Although we already knew it was coming — and even that it was slated for a holiday 2020 release — the official unveiling of Microsoft’s upcoming next-gen gaming console has caught us by surprise. That’s because, as prepared for it as we thought we were, we didn’t expect the Xbox Series X to be quite as incredible as it actually is.
Beating Sony to the punch, the Series X (formerly Project Scarlett) gives us our first glimpse into the revolutionary future of gaming. In fact, the Series X is Microsoft’s fastest, most powerful console ever — measuring up with a whopping four times more processing power than the existing Xbox One X. And while this new device is certainly future-facing — promising technologies like cloud compatibility and ray tracing — Microsoft knows better than to abandon the past and has promised backward compatibility reaching back four generations across thousands of previously-released titles. The rectangular console — which is designed for both horizontal and vertical orientations — also comes with a brand-new wireless Xbox controller that, in addition, boasts compatibility with Windows 10 PCs. Furthermore, the Series X will launch alongside Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, a follow-up to developer Ninja Theory’s award-winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice game. Pricing has yet to be released.
