Microsoft Unveils Project Scarlett, Its Powerful Next-Gen Xbox Console
Microsoft reveals Project Scarlett, a dedicated gaming console launching in holiday 2020 that features AMD Ryzen and Navi hardware, SSD storage, and ray-tracing support.
Microsoft reveals Project Scarlett as its dedicated next-generation Xbox console, marking a sharp pivot back to a pure gaming focus six years after the troubled Xbox One launch. Set to arrive in holiday 2020 alongside the upcoming Project xCloud streaming service, the new hardware strips away the entertainment hub ambitions of the past to focus entirely on high-performance gameplay.
The biggest leap for Project Scarlett is the integration of custom SSD storage, which Microsoft promises effectively eliminates load times and brings console architecture in line with modern PC standards. Under the hood, the system runs on an AMD foundation utilizing Zen 2 CPU and Navi GPU architectures, paired with high-speed GDDR6 memory to deliver four times the processing power of the Xbox One X.
Advanced visual technologies are also a major highlight, with Microsoft confirming hardware-accelerated ray tracing and adaptive sync variable refresh rate support. While the company touts potential 8K resolution and 120 frames per second performance, the true impact of this console lies in its raw power and seamless SSD-driven experience rather than those extreme graphical benchmarks.