With each new generation of video game consoles, a technological breakthrough is expected to completely transform the gaming industry. Should a revolution occur, the new Xbox Series X, which launches worldwide on the 10th, will not be responsible.
This does not mean that the Microsoft device is a bad product, but that the company’s strategy to dominate the video game market has changed and is now aimed at longer-term growth.
The lesson the company seems to have learned when the Xbox One launched when it tried to sell its integration with Kinect, a peripheral that senses body movements and transports them into the game, as one of the console’s key differences. However, the technology quickly (literally) tired of gamers until it was finally discontinued by the company with the introduction of the Series X, which it won’t support.
The new console, which not only attracts the consumer with short-lived news but also reaches the Brazilian market at a suggested price of R $ 4,599, seeks above all to respond to the demands of an audience already familiar with games, especially those who who already have an earlier version of the game. Xbox.
Starting with content compatibility. Almost all games of the previous generation (Xbox One) can be played on the new console. Exceptions are exactly the titles that depend on Kinect.
Titles already purchased for old consoles (on hard drive or in digital version) can be installed on the new one free of charge. If the games are stored on an external hard drive, simply connect the device to the console for almost instant access without the need for a new download.
The games can also be purchased from Microsoft’s online store or downloaded through the company’s subscription game service, Game Pass. This avoids a problem that was common at the beginning of the generation: the small selection of titles to be played right after launch.
Some of these titles, including Fifa 21, Destiny 2, and Marvel’s Avengers, will continue to receive a free upgrade after the release of their expanded versions for the X Series – a program that Microsoft has dubbed “Smart Delivery”.
Another welcome novelty is the “Quick Resume” system, which allows the user to quit a game and pick up exactly where it left off, even after opening other games or turning off the console. However, the novelty should not be used as an alternative to saving games, as the resume point, for example, can be deleted without notice.
These innovations, coupled with the ability to automatically load saved games from the old to the new console via the cloud, just by connecting them to the internet via cable or WiFi, make the transition from one generation to another easier than ever before.
The titles on the new console are more than just playing the old generation games. They have notable graphics improvements – especially when compared to the original Xbox One, which couldn’t play games in 4K resolution – and much lower with loading pauses (the infamous screens) thanks to the device’s superior processing capacity and SSD storage.
However, the improved graphics come at a price for the console’s storage capacity. The game size tends to increase with higher resolution textures. This is evident from the report on titles like Gears 5, which takes up 72.4GB in the X Series, versus 64.5GB in the Xbox One (12% more) and Forza Horizon 4, which takes up 64.7GB in the first version ran out to 75.2 GB in the new console (16% more).
It shouldn’t take long before 802 GB of internal storage is available in the device – the nominal capacity is 1 TB, but the operating system occupies around 200 GB. Nevertheless, the capacity is an increase compared to the original Xbox One, which was shipped from the factory with 500 GB of storage (with 365 GB of “usable” storage space).
There are currently two options available to increase the console’s storage capacity. Buy the 1TB storage expansion for the new Xbox (with a suggested retail price of R $ 2,229) or connect an external HD or SSD to one of the console’s USB ports (with several options on the market).
However, according to Microsoft, this second option should only be used to save games from the previous generation of consoles, as the Series X enhanced games should take advantage of the higher transfer speed of the SSD, which is built into the console’s Velocity architecture, to work without the glitches .
By the way, SSD storage is one of the most important technological innovations built into the console. In addition, there is compatibility with “ray tracing”. Technologies that are being introduced on consoles but have been available on computers for more than a year, which doesn’t mean they’re already out of date.
Getting the most that the X Series can offer also requires investing in a state-of-the-art TV with 4K resolution, HDR technology, and 120Hz refresh rate (models with this specification typically don’t sell for less than R $ 5,000 on the Brazilian market).
When connecting the X Series to a conventional 4K HDR television, however, you will already notice an improvement in the quality of game graphics at 60 FPS, higher quality textures and more realistic lighting. Especially when comparing the current console with the original model of the original Xbox One, which played games with a maximum resolution of 1080p (Full HD).
If you don’t have a 4K TV and still want to try out the new generation games, you can buy the Xbox Series S, a less powerful and cheaper console (R $ 2,799) that Microsoft is launching alongside the Series X.
The company promises that this device will run the same games as the more powerful version, but with a maximum resolution of 1440p (2,560 x 1,440 pixels, slightly larger than Full HD). In addition, it has a smaller capacity (512 GB) and does not support hard disk games.
The Xbox Series X was tested by Folha for over a week. In two moments, when different titles were played, a lack of synchronization between the image and the audio could be detected. However, the error did not last long and appeared to be resolved while the console was running.
Otherwise, the device did not experience any significant problems or overheating. Incidentally, the ventilation system makes little noise when it is switched on and is not noticeable during use.
glossary
Ray tracing
Computer graphics technology that simulates in the virtual world the path that rays of light take in reality, resulting in more realistic lighting and reflection effects. It has been used in movie special effects for a few years, but it is only recently that technology has advanced to the point where it can be used in games
SSD (Solid State Drive)
Replacement for old hard drives (hard drives) for information storage. No data is recorded there on physical media, which enables faster transfer of information
4K
Screen resolution that counts to 3,840 pixels horizontally and 2,160 pixels vertically, four times as high as with full HD televisions (1920 × 1080). In general, it is only supported on smart TVs over 40 inches
HDR (High Dynamic Range)
Technology that enables high brightness and contrast in the images displayed on TV, resulting in more vivid and realistic colors
Update rate
The frequency with which the screen updates its pixels. A refresh rate of 120 Hz means the screen can display up to 120 FPS (frames per second). For comparison, films are traditionally shown with a refresh rate of 24 Hz or 24 frames per second.
Speed architecture
Technologies implemented by Microsoft in the new generation of consoles with which the SSD works even faster, enables faster data transfer and shortens loading times