The Xbox Series X's November release date is getting closer, and Microsoft isn't being stingy with the details of what gamers have to look forward to when its next gen console launches.
Having given us a peek at the revamped Xbox store a couple of weeks ago, which will make it 'faster, safer, and easier to use than ever before,' the console manufacturer is now delving into the details of the Xbox Series X's dashboard and UI.
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Microsoft dropped the details in a blog post and accompanying video with lots of number crunching that demonstrates just how snappy its new dashboard is. The company claims the console will "set a new bar for speed" when it hits shelves this fall, with Xbox Velocity Architecture and Quick Resume technology helping to make games quicker to launch.
"The Home screen will load more than 50 percent faster when you boot your Xbox, and is almost 30 percent faster to load when you’re returning from a game. Furthermore, these improvements use 40 percent less memory than what was previously required."
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But the feature we're looking forward to the most is the improvement Microsoft has made in terms of sharing gaming moments with friends on social media. Xbox head of research and design, Chris Novak, explains:
"Now, when you capture [video] on the console, it's sent to your phone to share instantly, making it easier to get that moment to your friends and ensuring that you're not standing around in the middle of some match trying to type a message on a virtual keyboard.
"Frankly, there are some things – like text input – that a phone does much more efficiently than a controller, and now you can harness that power."
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Having to find workarounds for getting your video and images from your console to your phone to share across different social media networks – some of which don't offer console integration – is a pain, but Microsoft has honed in on the social aspect gamers frequently use to make this as easy as possible next gen, and we can't wait.
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Shabana worked at T3.com as News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). She's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down here at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies. If you have any tech or gaming tips, shoot over an email or DM her on social media.