Discussion Xbox Helix (Magnus SoC) thread

[MrMPFR]

Unless the NPU and GPU can snoop into each other's caches, the answer is probably nothing.

I saw video from GDC where they demoed co-pilot on Xbox. The idea is prob you can talk to the console and it can guide player and answer and questions. Hopefully not autocomplete BS.
That's prob the limits of the feature realistically. Maybe some background stuff offloaded. Anything else has to run on GPU due to latency reasons for reasons you laid out.

 

[MrMPFR]

Edit: Ignore this. XSX doesn't have Work Graphs support.
Very confused by this but it checks out:

https://twitter.com/x/status/2033052366854041873

As you can see here:

Defining the Next Generation: An Xbox Series X|S Technology Glossary - Xbox Wire

[Editor’s Note: Updated on 10/21 at 11AM to ensure it is now reflective of the capabilities across both of our next-gen Xbox consoles following the unveil of Xbox Series S.] As we enter a new generation of console gaming with Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, we’ve made a number of technology...

news.xbox.com

And here:

DirectX-Specs

Engineering specs for DirectX features.

microsoft.github.io

This looks like >RDNA2 spec similar to the SFS HW customizations.

Best case MS provides emulation fallback for old HW and unifies native workgraphs support via next GDK for XSX, XSS, and Helix. Also Sony does some form of emulation similar to vkd3d-proton to support it on PS5 and PS5 Pro with PS6 having native support.

Worst case everyone ignores it and we won't see games using it till +5 years from now.

Even if emulation is not optimal, it's still far better than EI. Fingers crossed we see a paradigm shift during crossgen rather than well into 2030s.

 

[marees]

so Helix could be the best way to play GTA VI on console — at the time of the game's launch ??

https://twitter.com/x/status/2042335174176715140

 

[ToTTenTranz]

so Helix could be the best way to play GTA VI on console — at the time of the game's launch ??

https://twitter.com/x/status/2042335174176715140

The game is launching this year.


Regardless, GTA VI PC launching within a handful months after console might be quite the blow to Sony.

 

[MoragaBlue]

The game is launching this year.


Regardless, GTA VI PC launching within a handful months after console might be quite the blow to Sony.

Yeah, I had been assuming the console exclusive window would span at least 12 months?

From Rockstar's perspective, it would likely benefit them to shorten the window, since like most generational popular titles, you'll have lots of gamers (I'm guilty of this) who will buy the game on both console and PC.

The console launch is stated for Nov? I'll probably start GTA V late Summer, just in case I may catch the launch-day buy now bug. Few games can get me to impulse buy it on day one, but Rockstar along with FromSoft are probably the only studios who may get me to bite.

I'm actually really looking forward to this game and all the wonderful content we're certain to see out there when it's finally here.

 

[MrMPFR]

Yeah, I had been assuming the console exclusive window would span at least 12 months?

From Rockstar's perspective, it would likely benefit them to shorten the window, since like most generational popular titles, you'll have lots of gamers (I'm guilty of this) who will buy the game on both console and PC.

The console launch is stated for Nov? I'll probably start GTA V late Summer, just in case I may catch the launch-day buy now bug. Few games can get me to impulse buy it on day one, but Rockstar along with FromSoft are probably the only studios who may get me to bite.

I'm actually really looking forward to this game and all the wonderful content we're certain to see out there when it's finally here.

Gotta get ROI on that multi-billion $ investment. Limiting duration of PS5 exclusivity makes sense and they've delayed the game multiple times.
But I still don't buy the early 2027 rumours. We'll see.

 

[MoragaBlue]

Gotta get ROI on that multi-billion $ investment. Limiting duration of PS5 exclusivity makes sense and they've delayed the game multiple times.
But I still don't buy the early 2027 rumours. We'll see.

There's no sure thing in life, but GTA VI being a great success is as close as it gets.

Pure speculation on my part, but I suspect internal expectations are along the lines of the game reaching 20 - 25 million units sold in a time frame similar to recent titles that reached that milestone, e.g., Elden Ring, Hogwarts Legacy, Baldur's Gate III, Black Myth Wukong. Of course, all of the aforementioned titles accomplished the feat with a multi-platform launch, and I infer from this "leak" that Rockstar, while of course outwardly very confident on their planned console exclusive launch, hedging just in case the path to their internal expectations hit any speed bumps (you never know how gamers will react) necessitating a concurrent PC launch asap.

While, in my view, there's zero doubt this game will be profitable, it's more important if they meet investors' expectations, which is, I believe, reach 25 million units sold in relatively quick time frame, similar to prior titles. Perhaps, internally, they're having some questions on whether or not a console exclusive launch will accomplish that metric in an acceptable time frame.

 

[marees]

"we'll have more details about how developers can take advantage of the specific hardware features of Project Helix in the months ahead"

"We're working hard so developers can make one Xbox build in the future and it'll run on their Project Helix console, on PC and on streaming and cloud surfaces like smart TVs and other devices."

~Chris Charla, the general manager of portfolio and programs at Xbox, has been with Xbox for 16 years, and worked on ID@Xbox for 13. He began in 2010 as the XBLA portfolio director, and has changed titles several times to things like director of ID@Xbox and senior director of content curation and programs. (But all of these fancy titles have roughly described the same job he says he's been doing the whole time: "making sure cool indie games get onto Xbox and into players' hands.")

https://twitter.com/x/status/2036511137076838605

 

[ToTTenTranz]

"we'll have more details about how developers can take advantage of the specific hardware features of Project Helix in the months ahead"

"We're working hard so developers can make one Xbox build in the future and it'll run on their Project Helix console, on PC and on streaming and cloud surfaces like smart TVs and other devices."

~Chris Charla, the general manager of portfolio and programs at Xbox, has been with Xbox for 16 years, and worked on ID@Xbox for 13. He began in 2010 as the XBLA portfolio director, and has changed titles several times to things like director of ID@Xbox and senior director of content curation and programs. (But all of these fancy titles have roughly described the same job he says he's been doing the whole time: "making sure cool indie games get onto Xbox and into players' hands.")

https://twitter.com/x/status/2036511137076838605

Why would indie developers want to work for Helix early on? It's going to be an expensive piece of hardware with a reduced userbase at launch.

 

[marees]

Why would indie developers want to work for Helix early on? It's going to be an expensive piece of hardware with a reduced userbase at launch.

the build process is same for both xbox on pc & xbox console

so as long as they build it as play anywhere the code base is the same

however there are a few console specific directx tricks & optimizations that can be done on top of this

 

[ToTTenTranz]

the build process is same for both xbox on pc & xbox console

so as long as they build it as play anywhere the code base is the same

however there are a few console specific directx tricks & optimizations that can be done on top of this

Yes, but I'm not seeing a whole lot of indie devs wanting to put the work on xbox-on-pc. Non-demanding indie games are more likely to target SteamOS than xbox-on-pc IMO.