Microsoft used the video gaming industry’s E3 Show in Los Angeles this week to unveil its long-awaited Xbox One X gaming console, which the company is calling the most powerful of its kind.

The console will hit store shelves worldwide on November 7th and will carry a $499 suggested retail price. The initial version will feature a black cabinet design and 1TB of internal storage.

The Xbox One X will pack six teraflops of graphical power, topping Sony’s PS4 Pro, which manages just 4.2 teraflops. Microsoft based the console on a custom GPU engine that runs at a powerful 1172MHz, up from 911MHz in the Xbox One and Sony’s PS4 Pro.

The console includes a liquid-cooled vapor-chamber system, like those used on high-performance PC gaming cards.

Importantly for home theater lovers, Microsoft also includes an Ultra HD Blu-ray drive for 4K movies and entertainment, as it did in the Xbox One S, in the console, enables 4K streaming and has enabled the device to be used as a 4K digital video recorder.

Read more about the new Xbox One X video gaming console and Ultra HD Blu-ray player after the jump:

Owners of compatible 4K Ultra HDTVs will be pleased to know that Xbox One X supports native 4K game play. Microsoft defined this as combining 2160p frame buffers, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Wide Color Gamut. Microsoft also enhanced the system audio with DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1/TrueHD with Atmos for an immersive playback experience.

Users will be able to record game clips in 3840×2160/60 frames per second along with 4K screenshots.

Microsoft said that at launch it would offer “Xbox One X Enhanced versions” of existing Xbox One games including Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, Minecraft, Resident Evil 7, Final Fantasy 15, and Rocket League. Each title will be upgraded for the performance boost, the company said.

Around the time of launch, Microsoft said some of the year’s biggest blockbuster gaming titles would start to arrive in true 4K including Forza Motorsport 7, which will debut October 3rd running at native 4K and 60fps.

Microsoft said 22 console launch exclusives are slated to arrive on the Xbox One X, including Crackdown 3 and Sea of Thieves. Original Xbox games slated to come will include Crimson Skies.

Forza Horizon 3, Gears of War 4, Halo Wars 2, Killer Instinct, and Minecraft will all be updated free of charge to 4K support. Microsoft will have more than 30 third-party titles updated with the Xbox One X Enhanced program.

Microsoft will pack the Xbox One X unit with a matching Xbox Wireless Controller, HDMI cable, power supply, a 1-month free Xbox Game Pass subscription and a 14-day free Xbox Live Gold membership.

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Previously code-named Project Scorpio, the Xbox One X will run 900p and 1080p-resolution Xbox One games at upscaled 4K resolution. Existing Xbox One and Xbox 360 games also will get a significant boost in performance from the device.

Microsoft is also calling the Xbox One X the “smallest Xbox ever.” The unit’s cabinet design on the surface looks similar to the previous Xbox One S model, but offers a smaller footprint.

The rear panel includes an HDMI-in port and omits a dedicated Kinect port. The console also has three USB 3.0 ports (one in the front and two in the back) and an IR blaster.

Gamers can play the Xbox One X horizontally or vertically positioned.  Microsoft will offer an optional stand. Cables used by the Xbox One S will be compatible with the Xbox One X. Microsoft said the port locations were designed for plug-and-play upgrading from the older version.

All current Xbox One accessories will work on the new Xbox One X. Microsoft said it would use “super sampling” in the One X to make new games look better, even on 1080p TV screens.

 

By Greg Tarr

 

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