Microsoft's Cheaper Next-Gen Xbox's CPU Is More Powerful Than PS5 - Report

Microsoft is reportedly poised to finally reveal its cheaper, less-powerful new Xbox in August. The project, codenamed Lockhart, has been detailed in numerous leaks previously, but the latest suggests that despite its lacking graphical prowess it's not cutting any other corners.

Tom Warren, reporting for The Verge, has revealed that the Xbox Lockhart will feature the exact same CPU speeds as the much more powerful Xbox Series X, according to a document detailing its specifications. This means Lockhart will have a faster CPU than Sony's PS5, which tails Microsoft's consoles by 100 MHz in a best-case scenario.

Lockhart will also use the same SSD and Velocity Architecture for storage, meaning games developed for both it and the Series X can make use of the speedier storage in the same way. The biggest difference is graphical power, with Lockhart reportedly targeting just 4 teraflops of GPU performance (lower than the Xbox One X), while the Series X targets 12 teraflops. Lockhart will also have less RAM, with only 7.5GB useable for games as opposed to 13.5GB in the Series X.

The aim, as previously reported, is for Lockhart to target consumers looking for next-gen games at lower resolutions, namely 1080p/1440p. This means Microsoft could produce a cheaper console for an entirely different audience, while allowing games to scale graphically between the two. Combined with xCloud game streaming, Lockhart could in theory undercut the presumably much more expensive Xbox Series X and PS5 significantly.

Microsoft is expected to host another Xbox 20/20 stream in July, this time showcasing some first-party titles coming to Xbox Series X. The previous showing in May highlighted some third-party titles expected later this year, but sorely lacked gameplay footage.

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