Xbox Lockhart is unlikely to hold back Xbox Series X games, reveals a new report on next-gen Xbox console plans. Leaks had suggested that Xbox Lockhart would be much less powerful than the Xbox Series X and its rival, the PS5, but it seems this won't have a huge effect on the console's games.
In a new report, journalist Brad Sams cleared up the "misconception" that the Xbox Lockhart's weaker specs will affect the quality of all next-generation games. While Sams called this a "valid concern" and explained that it stemmed from developers themselves having little information about the next-gen Xbox consoles, any potential issues with this have now "faded."
The Xbox console team has reportedly addressed this by "using the same base components across both devices" to "make it easier for developers to target the same visual fidelity for both consoles but at different resolutions." Sams suggests that there are just different optimizations with the Xbox Series X being optimized for 4K and Xbox Lockhart being optimized for 1080p HD.
This may be the thinking behind the Optimized for Xbox Series X branding that has been used with several first and third-party games announced for the Xbox Series X. A game that is optimized for the console offers 4K graphics, frame rates of up to 120FPS, faster load times, and Smart Delivery which provides players with a free Xbox Series X version of a cross-gen game if they've purchased it on Xbox One. The badge could be placed on game boxes to show that while it will play on Xbox Lockhart, the best way to play it is on an Xbox Series X.
This information is unconfirmed though and it's just one of several things that fans will want the Xbox team to clear up with an official announcement. If the Xbox Lockhart console isn't going to be as powerful as the Xbox Series X, then fans will expect it to be cheaper. The Xbox Series X price is rumored to be $400 and it's unclear how much cheaper the Xbox Lockhart will be.
Fans may have to wait a while for this information to be confirmed. A new leak revealed the Xbox team is now planning to reveal its more affordable next-gen Xbox console in August, after the PS5 event in June prompted the Xbox team to change its plans.
Source: Thurrott