Xbox One X: Pre-orders open with limited edition model

Microsoft has finally announced that pre-orders for the Xbox One X have opened, with early adopters being offered a limited-edition Project Scorpio model.

Named after the development model of the high-performance console, the Xbox One X: Project Scorpio Edition comes in a matte-black finish. The system's name is inscribed on the unit and the controller in lime green.

Aside from these visual tweaks and the addition of a vertical stand, the Project Scorpio Edition comes with the standard version's 4K resolution graphics and high-dynamic range technology for better lighting effects.

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The Xbox One X is pipped to become the most advanced games console on the market. The Independent says the system will be "40 per cent more powerful" than its rivals.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is working with third-party games studios to ensure Xbox One titles are optimised for the extra power in the new console, The Verge reports. These optimisations will be free to download and could boost the resolution and frame rate of standard Xbox One games.

But the website says game designers cannot make titles that are exclusive to the Xbox One X as they must be compatible with the base-level system that launched in 2013.

The console can be pre-ordered from Microsoft's online store for £449.99. TechRadar says fans will need to place their orders for the limited-edition Project Scorpio model quickly as it has nearly sold out.

Deliveries for the high-performance games system are expected on 7 November.

Xbox One X: First impressions, pre-orders and release

26 July

Microsoft is gearing-up for the launch of its PlayStation 4 Pro-rivalling Xbox One X later this year.

The new product, which debuted at this year's E3 games show, is being touted as the most powerful home console ever made. Microsoft demonstrated several games at the event, such as Assassins Creed: Origins and Forza Motorsport 7, all of which ran at 4K resolution and 60fps.

Under the console's enclosure sits a custom 2.3GHz processor, 0.55 more than the entry-level Xbox One S, and six teraflops of graphics power – 1.8 teraflops extra compared to the product's PlayStation 4 Pro rival.

The console is set to reach the market in early November, but will users notice any difference between the Xbox One X and the standard Xbox One S?

First impressions

TechCrunch says "there’s no question" that the Xbox One X "is definitely a game system that puts out great visuals".

All the titles currently optimised for the Xbox One X, including Forza Motorsport 7, "looked" and "played great", the site reports.

But it says that users with a regular 1080p television won't see the benefits of the console's 4K resolution visuals.

It's an opinion shared by ArsTechnica, which says that the new console's added graphics power is "noticeable", but won't "wow" users in the same way that the transition from standard to high definition visuals did.

Still, the website says that players will be able to see "increased draw distances" and "destructible environments" in games thanks to the new console. There are even small visual touches that add to a game's immersion, including shaking windscreen wipers on cars in Forza Motorsport 7.

Users with standard 1080p screens can still enjoy some of the benefits of the Xbox One X, says T3, such as the new "supersampling" feature that increases the visual performance of games for lower-resolutions displays.

But people with a 4K television that's HDR-enabled (meaning it has high dynamic range) will see the biggest benefits, says the magazine. Users with standard TV sets may want to upgrade them first before investing in the new console.

Price, release and pre-orders

The Xbox One X will hit stores on 7 November, with prices starting at £449.99.

While pre-orders have yet to officially open, Xbox chief Phil Spencer tweeted the console has received "all approvals" and that it "won't be too much longer" until fans can reserve one.

He also answered a query on whether 4K television bundle deals will be available.

This could, however, significantly inflate the cost. Despite prices for 4K TVs plummeting in recent years, most displays upwards of 40ins cost in the region of £600 - meaning packages could be priced just shy of £1,000.