Xbox One Will Let You Avoid Downloading Game Content You Don’t Use
Microsoft is working on new ways to economize memory on Xbox One consoles. With the upcoming arrival of the new Xbox One X, the company has found a way to help owners part with files they don’t need. In this case, they’re giving players the option to avoid installing 4K features. But, the implications go further.
With a new system called “Intelligent Delivery,” owners of the Xbox One and S will spare memory when downloading new titles. For example, when you’re installing Forza Motorsport 7, the drive will automatically withhold 4K assets. It does this by splitting the data into chunks. When the data is split, the chunks will receive tags identifying them through distinctions like ‘language’ to decide which data pieces are necessary for your console. Hence, depending on your language settings, the download will exclude the files for translations and audio you don’t need. At least, that’s its theoretical potential.
Ultimately, the new Intelligent Delivery may drastically reduce the file sizes of sports games and shooters. How will it do this? Since sports titles reserve huge chunks of data for alternate languages, the removal of those files can reserve quite a bit of space on your console. Hence, room for bigger libraries. Additionally, it could reduce file size for first-person shooters by letting players remove unused multiplayer or single-player components. Of course, this wouldn’t be applicable to games like Destiny. Removing and downloading certain data chunks would be accessible via the dashboard.
Furthermore, when it comes to physical copies of games, Intelligent Delivery may convince developers to deliver multiple Blu-ray discs.The idea is one disc contains all the essential components of a game while the next disc (and possibly more) would contain non-essential data like HD textures.
For now, Xbox’s new system is dedicated to removing unnecessary graphics files that would otherwise take up valuable gigabytes. According to Microsoft, the system can even be retrofitted to work on current games. The challenge is doing so in a way that doesn’t tamper with their functionality. To learn more, you can watch Digital Foundry’s analysis below.
Happy gaming.