Notebookcheck Logo

Developers aren't too enthused by supposed Xbox Lockhart variant with weaker GPU, less RAM

Xbox Scarlett might arrive as two SKUs (Image Source: Microsoft)
Xbox Scarlett might arrive as two SKUs (Image Source: Microsoft)
Kotaku's Jason Schreier, who spoke earlier about the Xbox Scarlett's alleged Lockhart variant, offers further details about the budget Scarlett SKU. If it's real, Lockhart may hit the market with less RAM and a weaker GPU. Will this fragment the Xbox ecosystem?

Xbox Scarlett might not arrive as a single model. Kotaku's Jason Schreier, who talked about the cheaper "Lockhart" and premium "Anaconda" SKUs earlier, recently offered a few more tidbits. Keep in mind that this information is unconfirmed and Schreier may well be off the mark.

On his "Splitscreen" podcast, Schreier had this to say about Lockhart: "The way it's been described to me...I think [Lockhart] is going to have significantly less RAM, but the CPU makes a big difference, especially when it comes to frame-rate. The SSD makes a huge difference when it comes to loading times. So, I think what [developers] can do a lot of the time is knock down the texture quality, take a hit on the resolution, but you don't have to sacrifice frame-rate as much."

Later in the podcast, Schreier touched on an interesting point about the capabilities of the PS5 and Anaconda, Scarlett's supposed top-end SKU. He claimed that both Sony and Microsoft are aiming to deliver GPUs that are "graphics cards, like the RTX 2080, that are on the market today."

We'd advise taking this with a grain of salt, though. Navi 10--in the form of the RX 5700 XT is the closest thing in AMD's stable to the RTX 2080. In its desktop form, it simply costs too much and uses too much power to be a viable console GPU. And the supposed "2080 Ti killer" will likely cost even more.

All in all, the console market is set to get interesting again next year. Between cloud solutions like Stadia, xCloud and Playstation Now, and the arrival of the ninth-gen home consoles, console gamers will have plenty of great options.

Source(s)

static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2019 12 > Developers aren't too enthused by supposed Xbox Lockhart variant with weaker GPU, less RAM
Arjun Krishna Lal, 2019-12- 8 (Update: 2019-12-10)