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Xbox Series X: next-gen sound via dedicated chip and ray-traced audio
Xbox Series X: next-gen sound via dedicated chip and ray-traced audio
Microsoft's Xbox Series X will use a new dedicated audio chip and ray-traced audio to push next-gen sound
Derek Strickland | Mar 8, 2020 at 6:15 pm CDT (20 mins, 12 secs reading time)
Even the Xbox Series X's audio will be next-gen, complete with a special dedicated audio chip that empowers sound designers like never before.
We've known for a while the Xbox Series X would have 3D audio acceleration via a dedicated chip, but we didn't know the potential of the tech, and more importantly, what it means for developers. The Xbox SX's new hardware-accelerated audio chip means sound designers no longer have to tie up CPU resources for in-game sound effects and music. In tandem with ray traced audio, which uses bi-drectional sound paths to shift sound profiles in real-time, audio experiences will be incredibly immersive and realistic on the next-gen Xbox.
Ninja Theory in particular is enthusiastic about the chip. This is fitting given the Senua franchise's incredible sound effects and score. "It's extremely exciting. We're going to have a dedicated chip to work with audio, which means we finally won't have to fight with programmers and artists for memory and CPU power," senior sound designer Daniele Galante told Video Game Chronicle.
"We take for granted that graphics are powered by their own video cards. But in audio, we haven't had anything like that. Now we have some power dedicated to us," Ninja Theory's audio lead David Garcia also said.
The chip is a big deal for developers on a whole. Sound designers now get their own resources, freeing up the console's Zen 2 CPU to pelt out games at high-end perf targets like 8K resolution, 120 FPS, and ray-traced environments in 1440p, 1080p, and maybe even 4K
Microsoft has so much other stuff to talk about that they aren't even mentioning stuff like this or their ssd technology in full scale.
Pano Panay and the rest of the Xbox hardware team put together the GAWD console.
Nice try but the reason Microsoft isn’t talking about it is because it’s a shyt chip
Cerny already said the audio in our box is already more powerful than the pS4 alone
Hey but like I said 12.1 TFLOPS is great in the same old model
essentially Sony has made a 2 generational leap with its design
If you know ya know