Microsoft designed the Xbox Series X's SoC specifically with backward compatibility support in mind,
Microsoft confirms its new next-gen Xbox Series X console will natively support four generations worth of Xbox games when it launches in Holiday 2020. The system will play thousands of games from original Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and new titles optimized specifically for the Xbox SX.
As it turns out, the Xbox SX was built from the ground up to support last-gen games all the way at the silicon level. Backward compatibility was never off the table and a major feature at the start (MS nor Sony want to displace games libraries and fracture user experiences). Even with the existing Xbox One BC games this task is a massive undertaking of incredibly tough work, but Microsoft's foresight and planning will make bringing older games to the new Zen 2- and Navi-powered behemoth a lot easier.
"It is a new chip architecture. At the same time, we did design the silicon with compatibility in mind, so we did make certain decisions to try to lessen that work," Xbox director of program management told Gamespot.
"But I don't want to trivialize how much work the team's actually doing because there is a tremendous amount of work."
Read Also: Next-gen Xbox plays four generations of Xbox games
The entire idea of backwards compatibility is "bringing your legacy with you" users jump to the new console. It's not a new ecosystem, just a new console, and all of the games and services are preserved. Microsoft isn't resetting the switch any time soon.
Microsoft has a long history of supporting older systems well past their due date. The Xbox 360 and its library were revitalized thanks to Xbox One's extensive BC support (the same goes for the old-school Xbox) and we shouldn't expect the company to retire the Xbox One family of systems for a long, long time.
Xbox Series X is due out by Holiday 2020. No pricing has been announced.
Check below for confirmed specs and details, and a huge content listing of everything we've heard about Xbox Series X so far:
Xbox Series X confirmed details (Formerly Project Scarlett):
- 8-core, 16-thread Zen 2 CPU
- Navi GPU on RDNA architecture
- Highly customized 7nm SoC from AMD
- GDDR6 memory
- 2x Xbox One X's 6TFLOPs of GPU perf
- 4x CPU power of Xbox One generation
- Can deliver up to 40x more performance than Xbox One in specific use cases
- Adaptive sync supported
- Super-fast SSD that can be used as VRAM
- Supports 8K resolution (likely media playback)
- 120FPS gaming
- Variable refresh rate (adaptive sync/FreeSync)
- Variable Rate Shading
- Raytracing confirmed with dedicated raytracing cores
- Backward compatible with thousands of Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One games
- New controller with a dedicated share button
- Compatible with Xbox One accessories
Lockhart (Unconfirmed lower-end Xbox Series hardware)
- 1440p 60FPS
- No disc drive
- Super-fast SSD that can be used as VRAM
- 7nm AMD SoC w/ scaled-down 8-core, 16 thread Zen 2 CPU at 3.5GHZ and Navi GPU
- Lower GDDR6 memory pool (Possibly 12GB)
- ~6-8 TFLOPs of power?
- Aims to rival PS4 Pro/Replace Xbox One S
- Full backward compatibility with all Xbox One games
- Cheaper MSRP
Anaconda/Xbox Series X/Project Scarlett
- 4K 60FPS
- Disc drive with 4K UHD playback
- Super-fast SSD that can be used as VRAM
- 7nm AMD SoC with 8-core, 16 thread Zen 2 CPU at 3.5GHz and Navi GPU
- 16GB GDDR6 RAM
- 12 TFLOPs of power
- 2x GPU power as Xbox One X/aims to replace Xbox One X
- Full backward compatibility with all Xbox One games
- More expensive MSRP
Xbox Series X coverage:
- Xbox Series X size comparison vs Xbox One, PS4 Pro, Switch
- Next-gen Xbox controller has a share button
- Xbox Series X naming scheme leaves door open for Lockhart
- Xbox Series X may allow suspend and resume for multiple games at once
- Microsoft reveals next-gen Xbox console, the Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series X may allow suspend and resume for multiple games at once
- Next-gen Xbox Lockhart has 'significantly less RAM' for 1440p gaming
- Next-gen Xbox Scarlett specs: 12TFLOPs, 16GB RAM, 3.5GHz Zen 2 CPU
- Cheaper next-gen Xbox Lockhart targets 1440p 60FPS
- Cheaper next-gen Xbox Lockhart targets 1440p 60FPS
- Project Scarlett devkits aren't widely available yet
- PS5, Xbox Scarlett SSD may use Optane-like ReRAM to supercharge speeds
- NVIDIA G-Sync monitors to improve PlayStation 5 and Xbox Scarlett
- Project Scarlett won't get VR gaming, Microsoft doesn't care about VR
- Next-gen Xbox Scarlett plays four generations of Xbox games
- Microsoft teases next-gen Xbox: 8K, 120FPS, super-fast SSD
- Xbox Scarlett CPU: 'no compromises', allows for 4K 120FPS gaming
- Microsoft: Xbox Scarlett will kick PlayStation 5's ass in perf/price
- Next-gen Xbox may hit 4K 60FPS in every game
- Project Scarlett to hit 1080p 120FPS gaming
- Project Scarlett trade-in program announced, but there's a big catch
- New Viking Assassin's Creed may be next-gen console launch game
- Next-gen Xbox may get room-scale VR gaming
- PS5 and Xbox Scarlett will both handle ray tracing differently
- Gears 5 developer says Xbox Scarlett has dedicated ray tracing cores
- GTA 6 on PS5, Project Scarlett to have insane hyper-realistic visuals
- AMD 'Flute': Xbox Scarlett SoC: Zen 2 8C/16T @ 3.2GHz on 7nm
- Project Scarlett's price isn't locked in yet
- Project Scarlett isn't the last Xbox console