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Microsoft's Next-Gen Xbox Will Focus On 'XCloud' Game Streaming (theverge.com)
One big area that Microsoft is focusing on with its next-generation Xbox is game streaming. According to a report from Thurrott.com, Microsoft is working on two new Xbox consoles. The "Xbox Two" will be a console similar to that of the Xbox One and Xbox 360, with updated hardware and specs. The other Xbox console in development will be limited to streaming games. The Verge reports: The streaming-only console will reportedly include a low amount of local compute for handling tasks like controller input, image processing, and collision detection. These tasks are essential to reducing latency in game streaming, and Microsoft is said to be planning to slice up processing between the game running locally and in the cloud in order to reduce input lag and other image processing delays. Microsoft is currently developing its next-generation Xbox console under the Scarlett codename. The software giant recently revealed it's also working on a game streaming service for Xbox that will work across any device. This is a key part of Microsoft's future plans with Xbox, and part of the company's vision for developing its "Netflix for video games" service, Xbox Game Pass.
Sources familiar with Microsoft's plans tell The Verge that Microsoft is currently "all hands" on creating datacenters capable of powering the company's game streaming service. Referred to as codename "XCloud" internally, Microsoft has been experimenting with combining four lots of custom Xbox consoles into a single server blade for its datacenters. These servers will launch initially with developers in mind to build and develop games in the cloud instead of local debug machines, and then to stream games to consumers.
Sources familiar with Microsoft's plans tell The Verge that Microsoft is currently "all hands" on creating datacenters capable of powering the company's game streaming service. Referred to as codename "XCloud" internally, Microsoft has been experimenting with combining four lots of custom Xbox consoles into a single server blade for its datacenters. These servers will launch initially with developers in mind to build and develop games in the cloud instead of local debug machines, and then to stream games to consumers.
"Aside from that, 144Hz is totally unnecessary as you can't tell the difference for anything above 60Hz."
Hogwash. If you cant tell the difference between a fluorescent tube flickering at 60Hz and 144Hz you need to get your eyes checked.
Wrong, 60Hz is there only because it was the AC frequency in the US and ended up be carried all the way to LCD screens, after being the VGA 640x480 frequency too (note that text mode and 320x200 were 70Hz...)
90Hz is a rate used by some VR systems, much closer to a practical limit - in truth there's no set limit (we have no refresh rate), it depends on content such that you might see some very high contrast thing that flashes briefly.
Amusingly peripheral vision seems faster, you can sometimes notice things flickering in peripheral vision. We can't really see shit in there in a clear and focused way but we can detect things.
Indeed, why try to play at 4K 144fps on a PC? But we don't have to.