Microsoft confirmed on Tuesday that the Xbox Series X will launch globally in November 2020, and announced that the console’s headline launch title, Halo Infinite from 343 Industries, has been delayed into 2021.
Launch timing and retail strategy
Since revealing the Series X in December 2019, Microsoft had targeted the 2020 holiday season for the next-generation console. The company said the November release positions inventory for holiday shopping, but it has not disclosed the console’s price.
Backward compatibility and early library
Microsoft said that when the Xbox Series X arrives in November there will be “thousands of games to play, spanning four generations.” The company also stated more than 100 titles optimized for Xbox Series X are planned for this year, specifically developed to leverage the console’s hardware.
According to a Microsoft post on Xbox Wire, older games will benefit from generation-specific improvements such as faster load times, higher frame rates and HDR color enhancements.
Microsoft described optimizations that include rendering older titles at increased resolutions up to 4K, applying new HDR reconstruction techniques for games created before HDR existed, using anisotropic filtering to improve image quality and finding ways to boost or double frame rates for certain titles.
Games announced for launch window and Smart Delivery
The company said over 50 new games are planned for this year across prior generations but compatible with the Series X. Among the named titles are Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Watch Dogs: Legion and Gears Tactics. Microsoft highlighted Smart Delivery as a way for players to purchase a game once and automatically receive the best version for their console generation.
More than 40 popular games have been optimized for Series X to take advantage of the new hardware, including Madden NFL 21, Destiny 2 and Forza Horizon 4. Microsoft also said new titles developed specifically for the console will be available via Xbox Game Pass, citing exclusives such as The Medium and Scorn.
Series S remains unannounced
Microsoft has not officially revealed the widely reported lower-powered sibling, referred to in leaks as the Xbox Series S. That version is expected to be a less powerful model designed to run games at 1080p rather than 4K and, according to rumors, could be announced later this month.
Company statement
In its announcement Microsoft said it looks forward to players seeing and feeling “the first big step into the next generation of gaming with the Xbox Series X in November.”
Source: Xbox Wire
