Inside the target specs of the next Xbox 'Project Scarlett,' 'Anaconda', and 'Lockhart'

Xbox on Stage Source: Windows Central

Update Feb 24, 2022: Microsoft'due south Xbox master Phil Spencer confirmed many of the rumored Xbox Series X specifications. We've also since had a look at the XSX's ports.

Update December 19, 2022: Microsoft has now revealed Anaconda, dubbed the Xbox Serial X.

Microsoft is gearing up to reveal a two-pronged attack for next-gen consoles, complete with a more affordable SKU, dubbed "Lockhart," and a more than abominable premium SKU, codenamed "Anaconda." We have no idea what the side by side-gen consoles will look like, or be officially named when the time comes, but we exercise now have a credible idea of what specs these systems are targeting.

We believe the data we've received below from multiple sources, but as ever, accept these rumors with a pinch of salt until we get official confirmation from Microsoft itself. Plans tin can and do change as we move towards production. Xbox Scarlett is due to launch in 2022, in time for the holiday flavor.

In the 2022 reveal video, Xbox cloud architect Kareem Choudhry said Scarlett could "swallow monsters for breakfast," and indeed, Anaconda looks as though information technology will be able to. According to several sources familiar with Microsoft's plans, Anaconda is targeting effectually 12 teraflops (TF) of computing power, compared to the Xbox 1 10's 6TF, and the Xbox One S'southward 1.4. Lockhart conversely will sport effectually 4TF, and according to marketing materials we've seen previously, it is being positioned as the most-affordable entry bespeak to next-gen experiences.

Category	Xbox Serial 10 (Anaconda)
Processor	Custom AMD Zen two-based CPU (8x @ 3.vi GHz)
Graphics	Custom AMD Navi-based GPU (12 TF RDNA)
Memory	16GB GDDR6 RAM (13GB guaranteed for game developers)
Storage	NVMe SSD (we've heard read speeds of anywhere upward to 2GB/due south)
Video output	8K, 4K @ 120Hz
Optical bulldoze	4K Blu-ray
Ports	Unknown
Colour	Matte Black
Price	Unknown
Size	30cm x 16cm x 16cm (estimate)
Release date	Holiday 2022

It'due south important to notation, however, that TF doesn't really tell the unabridged story of side by side-gen systems, owing to piles of custom tech Microsoft is planning to bake into these consoles. For example, Microsoft already spoke about how ray-tracing volition be a factor in adjacent-gen systems, and while Lockhart has less raw power than the X, it will have capabilities that elevate it further than the X in various ways.

Xbox One X CPU Source: Windows KeyA look within the Xbox One Ten

Both Lockhart and Anaconda reportedly sport 8 CPU cores targetting around three.5GHz, with Anaconda reaching a bit higher per core than Lockhart. The relatively pocket-sized increase in clock speed over the previous-gen systems may seem mild, merely vast improvements to caching, new silicon architecture, and other general bespoke, proprietary optimizations will meet Anaconda perform anywhere up to iv to five times meliorate than the Xbox I Ten, if targets are met. We're told that at least Anaconda will guarantee 13GB of RAM for games, with 3GB on the Bone a full of 16GB. The 10, by comparison, offered a "maximum" of 9GB for games, which oft varied based on what the Os was doing. Microsoft too said in its reveal video that the SSD could be used to throw in virtual RAM as necessary. Speaking of which ...

Games with load times anywhere up to a minute will be reduced to mere seconds.

I huge focus area for Lockhart and Anaconda is on NVMe SSD proprietary tech, which dramatically decreases load speeds, about-on eliminating loading completely. Games with load times anywhere up to a minute volition be reduced to mere seconds as a result of these SSDs, and the inclusion of Projection XCloud across all Xbox systems will allow you to start gaming via streaming while waiting for games to download locally. Next-gen is all about saving you time, increasing read speeds past gigabytes per second, while as well providing cutting-edge visuals that volition elevate games to all new heights.

Nosotros've been told that while many games volition part across generations, next-gen features such as ray tracing for dynamic reflections and the like volition well-nigh probably exist exclusive to Lockhart and Anaconda, requiring new APIs that come as part of Game Cadre OS (which is also role of the Windows Core OS effort we've been roofing). That said, Scarlett will be able to run all previous-gen games that are available on Xbox One today, including astern compatible games equally Microsoft has already announced.

Xbox Project Scarlett Reveal Source: Microsoft Microsoft is difficult at work building new tech for side by side-gen consoles.

Similarly to the Xbox One X, games with unlocked frame rates and dynamic resolution will perform better on Scarlett, once once more, existence able to have reward of the improved hardware. For example, Monster Hunter World struggles to maintain 60 FPS on the Xbox One Ten fifty-fifty in its performance mode. Even without an update, it should manage to hit its target FPS without an issue on Scarlett. Games will as well be able to take advantage of the increased SSD loading speeds on the newer consoles besides, without needing an update.

As noted, e'er have rumors with a pinch of salt, but we're confident in our sourcing on this. It'southward difficult to do straight comparisons between Project Scarlett consoles and off-the-shelf PC parts, due to the unknown quantities in Microsoft's proprietary optimizations. The proof, as ever, will be in the pudding.

Plans can alter between now and launch (looking at you, Surface Mini), only it's looking well-nigh certain that Project Scarlett is, in fact, two console SKUs across Lockhart and Anaconda, with Anaconda representing the college end, and Lockhart representing a more affordable entry point to next-gen features.

Either way, across Scarlett, bigger investment in games, and Project XCloud, 2022 is looking incredibly heady indeed.

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