The Inside Xbox series re-launched earlier this week. There was a massive amount of news in this first installment, but two Xbox-specific update related items are worthy of highlighting.
We already know the Xbox will receive a big software update in the coming weeks, including 1440p support for the Xbox One X. Among the other new features coming are AMD Freesync support for enabled monitors and low-latency mode support for compatible TVs.
Gamers that enjoy connecting their Xbox One X or S to a PC-type monitor will be able to take advantage of AMD Freesync if their monitor is equipped with it. Freesync technology allows the console and monitor to work together more seamlessly to minimize tearing in graphics and stuttering in motion. The end result is a more buttery gaming experience.
Many modern TVs have a low-latency “game mode” which turns off any special processing of image and motion that the TV does for movies or other programs. TVs that are coming to market this year will have the capability to enable their low-latency modes automatically. The Xbox One X will be able to take advantage by automatically sending the necessary signal to the TV when gameplay starts.
The new capabilities will be rolled out separately. Support for AMD Freesync is coming this spring but low-latency support will not be available until a future update later in 2018, perhaps with the Redstone 5 update for Windows 10, given that Xbox platform and Windows platform software updates are aligned.