Even though the Xbox One X can still be seen as a high-end, aspirational console, its replacement (or replacements) are in the works.
Project Scarlett, as Microsoft has codenamed the Xbox Two, is official and, thanks to the Xbox E3 2019 briefing, we know now release date and key details.
So, here is everything you need to know on the next-gen Xbox games console(s).
Xbox Project Scarlett development
During the 2018 Xbox E3 media briefing, head honcho Phil Spencer revealed that the next-generation Xbox consoles are “in development”. It was a simple tease at the end of the press conference and he refrained from delving into the subject any further.
However, Spencer went into more detail a year later – during the 2019 Xbox E3 press conference. He confirmed that the codename was Project Scarlett and that the machine will be coming in 2020.
Although the exact “family of machines” were not unveiled, it is thought that two consoles are planned for release under the Project Scarlett umbrella, with each having its own respective, secondary codename. Lockheart will be the cheaper replacement for the Xbox One S, while Anaconda will be the Xbox One X’s successor.
One other suggestion is that the Scarlett family could include a streaming-only device that taps into Microsoft’s new cloud gaming platform: Project xCloud. It’s something the company has already dipped its toe into, with the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition.
We will no doubt get final confirmation on this at E3 2020, ahead of the console’/consoles’ launch.
Project Scartlett (Xbox Two) specs
During the E3 2019 briefing, Xbox engineers revealed some interesting key details on Project Scarlett’s hardware.
It was confirmed that the new console will utilise the latest chipsets and architecture from AMD.
This makes sense, considering Sony has also confirmed that the PlayStation 5 will sport an eight-core CPU based on AMD’s 7nm process which will be similar to the new Zen 2 Ryzen PC processors. Also, AMD was also the chip partner for Xbox One (check out our Xbox One S review) and Xbox 360.
This will allow the machine to achieve up to 8K graphical resolution and easily run games at 120 frames per second. It will also use the internal hardware for real-time ray-tracing, as seen on the high-end Nvidia graphics cards released in the last 12 months.
GDDR6 RAM will be on board too, plus “new generation” SSDs (solid state drives) will be used for storage to speed up loading times and work as “virtual RAM”.
The spec, claims Microsoft, will enabled the new machine to be four-times more powerful than the Xbox One X.
Xbox Two (Project Scarlett) features
We haven’t yet heard much on its feature set.
For sure, it will play games with a far greater level of graphical fidelity and scope, but video playback for entertainment will not likely stretch or even touch the console’s capabilities.
Are we likely to see massive technological leaps for Netflix and Amazon Video, for example? Bar a possible adoption of 120fps video, which Netflix is trialling, we doubt it.
One thing we’re sure of is that, as well as SSD storage hardware for speed, the next-gen console will have a much larger hard drive: 2TB at the very least. The graphically intensive Xbox Two games will require a lot of storage space.
We also expect Xbox to continue with backward compatibility, considering it has proved so popular on Xbox One. All the Scarlett machines, therefore, will be compatible with Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One games, as well as any dedicated titles.
One thing is for sure, it will support Xbox Game Pass – Microsoft’s game download subscription service – and Project xCloud – the company’s cloud gaming platform.
Xbox Scarlett release date
During his E3 2019 press conference, Xbox boss Phil Spencer revealed that Project Scarlett will be available from “Holiday 2020”.
We therefore expect it to be formally unveiled at E3 2020 next June.
Xbox Two price
The only indication of price is the tag slapped on the Xbox One X when it first launched.
That was around £430, so at least one version of the Xbox Two will be around that or over for sure. We might also see a cheaper version if the “family of devices” speculation is right.
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