Microsoft has announced its new Xbox console will be called the Xbox Series X. Until today it had been known as Project Scarlett, but the company unveiled the official name of the machine at the Game Awards.
The black console is a tower design unlike previous models, with a simple black cuboid look with circular grill on the top showing a green light, as seen in the above video.
In a blog post Microsoft said, “Xbox Series X will be our fastest, most powerful console ever and set a new bar for performance, speed and compatibility, allowing you to bring your gaming legacy, thousands of games from three generations and more forward with you.”
When stood upright, the Series X looks a lot like a tower PC, which may be intentional. Microsoft is competing against the PC gaming market here, and the images it has chosen here are meant to imply this is just as good an option as a PC gaming rig.
“Its industrial design enables us to deliver four times the processing power of Xbox One X in the most quiet and efficient way, something that is critically important in delivering truly immersive gameplay,” Microsoft continued. “We also designed Xbox Series X to support both vertical and horizontal orientation. It’s bold and unique, very much like our fans around the world and the team of collaborators and innovators who built it.”
So, you can lay it flat if you prefer.
Microsoft has not revealed any more specific specs about the Series X, but reiterated that it will be capable of 4K at 60fps with potential for 120fps and 8K. It also used the surprise announcement to show off Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, which is currently in development for the platform. It’s a sequel to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.
The Xbox Wireless Controller will also get an update with the release of the Series X. The design is fairly similar but Microsoft says it has refined it to make it comfortable for more people (different shapes of hands, we presume) and has added a share button for taking screenshots and sharing in-game footage.
The D-pad has been modelled on the Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller. The controller will be compatible with Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs, too.
The Xbox Series X will be available around this time next year with a specific date yet to be announced.
