Microsoft released the full list of Xbox Series X specs and gamers are impressed with how much power the upcoming game console packs. With 12 teraflops of power and a 1TB custom solid-state drive, Microsoft claims its next console is the most powerful one ever.
The system will officially stand 30.1 cm tall and its width and depth are 15.1 cm, according to Microsoft. It’s powered by a custom-designed processor that uses AMD’s Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures, which are the latest graphics chips that allow for ray tracing and variable rate shading. The impressive design will allow players to experience true 4K gaming at up to 120 frames per second and will be 8K-ready.
To avoid overheating common with powerful devices, Microsoft detailed how the system will keep cool and quiet. The Xbox Series X has three built-in airflow channels that will evenly distribute the temperature generated by its internal parts. The system will feature a split motherboard to keep the Series X evenly temperature controlled, which will allow it to output more power. A whisper-quiet fan, vapor chamber, and a heat-sink chassis have also been implemented.
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Take a closer look at the next-gen tech inside Xbox Series X.
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As games continue to grow in size, even 1TB of storage might not be enough. An Xbox Series X Storage Expansion Card, which players can plug directly into the back of the Series X, can replicate the system’s custom SSD.
Finally, the Washington-based company detailed the new Xbox Wireless Controller. While it looks quite similar to the Xbox One controller, it features a new button for social play, a hybrid D-pad similar to the Xbox Elite Controller’s, and a refined form for “enhanced comfort during gameplay.” Players can use the controller to switch between supported consoles, computers, and mobile devices.
Microsoft also showed off its Xbox Velocity Architecture, which it will use to make “thousands of games on Xbox One, including Xbox 360 and original Xbox games,” perform better on the system, not unlike the PlayStation 4 Pro‘s boost mode. This includes faster load times, stable frame rates, and the ability to play games at a higher resolution.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.