The Xbox One hasn’t been having a good time as far as graphical prowess goes – several months after its release and it’s still faltering behind the PlayStation 4 in terms of high resolution textures, output resolution and frame rate. While we know that DirectX 12 will be heading to the console soon enough, there could be more to the API than just trying to help with the frame rate and resolution.

In fact, the API won’t have anything to do with increasing the resolution to whatever the standard is these days. However, what it can do is free up GPU resources through efficient hardware acceleration. So effects like ray tracing, superFog or whatever custom effects we may see down the line will be implemented and thus allow for an improved frame rate and resolution now that the GPU is free for those tasks.

It will also allow for better adoption on the PC, making the architecture even more similar and allowing developers to implement the same effects on the Xbox One without worrying about what to cut or add for the PC version and vice versa. But more than anything else, this indicates the Xbox One’s GPU is not as similar to the PS4′s initially revealed. Microsoft apparently has a deal with AMD but it means that the 7000 series Radeon isn’t what the Xbox One is packing.

Whatever be the case, Microsoft’s Xbox One obviously hasn’t revealed its full graphical potential by a long shot. While there may be problems now and limitations with the eSRAM, it’s easy to understand now why Microsoft isn’t all that worried. What are your thoughts? Let us know below.

Reference: Reddit

http://gamingbolt.com/dx12-may-allow-xbox-one-to-save-gpu-time-render-ray-tracing-superfog-and-custom-effects

http://videogamesandnews.com/microsoft-put-secret-sauce-xbox-one/

Cool, looking forward to Direct X12 on X1.

Mhmm interesting! I still want to see results before I truely judge this thing but if its true, it might be the secret sauce the x1 needs

Now you really do have to ask was this in Microsofts plan the whole time?

I said that before new directx is something to keep an eye on if amd mantle could boost games by 35% directx could also boost games by 30-40%. Now the question is this the reason microsoft is hiding all this gpu stuff. They are not revealing their gpu properly because they might do a full blowout at this year gdc. I am excited

Another thing to think about. Why have we not seen anything from games like Halo, Sunset Overdrive and Fable Legends?

Well I'm pretty sure dx12 has been in dev just as much as r&d was on the Xbox gpu with and... It's not like they learns it was coming yesterday...
the real question is did they really planned to release Xbox one in 2013 or was it set for 2014 with dx12 already supported by launch games... Halo2 anniversary QB and sunset overdrive at launch and halo 5 after a year... This would have been a killer launch window if they weren't forced to launch in 2013

It looks like the did release the system early. Microsoft said that the Xbox One would get stronger over time.

Let's get cooking. Maybe something good will come out of it eventually.

"Microsoft, though, claims that the Direct3D 11.* for Xbox One features significant enhancements in the area of runtime overhead, which results in a very streamlined, “close to metal” level of runtime performance. Therefore, there is no need for a special close-to-metal API on Xbox One."

“What Mantle creates for the PC is a development environment that’s similar to the consoles, which already offer low-level APIs, close-to-metal programming, easier development and more (vs. the complicated PC environment).

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/multimedia/display/20131014235009_Microsoft_Xbox_One_Will_Rely_on_Direct3D_11_API.html