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Xbox One April Update Rolling Out With Low-Latency Mode, FreeSync, and 1440p Support; 120Hz Support Coming In May Update (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the come-and-get-it dept.

Microsoft is rolling out a new Xbox One update that brings 1440p support for the Xbox One S and X, as well as support for AMD's FreeSync technology to allow compatible displays to sync refresh rates with Microsoft's consoles. A subsequent update in May will bring 120Hz-display refresh-rate support to the Xbox One. The Verge reports: FreeSync, like Nvidia's G-Sync, helps remove tearing or stuttering usually associated with gaming on monitors, as the feature syncs refresh rates to ensure games run smoothly. Alongside this stutter-free tech, Microsoft is also supporting automatic switching to a TV's game mode. Auto Low-Latency Mode, as Microsoft calls it, will be supported on new TVs, and will automatically switch a TV into game mode to take advantage of the latency reductions. The Xbox One will also support disabling game mode when you switch to another app like Netflix. Microsoft is also making some audio tweaks with the April update for the Xbox One. New system sounds take advantage of spatial sound to fully support surround sound systems when you navigate around. Gamers who listen to music while playing can also now balance game audio against background music right inside the Xbox Guide. Other features in this update include sharing game clips direct to Twitter, dark to light mode transitions based on sunrise / sunset, and improvements to Microsoft Edge to let you download or upload pictures, music, and videos.

48 comments

  1. Any Freesync TVs available? by alvinrod · · Score: 2

    Adaptive sync for consoles is kind of cool and all, but are there any TVs that actually have it right now? I don't think there would be much reason outside of gaming consoles. I suppose you could hook your console up to a Freesync monitor, but that kind of defeats the point of a console.

    1. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://lmgtfy.com/?q=freesync+tv

    2. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So that's a "no" then.

    3. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by omnichad · · Score: 0

      Adaptive sync for consoles is a sign that the console is dead. If the console can't keep up with 60Hz and you need to resort to adaptive refresh rates to avoid tearing, then the console or games were done wrong. If you want to support higher refresh rates, fine. Just tune the game to work with the one and only variation of hardware you have.

    4. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Samsung is apparently going to see a QLED TV with FreeSync. Those normal start at about $1300, but there's a sale right now, so $800. (But those appear to be last year's models, so I don't know what the new ones will cost.)

      I suppose someone could buy a FreeSync monitor and listen to the game via their controller audio port (consoles can do that, right?).

    5. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Adaptive sync for consoles is a sign that the console is dead. If the console can't keep up with 60Hz and you need to resort to adaptive refresh rates to avoid tearing, then the console or games were done wrong. If you want to support higher refresh rates, fine. Just tune the game to work with the one and only variation of hardware you have.

      Then why were G-Sync and FreeSync pioneered on PCs, if they can keep up with 60Hz? ... because ALWAYS hitting 60Hz is not even a feasible goal on a PC.

    6. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      An i5-8400 with a 1080 Ti can average about 166 FPS with a 1% minimum of 104 FPS in Battlefield 1. That clears 60 Hz just fine.

      Of course, the syncing would then be used for 144 Hz monitors. Or with weaker GPUs.

    7. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      by weaker GPUs, you mean sub $600-$1000 GPUs.

    8. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually HDMI 2.1 will have Freesync baked into the spec. I wonder how NVidia will react, either they will stay on hdmi 2.0 forever or they will implement it but restrict it to hdmi only to sell their G-Sync everything else is not NVidia like (aka play fair)

    9. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The nature of 3D games forces a huge range of frame presentation times, since you could be looking at a heavy scene from the worst angle possible and the turn 180 and face a simple wall. This has been true since the original Quake. Freesync makes sense even in powerful PCs as it helps a lot with the stuttering typically present when your frame time is (some times, but not always) below the target Hz, which is almost guaranteed to happen from time to time (unless your machine is vastly overpowered and idle most of the time, in which case you'd think it would be better to add more detail to the scene and improve the presentation).

    10. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      by weaker GPUs, you mean sub $600-$1000 GPUs.

      Are there any sub $600 GPUs left? I mean after all, these aren't "graphics cards" anymore, they're "investment engines" for crypto-bucks.

    11. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      Well, considering that HDMI specs only apply to HDMI connections, and Nvidia also has DisplayPort on their cards, I suppose they'll support both FreeSync and G-Sync, with G-Sync still being used over DisplayPort if the display supports it just like today.

      And each technology will stand on it's merits.

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    12. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, the majority of console games is and has been at 30fps for a long time, yet the market thrives. 60Hz has nothing to do with it.

    13. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Because everyone has a 1080 Ti...

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    14. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by Type44Q · · Score: 1

      I don't think there would be much reason outside of gaming consoles

      How about smooth playback of 24fps video on a 30 or 60hz display?

    15. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

      Not right now, but in ~15 years everyone will have _that level of performance_ in new devices a GPU's continue to get smaller and faster.

    16. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by locopuyo · · Score: 1

      The chicken or the egg. Someone has to start supporting it.

      --
      The Official Site of 1337 Pwnage
    17. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I got freesync for a 144hz monitor, IMO its not that useful on a 60hz display or weak computer as if you can't maintain 60fps you're going to have a terrible experience.

      This is more true for G-sync where the monitor upcharge is more than a decent video card anyway.

      I think this is more buzzword bingo checkbox nonsense. It doesn't matter that your console supports 120hz or adaptive sync if the cpu is too slow to push 30fps consistently.

    18. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's immaterial.

      The contested statement is "because ALWAYS hitting 60Hz is not even a feasible goal on a PC."

      A consumer grade card has been shown to be fully capable of hitting 60Hz at all times.

      Therefore, it is a feasible goal on a PC. In fact, many cards from the current generation, some cards from the previous generation, and even one stock card from 3 video card generations in the past can maintain a minimum of at least 60Hz according to the linked post.

      Seems totally feasible. Hell, 10 series Geforce cards have been on the market for a year already, the next big thing is likely coming right around the corner.

      Now, granted this is a benchmark in one game. Different games may have different performance. It does seem to defeat the claim, however.

    19. Re:Any Freesync TVs available? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      lol yes.. very true :-)

      I think the cryptocurrency factor plus maybe not as many people subsidizing the cheaper cards (that are not playing games on phones, consoles, or not at all) all contribute..

      very good point.

  2. PC master race by steak · · Score: 0

    At what point do non-nintendo consoles admit defeat and just start making computers?

    --
    lose != loose
    1. Re:PC master race by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      considering how badly Nintendo did last gen and while they are doing ok this gen they aren't doing better than PS4 and the Xbox is quite healthy with a big lead over them though Nintendo "might" pull that back by end of gen. I don't know why anyone would consider admitting defeat to them. At this point it would more likely be the inverse.

    2. Re:PC master race by gravewax · · Score: 0

      for that to happen Nintendo would have to come up with something that makes them the leader wouldn't? why would anyone admit defeat to the current second place runner this gen and dead last place last gen.

    3. Re:PC master race by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      XBox basically *is* an AMD PC, running a Xbox OS skin atop a Windows 10 hypervisor.

    4. Re:PC master race by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At what point do non-nintendo consoles admit defeat and just start making computers?

      When people stop giving them money?

    5. Re:PC master race by Guspaz · · Score: 1

      And the hardware in the PS4 is virtually identical, so...

    6. Re:PC master race by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      When a shitty low end GPU thats just as fast as the xboxX doesn't cost more than the whole console!

      --
      http://saveie6.com/
    7. Re:PC master race by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And the hardware in the PS4 is virtually identical, so...

      Look, let's just all agree that any modern console *is* a PC. The only fucking difference is the input, where you've got some molded dual vibra-shock sex toy looking thing that you use instead of a keyboard.

    8. Re:PC master race by iampiti · · Score: 1

      While modern consoles are pretty much identical to an x86/IBM pc this argument has never made much sense for me: Traditionally consoles have used CPUs and other chips not common on "office" PCs but most of the time that didn't really give them much of an advantage over the PCs of the era so what difference does it make? They've always been turing complete von neumann computers so nothing radically different from a common PC

    9. Re:PC master race by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I get my Fortnite kicks on PS4 with a mouse and keyboard.

    10. Re:PC master race by known_coward_69 · · Score: 1

      Nintendo can't even make a 1080p console in 2018

    11. Re:PC master race by sherr · · Score: 1

      You misunderstand the OP. The others wouldn't be admitting defeat to Nintendo, they'd be admitting defeat to PCs. Nintendo consoles are fundamentally *different* (from both other consoles and PCs) and in a lot of ways are playing in a different competition altogether.

    12. Re:PC master race by gravewax · · Score: 1

      Then the OP completely misunderstands the market and basic economics. As long as they make healthy profits they are going to stay in the business. I am a PC gamer but even I can see the basic truth that there is a massive market for console type gaming in the living room at a reasonable price, something the PC gaming market can't address.

  3. QA? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Are Xbox updates as well-QA'd as Windows updates?

    1. Re:QA? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good question. I own an Xbox One and use it to play a lot of games that I can't run on my desktop OS because I prefer to run Linux variants (for work and just because it's not WIndows). It's been really solid so far and has the added bonus that many of the games I own, I can also play on Windows should I ever decide to use that OS again.

  4. Re: Zontar = fake name massive human fail by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    cool story

  5. What are the upgrates in spyware front? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    But how about updates in their core business area; telemetry? Will the XBox now eavesdrop, distill and relay all the network traffic on the home network? As they collect Wifi passwords on all fronts, they could also collect data from the neighborhood. Or does it just keep microphones always on to listen for valuable advertisement targeting information?

  6. Slashvertisment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Slashvertisment! Shiny! Buy!

    Slashdot, the site for knuckle draggers and millenials.

  7. First game to reach 120fps will be "Pong"? by ffkom · · Score: 1

    I would not expect any game with significantly complex graphics to reach 120fps on an Xbox One. Thus I wonder what this is good for.

    1. Re:First game to reach 120fps will be "Pong"? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      I would not expect any game with significantly complex graphics to reach 120fps on an Xbox One. Thus I wonder what this is good for.

      Perhaps you do not remember the first racing game to reach true 60 fps: Wipeout XL on the Playstation 1. And that game looked amazing.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re: First game to reach 120fps will be "Pong"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Most games still run at 30fps on consoles. Moot point.

  8. PS4 Pro please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Much better!

  9. Re:Zontar = fake name massive human fail by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

    What the fuck is a "fake name" on a pseudonymous web site?

    My god, you're a fucking idiot. Extra points for talking about someone else's "no-mind bullshit blatherings" completely un-ironically.

    --
    Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
  10. Sounds like preparations for Windows Mixed Reality by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Most Windows Mixed Reality headsets run at 1440x1440 per eye, could benefit from spatial sounds, and the higher frame rate limits. I'd say this is a good sign that Microsoft are looking to support their Virtual Reality headsets on Xbox.

  11. Game mode by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    The Xbox One will also support disabling game mode when you switch to another app like Netflix.

    Why would someone do that? All TVs look like crap in anything but game mode.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  12. I fail to satisfy cdreimer... APK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: I love the musty smell of that guy's nutz now when I smell it I get all hot and bothered

    He has an insatiable thirst for my ass and in the last 2 nights has dumped like 15 loads of cum in it

    Last night I discovered stomping and was put in my proper place

    APK

    P.S. - I got my second erection in 20 years last night as felt cdreimer's cum dribble out my ass and down my scak. After that he put on some surplus military boots and stomped on my dick until it was limp and one giant bruise... apk satisfy

  13. BeauHD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    BeauHD injecting more mindnumbingly boring articles from theverge into the feed.