It has been more than ten years since the day I first played Grand Theft Auto V (GTAV) on my Xbox 360 and that game was very in-depth and provided loads of fun gameplay. I replayed GTAV on Xbox One and most recently on my Xbox Series X console via Xbox Game Pass (XGP).
Recently, Rockstar Games released the official trailer of the much-awaited new game Grand Theft Auto VI (GTAVI or GTA6 for short) online ahead of schedule (note: someone shamelessly leaked the trailer which compelled the publisher to do an early launch) which attracted many millions of views from fans and gamers on varied platforms online. The new game will be released on Xbox Series X|S consoles sometime in the year 2025. To begin with, watch the official trailer below…
And below is a statement from Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser…
“Grand Theft Auto VI continues our efforts to push the limits of what’s possible in highly immersive, story-driven open-world experiences,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We’re thrilled to be able to share this new vision with players everywhere.” (source – official press release)
A view of a beach and the buildings of Vice City. Clearly the city is inspired by Miami in real-life.
As expected, the GTA6 official trailer looks really impressive and I would not be surprised that the developers will make the gameplay experience more varied by means of implementing lots of features and play styles. The trailer even showed images of in-game social media which will most likely become a gameplay feature eventually as it will resonate with gamers who mostly spent a lot of years using social media accounts in real life.
In the press release, the fictional Vice City and the state of Leonida were explicitly mentioned. For the newcomers reading this, Vice City was the main setting in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) and the said city will be getting the modern game presentation and design similar to what happened to Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV, and Los Santos in GTAV. Vice City is clearly patterned after the real-life city of Miami in Florida and within the new game are lots of parties (lots of neon colors too), populated beaches, wildlife, desolate locations for exploring and groove-related activities.
We will find out soon enough how detailed a populated in-game beach like this will turn out on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
Interacting with the wildlife in the game’s more isolated environments could resonate nicely with those who played Red Dead Redemption 2 extensively.
Expect Rockstar Games to make adjustments and refinements not only with the core gameplay but also with the way cops and criminals will react to each other. Lastly, it seems that the developers took inspiration from the real-life American crime couple Bonnie and Clyde for the in-game couple that was several times within the game trailer. That being said, the developers are not only staying away from the 3-protagonist formula of GTAV, they are also challenging themselves to create something new and even more compelling with the GTA6 couple for players to experience.
I am also interested to see how Rockstar will design the open-world environments this time. I have never been to Miami but I visited Orlando during my one and only trip to Florida. I noticed how different Florida’s physical surroundings were compared to other states in America I visited, and I noticed in the GTA6 trailer the more desolate locations filled with varied forms of vegetation were inspired by the said state. Oh yes, there were also images of alligators in the trailer which remind me of real-life Florida sightings of the creatures in populated places. I can only imagine how this will add variety to the gameplay and exploration in GTA6. Check out the news videos below…
Grand Theft Auto VI is still far from release and a lot could happen as the release date gets closer. Here is hoping that Rockstar Games will deliver a game that is not only great but also turn out to be truly worth the wait of over a decade. For the Xbox fans reading this, do you think the Xbox Series S version of GTA6 will turn out good? If you already have an Xbox Series S as well as extra money, would you be willing to upgrade by buying the Xbox Series X console for GTA6?
Recently as Team Xbox announced the July 2023 lineup of games added on the Xbox Game Pass (XGP) subscription service, the inclusion of the massive best-selling open-world game Grand Theft Auto V (GTAV) turned out to be the biggest surprise of them all.
Franklin traveling on waves. This entire sequence ran smoothly at 60FPS with ray tracing enabled.
To be very clear, this is not GTAV’s first time to be in XGP. In fact, it was made available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers in limited time periods in 2020 and 2021. In my case, since I bought my Xbox Series X console and subscribed to XGP in late-2021, this is my first time to play GTAV on the service and the first time in years for me to replay the game since the Xbox One version. Oh yes, I first played GTAV on Xbox 360 way back in 2013.
What makes GTAV’s newest return to the service significant is that it includes the most updated versions of the game optimized specifically for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. This means that the next-generation console graphical enhancements include the Fidelity Mode, the Performance Mode and the Performance RT Mode, and only the Xbox Series X is capable of those three. Refer to the details below sourced from GINX.TV
GTA 5 Fidelity Mode – The highest visual quality possible and targets 30 fps. PS5 and Xbox Series X supports native 4k resolution in this mode with Ray Tracing enabled. Xbox Series S supports upscaled 4K resolution.
GTA 5 Performance Mode – Performance Mode in targets 60 fps for the most responsive, smoothest gameplay experience yet on PS5 and Xbox Series X, with an upscaled 4K resolution. Xbox Series S, on the other hand, supports a resolution of 1080p in Performance Mode targetting 60 fps.
GTA 5 Performance RT Mode – The Performance Ray Tracing Mode is only available for PS5 and Xbox Series X, and is not supported on the Series S console. This is a hybrid between the Performance and Fidelity modes. It targets 60 fps with Ray Tracing enabled, with an upscaled 4K resolution to boot.
This huge crash happened during one of the scores in the game. Captured on Performance RT Mode.
That being said, I started playing Grand Theft Auto V on my Xbox Series X via XGP with the Performance Mode setting for the graphics followed many hours later with the Performance RT (ray tracing) Mode.
As such, I am enjoying replaying the game with super smooth 60 frames-per-second (60FPS) and I can say it made the single-player gameplay experience more fun and engaging to do. Since I enjoy the 60FPS frame rate a lot, I will play the game with the Fidelity Mode some time later.
With Starfieldand Forza Motorsport (2023) launching on Xbox Game Pass this September and October respectively, playing GTAV on the service with the Xbox Series X console is strongly recommended. That being said, there is no telling how long with Rockstar’s game remain on XGP. If you are already an XGP subscriber with an Xbox Series X console and you love open-world games, then you should avail of Grand Theft Auto V while it is still available. Xbox Series S-owning XGP subscribers can still enjoy 60FPS gaming with the Rockstar game.
Go and play Grand Theft Auto V on your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console while it is still available on XGP.
In concluding this post, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your enjoyment.
The cover of Heat Ultimate Collector’s Edition 4K Blu-ray.
According to the Blu-ray.com page of the movie, Heat Ultimate Collector’s Edition 4K Blu-ray will be released with native 4K visuals. Posted below are the technical specs for your reference…
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: HDR10
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Audio
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles – English SDH, French, Spanish
Discs – 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray Disc, Three-disc set (1 BD-66, 2 BD-50)
Digital
Movies Anywhere
Packaging – Slipcover in original pressing
Playback – 4K Blu-ray: Region free, 2K Blu-ray: Region A
As for the special features and technical specs, posted below are the details sourced from Blu-ray.com…
PREVIOUSLY REMASTERED IN 4K
HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
DTS-HD MASTER AUDIO 5.1 TRACK
Academy Panel reuniting Mann, Pacino and De Niro and moderated by Christopher Nolan
Toronto International Film Festival Q&A with Mann
Audio Commentary by Michael Mann
The Making of Heat
True Crime
Crime Stories
Into the Fire
Pacino and De Niro: The Conversation
Return to the Scene of the Crime
Additional Footage – Deleted Scenes
Scene 5 – Season’s starting early
Scene 42 – Nicest guy on the block
Scene 55 – Albert and Hanna (Alternate Take)
Scene 62 – Shakedown
Scene 76 – Murder in C-Block
Scene 96A – Let’s Dance
Scene 125 – Late arrival
Scene 148/147 – Where’s Anna?
Scene 177B – Double the worst trouble
Scene 191 – Nate delivers
Scene 204A – No response
Theatrical Trailers
Surprise of a Lifetime
Two Actors Collide
Closing In
Optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles for the main feature
For the newcomers reading this, Heat was released in late-1995 and it told a very compelling story about crime and law enforcement with De Niro leading a gang of proficient thugs and Pacino leading a team of law enforcers. On both sides, obsession is a major factor as seen in the respective performances of the two Hollywood legends. Apart from the story, the film also has very notable actors supporting the two top actors such as Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd and Dennis Haysbert to name some. Each member of the cast performed well on-screen.
When it comes to action, the city bank heist and street shootout scenes are still great to watch even by today’s standards. If you had seen Heat and you played either Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto V, you will realize that the games’ respective bank heist scenes obviously took a lot of inspiration from the movie. Heat is also the subject of countless video reviews, film analysis videos and trivia-type videos on YouTube.
Watch out for Heat Ultimate Collector’s Edition 4K Blu-ray on August 9, 2022.
In closing this Better than Streaming piece, posted below are Heat-related videos for your viewing pleasure.
For those who missed out on the latest on Xbox gaming, last week saw the surprise launch of the independently made action-adventure game Tunic on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Windows PC and on MacOS. For those who are subscribing on Xbox Game Pass (XGP), Tunic is available for you to simply download and play.
To get yourself oriented with Tunic (developed by Andrew Shouldice and published by Finji), watch this official launch trailer below…
In relation to the surprise launch buzz it generated, Tunic gathered several rave reviews from several gaming media outlets. Below are some of notable quotes from the published reviews.
Game Informer: Tunic is a stunning achievement that manages to embody the best of nostalgia while being completely refreshing. It’s absolutely a must-play gem.
Windows Central: Tunic is an absolutely delightful game to slink away to for a few hours to explore, discover, and conquer. Solving puzzles and uncovering the myriad of hidden secrets can make for a calming adventure, but there’s always the potential for an exhilarating moment of victory after a particularly difficult boss.
Destructoid: What’s amazing about Tunic is that I can’t count any misstep. I fell into the world a few times, big deal. The penalty for death is paltry and they’re bugs that can be squashed. Once, a sound queue got stuck playing continuously, and I found myself pondering its significance in futility. I only noticed it wasn’t supposed to be happening when it continued through to the main menu. Sometimes things get in the way of the camera. There was nothing major enough to drag down the experience.
GameSpot: Most Souls-likes tend to adopt a grimdark fantasy aesthetic, but Tunic harkens back to the 8- and 16-bit eras by presenting a vibrant and colorful world that also offers a fiendishly difficult challenge. It’s not simply evocative of games from the late ’80s and early ’90s because it creates facsimiles of their graphics or gameplay, but because it manages to capture a tangible feeling of exploration and difficulty, where an instruction manual is your tool to deciphering everything. It’s the kind of game you would’ve purchased because the box art looked cool, eagerly flipping through the pages of its manual on the car ride home, not quite understanding it all but getting excited at the possibilities all the same. In Tunic’s case, this grand adventure lives up to the expectations.
For the newcomers reading this who are still trying to figure out what exactly Tunic is and what they need to know before trying the game, posted below is an excerpt from the launch day announcement published on Xbox.com written by Finji Senior Community Manager Harris Foster. Some parts in boldface…
A few years back, Tunic was revealed to the world on stage during the Xbox E3 2018 Briefing. This was a huge moment for both of us as a publishing team and for Andrew Shouldice who at the time was handling the duties of game designer, programmer, level designer, character artist, animator, and tester on Tunic.
In the nearly four years that followed, Tunic grew in an astonishing fashion. The development team and the game itself have multiplied in size and thousands of new fans have shared their excitement with us. Starting today we invite you to discover Tunic and all the secrets it has to offer on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and with Xbox Game Pass.
At first glance, Tunic may seem like a cute action-adventure game. You play as a small fox in a big world, fighting monsters and exploring an ancient land. But don’t let its charming exterior fool you, Tunic’s combat will test your reflexes and its mysteries will challenge your perception.
On your adventure you’ll explore a dense and mysterious overworld, from shadowy forests inhabited by dangerous creatures to intricate temples filled with hostile sorcerers. The sword is your primary weapon, but your greatest tool is knowing the right time to dodge, block, and swing. Your enemies will not hold back, so be sure to search your environment for bombs, stat boosts, and refillable health potions. Make a wrong move and your death will send you back to the last checkpoint without giving back any items you used. Be careful out there!
Tunic’s white-knuckle combat system pulls from modern action RPGs while its setting and tone comes from games of the classic cartridge era. But the challenge and inspiration doesn’t end there. Remember the good ol’ days when every game included a full-color instruction manual? A flimsy booklet packed with helpful combat tips, enemy descriptions, and secret hints? Tunic takes the lost art of the instruction manual and injects it directly into the game.
Scattered throughout the in-game world of Tunic are instruction manual pages for you to collect. Each one you find adds to your booklet, creating a compendium of this foreign realm. Study the pages carefully to get a lay of the land and have the upper hand on your combatants. Filled with gorgeous hand-drawn illustrations, the manual appears to be written in some unknown language. Come to think of it, everything in this world is written in these glyphs. What does it mean? Will we be able to translate it? What else might Tunic be hiding?
Mysteries and secrets sit at the heart of the Tunic experience. Every seasoned gamer knows that when a game has a waterfall, they should check behind it for hidden loot. Tunic presents a world overflowing with opportunities to sniff out secrets. When playing Tunic, we encourage you to collaborate with your friends.
In my own experience, I find Tunic to be highly playable, challenging and pretty enticing to play. It has that wholesome approach to its art style and visuals which resulted a unique fantasy look. The gameplay is where Tunic really stands out. The controls are pretty responsive and unique, and the game itself encourages both exploration and discovery to be done. This game also comes with a unique way on learning the functions on gameplay and controls complete with that nostalgic touch of visualizing instructions very similar to what video game manuals of long ago pulled off.
Combat is done in real-time and the controls are pretty responsive . You can control where to move your character, where to face, how you time your strikes, and more.
Pay close attention to the details of the in-game locations so that you can familiarize yourself on where to go, determining which places are accessible and what kind of opposition awaits you.
Do you remember the times when you used video game manuals for instructions? There is a nostalgic and digital way of learning how to play this game and you only need to press a bumper button on the control pad.
That is very dazzling to look at!
As of now, I’m still making my way through the game. I don’t know yet how long it will take to complete this acclaimed game but I can assure you readers that I am enjoying it a lot. Playing, discovering and learning with Tunic is fun! If you are an Xbox console owner with an active subscription to Xbox Game Pass, I encourage you to download and play Tunic!
In closing this piece, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your viewing pleasure.
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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/
There is no denying that 2021 saw Team Xbox got its groove back as the current Xbox ecosystem (composed of Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and Windows PC) got filled with not only excellent games but also with the continued rise of Xbox Game Pass (XGP) as the best subscription service in gaming! The most recent additions of backward compatible games also added depth into the Xbox network for users – especially long-time Xbox gamers – to enjoy.
2021 Xbox-exclusive games like Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, and Flight Simulator were acclaimed games and they really showed what the Xbox Series consoles could do when it comes to giving gamers a true, fun-filled next-generation experience.
On the production side of Xbox gaming, the $7.5 billion acquisition and integration of Bethesda (through ZeniMax) into Xbox already showed nice results and there will be even better results in the form of brand new games in 2022.
For some insight on 2022 Xbox gaming, watch the following videos below…
Expect 2022 to be a much bigger and more exciting year of gaming on Xbox in terms of exclusive games, multiplatform games and XGP! Techland’s Dying Light 2 Stay Human will be released on February 4 which should please gamers who have long been waiting for it. Coming out on February 10 is CrossfireX which will have a story oriented single-player campaign as well as robust multi-player system. The high-profile FromSoftware RPG Elden Ring will be unleashed on February 25.
Tunic, a timed Xbox-exclusive game, will be released on March 16 and to this day it continues to get compared with The Legend of Zelda due to its design and art style. Die-hard players of Grand Theft Auto V who wish to replay the game and its multi-player features with the benefits of playing it on Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X will get something from Rockstar Games as the next-gen update for the game will be released sometime this March. For those who love crime-oriented open-world games that are not connected with the GTA franchise, there is the Saints Row reboot which has been delayed to August 2022.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, which promises to give gamers a lot of action and cooperative play to enjoy, shall be released on Xbox Series consoles, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass sometime this year. Similarly, Square Enix’s sci-fi Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) Star Ocean The Divine Force will be released sometime this year. If the game will be released in the 3rd quarter or 4th quarter this year, then it is likely Square Enix will announce the release date at this year’s E3 convention. Still on JRPGs, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising from developer Rabbit & Bear Studios and publisher 505 Games should be come out sometime this year on Xbox consoles, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass. A final release date might be announced soon. Another notable video game that should be released sometime this year is Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League which has the potential to be a big hit as it was made by the same developer behind the three most acclaimed Batman Arkham games.
When it comes to the more high-profile exclusive Xbox games set for release this year, Xbox fans as well as S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise fans should know that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl will be released on December 8, 2022 on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC. The game, which will also be released through Xbox Game Pass, promises to deliver a massive open-world for gamers to get lost in and experience lots of action mixed with horror elements. Redfall, another Xbox-exclusive made by Arkane Austin under Bethesda, should be released sometime in the 2nd quarter this year on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass. Expect a pre-release showcase before or during the 2022 of E3.
What is widely considered to be the most anticipated Xbox-exclusive game of 2022 is Bethesda’s next big RPG Starfield which will be released on November 11 for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass. This game’s production is being led by Todd Howard and he and his team at Bethesda Softworks are really challenging themselves to immerse gamers into a brand new, science fiction universe that will emphasize space travel, colonized planets, discovering the unexplored and getting involved in the uneasy peace between the major factions. It is inevitable that a major showing of Starfield should happen at E3 2022 or in an upcoming digital event of Team Xbox.
The above mix of games are just some of the many new games coming to Xbox this year. In fact, there is a possibility that Team Xbox could release some more Xbox-exclusive games this year such as the yet-to-be-showcased Forza Motorsport (note: the latest entry of the FM franchise Forza Motorsport 7 was released way back in 2017) for example. They could also announce new and even timed exclusive games coming through Xbox Game Pass within the year. As for other upcoming undated Xbox-exclusives like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II and Contraband, I wish those games will be released this year.
Whatever lies ahead, expect 2022 to be more exciting than 2021 when it comes to Xbox games and experiences. There is nothing that Xbox haters and jealous fanboys could do to derail the Xbox machine and its strong momentum.
In closing this piece, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your viewing pleasure.
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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/
How fast time flies. The much-anticipated launching of the premium Xbox Series X and the budget-friendly Xbox Series S next-generation consoles from Microsoft will launch 9 days from now. Have you already ordered a unit? If you really want to make the jump to the next-generation with Xbox, keep looking at the legitimate online retailers who are open to accepting pre-orders.
Before the end of October, an article was posted at Xbox.com which confirms what has been speculated for some time now – the next-generation Xbox consoles indeed have AMD’s RDNA 2 technology complete with unique technological features.
For the newcomers reading this, RDNA 2 is defined as follows: The custom designed processor in the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S leverages RDNA 2, the latest next generation graphics architecture from our partners at AMD. RDNA 2 provides a significant advancement in performance and efficiency as well as next generation graphics features such as hardware accelerated raytracing and variable rate shading.
More on the article by Technical Fellow Andrew Goossen and Director of Program Management Jason Ronald, Team Xbox congratulated and celebrated their amazing partners at AMD with regards to the announcement of Radeon RX 6000 Series of GPUs (graphics processing units) which use the RDNA 2 architecture. Microsoft and AMD’s business relationship has lasted fifteen long years and it started with the Xbox 360 console which was a very memorable, fun-led console I had.
For the next-generation of console gaming, Microsoft and AMD’s strategic partnership is already making things look exciting. Here’s a big confirmation from the Xbox.com article: Xbox Series X|S are the only next-generation consoles with full hardware support for all the RDNA 2 capabilities AMD showcased today.
Here’s a detailed excerpt: AMD’s latest RDNA 2 architecture delivers a significant increase in performance and efficiency over previous architectures, as well as adding new hardware acceleration capabilities including hardware accelerated DirectX Raytracing, Mesh Shaders, Sampler Feedback and Variable Rate Shading. Hardware accelerated DirectX Raytracing, showcased at launch by titles such as Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs: Legion, enables developers to deliver a new level of visual fidelity and immersion through techniques such as realistic lighting, shadows, reflections and acoustics. Mesh Shaders can manipulate geometry in real time to provide a high level of fidelity and flexibility that developers have never had before. Sampler Feedback greatly improves memory efficiency by allowing games to load into memory, with fine granularity, only the portions of textures that the GPU needs for a scene, as it needs it, providing an effective 2.5x memory and bandwidth multiplier beyond the raw hardware capabilities. Sampler Feedback also enables efficient creation and shading of textures on-demand.
Finally, Variable Rate Shading (VRS) delivers much finer grain control on how developers can leverage the full power of the Xbox Series X|S by enabling developers to focus their GPU resources on the areas of a frame that most benefit without reducing the overall image quality. By leveraging techniques like VRS, games such as Gears 5 can see performance increases up to 15% and beyond resulting in higher, more consistent frame rates and resolution at the exact same image quality. All of these next-generation capabilities are available via hardware in both the Xbox Series X and Series S and we are excited for them to also come to PC, providing a common set of features that developers can rely on when developing their games across console and PC.
At the very beginning of development of the Xbox Series X | S, we knew we were setting the foundation for the next decade of gaming innovation and performance across console, PC and cloud. To deliver on this vision we wanted to leverage the full capabilities of RDNA 2 in hardware from day one. Through close collaboration and partnership between Xbox and AMD, not only have we delivered on this promise, we have gone even further introducing additional next-generation innovation such as hardware accelerated Machine Learning capabilities for better NPC intelligence, more lifelike animation, and improved visual quality via techniques such as ML powered super resolution.
In our quest to put gamers and developers first we chose to wait for the most advanced technology from our partners at AMD before finalizing our architecture. Now, with the upcoming release of Xbox Series X|S and the new AMD Radeon RX 6000 Series GPUs, developers have a common set of next-generation tools and performance capabilities that will empower them to deliver transformative gaming experiences across both console and PC.
Boom! The two Xbox Series consoles have the complete features of RDNA 2 technology. The wait that Team Xbox had to go through was worth it. In the years to come, the terms DirectX Raytracing, Mesh Shaders, Sampler Feedback and Variable Rate Shading will be more discussed as game designers create more of their projects for Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X and Windows 10 PCs equipped with RDNA 2-based GPUs.
To make things clear to everyone, here are the definitions:
Hardware Accelerated DirectX Raytracing (DXR) – From improved lighting, shadows and reflections as well as more realistic acoustics and spatial audio, raytracing enables developers to create more physically accurate worlds. For the very first time in a game console, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S include support for high performance, hardware accelerated raytracing. Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S use a custom-designed GPU leveraging the latest innovation from our partners at AMD and built in collaboration with the same team who developed DirectX Raytracing. Developers will be able to deliver incredibly immersive visual and audio experiences using the same techniques on PC and beyond.
Mesh Shading – Mesh shading will enable developers to dramatically improve the performance and image quality when rendering a substantial number of complex objects in a scene. As an example, mesh shaders could enable the player to experience asteroid belts and fields of flowers in more pristine detail without seeing a loss in performance.
Sampler Feedback Streaming (SFS) – A component of the Xbox Velocity Architecture, SFS is a feature of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S hardware that allows games to load into memory, with fine granularity, only the portions of textures that the GPU needs for a scene, as it needs it. This enables far better memory utilization for textures, which is important given that every 4K texture consumes 8MB of memory. Because it avoids the wastage of loading into memory the portions of textures that are never needed, it is an effective 2.5x multiplier on average on both amount of physical memory and SSD performance.
Variable Rate Shading (VRS) – Variable Rate Shading increases GPU efficiency by concentrating shader work where it’s most needed and reducing shader work in areas where it won’t be noticeable. With minimal developer effort, VRS significantly improves GPU performance resulting in more stable and higher resolutions and frame rates with no perceptible loss in visual quality.
Remember when I mentioned many times before that Xbox is an ecosystem composed of Xbox game consoles, Windows 10 PC and smartphones (supported by Project xCloud) backed with the fast-growing Xbox Game Pass (XGP) subscription service? With all the technical information and explanations above, the strategic partnership between Microsoft and AMD is much greater than just hardware and features…it also serves as a foundation for supporting Xbox ecosystem users regardless of what hardware they use.
While it is a fact that AMD also partnered with Sony for the PlayStation 5 (PS5) consoles, so far the Japan-based corporation has not boldly stated anything about having full-featured RDNA 2 on their next-generation consoles. While we don’t know what exactly Jim Ryan and Mark Cerny know behind the scenes at PlayStation headquarters right now, it is clear that their team strongly focused on the PS5’s SSD (solid state drive) and tried to manipulate people into believing it is the next big thing. It seems like the PlayStation guys, whose idolaters are still restless and agonizing over the Xbox-Bethesda deal until now, just could not admit that the AMD technology PS5 has is actually inferior to what the Xbox Series consoles have.
Going back to RDNA 2 and Xbox, Ubisoft recently presented Watch Dogs: Legion running on Xbox Series X with raytracing implemented. Watch the video below…
In ending this, here are more gaming-related videos for your viewing pleasure. Right now, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are the only next-generation consoles with full hardware support for all the RDNA 2 capabilities and that ensures great value in return for the respective $499 and $299 prices of the consoles.
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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
I should say it out loud. I am a long-time Xbox gamer (and I was once a PlayStation fanboy until I started playing Halo: Combat Evolved, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Forza Motorsport on the original Xbox console) and it is great that the next-generation Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles will have backward compatibility right from the start.
Specifically, I started my Xbox journey (with an official Xbox LIVE account) in 2006 with the Xbox 360 console. I played lots of great games on that console such as Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Halo 3, Forza Motorsport 4, Lost Odyssey, Assassin’s Creed III, Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and the Mass Effect trilogy just to name a few.
Even though the current 8th console generation was not too rosy for Xbox due to the weak 1st party game support on the part of Microsoft, I still enjoyed gaming on my Xbox One. The Outer Worlds was one of the best sci-fi RPGs I have ever played. Fallout 4 was just as engaging and as immersive Skyrim in my experience. Also I had great fun playing Red Dead Redemption 2.
That being said, I certainly do not want my past Xbox generation game collection – both physical media and digital copies – to just go to waste. This is why I really appreciate Team Xbox for implementing backward compatibility on the two Xbox Series consoles which will launch less than a month from now. I myself enjoyed replaying my favorite Xbox 360 games on my Xbox One (a few among them were Red Dead Redemption, Lost Odyssey and the entire Mass Effect trilogy) and having the same feature for the next-generation is a very good thing!
On Xbox.com, Director of Program Management for Xbox Series X Jason Ronald explained the efforts their team made since the big breakthrough of 2015 plus other details about the tremendous addition of value backward compatibility brings to the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X. Excerpt below:
Our compatibility journey began with the announcement of Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility coming to Xbox One at E3 2015. I clearly remember that first magical experience of jumping into one of my favorite Xbox 360 games, Final Fantasy XIII, and instantly resuming where I had left off years before as if no time had passed at all. I was instantly transported back to that special time and all the great memories and personal connections I have made through gaming. The energy and passion from the community continues to motivate us to this day.
Through a tremendous amount of hard work, technical innovation, and partnership with the industry’s leading creators we were not only able to bring more than 500 Xbox 360 games to Xbox One, we were able to go back even further into the archives and resurrect some of your favorite franchises from the original Xbox. The very same team who created new innovative ways to preserve and enhance your existing catalog of games on Xbox One is the same team pushing the envelope again with Xbox Series X.
Maintaining compatibility presents a massive technical challenge as fundamental system and chip architectures advance across generations. Developers highly optimize their games to the unique capabilities and performance of a console to provide the best experience for their players. To make the Xbox Series X our most compatible console ever required both significant innovation in the design of the custom processor as well as the unique design of the Xbox operating system and hypervisor at the heart of our next generation platform.
With more than 100,000 hours of play testing already completed, thousands of games are already playable on Xbox Series X today, from the biggest blockbusters to cult classics and fan favorites. Many of us in Team Xbox play on the Xbox Series X daily as our primary console and switching between generations is seamless. By the time we launch this holiday, the team will have spent well over 200,000 hours ensuring your game library is ready for you to jump in immediately.
As seen in the paragraph right above, the 100,000 hours figure is very significant and it shows that no shortcuts were taken with regards to play testing and quality assurance. That figure is only rising and that is great dedication for not only Xbox fans with huge game collections but also consumers in general.
It should be noted that the more affordable Xbox Series S console will run backward compatibility a bit differently since it cannot render visuals in native 4K (it can however upscale in 4K). A September 14, 2020 update to Ronald’s article states:
the Xbox Series S runs the Xbox One S version of backward compatible games while applying improved texture filtering, higher and more consistent frame rates, faster load times and Auto HDR. As for next generation titles, Xbox Series S was designed to be the most affordable next generation console and play them at 1440P at 60fps.
The premium Xbox Series X console, unsurprisingly, has huge advantages for anyone who loves playing past games via backward compatibility. Enhanced visuals? Check! Improved frame rates? Check! Heavily reduced load times? Check! Much better performance? Check! Check out the excerpt below:
Not only should gamers be able to play all of these games from the past, but they should play better than ever before. Backwards compatible games run natively on the Xbox Series X hardware, running with the full power of the CPU, GPU and the SSD. No boost mode, no downclocking, the full power of the Xbox Series X for each and every backward compatible game. This means that all titles run at the peak performance that they were originally designed for, many times even higher performance than the games saw on their original launch platform, resulting in higher and more steady framerates and rendering at their maximum resolution and visual quality. Backwards compatible titles also see significant reductions in in-game load times from the massive leap in performance from our custom NVME SSD which powers the Xbox Velocity Architecture. As I play through my personal backlog as part of our internal testing, all of the incredible games from Xbox One and earlier play best on Xbox Series X.
The team was not content to just rely on the increased hardware performance to improve your playing experience. The team developed new platform level capabilities to ensure all of your games continue to get even better. In partnership with the Xbox Advanced Technology Group, Xbox Series X delivers a new, innovative HDR reconstruction technique which enables the platform to automatically add HDR support to games. As this technique is handled by the platform itself, it allows us to enable HDR with zero impact to the game’s performance and we can also apply it to Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles developed almost 20 years ago, well before the existence of HDR.
In addition, the new Quick Resume feature was designed to not only work with new games, but it can also be enabled for backward-compatible titles. Quick Resume enables players to resume exactly where they left off, across multiple titles, ensuring gamers can get right back to the fun in an instant.
Website Gaming Bolt recently published their own video explaining the so-called secrets of backward compatibility on Xbox Series X.
Going back to Jason Ronald’s article, it should be noted how dedicated their team is towards fans. The excerpt below:
Beginning with Xbox One X, the compatibility team developed brand new innovations that could be applied to a hand curated list of titles to enhance them even further than what was possible when they were first created. Techniques such as the Heutchy method, which enables titles to render with increased resolutions up to 4K, or applying anisotropic filtering to improve the final image quality bring these classic games up to modern standards, better than ever before.
With all of the additional power and advancements of the Xbox Series X, the compatibility team now has a veritable playground of new capabilities to innovate and push the limits of game preservation and enhancement. The compatibility team has invented brand new techniques that enable even more titles to run at higher resolutions and image quality while still respecting the artistic intent and vision of the original creators. We are also creating whole new classes of innovations including the ability to double the frame rate of a select set of titles from 30 fps to 60 fps or 60 fps to 120 fps.
The team also continues to listen to feedback from the community on additional titles you would like to see added to the compatibility program.
With the enhancements confirmed, check out Window Central Gaming’s comparative YouTube video of Monster Hunter World running on Xbox One X (currently the most powerful gaming console available) and Xbox Series X.
As of this writing, the backward compatibility feature on the Xbox Series consoles covers lots of titles of Xbox One, Xbox 360 and the original Xbox. What is expected not to be included are Kinect motion sensor games released on Xbox 360. On the side of PlayStation, PS5 is backward compatible with PS4 games only. Until now, Jim Ryan and Mark Cerny still have not figured out ways to make PS5 a compatible with the many, many games of PS1-PS2-PS3. Perhaps they never tried to do it at all, letting down their fans and consumers in general. It is weird because Sony used to be the shining example of video game backward compatibility starting with PlayStation 2 (PS2). Backward compatibility continued in the next generation with PS3 but only for the initial units. Subsequent PS3 consoles were made without the compatibility.
In ending this article, here are some more videos about Xbox Series X backward compatibility for your learning and enjoyment.
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The components of Xbox Series X. (photo source – Xbox.com)
Very recently Microsoft and some members of the gaming press revealed the official specs of the next-generation console Xbox Series X. As a long-time gamer, this newest development is nice and exciting even though I am still enjoying my basic Xbox One console a lot for my video gaming and movie viewing (note: I’m a Blu-ray movie collector). The current generation console I bought way back in 2015 still works well and so far showed no signs of breaking down or slowing down (when compared to my previous console the Xbox 360). Even so, I intend to acquire the Xbox Series X to replace my Xbox One although not necessarily during the new system’s launch. Here is hoping that Microsoft will announce a launch price of not more than $499.
So let’s get on with the specs of the next-generation Xbox starting with the CPU (central processing unit) and the GPU (graphics processing unit).
CPU: 8x Cores @ 3.8 Ghz (3.6 GHZ w/ SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU
Optical Drive: 4K Ultra High Definition Blu-ray Drive
Performance Target: 4K @ 60 frames-per-second, up to 120 FPS.
On face value, those specs are very impressive and worthy of being referred to as next-generation at least in terms of potential. The Xbox Series X, with those specs, unsurprisingly surpassed my Xbox One and even the Xbox One X (released in 2017) which is currently the most powerful game console in the world. With a performance target of 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160) with a frame rate of 60 frames-per-second and even up to 120 FPS, now is a great time to upgrade your HDTV by means of replacing it with an UHDTV (or 4K TV).
Apart from improved speed and efficiency, the Xbox Series X will come with Xbox Velocity Architecture (XVA) which features the tight integration between hardware and software. It’s a new architecture optimized for streaming of in-game assets and should be useful for game developers who in turn will have instant access to an estimated 100 gigabytes of the said assets.
“It’s about revolutionizing how games can create vastly bigger and more compelling worlds,” Technical Fellow on Xbox Series X Andrew Goossen described XVA.
When it comes to video games with those large in-game environments, nothing can be more annoying than load times, delayed textures and noticeable drop of frame rates. In my experience playing Mass Effect on my Xbox 360 way back in 2007, the game’s long load time (with the overly long elevator ride designed to conceal the loading) was so bad it took me out of the game. And then there were newly loaded segments in which the polygons lacked the proper textures for the first seconds. Open-world games I played before such as Saints Row: The Third, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2 each had their own bouts of annoying load times or delayed loading of key visual elements. If the XVA delivers the promised benefits for both the game developers and the gamers, then such technical hiccups should be a thing of the past and the immersion should be much better for players. More on load times, they should not be a problem anymore in the next-generation now that the Xbox Series X will have SSDs.
Check out these official Xbox Series X videos about quick loading and quick resume.
As far as my Xbox history is concerned, I am a multi-generational Xbox LIVE user and my account has lots of Xbox 360 and Xbox One titles recorded with regards to playing history and achievements made. I also enjoy the backward compatibility feature Microsoft launched in 2015 which makes playing my old Xbox 360 games on the Xbox One possible without having to pay anything extra. I also love the fact that Xbox LIVE allows me to select and buy Xbox 360 games (via digital download) that I never played before and there are hundreds of titles of the 360 offered all the time!
That being said, the backward compatibility experience will continue with Xbox Series X guaranteeing that all the Xbox 360 and Xbox One games I have will never go to waste! For the next-generation, backward compatibility on Xbox Series X will see benefits like improved booting time, shortened loading times, improved resolution, more stable frame rates and enhanced visuals. I can imagine playing the Xbox One versions of Red Dead Redemption 2, Grand Theft Auto V, Resident Evil 2 remake (and very soon the remake of Resident Evil 3) and Gears 5 on the Xbox Series X in the near future with the technical improvements in place.
Going back to the announcement of the specs, it has been declared at long last that the memory of Xbox Series X is set at 16 gigabytes using GDDR6 which is a more advanced RAM (random access memory). By comparison, my Xbox One has 8 gigabytes of DDR3 RAM and the Xbox One X has 12 gigabytes of GDDR5. Honestly, I was anticipating that Xbox Series X would come with 24 GB GDDR6. I’m not saying that I’m disappointed with the declared 16 GB GDDR6 and I will look forward as to how that memory of the new console will be beneficial for both gamers and game makers.
The internal storage declared was 1 terabyte NVME SSD. I’m surprised that just one terabyte will be used to launch the Xbox Series X. That’s because games as well as their respective patches, expansions and other digital stuff nowadays consume a lot of storage space. My current Xbox has only 500 GB storage and the Xbox One games alone in our household could not be fitted. This means uninstalling games and other digital pieces. I was hoping that at least 2 terabytes would be offered at launch. In fairness, Microsoft announced that the storage can be expanded with an Expansion Card (1 terabyte).
The way things are right now, I intend to buy the Xbox Series X not because the specs are impressive but also because of the very bright future of games coming. Microsoft in recent years acquired a whole lot of game studios to produce content for the Xbox and Windows platforms. Already a whole lot of new games are in the pipe line being produced gradually. Clear to say, Microsoft’s 1st party games lineup in the next generation will no longer be limited to the Halo, Forza Motorsport, Forza Horizon and Gears of War game franchises. At the same time, I am also excited for new games from 3rd party developers for this coming new console generation and soon we will find out how great their games will be on Xbox Series X.
Due to the coronavirus scare happening worldwide, we won’t see a new E3 this year and it is now up to the game publishers and Microsoft to come up with new ways to announce, emphasize and promote their next-generation games. I’d watch out for the upcoming Xbox digital event from Microsoft if I were you.
If you want to immerse yourselves with the very, very technical examinations of the Xbox Series X, I highly recommend you watch these embedded videos below.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
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