Rumours: Xbox one to give developers more CPU power

The Xbox One’s latest development tools have been leaked online and they appear to give game developers access to the console’s seventh CPU core, which was earlier reserved for Kinect functionalities. If the leak is true, the additional horsepower available will allow developers to ensure that games run smoother. So far, many multiplatform games have been performing under par on Xbox One when compared to PS4, and this could help bridge the gap.

The additional CPU power will come at the expense of Kinect features though. According to the leak, availing of the extra CPU core means games won’t be able to implement custom game-specific voice commands for Kinect. Moreover, Kinect’s infrared and depth detection features will also be disabled.

That said, the entire seventh CPU core won’t be available to devs at all times. System-related voice commands will still utilise that CPU core, often up to 50 percent.

OUR TAKE:
With Kinect no longer being bundled with every Xbox One, it doesn't make sense to block off system resources for a peripheral that may not even be present. So it’s only logical that Microsoft would want to free up that space and let developers use it to make their games perform better. The problem, however, is that the seventh CPU core won’t be available to developers all the time, so it will be tricky for developers to utilise that extra juice. The leaks seem genuine, but it’s hard to say how this will really affect the end product and how much better our Xbox One games will perform as a result. Only time will tell.