Anaconda | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Fri, 26 Jun 2020 08:17:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Anaconda | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Developer documents point to a “family” of next-gen Xbox consoles https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/joao-silva/developer-documents-point-to-a-family-of-xbox-series-x-consoles/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/joao-silva/developer-documents-point-to-a-family-of-xbox-series-x-consoles/#respond Fri, 26 Jun 2020 08:15:21 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=473877 We have been hearing about Microsoft's “Lockhart” console for quite some time. Besides the Xbox Series X, also known as “Anaconda”, it's been rumoured that Microsoft would also launch a less powerful console SKU codenamed “Lockhart”. From what we've gathered, “Lockhart” is assumed to be a budget-oriented console, offering 4TFLOPs of computing power instead of …

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We have been hearing about Microsoft's “Lockhart” console for quite some time. Besides the Xbox Series X, also known as “Anaconda”, it's been rumoured that Microsoft would also launch a less powerful console SKU codenamed “Lockhart”. From what we've gathered, “Lockhart” is assumed to be a budget-oriented console, offering 4TFLOPs of computing power instead of the 12TFLOPs of the Xbox Series X.

As per Microsoft's documentation dated “June 2020” posted by @XB1_HexDecimal, it seems that Microsoft plans to launch multiple next-gen consoles. This documentation has references to both “Anaconda”, the Series X that we know of, and “Lockhart”. The Xbox One OS and its development tools also have multiple mentions of “Lockhart”, as shared by @bllyhlbrt.

Considering what Microsoft did this generation with the Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X, both of Microsoft's next-gen consoles should work similarly, with developers launching games for both systems.

Some believe that the final name for the Lockhart will probably be “Xbox Series S”. Despite its supposedly inferior computing power, Lockhart is expected to offer a next-gen experience thanks to improved SSD loading times and possibly ray-tracing. Given its inferior performance, Microsoft might also promote its Microsoft’s xCloud streaming service through the less capable console.

We expect to hear more about the “Lockhart” console later this year.

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KitGuru says: Would you be interested in an Xbox “Lockhart” console? How much would you be willing to pay for the “Lockhart” console?

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Specs and performance targets for next-gen Xbox leak https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/matthew-wilson/specs-and-performance-targets-for-next-gen-xbox-leak/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/matthew-wilson/specs-and-performance-targets-for-next-gen-xbox-leak/#respond Tue, 10 Dec 2019 14:15:19 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=440877 There has been a lot of next-gen console talk over the last few weeks, in large part thanks to leaks surrounding the PS5. Now, leaks on the Xbox side are starting to catch up. Last week, we heard that Microsoft is still planning to launch two consoles next year targeting different power and price points. …

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There has been a lot of next-gen console talk over the last few weeks, in large part thanks to leaks surrounding the PS5. Now, leaks on the Xbox side are starting to catch up. Last week, we heard that Microsoft is still planning to launch two consoles next year targeting different power and price points. Now, another report has come out detailing the specs and performance targets for the next-gen Xbox in a bit more detail. 

Citing multiple insider sources, Windows Central this week published new details on the next-gen Xbox codenamed ‘Anaconda', the more powerful of the two systems Microsoft has planned. In terms of compute performance, the Xbox One has seen a big jump from the Xbox One S at 1.4 TFLOPS to the Xbox One X at 6 TFLOPS. With Anaconda, sources claim that Microsoft is looking to hit 12 TFLOPS of compute performance, doubling up on the Xbox One X and hopefully leading to the 4K/60 future that the console giants are pushing for. Meanwhile, the cheaper ‘Lockhart' console will sit at around 4 TFLOPS of performance, which matches last week's report claiming that the cheaper next-gen Xbox would be roughly on par with a PS4 Pro.

Both of the next-gen Xbox consoles will sport eight-core CPUs running at around 3.5GHz, although Anaconda will apparently have a higher per core clock than Lockhart. In terms of RAM, Anaconda will sport 16GB of memory, with 13GB available for games and 3GB reserved for the operating system, although that could change. Microsoft did end up changing the OS RAM requirements over the Xbox One generation, so developers could end up being able to utilise more of it eventually.

Finally, just as Sony plans to jump to SSD storage with the PS5, Microsoft is also looking to include an NVMe SSD in the next Xbox. Some of these spec details are based on leaked marketing materials, so things could change in the months prior to announcement. For now, Microsoft is targeting a holiday 2020 release for Project Scarlett, so we'll have to wait a few more months to see the big reveal.

KitGuru Says: The run up to a new generation console launch is always an exciting time, although I am a bit surprised that Lockhart wouldn't be a bit closer to Xbox One X in performance. Of course, hardware is only half the battle here, Microsoft has a ton of new studios, so we'll be hoping for some big showcase games next year too.

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Microsoft still planning two next-gen consoles, Lockhart will be cheaper and disc-less https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/matthew-wilson/microsoft-still-planning-two-next-gen-consoles-lockhart-will-be-cheaper-and-disc-less/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/matthew-wilson/microsoft-still-planning-two-next-gen-consoles-lockhart-will-be-cheaper-and-disc-less/#respond Wed, 04 Dec 2019 19:22:07 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=440055 Late last year as plans for next-gen consoles started to solidify, multiple reports claimed that Microsoft would be coming out with two devices, with ‘Anaconda' set to be the high-end, more powerful console and ‘Lockhart' set to be a cheaper, digital-only version. In June, plans for a cheaper ‘Lockhart' console were said to be scrapped …

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Late last year as plans for next-gen consoles started to solidify, multiple reports claimed that Microsoft would be coming out with two devices, with ‘Anaconda' set to be the high-end, more powerful console and ‘Lockhart' set to be a cheaper, digital-only version. In June, plans for a cheaper ‘Lockhart' console were said to be scrapped but new sources now claim that is not the case. 

According to sources speaking with Kotaku, Microsoft is still working on two new consoles for 2020, with the term ‘Project Scarlett' referring to both the more powerful and cheaper boxes. According to one game developer, Lockhart (the cheaper console) is targeting PS4 Pro levels of graphical power but with a faster CPU in hopes of making 60 frames per second gameplay more common. This version of the next-gen Xbox will also have an SSD just like the more powerful version and of course, the PlayStation 5.

Pricing is still a bit of a mystery but so far, these two consoles are being described as successors to the Xbox One X and the Xbox One S, targeting both price and power brackets at once.  With Anaconda, Microsoft is reportedly targeting 4K/60 gameplay, while Lockhart is more suited to 1440p/60. Developers will be expected to support both consoles, as is the case with the current Xbox One S and Xbox One X.

Aside from performance and pricing, Lockhart will reportedly ship without a disc drive, making it a digital-only option and will likely heavily tie into marketing for Project xCloud and Xbox Game Pass. We have already had a glimpse of this strategy in effect this year with the Xbox One S All Digital, which is heavily promoted with Game Pass.

While all of this may be true, apparently Microsoft isn't communicating its next-gen plans with developers as much as Sony. We've been seeing PS5 dev kit leaks consistently but Project Scarlett dev kits are said to be rarer amongst third-party studios at this stage.

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KitGuru Says: We are still in heavy rumour territory when it comes to next-gen consoles and even developers don't have all of the facts just yet. Still, with this news, it looks like next year's head-to-head between Sony and Microsoft is going to be even more interesting. 

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Microsoft’s latest patent redesigns the Xbox controller, hinting at next-gen technology https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/damien-cox/microsofts-latest-patent-redesigns-the-xbox-controller-hinting-at-next-gen-technology/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/damien-cox/microsofts-latest-patent-redesigns-the-xbox-controller-hinting-at-next-gen-technology/#respond Thu, 03 Jan 2019 13:45:45 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=399744 It’s a little late in the day for Microsoft to be thinking of revisions given that a pair of next-generation consoles are reportedly on the horizon, but that hasn’t stopped the company from capping off its 2018 by receiving the go-ahead on two controller patents. Despite the imagery showcasing the familiar Xbox One controller, it’s …

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It’s a little late in the day for Microsoft to be thinking of revisions given that a pair of next-generation consoles are reportedly on the horizon, but that hasn’t stopped the company from capping off its 2018 by receiving the go-ahead on two controller patents. Despite the imagery showcasing the familiar Xbox One controller, it’s possible that this is our first indication of what to expect in Anaconda and Lockhart.

The patents were filed way back in June 2017, credited to inventors Aaron Schmitz, Gabriel Michael Rask Gassoway and one patent adding in Jonathan Shea Robinson. As usual for a technological patent, the filing is filled with jargon and terminology suited to cover all legal stances but seems to primarily pertain to the triggers found on the back of the Xbox One controller and the accuracy of their mechanical tension.

The patent describes a new motor system within each trigger, which can be used for different levels of force feedback (rumble), and a clutch system, which can be used for trigger locks, or to protect the triggers should the controller be dropped or roughly handled.

Given that the Xbox One Elite controller currently holds “flagship” status for Microsoft’s variety of pads in the wild, the use of the standard Xbox One controller makes me question whether or not this is simply a placeholder for the revised trigger technology. Any redesign hitting the standard controller is sure to come to the Elite variant. However, the chances of a redesigned Xbox One controller coming out now seems slim given that we are on the cusp of next-gen consoles.

It seems likely that these new controller patents are laying the groundwork for what we will see in a next-gen Xbox controller. The Xbox One controller already made a number of improvements over the Xbox 360 controller- which is one of the most popular gamepads of all time. With that in mind, further improvements may well end up being under the hood, as this patent describes, rather than a complete design change.

KitGuru Says: Microsoft could just surprise everyone with the release of a new Xbox One controller but I can’t see enhanced triggers being enough to entice purchases, especially with next-gen consoles heavily expected in 2020. If Microsoft brought out a new controller this year, would you buy one? 

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Microsoft reportedly set to launch two next-gen consoles, ‘Anaconda’ and ‘Lockhart’ https://www.kitguru.net/components/matthew-wilson/microsoft-reportedly-set-to-launch-two-next-gen-consoles-anaconda-and-lockhart/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/matthew-wilson/microsoft-reportedly-set-to-launch-two-next-gen-consoles-anaconda-and-lockhart/#respond Tue, 18 Dec 2018 10:00:51 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=398677 At this point, it is common knowledge that the next generation of consoles are on the way, with both Sony and Microsoft openly confirming that new hardware is in the works. Microsoft's strategy for next-gen is particularly interesting, as the company will be juggling cloud gaming in addition to standard consoles. We've already heard the …

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At this point, it is common knowledge that the next generation of consoles are on the way, with both Sony and Microsoft openly confirming that new hardware is in the works. Microsoft's strategy for next-gen is particularly interesting, as the company will be juggling cloud gaming in addition to standard consoles. We've already heard the codename ‘Scarlett' thrown around in relation to Microsoft's next Xbox lineup but this week, some new information came to light, further detailing the next-gen Xbox strategy.

While this generation we saw Sony and Microsoft release base consoles early on and then more powerful hardware later down the line, Microsoft is rumoured to be busting out of the gate with two console tiers right off the bat this time around. Scarlett is the codename for the next ‘Xbox family' of devices. As reported by Thurrot, there are multiple consoles within the Scarlett lineup, ‘Anaconda' is apparently the codename for the Xbox One X successor, meanwhile ‘Lockhart' is the codename for the base model. Development kits are apparently already in use, these machines are codenamed ‘Danta', and house the target spec for Anaconda.

project-scorpio-6-1620x1080-e1474295401516.jpg

Finally, Microsoft will finally be jumping in on cloud gaming next generation with Project xCloud, the hardware powering this is codenamed ‘Anthem'. For Anthem, Microsoft will be making use of revised Xbox One S hardware, which will reduce manufacturing costs and power consumption while aiming for the same level of performance. A more powerful ‘Anaconda' version of Project xCloud hardware is also said to be in the works. 

We don't have exact specification details but unsurprisingly, Microsoft is tipped to be sticking with AMD for its next-gen hardware. The current rumour is that we'll see Zen 2 CPU cores in addition to ‘next-gen' GPU architecture- likely hinting at Navi. Recent rumours in the GPU realm have pointed to Navi aiming to bring GTX 1080 level performance down to the $250 price point, consoles won't use the exact same chips as PC graphics cards, but this is interesting food for thought when considering the performance targets for Anaconda and Lockhart.

KitGuru Says: There are going to be plenty of rumours flying around over the next year as development on next-gen consoles continues. Given that consoles rely on x86 hardware at this point, making educated guesses at specifications is easier than ever. It will certainly be interesting to see what other information pops up as we near 2020, when we'll likely see both Sony and Microsoft kick off their next-gen rollouts. 

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