Xbox Series X specs: Microsoft unveils high-performance console but it lacks one feature previously seen in a livestream

After months of speculation, Microsoft finally unveiled its next-gen console, the Xbox Series X. The gaming device lived up to the hype with its high-performance specs but a few eagle-eyed gaming enthusiasts noticed that it lacks one feature that was seen in a sample console during a live-stream.

The Xbox Series X is indeed a gaming powerhouse like no other. It boasts of internal storage of 1TB custom NVMe SSD and a proprietary external 1TB expansion card, according to Hypebeast.

The upcoming console will feature a 12 teraflops 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz AMD RDNA 2 GPU. It will also have 8x Zen 2 Cores at 3.8GHz CPU said to be able to run four Xbox One S game sessions at once. For reference, the main specifications are listed below as reported by IGN.

CPU: 8x Zen 2 Cores at 3.8GHz (3.6GHz with SMT)

GPU: 12 TFLOPs, 52 CUs at 1.825GHz, Custom RDNA 2

Die Size: 360.45mm2

Process: TSMC 7nm Enhanced

Memory: 16GB GDDR6

Memory Bandwidth: 10GB at 560GB/s, 6GB at 336GB/s

Internal Storage: 1TB Custom NVMe SSD

I/O Throughput: 2.4GB/s (Raw), 4.8GB/s (Compressed)

Expandable Storage: 1TB Expansion Card

External Storage: USB 3.2 HDD Support

Optical Drive: 4K UHD Blu-ray Drive

Performance Target: 4K at 60fps - up to 120fps

The Xbox Series X will have the amazing ability to play titles from older consoles. As reported by IGN, Microsoft has curated a list of Xbox One games that will work on the new console while enhancing its resolution and perhaps even doubling the frame rates allowing for a super smooth gaming experience.

In addition, the Xbox Series X is capable of creating HDR effects to games that weren’t designed with that in mind. Thus, older games that were released before the HDR era will experience a massive boost in video output. The tech might also be used to add colorblindness modes to titles that didn’t support them when released.

Unfortunately, the Xbox Series X lacks one feature that might put it at a disadvantage against the PS5. According to Tom’s Guide, the upcoming Sony console will not feature an optical audio out port, which is a bit confusing since the feature appeared on a sample console during a live-stream event.

“Confirmed with Microsoft: the final, retail Xbox Series X does NOT have an optical out,” IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey tweeted. “I know @JezCorden / @windowscentral had official confirmation on this the other day, but lots of folks have been tweeting me after seeing this in the Xbox dev stream today, so I followed up.”

While the S/PDIF, also known as TOSLINK, doesn’t see much use today thanks to the HDMI, it remains popular among audiophiles. It remains to be seen if its absence might have a negative impact on the console’s appeal.