This Xbox Feature Will Change The Feel Of Games

With the middle of 2020 approaching, gamers are becoming anxious to learn more about the next generation of consoles. After all, both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X are supposed to launch this holiday season and we have yet to receive any word on official release dates for either console. Xbox fans just received some exciting words from Xbox head honcho Phil Spencer that may actually show us how confident the Xbox team is in its next console offering.

In response to a question about the tech going into the Xbox Series X, Phil Spencer tweeted, "I'm very focused on the work we are doing around Dynamic Latency Input (DLI). In my view the feel of games this upcoming generation will change as dramatically as any since 2D to 3D given CPU upgrade, DLI, memory bandwidth and SSD."

That's a lot of technical jargon that can be easy to get lost in, but never fear. Xbox has been pretty transparent about the goals of the new console, so we need only look back a bit to figure out exactly what Spencer is referring to. Back in February, Spencer released a look at the Xbox Series X that gave fans an idea of the kind of technology at work. In that blog post, the purpose of Dynamic Latency Input was explained a little bit further.

As it was explained in the post, "We're optimizing latency in the player-to-console pipeline starting with our Xbox Wireless Controller, which leverages our high bandwidth, proprietary wireless communication protocol when connected to the console. With Dynamic Latency Input (DLI), a new feature which synchronizes input immediately with what is displayed, controls are even more precise and responsive."

In other words, the next generation of Xbox entertainment hopes to completely do away with any kind of input lag. Dynamic Latency Input is specifically designed to cut out any delays between a button command and the action playing out on screen. In this way, the Xbox Series X and controller will essentially anticipate your next inputs in order to make the game's responses as seamless as possible.

Immersion has long been one of the main focuses for the Xbox Series X. In an interview earlier this year, Spencer explained that he wanted Xbox games to catch up to PC games in the visuals department. However, he explained that it is also of major importance for Xbox games to have higher frame rates than they have in the past. That way, game inputs would match up more closely with the visuals.

"I think we've reached a point with Xbox One X in the generation where games look amazing, and there's always work we can do to look more amazing," Spencer explained. "But I want games to feel as amazing as they look. We don't have that in today's generation, mainly because the CPU is underpowered relative to the GPU that's in the box in order to reach a feel and frame rate and kind of consistency or variable refresh rate and other things that we want."

Microsoft is also making a concerted effort to strengthen the quality of sound in new games. Developers working on titles for the Xbox Series X have been putting a heavy emphasis on spatial sound design, which will make game environments feel more like they're all around players.

Fans sound pretty excited about the concept of Dynamic Latency Input. One fan responded to Spencer's tweet, writing, "As a avid fighting game player this is the most exciting thing for me. In games where a frame of input delay is the difference between winning or losing, executing or not this so very exciting to me!"

A few gamers admitted that Spencer's comments are very exciting. However, they also pointed out that fans are still waiting to hear a release date and official launch title lineup for the Xbox Series X. One fan tweeted, "Great Phil, We have the hardware and features to boot now waiting on them games announcements."

Another added, "Come on Phil lets have a date for when we get to see some games, lockdown needs some hype."

Still, it's great to see how passionate Spencer is regarding the next console generation. Microsoft has doubled down on the projected holiday release window on more than one occasion. In fact, Phil Spencer recently told IGN's Podcast Unlocked that Microsoft has no "Plan B" in the event of a coronavirus-related delay for the console. 

It's obvious that Microsoft is dead set on delivering the console on time (whenever that time exactly is). In the meantime, it's encouraging to hear the enthusiasm from Spencer and the kinds of features we can look forward to.