Microsoft wants next Xbox to support high framerate, faster start times
Microsoft's Phil Spencer thinks framerates and load times are areas consoles - including Xbox - can improve on.
During E3, Microsoft took the opportunity to tease a new Xbox console, and now we have all kinds of questions. What features will it have? What kind of launch titles will it support? When will it come out?
Obviously, many of these details are under wraps, but Microsoft Executive President of Gaming Phil Spencer has two goals at the front of his mind: Better framerates and faster start times.
In an interview with Giant Bomb, Spencer had the following to say when asked about technological goals for the next Xbox:
"I think framerate is an area where consoles can do more. Just in general," Spencer begins. "When you look at the balance between CPU and GPU in today's consoles they're a little bit out of whack relative to what's on the PC side. So I think there's work that we can do there."
Spencer moved onto game installs, admitting it's an area Microsoft has stumbled on in the past. "I'm always wishing games would start quicker," he continued. "We're as guilty as anybody ... one game I'm playing a ton of, State of Decay, it says 'Ready to Start' and I get to [sit at the title screen] and install the rest of the game." Spencer points to newly-announced FastStart features as one way the company hopes to resolve this problem.
Obviously, we'll have to get a next-gen Xbox in out hands before judging the final product - Microsoft has certainly made promises it couldn't fully deliver on before. All the same, these are goals that should get tech-focused players watching Microsoft closely in the years ahead.