A Microsoft dev has elaborated on the power of the ESRAM in the Xbox One, discussing how it can be used to reach performance goals like 1080p resolution and 60 FPS.
So, the console has 32 MB dedicated ESRAM sitting right next to the GPU, such that it’s only the GPU that can see its memory. As a result, it has a high bandwidth output and read capability from the GPU. This ESRAM can be read 2 to 10 times faster than regular system memory, and is apparently underutilized as of the moment in Xbox One’s current game library.
Without getting too technical at this point, thanks to the Xbox One’s design, the ESRAM can handle a lot of computing tasks without going through the CPU, or even the GPU, in such a way that it would perform at a very high level. These are things like buffers, textures in 1D, 2D, 3D, etc. Developers can also set tasks to be divided between the ESRAM and regular memory however they would like it.
When those ESRAM tasks do get copied over to main memory, it happens quickly thanks to what the dev says are DNA engines in the console. Thanks to said DNA engines, the process does not require use of CPU or GPU time. This is how developers can make use of the Xbox One’s ESRAM to reach those performance goals.
This explanation is all well and good, but clearly Xbox One’s current library has not demonstrated they can match these expectations, which the console is presumably more than capable of, thus far. How long do fans have to wait before 3rd parties, heck, 1st parties actually demonstrates this in Xbox One games? For the price, and especially for the tech that’s been bundled in, it should not have to take that long.
Of course, we always stay on top of Xbox One news and games. We will keep you up to date on the progress of game optimization on the Xbox One, by way of our regular coverage.
