E3: Microsoft unveils the most powerful console in the world – the Xbox One X

The Xbox One X, the world’s most powerful console, has been officially unveiled at the E3 videogame conference.

The new Xbox – previously codenamed Project Scorpio – will be released in November, and offers 40% more power than any other console, with better graphics and sound.

Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, also used E3 to announce 42 new titles for the Xbox One family of devices, with 22 of those exclusive to the consoles.

The six-teraflop Scorpio engine and built-in supersampling gives gamers better textures, smoother framerates and faster load times, even on a 1080p TV. Players can record game clips in 4K at 60 frames per second and capture 4K screenshots.

The Xbox One X also offers 4K Ultra HD for Blu-ray X and streamed content, HDR support for gaming and video, and Dolby Atmos support. Thanks to a built-in power supply, it is the smallest Xbox ever built, while gamers can use three USB 3.0 ports (one in the front and two in the back) and an infrared blaster.

Every Xbox One X will come with a one-terabyte hard drive, a matching Xbox wireless controller, HDMI cable, power supply, a one-month free Xbox Game Pass subscription and a 14-day free Xbox Live Gold membership. It can be placed horizontally or vertically with an optional stand.

Everything you need to know about Xbox One X

The Xbox One X is part of the Xbox family, meaning that all existing Xbox One games, including Xbox Play Anywhere titles, Backward Compatible Xbox 360 games and accessories, will be compatible with new machine. Thanks to the Xbox One X’s power, those games will load faster and look and play better.

Gamers who already own an Xbox One S will find that all the cables they own will transfer over, with port locations on the Xbox One X designed so they can easily swap in their existing gaming setup.

Unveiling a host of games for the new console from some of the world’s biggest publishers, Spencer told the E3 crowd: “Xbox empowers game developers large and small to create different types of games for every type of player. Not only do we have the biggest cross-platform blockbusters on our platform, we’ve also scoured the world to bring our fans unique content from creative artists that capture the imagination.”

These include Assassin’s Creed Origins, Crackdown 3, Forza Motorsport 7, Sea of Thieves, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War and a free 4K HDR update for Minecraft, as well as a Super Duper Graphics Pack that includes new features such as dynamic shadows and new textures.

Spencer also announced that Xbox will expand the Xbox One Backward Compatibility library of nearly 400 Xbox 360 games to include original Xbox classics, starting with Crimson Skies. Xbox also revealed that Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, Minecraft, Resident Evil 7, Final Fantasy 15, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands, Rocket League and dozens of other popular Xbox One games will receive free updates to take full advantage of the power of Xbox One X.

Xbox One X will be released on November 7, priced at £449.