According to reports coming from leaked documents outlining the Xbox One’s latest upgrades and newest development tools, Microsoft has allegedly opened up a seventh CPU core to developers, offering game makers a boost in processing power.

The news follows the trend Microsoft set in motion earlier last year when the company began freeing up resources normally reserved for background tasks, like Kinect camera functions, to instead serve the console’s performance in displaying better game visuals.

Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry reports that, since October, Microsoft has given developer access to 50% to 80% of a seventh processing core. Previously, both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 reserved two of eight processing cores strictly for multi-tasking, background tasks, and each console’s operating system.

However, providing game makers on Xbox One with six and a half or more cores of CPU power doesn’t come without its own headaches. While games might certainly benefit from the added performance, as titles like Assassin’s Creed Unity and Grand Theft Auto 5 are believed to already have done so, the possibility of game-specific and console-related voice commands eating up 50% or more of that seventh core’s usage still a reality.

Essentially, developers can’t access its full potential if space is still needed to perform voice-activated tasks at a moments notice. That said, reports indicate that Microsoft is on course to address the issue in a future SDK update.

Posted: Jan 06, 2015 6:26 pm
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: http://mp1st.com/2015/01/05/report-microsoft-unlocks-xbox-one-cpu-power-developer-use-latest-upgrade/?utm_content=featured