It’s a strange time to be a gamer. With many in self-imposed isolation due to the ongoing COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, the time for gaming has never been more appropriate. Yet on the side of the developers, the uncertainty . Luckily, Microsoft has remained vigilant in their efforts to inform the public about the upcoming Xbox Series X, unveiling the console’s specs and highlighting them with a few key videos.

One thing sure to please even the most casual gamer is a notable decrease in load times, as showcased in a tech demo below. For added context, the video is using a backward compatible Xbox One copy of State of Decay 2, rather than a game originally optimized for Series X. Regardless, the difference in load times is enough to cause excess salivating in gamers worldwide, especially those who favor massive open-world games with heavy death rates. 

On the tech side, an official update also highlights the addition of DirectX Raytracing, which will ensure that lighting and sound are as realistic as possible, above and beyond anything currently on the market today. The update also placed heavy emphasis on ensuring that games ran smoothly at 60FPS with 4K resolution without forcing developers to bend over backward. There’s plenty of information to unpack within the initial report — including a full list of specs — available right here.

Suffice it to say, Xbox Series One is about to shake the game up in a major way, even if the market is facing a moment of instability. As of now, the console has yet to be delayed and remains on course for the 2020 holiday season. On the other side of the river, Sony’s PlayStation 5 remains shrouded in mystery, only furthering the mystery of it all. Will you be copping a new generation console?