Although the PS5 is still a mystery, we know comparatively a great deal about the Xbox Series X. Thanks to a recent blog post by head of Xbox Phil Spencer, we know it’s set to carry 12 Teraflops of graphical power, it’ll be backwards compatible with previous Xbox One titles, and it’ll use next-generation ray tracing technology to make its games look more immersive than ever. However, there’s one more detail set to put the icing on the cake for Xbox fans.
- Best PS5 games
- What about the Nintendo Switch Pro?
According to Spencer, the Xbox Series X will pack 3D audio, otherwise known as “audio ray tracing”. Audio ray tracing is the Xbox team’s codeword for directional sound: if a phone is ringing in one corner of the room, the Xbox Series X is capable of playing sound through your TV or speakers intelligently to convey which direction the phone is in.
These possibilities are generating a lot of buzz among game developers. The Microsoft-owned studio Ninja Theory, creators of the upcoming Xbox Series X game Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, are particularly enthused by the new technology. In an interview with VGC, senior sound designer Daniele Galante and studio head David Garcia revealed all:
Ninja Theory's incredible-looking Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
Galante: “It’s extremely exciting. We’re going to have a dedicated chip to work with audio, which means we finally won’t have to fight with programmers and artists for memory and CPU power.”
Garcia: “We take for granted that graphics are powered by their own video cards. But in audio, we haven’t had anything like that. Now we have some power dedicated to us.”
This is brand new information: although it’s not the first time we’ve heard about directional sound, this is the first time we’ve heard Xbox Series X is getting its own dedicated audio chip.
How this will stack up with PS5’s offering, we’re not yet sure: we do know PS5 head Mark Cerny is looking forward to making similar leaps with audio as have been made for graphics with previous generations. However, it’s all theoretical at this point because, of course, no information has yet been released about the console. Any day now...
Liked this?
-
Xbox Game Pass gets one of the best combat games of recent times for freeAvailable on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC across multiple Game Pass tiers
-
You can only buy this quirky watch tomorrow – act fast if you want it!Designed by the artist behind my favourite Mr Jones Watches piece, this is a really cool addition
-
Xbox Game Pass gets one of the best combat games of recent times for free
Available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC across multiple Game Pass tiers
-
Your Xbox gets a neat new trick that could save a lot of timeUpdates will finally be a bit easier
-
New Xbox consoles with upgraded features coming soon – pre-orders open nowXbox shakes things up with an expanded console range
-
Xbox Game Pass members getting hard-hitting open-world remake for freeCrash Bandicoot also joins the fun
-
The new Deadpool Xbox controller has a unique, cheeky new featureThere's something altogether new on the rear
-
Xbox to revive classic with 97% Metacritic score – 25 years after landmark originalPerfect Dark returns at last
-
Xbox surprise reveal of landmark game's return leaves fans confused – and I'm tornE-Day looks great, but what happened to the ongoing Gears story?
-
Xbox confirms there'll be no Xbox Series X Pro – but gives us three new consoles anywayXbox is concentrating on the "next-generation" rather than a mid-gen upgrade
