Xbox boss thinks 8K might never be the standard in video games

Xbox boss Phil Spencer believes it will be a long time before 8K resolution becomes standard in video games, if indeed it ever does.

Microsoft’s more powerful upcoming next-gen console, Xbox Series X, is able to run games at “true” 4K and can also output 8K resolution for some content.

But in an interview with Wired, Spencer cast doubt on whether 8K will ever be widely adopted in games.

“I think 8K is aspirational technology,” he said. “The display capabilities of devices are not really there yet. I think we’re years away from 8K being—if it ever is—standard in video games.”

Liz Hamren, head of gaming engineering at Xbox, also suggested to Wired that not as many people have 4K TVs as AAA publishers might believe.

Further reading

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The $499/€499/£449 Xbox Series X and $299/€299.99/£249.99 Xbox Series S are both scheduled to launch on November 10, 2020.

Both consoles will support ray-tracing, which promises to deliver “true-to-life lighting, accurate reflections and realistic acoustics in real time as you explore the game world”, according to Microsoft.

When Wired put it to Spencer that ray tracing has failed to deliver on its promise so far, he agreed that was “probably right.”

Spencer added: “When I think about games where ray-tracing has had a dramatic impact on my experience as a player, it’s kind of spotty.”

Series S will run games natively at 1440p and up to 120fps. It’s also capable of running games at upscaled 4K and can stream media at the higher resolution.

Further reading

Microsoft reveals more Xbox Series X details including ‘audio ray tracing’

Console can also quick resume multiple games even after a system reboot