While the PS5 design is still completely unknown, that of the Xbox Series X was shown early on. Now a developer has explained why the console looks that way.
After the first official announcement at the end of 2019, many speculated about the familiar design of the Xbox Series X, as the new console looks completely different from the previously known consoles. By now, we also know that the Xbox Series X will definitely have its release in 2020.
Why did Microsoft choose this design? Chris Kujawski, Principal Designer at Microsoft, explains in a conversation why the design was not easy at the beginning. He says:
When we started with the design, everything was still theoretical. We had nothing to test, we had no metrics we could use, we only knew it would be very powerful, and that it would need a completely different design for that.
Chris Kujawski, Principal Designer at Microsoft, Source: Eurogamer.net
Xbox Series X: How the design of the console came about
What were the expectations for the design? The designers initially faced various hurdles.
- The Xbox Series X should be significantly more powerful than the Xbox One X. Therefore, it requires good cooling, as performance generates heat.
- At the same time, the Xbox Series X should not be much louder than the Xbox One X (acoustic performance). In a slim case like that of the Xbox One X, this would not have been possible with much higher performance.
What role did this play? The developer explains that various factors influenced the shape of the Xbox Series X and affected the final design:
- the performance of the processor
- the optical drive
- the size of the cooling fins
- good airflow
Kujawski explains: “And because of all these properties, and how the parts work together, we decided on the cuboid shape that we love so much.”
The assembly was almost a form of “play”. Jim Wahl, Director of Mechanical Engineering, explains:
We played a kind of 3D Tetris by trying to figure out how the components had to be placed and what the best setup is – and that there are completely different dimensions coming into play.
Jim Wahl, Director of Mechanical Engineering, Source: Eurogamer.net
As a result, the Xbox Series X and Xbox One X differ completely in design. While the design takes a completely new approach, Microsoft consciously decided to keep an old feature in the Xbox Series X:
Xbox Series X: Design and split motherboard
What is special about the Xbox Series X? In the old Xbox 360, all important components of the Xbox were located in a metallic chassis. The Xbox One X also has all important components in a metallic chassis.
In the Xbox Series X, the chassis is now the core of the Xbox Series X. The split motherboard is built onto it. The greatest feature, says Kujawski, is also this split motherboard, as it is being used for the first time in a console. And he also explains how the motherboard is structured:
- On one half of the motherboard are the processor, GDDR6 memory, and power regulators.
- On the other half are the I/O components. These are responsible for reading and writing data.
The advantage of this is: Both parts of the motherboard can be easily and quickly cooled. Jim Wahl, Director of Mechanical Engineering, states: “We call this a parallel cooling architecture, cold air comes in – and cold air can flow through the individual areas of the console.”
Kujawski adds that this way, the components that get particularly hot can be cooled separately from one another.
What does the design of the PS5 look like? While the design of the Xbox Series X is already known, many are waiting for the design of the PS5. We have presented the 5 most interesting designs for the PS5.
