With a release date announced for holiday season 2020 and more details being revealed slowly but surely, the picture of Xbox's Project Scarlett is being gradually painted. Microsoft's Head of Xbox and Microsoft's gaming division, Phil Spencer, recently stated that one of its major priorities isn't necessarily attempting to further bridge the uncanny valley in terms of graphics but to focus on playability, loading speeds, and consistent 4K/60 FPS loading speeds.
In a recent interview, Spencer gave away some more details about the highly-anticipated next-gen Xbox console. Microsoft is still planning to push the boundaries of graphics, but the gameplay is their core concern. "I think the area that we really want to focus on the next generation is frame rate and playability of the games,” Spencer said. “Ensuring that the games load incredibly fast, ensuring that the game is running at the highest frame rate possible...People love 60 frames-per-second games, so getting games to run at 4K 60 [FPS] I think will be a real design goal for us.”
Reaching 8K visuals is still a goal of Microsoft, but not until optimal frame rates are met. Spencer noted that one of Microsoft's concerns of the current generations has been 4K visuals, and not playability — a common discussion point that seems to be more of a concern than graphics. "How fast do [games] load? Do I feel like I can get into the game as fast as possible and while it’s playing? How does it feel?" Spencer said. "Does this game both look and feel like no other game that I’ve seen? That’s our target.”
This isn't an impossible dream. Even Gears of War 5 is aiming for 4K visuals and 60 FPS rates, as have a few other games this generation. The Xbox One X is proving that these milestones aren't impossible, even this gen, so there's reason to be hopeful for Project Scarlett.
For the gamers that are in need of a console sooner than holiday season 2020, there are some great deals on the Xbox One X right now. Some of the bundles include a Gears 5 bundle with a custom console and controller, an NBA 2K2019 bundle, and more. Of course, pocketing some cash to save up for the Project Scarlett is some sound advice as well.
Source: GameSpot