According to recent reporting, the Xbox Series X console could be getting revisions to its models, featuring substantial changes to its onboard chip. The Xbox Series X was released a year and a half ago back in November of 2020, the same month and year as its main competitor, the Playstation 5. The console belonging to Sony has seen numerous revisions and changes ever since its initial release, from things ranging from firmware updates to trimming down the size of future retail models starting from late 2021, reducing the size and weight of the onboard heat sink without seemingly noticeable effects on cooling performance.
It is perhaps then only fair to assume that the Xbox Series X would follow suit with changes to its default hardware, fixing issues to create a retail model that is better suited for the manufacturing company’s economical or logistical purposes. And there is a necessity to differentiate between such system optimizations and stand-alone models that came as upgrades to the default console. Such as the case of the Switch OLED compared to the re-released model of the original Switch, which solved battery life issues via changing the integrated chipset.
The rumored change for the Xbox Series X would fall into the latter category of small adjustments. The news website Pure Xbox recently wrote an article based on the reports of journalist Brad Sams, who claimed that Microsoft is making a change to the onboard chip of the Xbox Series X. The purpose of which is to create a compact and efficient chip “that lowers the cost of production”, but unlikely to provide “performance improvements”.
The journalist in question did not present any sources or go into detail as to the reasons why he believes such revisions are in development. But instead presents it as a reasonable conclusion to come to as a result of Microsoft’s past trends regarding console development, and the priorities placed on cost-saving and remedying “dated designs” for the next generation. In that sense, it is a fair approach for the journalist to take. But one that lacks the basis of being comfortably elaborated upon.
Such revisions, except in the instances where it has negatively or positively impacted performance are difficult to observe. And though it is of great interest to Microsoft to make such revisions to cut down on unnecessary expenses, to the consumer it doesn’t become a selling point except to indicate the attentiveness of the Microsoft staff in keeping their consoles up-to-date. If a new Xbox Series X successor were to come from the result of such revisions, however, then the hardware adjustments and features added to the system will quickly become of the consumer’s interest.
Xbox Series X is available now for the retail price of $499.
