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Graphic shows a cutaway of the XBox Series X console, highlighting its technological advances.
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ألعاب

أكس بوكس الجديد القوي سيريس أكس

By Ninian Carter

November 1, 2020 - Microsoft's hotly anticipated XBox Series X game console will launch on November 10. Its simple, box-like design belies the powerful processor it houses – which needs several innovative methods to keep it cool.

Microsoft says it will launch its next-generation Xbox Series X video game console in November, with rumours suggesting it will be during the first week of that month.

Sadly for gaming fans, Halo Infinite, the XBox's most prized and unique gaming asset, will not be launching with it – instead its release has been postponed to 2021, with blame being passed to slowed production due to Covid-19.

The Halo game franchise is a multi-billion dollar American military science fiction series consisting of over a dozen games dating back to 2001. In the main, they are first-person shooters that pit you (playing as Master Chief) against an alliance of aliens hell-bent on ending humanity.

The lack of a Halo title at launch means the new console will not have a "killer app" to drive console sales in the lead up to the holiday season, when it will be facing off against stiff competition from Sony's new PlayStation 5.

Instead, Microsoft hopes a library of 50 new games, its Game Pass subscription service, and the new machine's backwards compatibility will be enough to draw in customers. The XBox Series X can play select popular games from XBox (launched in 2001), XBox 360 (2005) and XBox One (2013).

The design of the XBox Series X is built around its need to cool down a powerful custom 8-core processor can can generate 12 teraflops of power. Their solution is to place a large fan at the top of the machine that does not need to spin around so fast – thereby generating less annoying sound. All the hot electronics reside underneath the fan, with the motherboard split in two and further cooled by a large heat sink and vapour chamber.

With many of the world's economies dive-bombing following months of pandemic lockdowns, tumbling GDPs and rising unemployment, both Microsoft and Sony could face an uphill struggle to sell their new, technologically advanced and expensive consoles. The XBox Series X is expected to retail for $500-$600.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 10/09/2020; STORY: Ninian Carter; PICTURES: Microsoft/343 Industries
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