern functions, offer a good basis for the games of the coming years. In the absence of real next-gen titles at the start of sales, there is still no urgency for owners of the Xbox One X to switch to the Series X right away. For Xbox One users, however, an upgrade could already be worthwhile – after all, the power of the new consoles also gives many older titles a lot of momentum.
Find the full test with all measurement results, thermal images and other findings You on heise +:
Consoles in comparison: Technical data Xbox Series X Xbox Series S Xbox One X Xbox One S AMD Zen 2 / 8 x 3.8GHz (3, 66 GHz Multi-Core) AMD Zen 2/8 × 3.6 GHz (3.4 GHz multi-core) AMD Jaguar / 8 × 2.3 GHz AMD Jaguar / 8 × 1, 75 GHz 16 GByte GDDR6 / 320 Bit GByte GDDR6 / 120 Bit 12 GByte GDDR 5 / 384 bit 8 GByte DDR3 / 245 Bit AMD RDNA 2 / 12, 5 TFLOPS AMD RDNA 2/4 TFLOPS AMD GCN 4/6 TFLOPS AMD GCN 2 / 1.4 TFLOPS 1.8 GHz / 52 1.6 GHz / 20 1.2 GHz / 40 0.9 GHz / 12 SSD (PCIe Gen 4, NVMe) / 1 TByte SSD (PCIe Gen 4, NVMe) / 512 GByte HDD with 5400 RPM / 1 TByte HDD with 5400 RPM / 500 GByte, 1 TByte, 2 TByte 820 GByte 364 GByte 780 GByte 780 GByte ( 1 TByte version) ✓ (UHD Blu-ray) – ✓ (UHD Blu-ray) ✓ (UHD-Blu-ray) 1 × HDMI 2.1 / – 1 × HDMI 2.1 / – 1 × HDMI 2.0b / 1 × HDMI 2.0b 1 × HD MI 2.0a / 1 × HDMI 2.0a 3 × USB 3.1 (type A, 1 × front, 2 × rear) 3 × USB 3.1 (Type A, 1 × front, 2 × rear) 3 × USB 3.0 (type A, 1 × front, 2 × rear) 3 × USB 3.0 (type A, 1 × front, 2 × rear) ✓ / proprietary (back) ✓ / proprietary (back) – – 1 × Gigabit Ethernet / Wi-Fi 5 (801. 11 ac) 1 × Gigabit Ethernet / Wi-Fi 5 (801. 11 ac) 1 × Gigabit Ethernet / Wi-Fi 5 (801. 10 ac) 1 × gigabit Ethernet / Wi-Fi 5 (801. 11 ac) – – S / PDIF, IR S / PDIF, IR 150 mm × 300 mm × 150 mm 275 mm × 65 mm × 150 mm 275 mm × 60 mm × 240 mm 300 mm × 63 mm × 230 mm internal (315 Watt) internal (nb) internal (245 Watt) internal (120 Watt) ( mfi)
Xbox Series X / S in the test: Whisper-quiet game consoles without experiments Not listening Series S is also quiet SSD shortens loading times Power consumption and game selection Old games in new top form Conclusion table The Xbox Series X is a power pack: The black cuboid contains strong hardware that makes the previous game consoles look as old as they are. In some games, this is noticeable in a significantly better feel – higher frame rates, lower loading times and heavenly silence under load set the Series X apart from Xbox One and PS4. The Series S tries, on the other hand, as an inexpensive entry into a new generation of games. There is still a question mark behind the software: At the start, Series X and S can only play titles that were already available for the previous consoles.
Microsoft’s new flagship console that goes directly into the race with Sony’s Playstation 5 , is the Series X. The 200 Euro expensive box has eight CPU Cores based on AMD’s Zen 2 architecture that clock at 3.8 Ghz. The graphics unit, also from AMD, has 51 functional compute units with a clock frequency of 1825 MHz, from which a computing power of 12 Teraflops results. Whole 192 costs the Series S, which has been significantly slimmed down technically : Although the CPU is based on the same AMD architecture, the clock has been throttled to 3.6 Ghz. 20 Compute units with a clock frequency of 1. 565 GHz only results in 4 teraflops of GPU performance, less than the current One X (6 TFlops). The main memory shrinks from 16 on 10 GByte, compared to the Series X the Series S also includes the UHD Blu-ray drive.
Not to be heard What impresses us most is the calm with which the Xbox Series X copes with games: During the test in the acoustic chamber, the Series X was never louder than 0.2 sone – this is practically inaudible from a distance of over a meter, even when the room is largely silent. So on the sofa you don’t even notice the Series X.
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In summary The Xbox Series X is a wonderfully powerful console that plays games in 4k with frame rates of 120 enables fps, with graphic effects that were only possible on a PC until now. In addition, the Series X has a very fast NVMe SSD and an accompanying API that shortens loading times enormously and also offers interesting possibilities during gaming. Furthermore, the Series X will receive support for Dolby Vision next year, which is especially interesting because of the dynamic metadata. It is a point that the Series X is ahead of its major competitor PlayStation 5. On the other hand, the controller of the Series X has been improved, but not as spectacular as that of the PS5. Finally, Microsoft wins points with the excellent Xbox ecosystem, mainly because of the benefits that the Game Pass offers.
On 10 November is the time, then the arrival of a new generation of consoles is a fact. Microsoft kicks off this time with the introduction of the fourth edition of the Xbox. The new console even comes in two flavors, the Series X and its smaller brother, the Series S. We will discuss the latter another time, now we focus on Microsoft’s standard bearer: the Xbox Series X which 500 will cost euros. We previously published an extensive preview of the new console and we recommend that you read that article to get acquainted with the new console.
After another three weeks of experience with the Series X, it is now time for a balanced judgment, although we immediately reveal that we still do not have a really complete picture of the possibilities of the new console . Before we share our experiences with the Series X, let’s dive into the hardware first. Because what’s in that black fridge?
The hardware of the Xbox Series X As with previous generations, the heart of the Xbox Series X and Series S comes from Advanced Micro Devices. AMD is currently the only manufacturer capable of producing both x 90 – Processors as high-performance GPUs, again in the form of a system-on-a-chip (soc
What makes the launch of the new generations of consoles extra interesting is that not only the GPU part of the chip shows significant improvements compared to the previous generation, but also the cpu. For gaming, most of the calculations are handled by the GPU. That is where the focus lies when it comes to the question of how graphically complex a game can be made and at what resolution it is rendered. In the Xbox Series X, the GPU also takes up no less than three-quarters of the total surface of the soc. A fast GPU does not come into its own in games without a CPU that also has sufficient speed. After all, the processor must provide the GPU with instructions and handle in-game logic itself.
With the previous two generations, exactly that was a challenge: the processor used was on the slow side compared to the gpu. The chips for the Xbox One and One X also came from AMD and at the time the manufacturer’s processor offering was nowhere near as competitive as it is today. The Jaguar cores in previous generations of consoles were originally designed for laptops, but proved to be incapable of breaking even in that product category. As a result, it almost became the rule that games on 31 fps ran; a higher frame rate was the exception. Although the processor of these generations already had eight cores with two clusters, this was not a complete solution due to the latency-sensitive nature of largely serial instructions. A large number of slow CPU cores is not necessarily a substitute for a smaller number of fast CPU cores in gaming.
Project Scarlett The Zen 2 processor cores used and the RDNA 2 architecture for the GPU together form part of the Series X soc, also known as code-named Project Scarlett. These parts are both competitive, at least at the time of writing this review. The hardware of the new Xbox generation seems a lot more balanced than with the previous generations.
Finding the balance in the design of the chips for the new consoles is anyway of importance for the end product that should not be underestimated. If you keep the specifications of the new Xbox next to those of recent PC hardware, you will notice that video cards with many more compute units are available. A new generation of Zen processors has also recently been released and the clock speeds of the new consoles are lagging behind. However, the choice of hardware requires looking beyond raw specifications and accurately identifying what makes sense, not just what is possible. Viewed from the overall cost of a console, one chip with virtually all components integrated on it must be suitable for hundreds of contemporary and future games, have an acceptable energy consumption and heat production, and be cost-effective to mass-produce. All of this must be financially viable on a more expensive production process than before.
Console Xbox Series X Xbox Series S Xbox One X Xbox One Code Name Project Scarlett Project Lockhart Project Scorpio Durango Die-size soc 360 , 4mm² ? 367 mm² 375 mm² Number of transistors 15, 3 Billion 8 Billion 6.6 Billion 4.8 Billion Processor 8 custom Zen 2 cores with smt 8 custom Zen 2 cores with smt 8 custom Jaguar cores 8 custom Jaguar cores CPU Speed 3.8GHz (3, 66 GHz w / smt) 3.6GHz (3.4GHz with smt) 2.3GHz 1, 75 GHz Storage 1TB , ‘custom NVMe-PCIe 4.0-ssd’ 512 GB, ‘custom NVMe -PCIe 4.0 SSD ‘ 500 GB / 1TB / 2TB 2.5 inch sata hdd 1TB 2.5 inch sata-hdd GPU 52 compute units 1825 MHz 20 compute units
1565 MHz 40 compute units 1172 MHz 12 compute units 853 MHz GPU Architecture Custom RDNA 2 Custom RDNA 2 Custom GCN 4 (Polaris) Custom GCN GPU computing power 15, 15 Tflops 4 Tflops 6 Tflops 1, 31 Tflops Memory 16 GB GDDR6 10 GB GDDR6 12 GB GDDR5 8GB DDR3 (32 MB esram) Memory Speed 10 GB @ 560 GB / s
6GB @ 336 GB / s 8GB @ 224 Gbit / s
2GB @ 56 GB / s 326 GB / s 68 GB / s (esram 204 GB / s) Connection HDMI 2.1 HDMI 2.1 HDMI 2.0 HDMI 1.4 List price € 500, – € 300, – € 499, – € 499, – Release date 10 November 10 November November 7th 2017 22 November 2013 CPU, GPU and SSD On the CPU side, it is striking that Microsoft is talking about custom Zen 2 cores with a total of 8MB L3 cache, clearly not requiring large amounts of L3 cache are present as on the Ryzen desktop processors. That has everything to do with the fact that the soc of the Series X is not built from chips but from one chip. This one chip is not used as a lower positioned product in the case of less successful or partially defective copies, such as the binning that we almost always see with video cards and processors. Instead, as with the Xbox One X, Microsoft has opted for overspecification: from the 56 gpu compute units are 52 actually used in the final product.
A can on the Series X SoC The Zen 2 processor used is also custom in the sense that the memory controllers of them are linked to the shared GDDR6 memory, along with the GPU. So, as on previous generations, this is a uniform memory type, with a total of 16 GB via a 320 – bit memory bus. The clock speeds are slightly lower when using smt than without. Microsoft expects that developers will initially prefer the higher clock speeds over the extra processor threads. This will have everything to do with the fact that most games will be developed in such a way that they also work on existing generations of consoles (Xbox One and One X), which are hardware limited to 8 threads anyway.
The Project Scarlett GPU was developed on the basis of the RDNA 2 architecture, but we still know relatively little about exactly how various new features have been implemented. There is hardware support for ray tracing, as well as variable rate shading, mesh shaders and sampler feedback. These features are included in AMD’s RX video cards 6000 series and Microsoft has indicated that the feature set of this architecture is fully available to developers, both on the Series X and Series S consoles.
At least as innovative as the more powerful processor and GPU is the storage of the Series X. Under the name Velocity Architecture , Microsoft has linked fast storage in the form of an NVMe SSD to the soc in collaboration with AMD. Although: we now call it ‘storage’, but the SSD partly fulfills the role of working memory in practice. Combined with the DirectStorage API, the hardware can exchange data at lightning speed between the GDDR6 memory and the SSD. As a gamer, this is particularly helpful in practice if you use the quick resume function: within a few seconds the exact state of your (paused) game is saved and that of another game is loaded, after which you can start exactly from the point where you can continue playing.
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