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Xbox One X: Everything you need to know about Microsoft’s new console

The next Xbox will be here in November, costing £449.
The next Xbox will be here in November, costing £449. The next Xbox will be here in November, costing £449.

Microsoft has finally revealed what it says is the “world’s most powerful console”, the Xbox One X.

Known until now as Project Scorpio, the gaming giant has shown off the final hardware for the high-powered system for the first time.

Before diving into the finer details, the two most important numbers are these: it’s launching on November 7, and will cost £449.

That price point is £100 more than the PS4 Pro – Sony’s high-powered rival which launched last year – so places some pressure on the One X to hit expectations.

The console houses the fastest processor chip ever placed into a games console, Microsoft says, and will offer “true” 4K gaming as a result.

The audio will be boosted by Dolby Atmos sound technology, and it also has High Dynamic Range (HDR), which increases the range of colours the console can display.

Xbox One X
Xbox One X
(Microsoft)

The actual power of the One X is difficult to quantify until it is in front of gamers, but the specifications announced are such that the system will use a cooling system that is normally reserved for servers and big gaming PCs.

Microsoft also says the One X has 40% more power than any other console, but it is actually the smallest console the firm has ever built.

What this means for gaming, the tech giant says, is that anything you play will look better on the One X.

Xbox One X
Xbox One X
(Microsoft)

That even includes those who don’t have a 4K TV to take advantage of the top end of the specs.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer said the console contains technology called supersampling, which takes the powerful image rendering the One X does and applies it to standard 1080p HD, so even gamers on older TVs will see a visual improvement.

The popular backwards compatibility feature has also been added to the One X, so current Xbox One games will work on the new system when it launches.

Xbox One X
Xbox One X
(Microsoft)

Xbox said its three goals when building the One X were “power, compatibility and craftsmanship”.

From what it has shown at E3, the video games trade fair, those three boxes have been ticked, but a crucial fourth is also on the horizon and still has a question mark hanging over it – Microsoft must now deliver a games line-up to match this impressive hardware.