With Microsoft's Phil Spencer detailing in a new post some of the hardware and technology behind the Xbox Series X console. Confirming again that the CPU and GPU inside the next-gen console is being built using custom AMD hardware utilising the latest Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures - as seen in Ryzen and Radeon. In terms of raw numbers though, this means 12 TFLOPS of GPU performance - twice that of the Xbox One X.

Eight times the power of the launch edition Xbox One.

Next Generation Custom Processor: Xbox Series X is our most powerful console ever powered by our custom designed processor leveraging AMD’s latest Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures. Delivering four times the processing power of an Xbox One and enabling developers to leverage 12 TFLOPS of GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) performance – twice that of an Xbox One X and more than eight times the original Xbox One. Xbox Series X delivers a true generational leap in processing and graphics power with cutting edge techniques resulting in higher framerates, larger, more sophisticated game worlds, and an immersive experience unlike anything seen in console gaming.

Variable Rate Shading (VRS): Our patented form of VRS empowers developers to more efficiently utilize the full power of the Xbox Series X. Rather than spending GPU cycles uniformly to every single pixel on the screen, they can prioritize individual effects on specific game characters or important environmental objects. This technique results in more stable frame rates and higher resolution, with no impact on the final image quality.

Hardware-accelerated DirectX Raytracing: You can expect more dynamic and realistic environments powered by hardware-accelerated DirectX Raytracing – a first for console gaming. This means true-to-life lighting, accurate reflections and realistic acoustics in real time as you explore the game world.

In terms of next-gen graphics tech, the Xbox Series X will feature and support hardware-accelerated DirectX Raytracing - which can be leveraged for realistic lighting, reflections, and sound too. Currently raytracing is something associated with NVIDIA's RTX GPU line on PCs, so with the Series X supporting the technology we should expect to see many more games adopting raytracing in the future.

Interestingly Microsoft highlight another new bit of graphics tech called Variable Rate Shading (VRS) which it describes as its own patented form of what is a high-end process that results in a GPU rendering only what it needs to. In the PC space we've seen the technology implemented by NVIDIA in titles like Wolfenstein where the result has seen sizable boosts to performance and frame-rates. And with the Xbox Series X also supporting 120 fps, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) via what we assume will be FreeSync - performance looks to be as important for Microsoft as increased fidelity and more impressive visual detail.