Xbox One X, like the PS4 Pro, is a mid-generation upgrade with the aim of providing high resolution image quality, graphical enhancements and in some cases increased frame rate. It boasts a powerful 6 Teraflops GPU and 12 GB of GDDR5 RAM, in addition to an increase in CPU power as well as other features like 4K Blu-ray support. It is essentially an Xbox One with better hardware. Most games released in the last year or so support the console and how they use that power is left completely up to the developer.
Some would render the image at a native 4K while others would reach close enough or even utilise sparse rendering techniques to give you a native 4K like image. Games supporting dynamic resolution would be able to reach higher numbers without sacrificing frame rate.
Do not expect big budget open world games like Assassin’s Creed Origins or Far Cry 5 to go from 30fps to 60fps. If a title is designed for 30fps or 60fps, it will be able to maintain that frame rate better on the X with additional upgrades. Although in some rare cases, like the upcoming Shadow of the Tomb Raider or Forza Horizon 4, games will be able to make that jump from 30 to 60. You will also find that graphical features like lighting, shadows, water reflections, anisotropic filtering and others have been enhanced. Most games will give you a choice between resolution or framerate or resolution or graphics. If you do not own a 4K TV, the Xbox One X will automatically use supersampling, which greatly increases image quality on a 1080p screen and you will still be getting all of the other benefits.
If you are used to the extremely high noise levels of the PS4 Pro, special cooling methods make sure that the Xbox One is silent during even the most demanding games. When combined with UHD blu-ray, freesync, dolby astmos and the fact that backwards compatible games also get an upgrade, the console offers a feature-rich user experience that is clearly a step ahead of its competitor.
The difference between Xbox One and Xbox One X versions depends upon the developer, and I don’t think any one or two games will be enough to justify it. If you only play a handful of games in a year which may get an upgrade, keep your current console. It is not designed for the audience that only plays FIFA and CoD every year. However, if you enjoy playing a number of medium-high budget games that will see a benefit, I will strongly recommend buying a mid-generation console, regardless of whether you own a 4K TV, because it will improve your gaming experience across the board.
Xbox One X works best as a primary console. If you do not own a current generation system yet, the X is well worth the purchase. You will be getting the best console version of all major third party games in addition to Microsoft’s exclusives. A case can also be made for PS4 owners who can switch to the Xbox One X as their main system, and keep the PS4 for exclusives. However, I would not recommend this system for owners of a PS4 Pro or a gaming PC unless they absolutely want to switch their primary platform. Regardless of what you utilise it for, the Xbox One X is a remarkable piece of tech at a reasonable price.
