In past generations of consoles, the big dividing line was the scale of the game and the graphics; with the Xbox Series X, Xbox boss Phil Spencer says it's all about frame rate and latency, but still insists this is a "dramatic step up." He states.

"I think we're at a point now where the immersion, the tools we have, and the computing power make the delta from a visual impact perspective smaller, or the feature X is now possible where it wasn't possible before," Spencer told sister site explained on Gamelab Live, as discovered by TechRadar.

"And it may sound depressing to some, but I would say that the advantage aspect of what I see now is the truly immersive nature of the content being created.

This is a similar position to what Jason Ronald, Microsoft's Director of Program Management for the Xbox Series X, previously described as the frame rate improvements leading to "the power of the experience."

And it turns out that is Spencer's explanation as well. Higher frame rates should lead to a more immersive experience. He continued, "... [But what if you mix that with a very high frame rate, a solid frame rate, low input lag, and the ability to push the emotions and story that the game's storyteller is trying to convey through the game, through the screen, through the controller, through you What happens? That's what I'm feeling right now with games, and it's a dramatic step up.

It is thought provoking that both Ronald and Spencer discuss frame rate and latency as major game changers this time around. For example, the transition from the SNES to the N64 saw the advent of 3D graphics, while the transition from the PS2 to the PS3 saw the explosion of online gaming.

Here Spencer and Ronald talk about something more subtle: frame rate and latency. No wonder Spencer cautioned that "it may sound depressing to some people."

Is frame rate such a big deal that some PC gamers will buy gaming monitors that reach 240 Hz refresh rates just to get frame rates into the triple digits? Since TVs that exceed 60 Hz are rare, even if a console is technically Since TVs that exceed 60 Hz are rare, many gamers will find themselves capped at 60 fps, even if their consoles are technically capable of 120 fps.

In the interview linked above, Ronald discusses how the power available here could lead to "a whole new class of games," which seems a bit of an exaggeration to me. After all, the PC has had this kind of power for years, and the games available are much the same as those on consoles.

The difference, of course, is the size of the market: only a brave company would attempt to create an entirely new gaming experience that can only be played by a relatively small market of gamers with access to $1,000+ gaming PCs. PS5 and the Xbox Series X will bring this kind of power to the main stream would unlock new kinds of games for all and make all the difference.

We'll have to wait and see how the gaming landscape looks in a few years to find out if Ronald was a visionary or just marketing hyperbole.