The much-awaited launch of the Xbox One X is now just days away, but it appears we still don’t have all the details about the capability of this gaming console. Xbox group program manager, Kevin Gammill, revealed one such capability on Wednesday.
Support for 1440p monitor as well
We all know that Microsoft’s all-powerful console is marketed heavily as a 4K-focused machine, meaning it would output at native 4K on a 4K TV or display. And, if you have a 1080p screen, then it supersample games, i.e. render them at a higher resolution before dropping back to 1080p. However, what if one has a 1440p monitor?
Many would believe that the console would give a scaled-down image, but according to Gammill, in such a case, the console will output to native 1440p on a supported monitor. Gammill confirmed this while answering a question, “What about a 1440p monitor hooked up on the X. Does the output still supersample to 1080p?”
I *knew* you were going to ask that, just ran out of space. On X, we will effectively output native over HDMI in this case at 1440p.
— Kevin Gammill (@CmdrDesslock) November 1, 2017
The 1440p resolution is usual in high-end gaming monitors. Though developers may not focus much on the 1440p displays on the Xbox One X, it is good to hear that Microsoft has taken care of that by natively supporting 1440p (2560 x 1440) monitors. It is a thoughtful move from Microsoft even though the One X is still very much positioned around 4K. By natively supporting 1440p monitors, the company wants to ensure that no players feel left out.
Sony’s approach, however, is in contrast to the Xbox One X, despite the fact that several PS4 Pro games render at 1440p for upscaling to 4K TVs. Sony’s PS4 Pro supports 1080p or 4K output, so a 4K or 1440p game on a 1440p monitor would output only 1080p and upscale, according to The Verge.
‘Super high’ demand for Xbox One X
The Xbox One X, claimed to be the most powerful console ever, will launch on Nov. 7. The console packs 6 TFLOPS of processing power, 12 GB of GDDR5 RAM, a 4K Blu-ray player and a faster hard drive. The gaming console is currently available for pre-order at $499.
Ahead of its release next week, demand for the console is “super high,” Panos Panay, Microsoft’s head of devices, told CNBC on Tuesday. “I won’t talk about the exact numbers but the demand is super high, we are very, very excited about Xbox One X right now,” Panay said. Panay also did not compare the sales numbers of the upcoming console with any other console, but said the demand is exactly what they expected.
The demand for the console is so high that some of the regions have already been warned to expect shortages. In a recent interview with Gamesindustry.biz, the U.K.’s Xbox head, Harvey Eagle, said he “can’t guarantee that stock will be available in launch week for people to just walk into a store and pick up.”
Further, Panay talked about the mixed reality, saying, “Mixed reality can span in so many different forms,” be it via the device, virtual reality headsets, or the HoloLens. As of now, no mixed reality headsets for the Xbox have been announced, but Panay said one may “start to see that happen.”
