The analysis you've been waiting for! Rich goes hands-on with Xbox Series X and puts its backwards compatibility capabilities to the most extreme tests possible. How much more graphics power does the compatibility mode deliver? Can it deliver 60fps on some of the most challenging Xbox One X games we've looked at over the years? The answers may surprise you.
There may be the some consternation that Series X back-compat isn't a cure-all to all performance issues on all games, but again, this is the GPU running in compatibility mode, where it emulates the behaviour of the last generation Xbox - you aren't seeing the architectural improvements to performance from RDNA 2, which Microsoft says is 25 per cent to the better, teraflop to teraflop. And obviously, these games are not coded for RDNA 2 or Series X, meaning that access to the actual next-gen features like variable rate shading or mesh shaders simply does not exist.
Summary:
- Rich say he select games that are more probably gain boost from Series X
- Much of them are games with option of unlock the frame rate or remove the 30 cap.
- 'It's confirmed that while back-compat gets 12TF of compute power, this is in compatibility mode - you *aren't* seeing the architectural improvements of RDNA 2, including its IPC boost. Rather you're seeing what a 12TF GCN-based console with Zen 2 would've looked like.'
- Games tested: Rise of Tomb Raider, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Dead or Alive 6, Hitman, Hitman 2, Monster Hunter World, Sekiro, GT4, Final Fantasy 15
- While unlocked on Xbox One X, Series X use the same option as Xbox One X
- Games that did lock the frame rate to 60 fps: Rise of Tomb Raider, Call of Duty MW, Dead or Alive 6, GT4 and Final Fantasy
- There are a feel games that don't match 60 with minor drops: Sekiro, Hitman and Monster Hunter World
- Rich tested the quick resume as well. Working very good
- Jump between GT4 , Call of Duty MW and Doom. The game act like you paused the game. Works like savestate on emulators
- Loading times. He tested two games
- On FFXV, Xbox One X take 63,3 while Series X take 11,6 seconds