Xbox Series X: next-gen sound via dedicated chip and ray-traced audio

Even the Xbox Series X's audio will be next-gen, complete with a special dedicated audio chip that empowers sound designers like never before.

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We've known for a while the Xbox Series X would have 3D audio acceleration via a dedicated chip, but we didn't know the potential of the tech, and more importantly, what it means for developers. The Xbox SX's new hardware-accelerated audio chip means sound designers no longer have to tie up CPU resources for in-game sound effects and music. In tandem with ray traced audio, which uses bi-drectional sound paths to shift sound profiles in real-time, audio experiences will be incredibly immersive and realistic on the next-gen Xbox.

Ninja Theory in particular is enthusiastic about the chip. This is fitting given the Senua franchise's incredible sound effects and score. "It's extremely exciting. We're going to have a dedicated chip to work with audio, which means we finally won't have to fight with programmers and artists for memory and CPU power," senior sound designer Daniele Galante told Video Game Chronicle.

"We take for granted that graphics are powered by their own video cards. But in audio, we haven't had anything like that. Now we have some power dedicated to us," Ninja Theory's audio lead David Garcia also said.

The chip is a big deal for developers on a whole. Sound designers now get their own resources, freeing up the console's Zen 2 CPU to pelt out games at high-end perf targets like 8K resolution, 120 FPS, and ray-traced environments in 1440p, 1080p, and maybe even 4K.

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Read Also: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X ray tracing is easily scalable for devs

Another nifty trick devs can use is audio ray tracing. So what exactly is audio ray tracing? We've heard a lot about how ray tracing can revolutionize visuals of a game. Even AMD has talked up the new DXR 1.1 ray tracing API that powers the Xbox Series X via its new RDNA 2 architecture.

Basically it's a new way to simulate audio via bi-directional audio paths. The idea is that the game will automatically shift audio paths in real-time and adjust effects like echoes, acoustics, and even pitch and tone to make sound more reactive to where you are and what you do in a game.

The path-traced 3D audio will track your location and adjust itself depending on where you are; gunshots will sound different in a cave, for example, than they will in an open free-range environment.

"We believe that this kind of technology can help improve the immersion of games specifically in scenarios like a cave where the player's voice can help inform the player to the geometry of the environment," NVIDIA said in a 2017 audio ray tracing demo.

AMD's ray tracing solution is different though.

"We have developed all-new hardware-accelerated ray tracing as part of RDNA 2. It is a common architecture used in next-generation game consoles. With that, you will greatly simplify the content development. Developers can develop for one platform and easily port it to the other," AMD's vice president of engineer David Wang said in a recent company presentation.

Microsoft's senior director of program management Jason Ronald also talked about ray-traced audio:

"With the introduction of hardware accelerated ray tracing with the Xbox series X, we're actually able to enable a whole new set of scenarios, whether that's more realistic lighting, better reflections, we can even use it for things like spatial audio and have ray traced audio," Ronald said in a recent interview with Major Nelson.

So not only visuals will be ray-traced, but audio will be too. Variable Rate Shading will be an asset in this regard.

The Xbox Series X's new Variable Rate Shading techniques will also help mitigate the frame drops accompanied by ray-traced visuals and environments. VRS is a new rendering technique boosts FPS by reducing quality of specific small parts of a scene. Essentially it drops visual quality of stuff you won't even notice in order to raise frame rates--which is tremendously important now the Xbox Series X is targeting a huge spectrum of resolutions from 1080p all the way to 8K.

Everything about this console from the APIs, the engines, the toolsets, and the hardware, has been customized and synergized on an incredible level. Developers will have tons of new tricks to best optimize their games.

Remember the Xbox Series X will enhance and upgrade current-gen games, so there's a chance games like Halo 5 could use ray-traced audio to breathe new life into the interactive experience.

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
• 12 TFLOP Navi GPU on RDNA 2 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)
• 4 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 12TFLOP RDNA 2 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's Smart Delivery game upgrades explained by Microsoft
• Xbox Series X may enhance Xbox 360, OG Xbox games too
• Xbox Series X's new Quick Resume function is revolutionary
• Microsoft: Xbox Series X's real magic is hardware and software synergy
• Xbox Series X enhancement patches will upgrade current-gen games
• Microsoft: Xbox Series X's real magic is hardware and software synergy
• Xbox Series X natively plays all Xbox games better
• Xbox Series X 12 TFLOP GPU confirmed, 4x Xbox One CPU and 8x GPU power
• Xbox Series X packs dedicated audio hardware acceleration
• How publishers will approach current-gen on PS5, Xbox Series X
• Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 pricing expected to be $500
• Xbox studio using AI to upscale low-res textures in real-time
• Coronavirus may delay PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X launch past 2020
• Xbox Series X may support CFExpress memory cards
• Xbox Series X might support UltraWide monitors thanks to Samsung
• Xbox Series X CPU is the key to next-gen frame rates, Spencer teases
• China trade tariffs won't directly raise PS5, Xbox Series X prices
• AMD unknown APU: is this the mid-range Xbox Series S chip?
• Xbox Series X SSD: DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 NVMe with up to 3.7GB/sec speeds
• First photo of an Xbox Series X prototype has leaked
• Next-gen console exclusives will be few and far between through 2021
• No, Xbox Series X won't run Steam or the Epic Store
• Ex-Xbox VP won't buy next-gen Xbox, will play exclusives on PC instead
• Xbox Series X HDMI pass-through currently not supported
• New Xbox Series X renders show ventilation and back ports
• Xbox Series X new die shot teases beautiful AMD custom 7nm APU
• Analyst: $500 Xbox Series X will take wind out of Microsoft's sails
• PlayStation 5 to outsell Xbox Series X in 2020, analyst predicts
• Xbox Lockhart going digital-only at launch would be a mistake
• Xbox Series X new die shot teases beautiful AMD custom 7nm APU
• Xbox Series X will destroy PlayStation 5 with its MUCH faster GPU
• Xbox Series X rumor: launching November 22 for $499
• Xbox Series X GPU is better than any Navi GPU released so far
• Xbox Series X may be more powerful, but will third-party devs use it?
• Xbox Series X will boost performance of previous gen Xbox games
• PS5, Xbox Series X SSD may use software-defined flash to boost speeds
• Microsoft to 'virtually eliminate' loading times on Xbox Series X
• How the Xbox Series X will look in your living room
• Clarifying the Xbox Series X name
• Xbox Series X's custom SoC built with backward compatibility in mind
• Next-gen Forza is playable on Xbox Series X, is 'vastly different'
• 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