Unnoticeable Changes to Xbox Series X, or Microsoft School of Upgrades
Hardware changes in consoles are a pretty normal occurrence. In the case of Xbox Series X, the upgrade is expected to save money - both for gamers and Microsoft.
Source: Unsplash.
The life cycle of game consoles is quite long. So it is not surprising that manufacturers try to refresh their products from time to time. As reported by TechRadar, Microsoft is working on an improved main chip for the Xbox Series X. The mentioned change would help to increase power efficiency. But most importantly for the manufacturer, the introduction of a new chip could result in lower production costs.
The source of these reports is youtuber Brad Sams. During a Q&A session, he answered a question about Microsoft's plans involving improvements to the chip used in their console.
"I think it's true that Microsoft is working on a smaller, more energy efficient chip. I'm very confident about that."
More for less
These changes are not surprising, because already in the past we saw improved versions of consoles. Brad emphasizes that Microsoft is known for the fact that further modifications to their hardware are usually associated with a reduction in production costs. It is also worth noting that not only the company from Redmond is looking for savings in their designs. Sony has also redesigned the PS5's cooling system to make production more cost-effective.
Users probably won't notice much change in performance between the "old" and "new" versions of the console. However, do not forget that lower power requirements usually means lower temperatures generated by the device. That's good news for people who forget about cleaning their electronics.
Xbox Series X is still a young console and we will have to wait a while for more radical changes. If you were thinking about buying the device, it's not worth delaying the decision until the new chips are available, as they will not bring performance gains.