Xbox Series X development chief Jason Ronald on power, price and that new boot screen

Jason Ronald's job title is partner director of program management for the Xbox platform team, but what that somewhat robotic label boils down to is he's leading development of the Xbox Series X, Microsoft's next-generation console due out in time for Christmas 2020. He's played a key role in the making of the Xbox Series X, from the beginning to the present, its hardware to its software. Nobody knows Xbox Series X like Jason Ronald.

[darthv72]

I really dig that bootup sound/screen, def better than the xbo. My favorite is still the og xbox with the green blob of energy in (what looks to be) the inside of an optical drive.

[UltraNova]

In all honesty it reminds me of the PS2 bootup sound but with more "noise". But yeah it's pretty cool.

That said, what caught your eye most from MS's presentation?

Scorn looks to be interesting and very Alien-like. And Medium is looking sick!

[darthv72]

Scorn, yes that one was rather catchy. Not exactly sure what its about but I liked how inspired by Giger it was. Dirt 5 has me interested because I just read that it is made by ex Evolution guys so it has a very motorstorm vibe to it. God I hope they can bring that series back.

[waverider]

The price. Thats the main question. Funny how he talks more about the ssd then the gpu. Times are changing...

[neutralgamer1992]

Because SSD will make a huge difference that's why cerny spent so much time talking about it. But on this site we have many gamers who know more than those designing the systems

I was recently playing horizon on my base PS4 and man those loading times anytime I fast travelled were long. Now imagine having no loading that would make a huge difference gameplay wise

[Obscure_Observer]

@neutralgamer1992

"But on this site we have many gamers who know more than those designing the systems"

Don´t be so dramatic. Other than faster loading times, remains to seen actual further advancements those SSDs will bring. Some fanboys actually believe SSDs will perform miracles on consoles. Cerny´s statements are all talk till he actually shows those advancements in game and not on some power point presentation.

[Unspoken]

So when did we begin taking everything at someone's word? Yeah, no. We need to see it in action. When graphics is no long important is when Xbox smashes it. Nah, this is going to be a day one purchase for me.

[neutralgamer1992]

obscure

so everything cerny said the faster SSD can do besides faster loading is a lie?

Sophisticated_Chap

and what is your point both system will be able to do that if developers choose

neo

that's the difference between PC and consoles. Consoles are designed for one thing games and both ms and sony have made sure ps5 and xbox series x can do 4k/6FPS. If you build a system using OG specs for ps4 or xbox one it wouldn't be able to run games like the systems do

i guess we will wait and see

[waverider]

I know the problem is that the ssd on the ps5 is next gen. Not even on market. The easiest to explain the diference is that one got 12, funny number, lanes and another 3... And is 60% faster and easier to work...

[umair_s51]

I don't expect SSD to make games looks prettier. It will help but not nearly as much as GPU

[DarXyde]

Oh, boy.

It really seems like people don't understand what these SSD can do. "Loading times" is a very nebulous idea without much understanding. Cerny literally told us what you can do with that.

It won't magically make any device perform above its specifications, but in terms of what needs to be rendered immediately, the console can prioritize and change very quickly, even more so with PS5. Sony has been dabbling in foveated rendering for a while (like what was done in Horizon Zero Dawn), and the SSD in PS5 is very likely to provide a mastered version of that—Cerny alludes to as much in the presentation. On top of that, no developer has come out and said it's not feasible.

Obscure_Observer,

"Cerny´s statements are all talk till he actually shows those advancements in game and not on some power point presentation."

Uhhh, Cerny has repeatedly been corroborated by developers (y'know, those people actually WORKING with the hardware?). Sounds like you're quite accepting of Phil discussing DLI so readily (and he's the ONLY one talking about it) but the component that developers are most vocally excited about is where you place your caution. Ok, mate.

[neutralgamer1992]

Unspoken

No one is saying graphics aren't important but machines will be able to do 4k at 60FPS

And y'all don't have a single issue talking Phil at his words

DARX

They only want to understand Phil and praise yet cerny has better reputation and track record but they don't want to accept. Developers talk well their excuse is it's only few so far any developer that has spoken which was reported has gone above and beyond praising cerny and ps5

But why believe them when we can believe some on this site

[1Victor]

@ obscure show me when Cerny have shown something that wasn’t real

@unspoken “ So when did we begin taking everything at someone's word? Yeah, no. We need to see it in action.“

So it’s ok for Microsoft mouth pieces to say something and be taken at face value I remember you and obscure AKA moldy bread saying the power of the cloud will make the Xbox 1 6x stronger than ps4 and later on after PSVR the upgrade would have “true high definition VR games” oh and holo lenses would destroy psvr.
It amazes me how fast Microsoft and you guys do a 360 when convenient.

Anyway I can’t wait to see real gameplay from both companies, next gen will be one for the books in consoles history.

[UltraNova]

"Cerny´s statements are all talk till he actually shows those advancements in game and not on some power point presentation."

Oh the irony in that statement... truly next level stuff!

[Sophisticated_Chap]

You can't have 4K/60 graphics without a powerful GPU, which is the determining factor, so times aren't changing.

[RazzerRedux]

Times are not changing? Really? So how much attention was dedicated to storage and IO speeds this gen or the gen before? Seems like that aspect has changed a lot and you have a lot of folks excited about it including Microsoft.

There was never talk like this:

" For example, the introduction of the NVMe SSD as part of the Xbox velocity architecture. We designed the Xbox velocity architecture to be the ultimate solution for game asset streaming. And it works as an effective memory multiplier beyond the physical memory that's in the box because we have such superfast IO speeds, that there are entire classes of assets you don't even need to load into memory until just before you need them. So it opens up a whole swath of new capabilities for game developers."

Seems silly to pretend that this all just about the GPU. It simply isn't.

[Eonjay]

Both systems can do 4K 60FPS.

[Fishy Fingers]

No ones pretending it "all just about the GPU"

The SSD and I/O speeds are the biggest gain this gen, what 30-60x faster than current depending on platform. Thats huge! Where as GPU we're looking at what 2-3x at best. Sounds less impressive huh.

However, components have a specific job and i think when most people consider what they want from next gen first and foremost its the graphics and the speed the graphics can be rendered (frame rate). Which component do you think is kinda key to that? Clue is in the name.

[RazzerRedux]

"No ones pretending it "all just about the GPU""

When a guy dismisses it as if nothing has changed ("times aren't changing") then yeah, they certainly are. That's how I read it anyway and that's why I responded. If he wants to clarify....he can.

"However, components have a specific job and i think when most people consider what they want from next gen first and foremost its the graphics and the speed the graphics can be rendered (frame rate). Which component do you think is kinda key to that? Clue is in the name."

I didn't see anyone say GPU wasn't a very important component either. You are right that these components have specific jobs and Jason Ronald spent a good bit talking about Velocity Architecture. SSD and IO are getting more attention than ever before (changing times). I'm excited about this because DirectX 12 Ultimate is bringing this tech to PC so good news all around.

[Neonridr]

but we won't have 4k/60 with what these systems are bringing. Not running all the top settings at least. PC GPUs have trouble with that and they can cost upwards of twice what these machines will.

[russo121]

@Sophisticated_Chap

Open your eyes, take a deep breath because it's gonna hurt. You're already too much salty and this is just the beginning!!!

[Obscure_Observer]

@RazzerRedux

Sophisticated is right, though. The requirement of a powerful GPU for 4K/60fps is a fact.

I do belive gaming design will improve when we talk about first party development, but, imo, it remains to be seen if and when third party developers will take advantage of SSDs, it´s features and new development tools on a meaningful level in a short term.

[RazzerRedux]

@Obscure_Observer

"Sophisticated is right, though. The requirement of a powerful GPU for 4K/60fps is a fact."

I never disagreed with that statement at all.

"I do belive gaming design will improve when we talk about first party development, but, imo, it remains to be seen if and when third party developers will take advantage of SSDs, it´s features and new development tools on a meaningful level in a short term."

I agree with that as well. I just don't think SSD should be outright dismissed. These consoles are going to have tech that even PCs don't have at this point with compression hardware and APIs. Who knows what benefits we will see even beyond load times when devs learn to fully utilize it. No idea what to expect at this point.

[XBManiac]

Well... my phone can do more than 4K/60p... at a +1000$ cost.

[Minute Man 721]

CPU

[Fishy Fingers]

Massive improvement in load times will make a difference sure, but I'd take a 2080 with traditional SSD over a 2060 with an nvme anyday.

Might wait a second or 2 longer to load, but when its loaded, it performs/looks better.

Its a silly comparison really, because both systems have made massive improvements compared to 5400rpm spinners of this gen.

[Sophisticated_Chap]

Most of the people in disagreement have never seen the inside of a PC case, and only know how to turn a device on or off. This is why these SSD articles get any traction at all. All I can say, is that I absolutely can't wait to see all of the Digital Foundry comparisons, because there are going to be a lot of upset people once they see the actual truth of the matter.

[RazzerRedux]

"but I'd take a 2080 with traditional SSD over a 2060 with an nvme anyday."

That's a huge 30-40% jump in GPU performance. And, at this point, PC isn't seeing the jump in speed from traditional SSD to NVMe as there will be in next gen consoles with compression/decompression modules and APIs. So yeah, I'd take that too, but that isn't really an accurate comparison to next gen consoles.

[Unspoken]

Bingo, you hit it right in the money. Not a single dev has shown revolutionary SSD gameplay and the peanut gallery is lapping up the koolaid. Sony playing damage control with haptic feedback, nvme, and 3d audio, all of which have been out in the tech world.

[RazzerRedux]

@Unspoken

"Not a single dev has shown revolutionary SSD gameplay and the peanut gallery is lapping up the koolaid. "

Uh....tell Microsoft to stop pouring koolaid then. Who do you think we are talking about here? What tech are we talking about? What console? Microsoft. Velocity architecture. Xbox Series X. Is this just bullshit from Microsoft? What else shouldn't we buy into as far as what MS is saying about XSX? You guys tell me.

[Donnie81]

Because it’s the hip feature this gen but that doesn’t make power any less important. They have covered the gpu a few times already.

[Neonridr]

because graphics were already pretty darn good on the Pro / One X. People better not be expecting this amazing leap in graphic fidelity. Complexity to worlds maybe, but One X and Pro ran many games at 1440-1800p or even native 4K in some regards. All that will change is we might see more games running at native 4K. But the load times are going to be miles better, and that's what people are going to notice. Both the SX and PS5 are offering huge leaps in that regard.

[waverider]

Exactly. Rez is already high. Ssd is impresso much more. Games like destiny 2 that take for ever to load and still got loading times, Huge open world games....

[gold_drake]

it was a nice read, but he says quite alot of things that ultimately mean nothing and is "up to the developer". but i wasnt expecting any sort of answers, not now anyways

[Father__Merrin]

i wont be getting a series x i will be getting a PS5 but i am interested in the lower power series x lockhart

[JCOLE13195]

Why the less powerful one if I may ask? Nothing wrong with your choice, just curious.

[Sophisticated_Chap]

If you don't own a 4K TV and have a good 1080p TV that you're still satisfied with, then the Lockhart would be the go-to choice. Lockhart is the way that I would be leaning also.

[solidossnakos]

Thats actually not a bad idea.
Getting the PS5 as your main console and buying lockhart for the gamepass alone is great.
For me I'm getting the series x first and maybe in another year I'll get the PS5.

[danny818]

Damn yea that is a great idea lol

[CaptainHenry916]

PS5/PC or lockhart if you can't afford a PC is all you need. I'm having a blast playing gamepass on PC

[neutralgamer1992]

Thunder

No need for that man born systems will do well but ps5 will do much better but still you shouldn't make comments like that

Atom

Whatever do you mean by that it's not like ps5 won't be launching alongside Xbox so why would it upset a PlayStation fan. I don't agree with his fanboy trolling comment at all no need for that

Circle

Maybe check on your facts it's not 5 people when developer with crysis left a detailed breakdown and had to delete it because it offended someone with Ms. Both companies are taking a different route. Ms wants power and have out all their eggs in that basket and Sony with SSD and ease of development

We have had many developers praise cerny and ps5 saying stuff like people don't realize what cerny and ps5 are trying to achieve and deliver

Kweit

That's the tradition on this site Xbox news PlayStation fanboys comments and ps5 news Xbox fanboys comment

[darthv72]

But... BOTH will be easy to develop for. These aren't like PS1 and Saturn all over again. They are extensions to the current gen so just as easy (if not more). As for those praising Cerny, I think it was one guy and (oh I don't know...) he was probably specifically writing a piece about the PS5 so he only asked PS5 related questions. The devs who are being open about PS5 are doing so because they are being asked PS5 questions. That doesnt mean they have any less enthusiasm for the SX. They weren't being asked to comment on the SX because MS is already so open about it. Only Sony is being quiet so... what do you expect questions from devs to be about? Sony wont answer so the devs try to do their best.

[neutralgamer1992]

Darth

We will see once Sony shows up until than it is what it is. Today's show did nothing because there wasn't much gameplay of anything that was shown

That maybe the reason Sony doesn't feel the pressure to talk they can show up in June and July have one big show and that will be enough

And I much rather take developers word on what and who cerny is and is capable of than you or any other gamer on this site

Unless gaming is changing I see having day one exclusives for your brand making a difference but maybe ms's strategy of having their games both forward and backwards compatible will be the thing we will know once the systems are released

I think and this is just my opinion you launch a new system and you show games only available on that system to make people buy it and show the true power of it. I don't think it's possible for developers to take full advantage of either platform if they have to support last gen consoles

[RazzerRedux]

"We designed the system with a price point in mind. We're confident in the system we've designed, but at the same time, we're going to be agile on price."

Hmmm, so Microsoft is prepared to change from their "price point in mind" to something more "agile" which I am reading as more competitive. Interesting.

[Obscure_Observer]

"Hmmm, so Microsoft is prepared to change from their "price point in mind" to something more "agile" which I am reading as more competitive. Interesting."

Interesting indeed. Who´s waiting for who when comes to price those things. Which company will announce their price tag first?

[Bruh]

There's no doubt the Series X has a ton of power. But if today's " gameplay" trailers showed anything, its that its really gonna be first parties who need to show us what the hardware is truly capable of. Microsoft has some talented engineers, I wanna see Playground's Fable on a next-gen engine, Obsidian's next-gen engine, Forza Tech and Slipspace from 343. These 3rd parties, aside from maybe CDPR or Rockstar, really every push the limits of the system hardware

[Donnie81]

I’m so hyped for the most balanced console ever. Go Xbox

[Destiny1080]

Xbox Gamers must be very disappointed
Simple Block Design
Simple Boot Logo & Tune
Simple controller Design
Simple Presentation is not even worth talking About
Lets Hope it has a simple Price

[Sitdown]

Destiny 1080 must be very disappointed
Simple Block Design - I'm purchasing one for the games not the design.
Simple Boot Logo & Tune - I'm purchasing one for the games not the start up tone
Simple Controller Design - Why is a more complex design needed? I've enjoyed games on an Atari controller
Simple Presentation - It's May, and people are already talking.
Simple Price - What's an example of a complex price?

[Obscure_Observer]

@Destiny1080

"Simple controller Design"

Not for hardcore competitive gamers like myself. DLI is gonna be a game changer. ;)

[SyntheticForm]

You're no good at this.

[AuraAbjure]

wtf?

[Shikoku]

So he said nothing about the price got it.

[franwex]

My favorite boot screen is still PS2's-WOOMP.

[Lamusiqa]

Good read! He sure likes to say "ultimately" a lot though.

[JayRyu]

I really like the new boot screen!

[Max_Eckhardt]

PS1 is still my favourite boot

[GameStallion]

Watching people watch stuff like in the article's video is so cringe. Sorry if I offend anyone with this, but it's just how I feel.