The Xbox Series X has been shrouded in secrecy since its official announcement last month, but the veil was unexpectedly lifted at AMD’s CES 2020 press conference on Monday. A sweeping view of the console has revealed a few key details about the machine’s hardware, most notably its front and rear port configuration – information that’s previously been kept out of the public eye, as noted by The Verge’s Tom Warren.
The AMD publicity video shows the front of the device in full, with a single USB port visible on the lower right corner of the device – nearly hidden by the nearby controller. The console’s front Blu-ray drive and eject button is also visible. The view then moves to the back, revealing – from top to bottom – an ethernet port, optical audio, two USB-C ports, two HDMI ports and a two-pin (C8) power input.
The HDMI ports should be HDMI version 2.1 in the final product, as this provides the option for 4K HDR at refresh rates higher than 60Hz over a single cable. For example, HDMI 2.1 allows high-end gaming monitors and TVs to be connected at 4K 120Hz. HDMI 2.1 also supports the 8K resolution displays that are plentiful at CES 2020 – but more or less completely absent from the homes of consumers – although it seems unlikely that many games will run at a native 8K 60fps given the massive ramp up in graphical horsepower it requires.
