Microsoft’s next video game system is no longer “Project Scarlett”, and you can expect to see it next year with a new name and shape.
The Xbox One might well be Microsoft’s console right now, but it’s only that way for the next 12 months or so, because this time next year, there will be something else.
That has been the plan for quite some time, but now Microsoft has confirmed it, announcing that the next Xbox will see release in the 2020 holiday season, which means roughly this time next year.
A new console means a new name and functionality, and it’s not just a more powerful Xbox One, which is what the Xbox One X was. Rather, it’s about time to see a new console overall, and that’s what this is.
Formerly known as Project Scarlett, the next Xbox has been announced as the Xbox Series X, a name that might be a touch confusing, but will aim to deliver higher performance and better graphics, so much that Microsoft has said is will deliver 4K graphics at 60 frames per second, potentially pushing up to 120 frames per second for even smooth video and with support for 8K. Helping to make this happen is new hardware from AMD, alongside at least one patented concept from Microsoft, all of which will come together to boost the graphics and performance.
Microsoft is throwing all of this into a console that sits in a bit of a tower, and while the Xbox Series X looks a little like a router, it’s all video game system, complete with a slot loader on the front for using it with discs, too.
What’s more, Microsoft is talking backwards compatibility, something we hope sticks around, with support for not just the games, but the accessories, too.
Those accessories will see a slight change, too, with the new Wireless Controller featuring refinements to the size and shape, and working with the Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs, too.
You have quite a bit of time until the Xbox Series X will be invited into your home, however, with November 2020 the likely time when Microsoft will deliver this.
Over the coming months, we imagine Microsoft will start to talk about this more, and even start to drop hints about a price tag later on, something we expect to be under a grand, but as to how much, only time will tell. Microsoft’s new Xbox won’t be alone, though, with Sony’s on the way for the 2020 holiday season, as well.
For now, you’ll just have to stay tuned, and wait to see what Microsoft shows off for its new console.
