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DF Direct Special: Next-Gen Xbox/Series X Refresh - Microsoft/FTC Leak Reaction

Fake

Member


In the wake of the biggest video games leak in recent memory, the Digital Foundry team come together to discuss the now infamous Xbox PDF leak. The refresh Xbox Series console specs are discussed and the team share their thoughts on Microsoft's direction for its next-gen machine. Is another AMD-based machine and 'the power of the cloud' ambitious enough for a new piece of 2028 hardware?Find DF Direct Weekly as a podcast on your favourite podcast streaming service.Join the DF Supporter Program for pristine video downloads, behind the scenes content, early access to DF Retro, early access to DF Direct Weekly and much, much more: https://bit.ly/3jEGjvxSubscribe for more Digital Foundry: http://bit.ly/DFSubscribeWant some DF-branded tee-shirts, mugs, hoodies or pullovers? Check out our store: https://bit.ly/2BqRTt
00:00:00 Introduction
0:02:48 The end of physical media?
0:14:55 Revised Series X, Series S consoles incoming
0:36:02 Updated Xbox controller in the works
0:41:51 Microsoft’s next-gen console proposal
1:04:53 Supporter Q1: Can Sony really pull off a cost-effective, powerful “PS5 Pro” console to put Microsoft under pressure?
1:11:02 Supporter Q2: Could Microsoft scrap some of their console plans because of this leak?
1:14:50 Supporter Q3: Which leak is bigger, the Xbox FTC leak or Jensen’s Prophecy?


Bonus: For people thinking ARM is good
 
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PS5 Pro” console to put Microsoft under pressure?

Given the current sales figures, they don't even need that



giphy-87.gif


Let me guess for Bugaga the Pro isn't a good idea right??😂🤣🤦‍♂️
 
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skit_data

Member
Listened to it and while nothing mindblowing they did being up something pretty curious about Xboxs plan for next gen plans and that features seem to be more akin to Nvidias stuff than AMDs.

It's of course possible they have access to an internal roadmap and that that stuff is indeed in development but if it for some reason isn't it's a pretty wierd look. I don't think AMD would be happy knowing they might plan on going with their competitor next gen.
 
It's of course possible they have access to an internal roadmap and that that stuff is indeed in development but if it for some reason isn't it's a pretty wierd look. I don't think AMD would be happy knowing they might plan on going with their competitor next gen.

Nvidia have always been the greatest pioneers in the graphics industry for more than 20 years now, AMD has always followed in their footsteps and now these documents further prove this. Nvidia could have easily predicted AMD's roadmap for the next 5 years especially in terms of major feature sets like AI/ML cores and more domain specific accelerators especially for ray-tracing workloads.
 
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Nonehxc

Member
PS5 Pro” console to put Microsoft under pressure?

Given the current sales figures, they don't even need that



giphy-87.gif


Let me guess for Bugaga the Pro isn't a good idea right??😂🤣🤦‍♂️

Bukkaka only likes when Jensen introduces his Nvidia shaped, leather covered, Crysis themed GPU into his PCI Express in...

MAXIMUM STRENGHT

And then asks him...

'Can you run it?' 🥹

If PS5 Pro releases with the kind of Cerny's RT Secret Sauce we've been getting snippets of, and a 500-600 console is 60-75% of his moist 3000$ 4090... he's gonna have such a meltdown there won't be enough dicks at Berghain for him to suck and comfort himself.
 

GHG

Member
DF’s turnaround on Pro consoles is so weird to see between last gen and this gen 🤔

and the only real difference is this gen it seems like Xbox isn’t going to have one

As a tech focused channel you would think that they would be wetting themselves at the prospect of more powerful hardware, but alas, if Xbox aren't doing it then they aren't allowed to get excited for it.
 
As a tech focused channel you would think that they would be wetting themselves at the prospect of more powerful hardware, but alas, if Xbox aren't doing it then they aren't allowed to get excited for it.

They should especially since they are known for going in depth with technology. Why wouldn't they want to analyse the benefits that better tech would give gamers?
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
What I find most curious is that they told DF way back in 2020 that there would no XSX Slim or XSX Pro. And that they CANT do it.

You have to wonder just why? Why CANT they do it?

Sony isnt just making a Pro, they are also making a slim because the slim will cost them less while increasing the userbase and the pro will allow them to sell it to all the double dippers at a higher profit margin.

MS needs to ask some hard questions to their engineering teams. Why cant you do something that has been a standard for Sony since the 1990s.
 

Crayon

Member
What I find most curious is that they told DF way back in 2020 that there would no XSX Slim or XSX Pro. And that they CANT do it.

You have to wonder just why? Why CANT they do it?

Sony isnt just making a Pro, they are also making a slim because the slim will cost them less while increasing the userbase and the pro will allow them to sell it to all the double dippers at a higher profit margin.

MS needs to ask some hard questions to their engineering teams. Why cant you do something that has been a standard for Sony since the 1990s.

They can't do it because they bungled the sx and it costs way too much to make. PS5 pro could have a lower bom.
 

shamoomoo

Member
Listened to it and while nothing mindblowing they did being up something pretty curious about Xboxs plan for next gen plans and that features seem to be more akin to Nvidias stuff than AMDs.

It's of course possible they have access to an internal roadmap and that that stuff is indeed in development but if it for some reason isn't it's a pretty wierd look. I don't think AMD would be happy knowing they might plan on going with their competitor next gen.
But AMD does custom hardware so the DF crew talking about Nvidia this and that seems like PR for the company,I had to roll my eyes with that segment.

AMD brought Xilinx and they have an A.I engine on their mobile CPUs. Outside of coast, there's nothing stopping Microsoft from having a AMD GPU different from the desktop version in terms of functionality.
 

midnightAI

Member
But AMD does custom hardware so the DF crew talking about Nvidia this and that seems like PR for the company,I had to roll my eyes with that segment.

AMD brought Xilinx and they have an A.I engine on their mobile CPUs. Outside of coast, there's nothing stopping Microsoft from having a AMD GPU different from the desktop version in terms of functionality.
Next gen DirectX Raytracing... only NVidia is doing that...
 

Del_X

Member
DF’s turnaround on Pro consoles is so weird to see between last gen and this gen 🤔

and the only real difference is this gen it seems like Xbox isn’t going to have one

I'd rather see a new gen sooner. The aliasing was so bad on base consoles last gen that chasing HDR and higher resolutions felt significant. More rays and better framerates... idk man just buy a PC at that point.
 

sendit

Member
TLDR;

Highlights:
  • 💥 The leak of highly confidential documents compromises Microsoft's information and that of its third-party partners.
  • 💿 The leaked roadmap reveals mid-generation refreshes and the potential removal of the Blu-ray drive in future Xbox Series X models.
  • 🎮 Concerns are raised about preservation and access to older games without a physical media option.
  • 💻 The shift towards digital media is discussed, with PC gaming already mostly digital.
  • 🔄 The impact on backwards compatibility and the future of physical games is questioned.
  • 🤔 Supporters express negative reactions and concerns about leaving certain players behind without a physical media option.
 

Lysandros

Member
Man... Their take on PS5 vs. XSX hardware comparison is beyond basic, it's just stubbornly ignorant to point of idiocy. That was pathetic and truly painful to watch. They are still spreading the same pure FUD in the third year of the generation without feeling any bit of shame. They shouldn't be considered an authority on anything. At this time i wholeheartedly declare the average poster of these forums to be more knowledgeable about these systems than those delusional clowns, i am not kidding.
 
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RoboFu

One of the green rats
I don’t want a pro console.. I want a large device the stacks under the current system that boost performance. 😎
 

midnightAI

Member
Intel, PowerVR and AMD also implemented ray tracing, while Nvidia is doing well on the PC side, console implementation just has to be more efficient and easier to use.
Sorry, thought it was obvious I was being sarcastic, DirectX is Microsoft, it isn't exclusive to NVidia
 

DaGwaphics

Member
I think they overplay a few things there.

1). I don't really see how a system without a drive changes the landscape in regards to how their store would be viewed by regulators, MS allows keys to be sold by third-party vendors and their is some price variances.

2). Arm can emulate X86 relatively well as it is and the clock differences aren't so much a limitation of the technology as they are a byproduct of those parts typically being designed for power limited products. If they didn't mind giving up some of the power per watt advantage of ARM, they could design a product with higher clocks. Assuming that they are designing a custom chip (they already do custom designs for datacenter I believe), the pressure wouldn't be there regarding the power efficiency (not for laptop/mobile).

Though with Spencer saying these plans aren't current, they might not mean a thing about products we actually see.
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
Ray-Tracing focused, frame generation enabled chips? 🤔
RT for sure and pretty sure on frame generation

I will throw back years ago when Ybarra was still with Xbox he literally begged them to chase a DLSS type of future for Xbox, I couldn't count the amount of times he would say that was the future of gaming and this was long before these current consoles launched.

He should have been running Xbox but a total introvert and always said no to going on stage, hated being in front of people like that.
 
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ZehDon

Gold Member
DF’s turnaround on Pro consoles is so weird to see between last gen and this gen 🤔

and the only real difference is this gen it seems like Xbox isn’t going to have one
I think one of the reasons why a Pro console might be getting some push back is we're seeing few games actually using the next-gen features they already have, and a lot games are requiring many optimisation patches to get them running acceptably. PC has been swamped in poorly performing console ports that are simply too heavy for what the games are actually doing. It seems developers aren't held back by the hardware in the same way the Xbone/PS4 held them back, they're held back by a lack of optimisation, time, and QA. The constraints appear to be elsewhere. My two cents.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
I will throw back years ago when Ybarra was still with Xbox he literally begged them to chase a DLSS type of future for Xbox, I couldn't count the amount of times he would say that was the future of gaming and this was long before these current consoles launched.

He should have been running Xbox but a total introvert and always said no to going on stage, hated being in front of people like that.
He sounds a lot like Jim Ryan. Total introvert and hates being on stage.
 
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ChiefDada

Gold Member
Man... Their take on PS5 vs. XSX hardware comparison is beyond basic, it's just stubbornly ignorant to point of idiocy. That was pathetic and truly painful to watch. They are still spreading the same pure FUD in the third year of the generation without feeling any bit of shame. They shouldn't be considered an authority on anything. At this time i wholeheartedly declare the average poster of these forums to be more knowledgeable about these systems than those delusional clowns, i am not kidding.

Man I really hate do venture into conspiracy theory territory but these guys give me no choice. There's no need to dive into Alex's nonsense perspective, his irrational opposition to anything console (especially Sony) is well known and documented. It's Richard that pisses me off and convinced me he is going out of his way to stay in Microsoft good graces by downplaying any positive rumors relating to PlayStation. How does the leader of a tech channel go on and on praising the Xbox Series S as a "great value" for entry into next gen while being mellow/skeptical on the potential of a PS5 Pro which at the very least has solid rumors of enhanced RT? Could you imagine Rich praising the 4060ti 8gb simply because it is the cheapest NVidia card that offers tensor cores for RT and DLSS while questioning whether or not the 4090 is necessary? In fact, he/they've done the EXACT OPPOSITE of this as it relates to PC cards (as they should). So why is there a different mentality applied to console arena?

Sorry, but this stinks of biased, selective favoritism of one corporation over another. It's sad and pathetic to see this from DF.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
I think one of the reasons why a Pro console might be getting some push back is we're seeing few games actually using the next-gen features they already have, and a lot games are requiring many optimisation patches to get them running acceptably. PC has been swamped in poorly performing console ports that are simply too heavy for what the games are actually doing. It seems developers aren't held back by the hardware in the same way the Xbone/PS4 held them back, they're held back by a lack of optimisation, time, and QA. The constraints appear to be elsewhere. My two cents.
Nah, there has already been performance issues due to lack of optimization talent fallout since 2020.

This would be DF if MS said they had a Pro console as well,
giphy.webp
 

Killjoy-NL

Member
Nah, there has already been performance issues due to lack of optimization talent fallout since 2020.

This would be DF if MS said they had a Pro console as well,
giphy.webp
Yet we'll be seeing RT in all modes with Spider-Man 2.

Not to say that there couldn't be performance issues, but it seems we're now only at the 2nd proper wave of current-gen games.

I think there is still room left for optimisation, which I think is the real culprit instead of weak hardware.
 
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DeepEnigma

Gold Member
Yet we'll be seeing RT in all modes with Spider-Man 2.

Not to say that there couldn't be performance issues, but it seems we're now only at the 2nd proper wave of current-gen waves.

I think there is still room left for improvement.
Oh, I agree. I think the "work from home culture" fallout has impacted some studios more than others. I do think some like *cough* Jedi Survivor *cough* have some serious optimization and pipeline issues.
 
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DF’s turnaround on Pro consoles is so weird to see between last gen and this gen 🤔

and the only real difference is this gen it seems like Xbox isn’t going to have one

Microsoft not putting out a Pro model might accelerate their demise in the console gaming space. They're essentially resigning this generation and to what end? Next generation? It doesn't work like that. People who buy PS5 Pros instead of Xbox or PC are more likely to get PS6 than the next Xbox.

If I buy GTA6/GTA Online on PS5 Pro and it has further enhancements on PS6 am I going to get PS6 or the next Xbox? I think DF said that the ratio of base/pro last gen was 80/20... What they don't seem to understand is that 20 percent is A LOT, especially given that they came out YEARS after launch... These machines become the defacto standard, especially for hardcore gamers, that we've discussed on GAF really set the stage for the rest of the industry.

This is unilateral disarmament like we've never seen before.

Xbox will likely be sub 25 million at the end of the year or close to it, which will probably put them on track for ~30 million by the end of 2024, assuming continued decline. The PS6 is going to have 65-70 million units by this time. That's a more than 2:1 ratio BEFORE the Pro even comes out...

If Microsoft ends this generation sub 40 million... I can't imagine they put out a new console.

DF didn't want pro consoles but they definitely don't want just a PS5 Pro. That destroys the very concept of their channel, which is largely a comparison of performance between consoles. Who really cares if the PS5 base and XSX have the same performance if most of their viewers are playing on PS5 Pro? It's really bad for business and they know it.
 

Killjoy-NL

Member
Oh, I agree. I think the "work from home culture" fallout has impacted some studios more than others. I do think some like *cough* Jedi Survivor *cough* have some serious optimization and pipeline issues.
True, that makes sense.

This gen had a really slow start due to the pandemic, which caused a lot of issues.

In case of PS5, I think it'll still take some years before PS5 improvements plateau, which might be the reason why MS doesn't have plans for Pro (going by the leaks) and for Sony it wouldn't make much sense.
It'd be better to just work on next-gen and get cheaper, more powerful consoles out in a few years with a proper next gen.
 
They sure are on the same "PC is their Pro" bandwagon. Like lockstep.

It begins.

Consoles outpunch their weight class $ for $ and they know that. You've got to spend nearly double the price of a PS5 to get a similar performance on a PC.

If a PS5 Pro makes people think twice about getting a PC that's not beneficial for them who are largely PC/Xbox fanboys.

Huge market for gamers who are willing to spend a bit more to get better performance, graphics, and other features.

Honestly, I think they could cut back on the performance with just some quality-of-life features, but that's me.
 

Brigandier

Member
It's a very brave move from Xbox to not release a mid gen refresh this time around and do it their own way rather than copy/follow Sony's path.

Tech moves forward so fast now that in late 2028 the XSX will be ancient.
 
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