Xbox Series X Promises "exciting" Updates to Fight PS5 — What we Want to See

Xbox Series X Promises "exciting" Updates to Fight PS5 — What we Want to See

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S have been on the market for a few months now, and as impressive as both are, there are always ways to improve them. The good news is that Microsoft has already indicated that there will be some updates.

This was said by Jason Ronald, Director of Program Management for Xbox, on the official Xbox podcast, where Ronald said that Xbox has "a lot of exciting things coming up." And Ronald stressed that what was available at launch was "really just the beginning."

Ronald did not specify the nature of these "exciting things" other than to say that his team is "working closely with key game developers from across the industry to take full advantage of all the next generation features on the Xbox Series X and Series S."

This could mean many things, but it is clear that Microsoft wants developers to get the most out of their hardware and give it back to gamers. This is exactly the right idea for a console manufacturer. Especially considering that Microsoft continues to brag about how powerful the Xbox Series X is and is in stiff competition with the PS5.

If Microsoft is serious about making the Xbox Series X the best gaming console and beating the PS5, they should be aware of the following.

There is a lot of power in the Xbox Series X. 12 teraflops of graphics power is provided through AMD's custom graphics cards. This is expected to enable 4K-resolution gaming, up to 120 frames per second, HDR, and ray tracing. A handful of Xbox games could offer these features in some form, though not simultaneously.

Developers will take different approaches to all of these features, but Microsoft should work with developers to achieve as many of them as possible. And not just to meet their goals, but to improve them and ensure they are the best they can be. The inclusion of ray tracing is one thing, but is there anything that could be improved?

Developers don't have the time and resources to quickly figure out everything a new console can handle, but with Microsoft's help, the process can be accelerated. This is especially true for first-party studios, of which Microsoft owns a large portion these days.

One thing Ronald mentioned in the podcast is to make sure Quick Resume is turned on for all titles. Some of you may remember that this feature was not enabled on many games at launch.

As the name suggests, this is a system that saves your game state when you leave the game. If you then decide to come back, you can return to the exact same state from where you left off. There is no need to load the game from scratch or search for the correct save file.

This is one of the main features not found on the PS5. On Sony's consoles, you can quickly switch between games, but you cannot resume where you left off. Therefore, Microsoft's console will have an advantage here by making sure that quick resume is enabled for all Xbox Series X games.

One feature that the PS5 does not have is backward compatibility. Sony's console can play PS4 games, but earlier games are largely ignored. The Xbox Series X, on the other hand, can even play games from the original Xbox.

The Xbox Series X already offers backward compatible games with enhancements such as higher frame rates, faster load times, and upgraded HDR visuals. The goal is to make the Xbox Series X and Series S the best place to play older Xbox games, Microsoft just needs to keep building these features. Unfortunately, they tend to be on the newer side, so older titles are still missing out on what the hardware has to offer. Rumor has it that backward compatibility enhancements will be implemented later this year, most likely one of the "exciting things" Ronald has promised.

While it is one thing to want more visuals, it is not pleasant to see the file sizes of games slowly ballooning as they have recently. After all, the Xbox Series X has only 802GB of usable storage, while the Series S has only 364GB; with 50GB to 100GB of game files, the SSD will fill up quickly.

Solution Improving the way games are compressed would eliminate the need for so much space. It is not an easy task, as it is very difficult to shrink files without losing quality, but it is worth it in the long run. Especially since it means faster game downloads.

The Xbox Series X controller is ...... Nice; it's almost identical to the Xbox One controller, which helps in terms of making it compatible with all Xbox games. Still, one has to wonder if it couldn't be improved, especially when compared to the PS5's DualSense.

The DualSense controller has a definite advantage thanks to its advanced haptic feedback. This means that it can provide an even more immersive experience in compatible games, including the recently released "Hitman 3". The triggers simulate more realistic sensations when shooting, such as simulated recoil and the tension felt when pulling a bowstring.

The Xbox Series X would benefit from an improved controller with these features, even if it is only available with the refreshed Elite Wireless Controller. While it's great to have the power of a console in your hands, more fine details are needed to immerse you in the game. Especially with a controller that has changed little in over 15 years.

The biggest problem that needs to be solved now is that no one can find where to buy an Xbox Series X console. Demand is high, duffers are using old-fashioned tricks, and there is a limit to how many consoles Microsoft can actually produce due to chip shortages.

Unfortunately, without the ability to purchase a console at a reasonable price, all the updates in the world are meaningless. However, it does not look like the situation will change anytime soon.

Hopefully, Microsoft will address this issue as spiritedly as possible, and over time will increase the capabilities of the Xbox Seires X

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