Xbox One X Release Date, Review, Games, And Everything You Need To Know

We're on the eve of the release of Xbox One X--formerly Project Scorpio--which is set to become the newest member of the Xbox One family from Microsoft on Tuesday. While similar in some ways to last year's PS4 Pro, this is still very new territory for video game consoles, so to help you stay on top of everything you need to know about to know, we've rounded up all of the key details for you below.

What is the Xbox One X? Formerly code-named Project Scorpio, the Xbox One X is a significantly more powerful version of Microsoft's Xbox One console that's capable of offering 4K support and higher fidelity graphics. Read our Xbox One X review for much more, and you can also check out our review roundup.

When is the Xbox One X release date and price? The Xbox One X is set to release worldwide on November 7. It will retail for $500 USD, £450 GBP, €499 Euro, and $599 CAD, depending on your region.

What are the Xbox One X specs?

• CPU: x86-64 2.3GHz 8-core AMD custom CPU

• GPU: 6 TFLOPS, AMD Radeon-based graphics clocked at 1172MHz with 40 compute units

• Memory: 12GB GDDR5

• Storage size: 1TB HDD

• External dimensions: 30x24x6 cm/11.8x9.4x2.3 in

• Weight: 8.4 lbs/3.8 kg

• Optical drive: 4K UHD Blu-ray

• Input/Output: Power, HDMI 2.0b out, HDMI 1.4b in, three USB 3.0 ports, IR out, S/PDIF, gigabit Ethernet

• Networking: IEEE 802.11ac dual band (5GHz and 2.4Ghz), 2x2 wireless Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct

• Power consumption: 245W

How do the Xbox One X specs compare to Sony's PS4 Pro console? On paper, the Xbox One X is more powerful. While both consoles use an 8-core system-on-a-chip design built by AMD, the Xbox One X's CPU is clocked 200MHz faster at 2.3GHz, compared to Sony's 2.1GHz equivalent. On the GPU side, the Xbox One X's solution offers six teraflops of performance, which is 1.8 teraflops more than the PS4 Pro. The Xbox One X also offers 12GB of GDDR5 memory, while the PS4 Pro offers 8GB of GDDR5 coupled with 1GB of DDR3 RAM. The Xbox One X also offers a 4K-capable Blu-ray drive, whereas the PS4 Pro does not.

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Will the Xbox One X work with Xbox One games? Yes. The Xbox One X will support the existing library of Xbox One games and peripherals. That includes controllers, headsets, and so on.

Will there be Xbox One X exclusive games that won't work on the original Xbox One? No. Microsoft tells us that all games will work across both consoles, including those released in the future.

What console generation is the Xbox One X a part of? Microsoft considers the Xbox One X to be a part of the Xbox One family, which would classify it under the eighth generation of consoles.

Will original Xbox One games receive graphical boosts or performance benefits on the Xbox One X? Yes. Microsoft tells us that it has made hardware modifications to the Xbox One X that will allow older games designed for the Xbox One to receive enhancements like anisotropic filtering and faster load times right out of the box. The company also tells us that games that feature variable frame rate and resolution should be able to run smoother and at higher resolutions. In addition, Microsoft allows developers to go back and update their games to take advantage of the Xbox One X's extra processing power. These manually tweaked games will carry an "Xbox One X Enhanced" label.

Will the Xbox One X use an SSD? No. The Xbox One X will use a hard drive, but Microsoft tells us that it's 50 percent faster than the Xbox One's 5,400 RPM solution. You can additional additional storage via USB, including an SSD.

Will the Xbox One X support VR? Yes. Microsoft revealed that the Xbox One X will support VR at its E3 2016 press conference. While VR was a no-show at the company's E3 2017 press conference, the company confirmed to us that it still plans to support VR on the console but will share more details at a later date.

Does Xbox One X support native 4K? Yes. It will support native 4K (3840x2160p), but it will also support checkerboard rendering on more graphically demanding games. Specific enhancements, including resolution, will vary game by game.

What is checkerboard rendering? It's a rendering technique that takes up the same spatial resolution as a native 3840x2160p image but has half the number of pixel shader invocations, which are laid out in a checkerboard pattern. Essentially, it's a 4K-like rendering shortcut that isn't quite as sharp or rich as a native 3840x2160p render, but it can look very close.

What exactly is 4K? In the consumer realm, it's generally considered a resolution that offers 3,840 horizontal pixels and 2,160 vertical pixels. It offers four times as many pixels as 1080p.

Will the Xbox One X come with a 4K Blu-ray player? Yes. Just as with the Xbox One S --and unlike the PS4 Pro--you'll be able to watch Ultra HD Blu-ray discs using an Xbox One X.

Will the Xbox One X support HDR? Yes. You will need an HDR-capable TV to see its full effects, and each game or movie will need to specifically support it.

What is HDR? HDR stands for high dynamic range. You can learn more about it here. In short, HDR displays provide a much wider color gamut and contrast ratio compared to standard RGB panels. Colors look richer, blacks look darker, and whites look brighter.

Do I need a 4K TV or HDR TV to use the Xbox One X? No, but if you want to fully reap the system's benefits, you'll most likely want one.

Is there any benefit to using an Xbox One X on a 1080p TV? Yes. Microsoft asserts that the Xbox One X will be able to add anisotropic filtering, shorten load times, and enable supersampling; the latter of which renders games at a high resolution and then downsizes them to 1080p, resulting in a sharper image than native 1080p rendering techniques.

How big is the Xbox One X? 30x24x6 cm (11.8x9.4x2.3 in). It is Microsoft's smallest Xbox console to date.

How much does the Xbox One X weigh? Despite being noticeably smaller than the original Xbox One, the Xbox One X is .6 pounds heavier at 8.4 pounds, which makes it two pounds heavier than the Xbox One S.

Can the Xbox One X stand vertically? Yes, though it requires a stand that's sold separately. The stand is included for free with the limited-edition Scorpio Edition.

What games are designed to support the Xbox One X's beefier specs? You can find a comprehensive list here. As noted above, specifics benefits vary radically from game to game.