Xbox Series X
Up to 120 FPS
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Most powerful Xbox ever
Explore rich new worlds and enjoy the action like never beforewith the unmatched 12 teraflops of raw graphic processing power.
More playing, less waiting
Experience next-gen speed and performance with the Xbox Velocity Architecture, powered by a custom SSD and integrated software. Seamlessly move between multiple games in a flash with Quick Resume.
Thousands of games across four generations
Play thousands of games from four generations of Xbox and original Xbox titles with backward compatibility. Thanks to the power and speed of Xbox Series X, many will look and play better than ever.
Accessories
Use your Xbox One gaming accessories—including controllers, headsets, and more—on Xbox Series X.
Power your dreams
The possibilities are limitless
Meet the new Xbox Series X
Experience Faster Loading
Compare with previous generations
Feel the benefit, feel the speed, live your dreams
Smart Delivery
Be the best
Play the best version of your games, whichever console you are on
| Dimensions: | 29.3 x 21.4 x 37.8 cm; 6.1 Kilograms |
| Model: | RRT-00007 |
| Dimensions: | 29.3 x 21.4 x 37.8 cm; 6.1 Kilograms |
What a good decision this was, the consoles share the same account and games so I can play in either room via the cloud save system, it works brilliantly.
The Series X is a fabulous console with rock solid build quality and great performance, the usual superb controller is included along with all the required leads and it is beautifully boxed making for a nice opening experience unlike the PS5.
Sadly, Amazon decided to send this just in it’s original box alone with no second outer box or packaging and the box had some labels plastered on it, some damage to the corners and was also wet….. Very disappointing for an item that costs almost 450!
Thankfully the console itself was absolutely flawless and I love it, along with my Series S it is a superb combination and personally much preferred to my PS5 which for some reason just doesn’t grab me at all and I think I may now sell. I prefer Xbox this generation and I am really happy with this console.
5 stars for the product, Amazon needs to look at the packaging of quality items though.
I admit that the X is much bigger than the S but the heat dissipation is considerably better, partly because of the larger hard drive its not working as hard. The quick resume feature is brilliant, and games run very smoothly, which is especially noticeable on massive games like starfield. Having 12 teraflops of processing power as opposed to 4 on the S really reduces loading times and means there’s less hang-time.
Overall if you’re thinking of getting a new xbox, and torn between the two models I would definitely recommend paying the extra money for the series X, I don’t think you’ll regret it. 10/10
Great console, such a big difference compared the xbox 360 and xbox one gen. Also with the add game pass, it’s a great way to be able to have a wide range of games on the day your new xbox arrives, with the ability to play it at best resolution and frame rate, I look forward to see how far devs can push this gen of gaming, just the trailer of gta 6 it looks like we could be getting to an amazing time in gaming, and it’s really made me fall in love with gaming again. Also I have to admit being able to play my old games I loved via gamepass is also a huge plus, I can’t say everyone will feel the same about this console but you have 30 days to return and if you don’t love it like most of us then you have lost nothing, but I’m pretty sure you will enjoy this special time in gaming with this amazing piece of tech for the price.
I do have to admit the price jump compared to previous generations are a bit higher but with the tech inside, comparing it to a gaming PC, it really is worth the price. I do hope if anyone buys it based on this review, you enjoy it and also enjoy the gaming generations we are living through with the top of the line console tech
So the pros from a psx user perspective:
1) Tons tons of games at rediculus prices from original xbox until now that I had missed from previous generations, like quantum break, alan wake American nightmare, ninja gaiden, halo, age of empires (I prefer to play on pc but it is there) and much more.
2) Graphics speed and everything was an upgrade from ps4 ( as expected). Similar performance you should expect from ps5.
3) If you are using windows as operating system you will find convenient that you can link your Xbox account with your widows one and share some subscriptions etc (again, I haven’t test that out but with all of this psw these days the less the better)
4) Promise for Bethesda exclusivity
Neutral:
1) Xbox controller: It is fine, I like the touch, it is comfortable to carry. I don’t say I miss my ps4 controller, feels different but in a good way.
2) Design console: Personally I like it but tbh is..a box. Hit or miss
Cons:
1) You need to buy batteries for the controller: All of these years in ps consoles the battery was built in the controller, with Xbox you need to buy a researchable one. It is not very costly (on sales you can find for 10-15) but it is a change if you are coming from ps.
2) The biggest con in my opinion is the UI. The ms store is kinda messy. In ps store things are very tidy. Games are on sale, separate category, games with a japan theme, another category etc etc. In Xbox is like a salad (not a good one). Everything is mix up together. There categories but are blended with other icons. It needs restructure. The good is that everything is there and with a little search you can find everything.
3) Exclusives: This is not new but if you are fan of god of war, kojima games etc you should keep that on mind (personally I had enough of these games in my gaming years and for me it is reached a point of repetition, but this is me).
In conclusion: A great console with pros and cons. Both this and/or ps5 is a great buy.
I’ve seen reviews on here saying that buyers had the following problems and would like to address those negative reviews from my experience and knowledge.
Other peoples reviews/complaints:
no forza game (or other bundled title where applicable).
console banned from xbox live.
only one controller.
No Bundled Game.
The option I got was a bundled console with Forza 5, the game is a digital version meaning it is a download only. When you set up your account the console will ask which xbox account (if multiple are added) is to get the bundled game you simply confirm an account, it is that simple. It is NOT a disc in a box in the shipping carton.
Console Banned
A couple of reviews have said their purchased console is banned from the xbox live online service and this is serious if it happens, as there is NO WAY AT ALL to unban a console. Bans by xbox come after a multitude of steps to try and correct errant online behaviour and when that fails the team refer the console to a banning list which is irrevocable. However it is wrong for those reviewers to post what they did how they did. Those consoles were not bought direct through amazon but the clickable link to buy from the “third parties at a lower cost” option, where there are a list of sellers selling secondhand consoles for lower costs but are slightly worn devices. This inherently runs the risk of a banned device. Buying at market price from amazon directly might cost more but you know it won’t be secondhand and banned (except if amazon expressly say it is) you will buy a brand new unopened, unused, console. ONLY BUY secondhand if you are unconcerned with online use or are willing to risk not having access to online services. It is better to save and wait longer to have a functional console than rush and pay cheap and be disappointed.
One Controller
Consoles come with one controller (typically), because most times games are single player or online multilayer not so much split screen any longer. As such shipping two controllers with every console would make consoles too expensive for everyone, so to keep prices down one controller per console and if you really need a second, third or fourth controller they are available to match your console from between 50-70 each I’m sure I don’t want to pay an additional 50+ on a new console for an extra controller I won’t use. I’d rather spend that 50 it on a dust and cooling kit to help care for my new console or a charging dock or cable kit for the controller.
As for my experience of the series X, I own one (bought elsewhere which is why my son wants one and I bought the one above here on amazon), its a fast launching console, its fluid, its quiet and has awesome graphics and sound.
In photos series X appears large and bulky but it actually isn’t, it can be lay on it side too with the power button top right or stood up right power button top left.
6x6x12 inches (15x15x30cm).
It is aesthetically pleasing with lime green accents in the top (end if lay on its side) vent which as you move your head fade in and out of view (this entertains my autistic brain no end lol BTW I am really autistic, I was not being flippant).
If you enjoy gaming and have an investiture in Microsoft already with years of digital content purchased as I have, moving to PlayStation is not viable and the backward compatibility of series X over three generations of consoles is phenomenal. The backwards compatibility goes right back to Xbox360 games each title carefully ported to the new format.
The console home screen is identical to the xbox one/s (XB1/s) and is indistinguishable from the latest XB1/s homescreen and xb OS update (Sept 2023).
The controllers come with standard AA batteries and will require an optional at additional cost, recharging dock or cable kit, unless you have shares in Duracell or Eveready batteries that is for those DVT inducing gaming sessions. SERIOUSLY: Move around every hour or so to keep blood and muscles moving and preventing nerve damage, seriously, stay healthy.
Hope this review helps, and hope you enjoy your gaming experiences whatever they be.
Footnote, there isn’t really anything negative to say except the expansion memory cards (ssd thumbdrives) are very expensive add-on gear. Bear that in mind.
Been gaming on pc for years now but Starfield wouldnt run on it so i decided to buy this, Was blown away by the quality and how easy it was all to setup. Can,t stop playing.
had xbox one console since day one release ten yrs it lasted me then started going wrong giving me errors and stuff like that so finally upgraded to series x best decision i made load time so much better now in games lovjng this console
This console has only given me a great experience with amazing graphics on any tv. Console came in top condition and has no flaws so far after 3 weeks. Definitely recommend
Just amazing! My very first ever next gen console is this Xbox series X. I’m absolutely blown away with it. Just pure amazing. Graphics are out of this world, game pass is pure brilliant and the overall gameplay of the games I’ve played so far has been fantastic. I actually bought this just to play Starfield when it comes out! But I’ve played other games in the mean time and I’m not disappointed with the console in anyway whatsoever. I’m not a Sony user since the PlayStation 1 and 2 days because I switched to Xbox many years ago. Love it. Just buy it and enjoy it. You won’t be disappointed. I bought the console/controller only version and not a bundle with games. However gamepass is just amazing and I’m loving the selection of top quality games available to download and play. Thankyou Amazon!
Don’t know what else to say, the Xbox x is the best one yet, it has ultra high speed HDMI (cable provided) and three USB 3 ports, 1tb SSD, I’ve had the 360 and Xbox one but this one is the best, as for price…look at it this way, not at all bad for a powerful PC..
This system has Gamepass, thus the nickname Gamepass machine, it may seem like a quirky joke but at the end of the day, it’s an amazing feature with over 500 games to access and play from many genres and at amazing graphics and framerate aswell, it may lack in exclusives and lost in performance but it’s only just by a little bit and the price more than makes up for that.
If you have friends with an Xbox then this is even more reason to invest, always join the same ecosystem as friends so you can spend more time with them and have fun together as I say!
The design of the system is gorgeous, it’s fantastic for movies, watching streams, Netflix and YouTube, music and gamepass too, thus the title, ultimate entertainment system, especially due to this being the Series X with much improved performance by far in framerate and graphics over the Series S, quite afew games struggle at 60fps-120fps on series s whereas the series x champs over it, if you are looking to purchase only one of the current gen systems then it can be made simple with these three lines.
Want the ultimate game experience – get PS5
Want the ultimate entertainment – get series X
Want to just enjoy games, movies and play with friends – get series S
First and foremost, the Xbox Series X’s hardware capabilities are exceptional. Its cutting-edge custom AMD Zen 2 processor and RDNA 2 graphics architecture offer stunning visuals, fluid gameplay, and immersive worlds that push the boundaries of what gaming can achieve. The console’s native 4K resolution, HDR support, and up to 120 frames per second (FPS) create a level of visual fidelity and smoothness that truly elevates the gaming experience.
The fast load times and quick resume feature of the Xbox Series X deserve special mention. The inclusion of a high-speed solid-state drive (SSD) significantly reduces load times, allowing gamers to jump into their favorite games with minimal waiting. The quick resume feature enables seamless transitions between multiple games, providing uninterrupted gaming sessions without the need to wait for lengthy loading screens.
The Xbox Series X’s backward compatibility is another standout feature. With its ability to play thousands of games from previous Xbox generations, the console ensures that players can revisit their favorite titles and experience them with improved performance and enhanced visuals. This commitment to preserving gaming history while pushing the boundaries of technology showcases Microsoft’s dedication to the gaming community.
The Xbox Game Pass, coupled with Xbox Live Gold, offers an incredible value proposition for gamers. With a vast library of high-quality games available on-demand, including first-party titles on release day, players have access to a wide range of gaming experiences without the need to make additional purchases. The inclusion of Xbox Live Gold provides multiplayer functionality and access to exclusive discounts and free monthly games.
Furthermore, the Xbox Series X’s sleek and minimalist design is a testament to its elegance and sophistication. The console’s tower-like form factor, paired with a refined black exterior and green accents, exudes a sense of premium craftsmanship. The console’s whisper-quiet operation ensures an immersive gaming experience without distraction.
In summary, the Xbox Series X sets a new benchmark for gaming excellence. Its exceptional hardware capabilities, fast load times, quick resume feature, backward compatibility, and the value-packed Xbox Game Pass make it the ultimate gaming powerhouse. Whether you’re a casual gamer seeking immersive experiences or a dedicated enthusiast craving the highest level of performance, the Xbox Series X delivers it all. This console represents a true investment in gaming excellence and stands as a testament to Microsoft’s commitment to delivering unparalleled gaming experiences to players worldwide.
I’ve owned the original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One and went to PC gaming. Although I loved my PC, which boasted the best graphics, I hated that almost every game was unoptimised or ran poorly and crashed. I spent more time looking up why my game wasn’t working or heading into the settings to tweak it. When you’re an adult and come home, I want to launch a game and play, not spend half of my afternoon fixing it. For this reason, I decided to quit and purchase an Xbox Series X.
The console is very tiny. Until you own one, you don’t quite understand how small it is, and it’s incredible how much power they’ve crammed into the little space. It’s very quiet too. I have mine standing up on my desk. The setup was effortless. All it needs, at minimum, is power and HDMI to your display. I didn’t use the Xbox app, but it just prompted me for my Microsoft email and password and asked if I wanted to set up the console fresh or import the settings from my last used Xbox. After a software update, I’m on the home screen.
GamePass is where the console shines. Gaining access to every Microsoft game and more with various titles from third parties from Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X is outstanding. Right now, I’m playing through Gears of War on Xbox 360, which uses the console’s power to boost FPS and HDR to enhance it. It’s like a whole different game. And Halo Multiplayer using a Keyboard and Mouse. Not every game supports it, but games that do feel just like a PC version.
The Xbox Series X has placed itself like a little smart computer. If I switch it on, I will know the console and my games are already updated. I download a game and start it up, and it’s ready to play out of the box. Compared to a PC, the graphics might not be the best, but the experience of never having to adjust graphics again or wait for them to optimise the game is gone. Everything works. Today I sat down to play a little, and within 30 seconds of starting up the console, I was already in my game loading my save, knowing that the game would just work and is optimised the best it could be for the console.
The console was easy to install and setup. I was surprised to say the least at how long it took to install a game via disc. I had the new Jedi/Star Wars game which took 7 hours to install. I’m on a fast 40meg broadband and the console is hardwired. Once installation was completed I then went through the motion of setting the console up etc. No dramas there, easily done and fairly smooth.
The controller that came with my console however was a different proposition. Compared to my previous console this remote controller was tiny. Almost as though designed for kids with small hands. I, as an adult male have small hands but even so the ergonomics of this new smaller controller was, after a short period of time painfull to use. I conected my previous controller remote, (very easy to do by the way) thus doing away with the kids size remote. (I’ll keep it as a spare) The difference in size when both controllers are side by side is clear to see.
The console is quiet when running, the graphics are excellent and the fact I was able to connect my surround sound home cinema system made for excellent sound reproduction.
Internal storage is, in my view, small at 1tb and will fill up very quickly. Definitely would recommend expansion card or external hard drive. I think Microsoft missed out by not making internal storage bigger. I’m somewhat old school and like to have the game discs which as previously stated, would fill internal storage very quickly indeed.
Would I recommend this console? Absolutely yes, it’s fast, quiet and smooth in operation. It’s backward compatable for virtually all early xbox games as well which is brilliant as I have a large library of early games.
Lives up to the hype, Shame external storage costs so much
it’s a good xbox and no problems with it so fa
It’s an Xbox
I got a game pass 1 for a month then 1099
It’s GOOOOOOOOD lol
If you are lucky enough to have one of these it’s a good system
Not much to say really , but new Xbox series X. For a good price and quick delivery
Turned up all nicely packed what can I say it’s my best buy ye
Always had PlayStation’s but couldn’t get a ps5 so decided to go Xbox, so much better than the PlayStation in every way. Would highly recommend
If you are coming from Xbox one S like me you will be impressed and amazed as well
Great performance and picture quality
Amazing console! Had mine for 12 months now and haven’t regretted it for one second. I love playing gritty shooter games like Insurgency Sandstorm & Hell Let Loose – just flawless!
Super happy about this buy from Amazon, got this safe.
Glad I could finally get this console without paying a scalper. It’s compatible with the Xbox back catalogue, so have been enjoying some classic games as well as new ones.
I had xbox 360 elite , then I got series S for my birthday but because of massive stock of games that I’ve collect in a years I’ve decided to upgrade to series X ! 100% happy.
Gaming has finally reached the 21st century. Graphics are sublime. Instant start of games phenomenal. Cloud gaming a revelation even for MS Flight Simulator.
Baught this for my little brother as a gift he has been watching it since it came out he loves i
Fantastic price and delivery and it was great you can pay no interest in 5 pay instalment’s.
I’ve had all of the Xboxes as I’m over a certain age. They just keep on getting better this is amazing
Best price avaliable for this Xbox compared to other retailers.
Was in stock, dispatched quickly and was delivered without any problems.
Xbox itself was purchased for Son and Granson to use at home.
Easy setup and worked 1st time. 5* service!
Don’t think – just buy.
Unless your TV isn’t capable of 60hz and 4k and doesn’t support Dolby Vision, in which case – go buy a new TV first 🙂
My kids love it. Thankfully they’re not on it 24/7 like addictsthey love it.
very happy with this it seems to run anything that i use on its and looks great on my lg oled well built system.
I had the Xbox one x originally and was amazed be the capability that that consol had. After using this machine I am so pleased I upgraded. The graphics are amazing on my 4k TV and it loads so fast. I love my series x and I am pleased I chose to get this over the ps5 as have heard quite a lot of negativity about that.
Very happy with this partchis grateful amazon allowed me to pay in instalments thank you
I upgraded from an Xbox series one and this is far faster with much better graphics. Truly amazing.
Ordered it at 10oclock in the morning arrived at 7 at night happy days.
Upgraded from an xbox one x to this the loading times and graphics are night and day.
Love the quick resume feature so good very fast loading times just at the moment lack of games made just for it but overall amazing console.
Xbox series x best Xbox ever so far graphics unbelievable
Very impressed with delivery service. And the functionality of the Xbox series X
For the money it’s good but you need a proper expensive TV to see the 4k graphics, the S model will do for most people
Enjoying game pass,its good value for money.however Microsoft need to release exclusive games that take advantage of the hardware.
Moved away from PlayStation as simply put I’m fed up with them. The X-Series is quiet, runs exceptionally well and I have no complaints at all. Anyone else thinking about moving from Playstation to Xbox do it you will not regret i
Sleek console, massive power, gamepass bargains, lush new controller!
Just a few things at the tip of the iceberg that personally for me, make this Xbox’s best console.
For comparison I do own a PlayStation 5, though I’ve always been ‘team green’ I opted for the PS5 this gen to try all the exclusives and haptic controller.
Suffice to say I was exceptionally pleased with the PS5 and games like Ghosts of Tshushima and GoW.
Butit wasn’t home.
I truly believe the people who will appreciate the smaller details are those upgrading from an Xbox one/s/x – that isn’t to say those new to Xbox won’t love this console though!
The first thing that immediately struck me was how nice the new controller feels! The buttons more responsive with a tactile click, textured grips and triggers and of course a beautiful share button in the middle – something I’ve always loved on Xbox is the ease of sharing a great clip of screenshot.
The console just wow. A lush matte black mini tower with the green accent at the top, the thing oozes quality and power.
I booted it up, a seamless set up experience via my phone whilst the console updated its firmware in the background.
Profile on, Horizon 5 downloaded.
Holy smokes it’s fast! Within minutes I’m cruising down the free way.
In mere seconds I can resume my game of Halo Infinite or Shredders Revenge.
This console feels exceptionally next gen just through quick play and load times – something even the PS5 isn’t as seamless as in my opinion.
Games have never looked more crisp and with a huge catalogue of games to enjoy I’m blown away.
Granted you get the most from Xbox if like me you have three generations of previous consoles games worth to play!
But that’s not all!
Introduce – Game Pass Ultimate.
This is the bargain bucket of bargain buckets, a plethora of games to download and try, all available as and when you fancy a go.
The cherry on top with game pass is generally, it makes you try games you’d never normally throw the money down on, so you end up finding some absolute gems!
I opted for ultimate but you can of course opt for just game pass which is ridiculously cheap for what’s on offer.
All in all this is – as of now – my new love. Previously it was my one x. But this console is just utterly remarkable and whilst I know a lot of potential buyers have concerns due to lack of ‘exclusives’ there’s plenty in the pipeline and tons to play whilst you wait!
Fast, and very good.
It runs worryingly hot. But I have added a fan to assist.
Love it , so much smoother and loads games a lot quicker , the controller is a lot better too . Highly recommended
It was in good condition it had all of its cabe and i nice to play o
I play on Xbox and PlayStation and both are very good but in this generation of console the Xbox just does it better it’s an all rounder PC quality at an affordable price highly recommend
Nothing disappointed me, I had done some research watched video and read about it so I knew what to expect
I was really happy with this product and would recommend it to anyone
I had a PS4 and was looking to get a PS5 but because of supply issues decided to go for the XBOX series X. I didn’t really have any reservations because I’d had to make the switch for the same reasons in the past when I moved from PS2 to XBOX 360.
This next-gen console is a doddle to work with. Set up is quick and easy to do via the XBOX app on your phone, performance is excellent with the console and most games starting up almost instantly, it’s completely silent, and one of the best things about it is that it’s almost completely backward compatible with all XBOXOne, most 360, and some original XBOX games being available to play on the new machine, which means I can get some use out of the 150 or so 360 games I have stuffed away in the loft! The hard drive has about 802 MB of storage so theres plenty of room for your saved games and a lot of older games when played on the series X receive graphical updates.
The controller is comfortable and stylish and of a similar design to previous ones, but if I was to have one complaint it is that it is still battery powered.
Honestly, I shouldn’t have waited so long for Sony to get their act together. The best times I ever had in the console market were with my previous 360 and I’m looking forward to the good times rolling again with the Series X!
I have to be honest only bought this as i wanted to buy a ps5 but struggling to get one and im not paying extortionate prices being charged. Also have the xbox s but games are pricey to buy digitally. I must admit its a brilliant console if a little pricey.
Been trying for ages to get this beast.so once I saw it on Amazon and pay over five months well could not resist it. Delivery was brilliant and so happy with purchase. The console is awesome if you get the chance get one….
you’re going to have to be patient as there are very few games available at the moment that utilize the graphical capabilites of the Series X. Quick resume is incredibly useful, yet Fifa 21 X/S optimized doesn’t support it, however Forza Horizon 5, Fallout 4, and others do. Older titles load faster. For some it’s just a few seconds, but for others it’s significantly faster, such as Red Dead Redemption. Jedi Fallen Order is now slightly less of a chore as when you die, which you will, a lot, reloading the last checkpoint isn’t as long a wait as before.
I purchased this because my Xbox One S started to resemble a commercial airliner at takeoff in the sound department. The Series X is virtually silent unless you’re directly next to it, which most people won’t be. Just be sure to keep it well ventilated and I doubt you’ll ever hear a difference in noise level. Form factor may be a problem for some, especially if the console will be placed in an A/V cabinet. In terms of memory, 1TB sounds a lot, but in reality really isn’t . Newer titles are edging towards 70 gigs on average, with Microsoft Flight Simulator hitting over 100 gigs without updates. I’d recommend a 1TB or above USB 3.0 external drive to store your games on and then copy them across when you want to play them, unless you want to pay the premium for the Seagate Expansion Card which is currently 200 for 1 TB. Bear in mind that Series X/S optimized titles cannot be played directly from an external USB 3.0 drive, only the internal memory. Hence the price of the expansion card.
If you have Gamepass Ultimate, are an Xbox gamer and you have a 4k TV then I can’t recommend the Series X highly enough. It makes gaming a far more enjoyable and seemless experience. The normal expected console lifecycle has been broken by the pandemic, due mostly to chip shortages. We haven’t seen the best of this console and we may not until next year, but if the recent Bethesda showcase turns out to be as amazing as it looks then the Series X will be a worthy investment.
he new XBOX console is so well made and such a joy to use I am super happy with what Microsoft has made all the games look and run so good on my TV it is amazing to see how far we have come when it comes to game consoles. all in all the new XBOX is a must buy for any gamer out there.
Well this is gonna be a Pretty simple and short review.
Had a one X loved my One X
But my One X broke
Replaced my One X
it with a series X
The Series X is Bigger
The Series X is Faster its Better its also wayyy more Uglier and its alot more Quiter
What more could you ask for lol
Buy the Series X because PlayStations are for girls!!
simples lol
Received early but all security tabs been cut open and other ones put over the top.
Not sure if anything is missing as inside all the items are there and still wrapped in their individual packaging.
This is a fantastic console, super quiet and so easy to set up. Can play dis or downloaded games, but I primarily use the download option.
The real unique selling point is gamepass. It’s like Netflix for games. But you can stream the games before you download to your console, rather than download and find you don’t like it. Not too sure how many games there are on there but it must be hundreds + plus you get all the new Xbox games as part of the deal too.
A great console and the loading times are great but the ssd drive only holds about 8 to 10 games for me. And buying an extra one is 200 which is a ridiculous price. Nearly half the whole console price.
From day 1 I’ve always said the console is ugly. Even after seeing friends and family with them I always say the same. But now I own my opinion hasn’t changed. I know they designed it for power and my is it powerful. What are load screens again? Haven’t seen one in a while. The games look and play superbly. Great console but it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing thing to look at.
Start with the unboxing, it’s quite a cool unboxing, it’s not something I’d normally get too excited about, but they way they boxed this thing is so cool it has to be mentioned.
It really can’t get much better than this. I upgraded from the Xbox One, and had heard about some of the new features like quick resume, thought it sounded cool. Faster loading speeds etc. 4k 120 fps.
Just wow, the upgrade is very noticeable. If you have the right TV/Screen (which I do) to get the most out of this then the pictures are outstanding, even on older games. The load times are a fraction of Xbox One, which keeps you immersed in games or swapping between apps a delight. Not too many next gen games yet but I can confidently say they are coming and will be coming in bulk, in the near future.
Quick resume. Now this is sometime I thought was a cool feature upon hearing about it. But after using it, damn. It’s such a great feature and now one I couldn’t go without again, you can have several games on quick resume all ready and waiting to be played from the exact moment you left them. Literally takes a few seconds to swap and load up another game. If your an avid gamer, and your playing games daily, sometimes playing between 2/3 or more games a day. It’s cutting out all the start up load times, all the main menu, load game, start up ads, etc. Saving you minutes every time. This adds up quick. I’ve gone from playing 1 game, to another, then watching videos, jumping into another couple games for say a couple days, then a couple days later going back to the first game, still thinking as if I’m on the Xbox One “oh I’ll have to wait for it to go through the start up process”, for it to 3 seconds later have loaded me in at where I left it 2 days ago and be playing straight away. They really thought about what a player wants and went above and beyond with this one, how I can go from turning off the xbox during a game, to 24 hours later im able to start up the xbox and be playing that game from the exact point I turned it off in less than 15 seconds is amazing.
It’s quiet, less noise than the Xbox One which I didn’t even consider noisy anyway. Heat output is about the same, had the console a few month now and had ZERO issues with it.
The unit itself looks nice, techy and will go anywhere quite solidly. Feels solid and well built.
Game pass, got to love the game pass, obviously a separate product but worth the mention, tons of games for a low monthly cost which can not only be used on your Xbox. But you can play the same games on your PC AND mobile via cloud too. So can be playing a game at home on Xbox, go to work, park, wherever, and play the same game from my phone on cloud without having to install it.
Better than the last gen xbox one in ever regard, naturally. Whisper quiet which is actually an admittedly underrated feature, however as someone who doesn’t like any noises while sleeping. Makes it easily an awesome addition for downloading games and the like at night.
Very little set up, if any. Doesn’t have a massive power brick. Compared to older versions of the Xbox and 360, which again underated features but welcome addition.
Of course plays games quicker, faster, loads up quickly compared to the old Xbox one and whatnot. Which goes without saying.
As well as plays all the newest and current games, and any Xbox one, 360 and select Xbox original games.
All around great console.
Slightly gutted to discover my new OLED doesn’t do 120fps but you can’t have everything. Visually not vastly better than a OneX which is 4K too but it’s a lot quicker to load and seems to run smoothly with what I’m currently playing. Goes superbly well with Steelseries Artctus 9X headphones and the DTS-X and Dolby Atmos sound apps that the console supports.
Other reviewers have gone into great depth about the console so I don’t feel the need to repeat the same thing. So far I’m happy with the upgrade from the old One X and feel the outlay’s worth it. Try playing Titanfall 2 to get a feel for how quick and smoothly games can run even if you can only run at 60fps.
Aside from that issue its the superior console on the market right now its technically better than the ps5 and it definitely is now even if you think it isn’t. The 2nd genration of playstation 5’s contain a small alluminium heatsink that was setup so Sony could start gaining money instead of losing, for those of you that don’t know alluminium is dirty cheap and not as good as the larger copper heat stink that the ps5 originally had in the 1st batch released. As a result I opted to get this Xbox series X instead and I’m not disappointed with the quality and how fast it is the frame rates are so smooth and everything, I have seen both ps5 and Xbox series X together as my friend had one he got the alluminium version of the ps5 and we ran them side by side and we both agree that the Xbox series X is superior in most ways.
I would blame Sony’s Alluminium heatsink method for the lack of consistant frames over long periods of time, you see copper conducts better thus over long periods of time performs better than alluminium, its about durability.
To copy your old Xbox one or Xbox 360 save data all you do is hook the Xbox360 upto the network upload the saves to Cloud, next if you have xbox one and the games on the xbox one internal harddrive you can copy them to external hard drives, I recommend an SSD external hard drive, then once you power off the xbox one and say goodbye to it, take out the usb external harddrive from that old console you have the games on, then just simply plug it in the xbox series X.
It will auto detect, everything that comes up was smooth transfer and it literally automated everything for me. If you want video detail just youtube Xbox one export games to Xbox Series X.
After your done, you can move games to the main drive in the xbox series x or use external as your main install drive its all on screen you can’t go wrong.
I personally put all series X games to the main drive as that is the fasted way to run games its internal is super fast SSD, an external SSD would almost be as fast so I put xbox 360 and xbox one games onto them while the Series X optimized games go to the main harddrive inside the Series X.
This really is the best console in the world right now as I have tested it out myself with all the other next gen console on the market, Just want to note that I’m not biased I’m being honest here, I prefer playstation consoles typically for games because the ps4 was better than the xbox one in its lifespan back in the day but now Sony have introducted censorship on their console since 2016-2018 somwhere between that year I believe, and its effecting all Sony products playstation 4, 5 since then I stopped buying playstation stuff goodbye Sony I will miss you.
on to the controller now, the Xbox series X is backwards compatible with xbox one controllers which means you can just use your existing controller to play on the series X you can even map buttons in the options, its a money saver thats for sure, and I personally prefer the layout of the xbox controllers since the days of the halo 1 on the classic xbox, boi those were the days!
Xbox series X however you play it how the creator intended, best of the best cream of the crop, and best of all “uncensored” games. I beleive Microsoft is going to win this battle this time around as they have now got the best offers for xbox live features by far, It’s a shame though no new console has an optical port these days.
ps.
There is a workaround to an optical port and that is using an audio extractor just youtube it.
Hope this info has helped in some way
When this FINALLY became available I snapped one up in seconds, and it’s a solid game console.
It ran all my Xbox One games with no issue, and runs like a dream.
The only quibbles are that much like the XbOne it often doesn’t update games until they are opened, even with the correct power mode etc active. Leading to having to let down pals when they want a round of Warzone and there’s an unexpected 13gb update that should have sorted itself overnight.
Other than that, it’s a fine console, and there isn’t much in it between this and the PS5 (although that comes with a free game and the controllers don’t need extra batteries)
But if you have an Xbox One or old 360 games it’s worth it to upgrade to this, rather than jump ship.
Xbox Series X
This box is amazing piece of kit and to its credit, first and foremost; I really like the simplistic design. The rectangular, no frills shape gives no indication to the power this this yields and I think it’s all the better for it. A definite plus is being able to connect my previous 4TD HDD’s straight in the back and play all of my Xbox One games (with some enhanced), and also, all of the Xbox 360 games I have (really enhanced!). Coffee Talk looks incredible:)
And, as of writing: Jan 20th 2022, Timesplitters: Future perfect and Timesplitters 2 are on sale on the Xbox store so I can even revisit some classic PS2 games!!!
The Quick Resume option works well with most games so flicking between something like Skyrim and Fallout 4 to check for mods is a really quick doddle. Some games like AC Valhalla don’t like the quick resume and threaten you with a warning of no further saves so it’s hit and Miss for some games. The load times compared to the Scorpio, even from a standing start and smashed out of the water and the initial start up too from a full shut down is massively improved. I basically can’t recommend this console enough and although PS5 has probably got the better exclusive games so far (Starfield ahem’), being able to play my full catalogue of 480 digital games with the same controller and exactly the same familiar Xbox One screen layout makes it a winner. I’m old and I don’t like change but I do like things that work well and oh boy, does the Series X deliver on that. Adored and recommended in equal measure!!! Recommend when you can find one and don’t pay the scalpers, I didn’t and with the money I saved, I got the internal SSD from Seagate, again; highly recommended.
The Xbox series X is a fantastic upgrade for anyone who loves xbox if you are able to get hold of one and they are a nightmare to order even over 1 year after launch!
The Xbox series X run very smoothly and much faster than the previous xbox’s. The games look amazing especially the game optimised for the series S/X. The console has a feature called quick resume that allows you to jump straight back into games you have previously played. This can cause some problems, but can be switched off in the settings.
I also opt in to the Xbox game pass, this give me a very large variety of games to play for a monthly cost.
I am very happy with the upgrade, but I have to mark it down as they are so hard to get hold of even a year after release.
I’ve had PlayStation’s for years. I got the PS1, PS2 and PS3 all on launch day. Yep I’m that old. The PS4 didn’t seem like a big enough step for me, so I waited, but in doing so the Xbox caught my eye, notably because of Forza Motorsport (GT’s handling is just way off Forza’s having had a go on a relatives Xbox One) and Flight Sim.
I’ve never had any issues with any Playstation, no fried motherboards or similar. So switching to an Xbox did feel like a risk. I had a PS5 pre-ordered the week before I pre-ordered the Xbox, deciding to cancel the former.
So the Xbox; It’s fast, load times are excellent by and large (Flight sim is a bit slow, but you know, it’s massive!), I’ve no issues with frame rates and everything looks glorious on my 65″ LG OLED. The thing that has really impressed me though is GamePass, it’s incredible value if you do the Gold > GPU trick. Over 12 months into my purchase it’s still excellent, hasn’t crashed once, loads quickly and the Series X games look stunning on it. The only downside I can see thus far is that the official additional storage options from Seagate are overpriced, so at present I just remove games I don’t play and then download them again if I want to continue; which is quick to do thanks to full fibre.
As it stands I think I’ve made the right choice here and the Xbox Series X is the pick of this generations consoles.
It is a 5 star console, performance wise. There is a lack of games on here at the moment, but thats only temporary. I gave it a 4 star because, when this console became available on Amazon, it was gone within minutes, and a few days later, this console was listed on Amazon for significantly more than it should be. Scalpers run rampant on this site, and Amazon just ignores it, which forces people to give the scalper scum money. This needs to be sorted out, because it really isnt fair that the majority of people either have to tirelessly wait for stocks to slowly arrive, then be rapid with their purchase…. or spend an extra 100+, which helps the parasitic scalpers pay their bills.
I’m fortunate enough to own both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X and I can now say that I love both consoles for what they are and that both have their own advantages for their respective player bases. Sticking with my Xbox Series X thoughts though:
– Gamepass Ultimate is amazingly good value for such a large collection of top quality current games and I’ve loved using the service. It’s updated frequently, hosts exclusives too and unlike PS Now’s offerings the games actually stay on the service so you feel no rush to play the games.
– Backwards compatibility with Xbox One games are excellent due to the fact that most games have been enhanced for the next gen system even if it’s a simple FPS boost at higher graphic settings.
– I also feel that the system UI is more intuitive and better placed to act as a media service as well as a gaming console.
– Games do also seem to be cheaper, or on sale more often. (Anecdotal)
Games wise exclusivity is what really sets apart PlayStation and Xbox but both systems truly feel like they’re a big step up from last gen, and can be enjoyed equally.
Finally got one.
At first, not going to lie, I was a little underwhelmed. Started it up and it looked just like my old one s. Bah.
It was a little sharper but nothing that made me think the wait and the money was worth it
I moved some games across from my external hard drive, bf5, Skyrim, an old Lego game, a bit of a mix.
The length of time it took to transfer was a little quicker, again not overly excited.
Started up a game or two, it was ok but again I felt myself wondering what was up, it just wasn’t that special.
Then I realised I was a dunce and had the Xbox connected into an hdmi port that didn’t accept signals that would enable all the bells and whistles attached to the console.
Five minutes later, a little bit of swearing and how fiddly the access was and… tried again.
Used the onboard HDR calibration tool, set everything to 11 and tried out the games.
Holy cow. Old 360 games popped on the TV in ways they never had, battlefield suddenly looked sharp and detailed even without a dedicated patch and old Skyrim, looked awesome.
Taking of Skyrim, on the one s, I could manage a good LO but had to restrict to 1k textures in many occasions. On the series X I tried a LO with 2/4k textures and it’s as smooth as butter.
Hellblade just looks great, like really great.
Games on the internal drive load quickly, sometimes unaturally quickly and quick start which returns you to exactly the spot you were in game after you left, is brilliant.
Love it.
Top tip, if you’re trying to buy in one on Amazon, it says they’re in stock but when you check out it’s sold out, keep trying.
It took me twenty attempts to buy before I got one, maybe people return consoles from their basket or something, I dunno.
The Xbox and the PS5 are much of a muchness in terms of graphical quality and speed. All the BS they like to use for marketing related to SSD speeds aren’t actually all that significant so don’t get caught up in that debate, at the end of the day the SSD’s in these are still slower than my PC’s memory. Saying that loading times are SIGNIFICANTLY faster than previous generation consoles however that’s not difficult. I could probably code these games from the ground up in the time they used to take to load.
XBOX Gamepass is the killer feature for me with Xbox. You get 100 or more games plus EA Pass for 10 a month and yes, some of thee games are older games but new and next gen games are starting to hit game pass each month. There is so much you can play, so many old classics to re-visit that you will not run out of things to play for a good long time.
Worst part of the console for me is the controller. It’s basically the same as the last generation with maybe some internal upgrades to make it a little longer lasting. The sticks are a little too long and the buttons too loud and click for my liking. I would prefer it if they were a little less loud and tactile over CLICKY and annoying. Microsoft are probably working on a dual sense style controller though so maybe that will solve the problem later in the life of the console.
For those of you who don’t want to pay 449 for the Series X you should 100% go and get the Series S. Do not worry about smaller teraflops count with that console. It is once again marketing BS and designed to lead you towards spending more than you actually need to enjoy these games. The series S runs everything you could want to play and is an absolute bargain.
So i managed to bag one from amazon warehouse for 353! Which i couldnt believe but wow i love it..
Ive boxed my one x up to sell and now this beauty is placed under my tv..
Its not as big as i thought it would be but damn its heavy !
I cant wait for resident evil village as its going to be WOW on this !!
This was a lockdown treat post Xmas and we were lucky to get some stock. Nice to see amazon using unique codes issued just before delivery to prevent precious consoles going astray. And the process worked perfectly.
Unboxing was good. Nice to see more basic but useful packaging. Not glamourous but much better for the environment. Setup with a HDMI was quick and simple, and after the obligatory updates, it was all go.
We signed up to Gamepass and it’s great to see a nice selection of upgraded games on there. So after about 3 days filling up my 1TB I was ready to dive in. And what an amazing machine this is. Load times are virtually none existent compared to the Xbox one. That super fancy speedy SSD delivery incredible pace. When playing Forza Horizon or Forza 7, you can literally jump in and out. I managed to boot a cold Xbox, load Forza and complete a race in the time it took my wife to make a cup of tea. That would have been impossible on the Xbox one.
UPDATE: just to clarify the speed, I have got so used to it now I expect it. I timed it earlier. Starting with the Xbox in Instant-on. Pressing the controller button to turn on the console and TV, choosing Sniper Elite 4, loading via quick resume, and starting to play. All of that in 25 seconds!
Don’t expect a new interface or layout. If you are coming from an Xbox one it’ll look and feel the same. JUST SHINIER.
Graphics are gorgeous. Coming from Xbox one, native 4k HDR 60fps locked is a joyous gaming experience. Horizon is just a different game. Fluid and more immersive. Gears and Halo all seem to have a healthy bump too. One happy gamer here!
One thing to consider if upgrading is how you will manage your game collection or GamePass collection. On my Xbox one I showed it a USB 50 2Tb HDD and it tripled my storage without any noticeable degradation in speed. Not so with the Series X. The blistering speed you enjoy that means you can dip in and out of playtime means that USB HDD no longer works. You have to have the unique expansion card. I got one and it is amazingly fast, but SOOOOO expensive. I’m sure it’ll get cheaper over time, but something to remember that if you want to get 2Tb of storage you are currently going to have to spend an extra 200!
The bottom line is, if you game a Series X is a lot cheaper than an equivalent PC. Should you go Xbox Series X or PS5? It depends. If you have a PS4 you maybe might as well stick with Sony, but if you have Xbox One or 360 then backward compatibility will mean you have tons of games you can play on it from your collection right off the bat. It’s also quite a nice looking thing, which seems to work best installed upright. I’ve been playing Cyberpunk 2077 on it and it’s been running like a dream with amazing visuals and sharp resolution. I’ve been getting great FPS too. I like the fact that Xbox One and Series X controllers are cross-compatible. So we now have two Xboxes in the house and can use whichever controllers we want on whichever console. I mainly use my old Elite Series 1 Controller rather than the Series X one. The biggest issue with the Series X at the time of writing is getting hold of one. For a long time the bulk were being bought up by scalpers to sell on at an unfairly inflated price via places like Ebay or StockX. Please, for the love of god – DO NOT BUY FROM SCALPERS! It fuels the industry and creates artificial rarity. If we all stopped buying from Scalpers, then it wouldn’t be worth doing it. I bought my Series X from Amazon.co.uk. How? I installed an iPhone APP called HotStock and set it to notify when Series X came in stock at a number of retailers at under 500 to avoid the scalped consoles. I got the notification and IMMEDIATELY rushed on, added to basket and bought. Use the Amazon APP on your phone if you can, as it’s faster than the website. When I bought mine just before Christmas they sold out in under 2 minutes so you have to be ready and you have to be fast. If you don’t get lucky, then please just wait. Whatever you do don’t pay some schmuck 100 over the odds for nothing. To sum up, great console, but the retail industry needs to do something about the dodgy practice of scalping.
The biggest difference isn’t resolution, as the One X managed to maintain 4K on most games. It’s the sheer detail on the games. You’re essentially playing games on ultra PC settings. Graphics on games such as COD Cold War campaign, Gears 5, and Valhalla are breathtaking.
It’s also a big difference playing games at 60fps on a console. If you don’t have a TV that supports 120hz, don’t worry about it. Most games at the moment give you the options of graphics (supporting 60fps) or performance (lose graphical details for 120fps).
The hardware itself is very well designed. Microsoft wanted to avoid having a huge console, so they split the motherboard in half, to fit the console into its rectangular shape. As a result the cooling structure means the console is whisper quiet during even the longest gaming session. You can see the large fan at the top of the Xbox spinning through the grates.
This really is a monster gaming PC, supporting the latest technologies such as RDNA 2. I’m looking forward to more games this year, especially from some of Microsoft’s new studios.
Positives
*Subtle non-offensive looks
*Runs super-cool & quiet
*All games load ~4x faster due the fast internal SSD
*Quick-resume is THE best SW feature on next-gen consoles
*4K HDR gaming @ 60 & 120Hz looks amazing on an LG OLED TV
*It’s as powerful as my PC for less than half the money
*Game Pass is awesome. I am currently engrossed in Borderlands 3, Doom Eternal, Forza Horizon 4 to name a few..
*Then they went and added EA Play for free with Game Pass. FIFA, F1, Star Wars……
*All of my XBOX One and 360 games work better on it.
Negatives
*It doesn’t play PS5 games (although it is the only next-gen console that can play PS1 & PS2 games via emulation).
*Only minor improvements on the last-gen controller.
*Official extended storage is too-expensive. I use a cheap 1TB external NVMe drive (within an ORICO USB 3.1 caddy) for fast external storage.
Overall, it’s a great upgrade from an XBOX One S or One X, and I am extremely happy with my choice.
“You only get better graphics if you have a 120hz TV”
This is completely untrue. As someone that even owned an Xbox One X before this, and currently running my Series X on a 4k60 limited television, I can confirm the the visuals are considerably better. Crisper resolution, better textur filtering and higher frames per second are common even even on games that haven’t been optimised for Series X. Auto HDR on its own completely revitalises games, even ones that were created before HDR was even invented.
“The initial start to doesn’t work and was a buggy mess”.
Due to exceptionally high traffic volumes in the console launch day, Xbox Live was suffering from connection issues. This has nothing to do with the functionality of the console.
“It is running insanely hot”
Anyone claiming this obviously isn’t very tech experienced. The only time I feel hot air coming from the console is generally during transfer of large volumes of games onto the SSD. During normal operation the air comes out of the top literally cool. During gaming it comes out warm, but not hot. As per Digital Foundry and their heat analysis, the Xbox Series X runs at very acceptable temperatures. And far cooler than most moderately capable PCs. GPUs, CPUs and SSDs create heat.
“The 1tb Seagate expansion card is overpriced”
The equivalent product, a 1tb m.2 NVMe PCIe4 SSD with matching speeds is the same price, or maybe 10% cheaper if you can find a deal. On top of this the Seagate card is hot swappable (can have multiple and swap them out at will, no need to “disconnect them safely” or anything) and provides identical performance to the internal SSD. It seems expensive, but that’s just how expensive those SSDs are. It’s in line with the market price.
“The new controller is exactly the same”
It really isn’t. It’s subtle, but it is improved drastically. The D-Pad is far better, the texture and slightly revised form factor is more comfortable. The improved bumpers and textured triggers feel far more premium than the Xbox One controllers. As the proud owner of that a 90 custom Design Labs controller with my gamertag inscribed on it, I haven’t used my custom controller since getting my Series X. It just doesn’t feel as good when you go back.
“The controller needs AA batteries, it should have an internal battery”
This is down to personal preference, and I’ll explain my preference and reasons why.
I don’t not use a play and charge kit, the battery life is maybe 10 hours from them (they are 1200mAh batteries). This means you will at some point have to play with your controller plugged in to a power source. Not sure about everyone else, but I like my wireless controllers to be exactly that. Wireless. At all times.
I dont “have to buy AA batteries every week” as other reviews on here claim either. I have a set of 8 AA rechargable batteries and accompanying dock. It cost me about 15. One set of these batteries (2 X 2800mAh, so 5600mAh total) operate for 40+ hours before needing to be charged, and when they do I just swap them with a fully charged set. Like I said, this is down to personal preference. But I regularly make use of AA batteries for other things, so having the rechargables pays for themselves within a couple months.
This is the worst offenders in the spreading of FUD and misinformation that I have seen on these reviews.
I hope that helps to all make a truly informed decision.
When you boot the Series X, although the Xbox start-up logo is new, the User Interface is not. It’s the same UI as the Xbox One. As a tech enthusiast, I enjoy exploring a new UI or OS to see what’s new and different but for many people that is a chore. Microsoft made the decision to make the transfer from Xbox One to Series X|S as seamless as possible and that makes sense as most people will just want to turn the Xbox on and get into their favourite game as fast as possible.
The SSD that Microsoft has put in the Series X|S is really fast. From powered off the console boots in seconds and can launch a game in a few seconds more. For comparison, I booted Red Dead Redemption 2 on my old Xbox One and it took 2:48 to go from Xbox Dashboard to playing the game. On the Series X, it took 0:38 seconds. Navigating the Xbox Dashboard is now lag-free compared to the Xbox One.
The SSD is labelled as 1TB but there is 802GB of usable space. This is a result of two things; the OS installation and the difference between what the OS and the storage manufacturers call a gigabyte. To the OS, 1GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes whereas storage manufacturers state that 1GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. The difference is roughly 70MB per GB.
If you have a USB hard drive, you can still use it to play any Xbox, Xbox 360 or Xbox One games but you won’t benefit from the faster load times. Personally, I use it as mass storage as moving a game from my USB drive to the internal SSD is faster than downloading it. Any game that is Series X|S optimised can only be played from the internal SSD or the Seagate Expansion Card that slot in the back of the console. Microsoft have made it easy to identify which games are X|S Optimised as the have a big, white X|S logo over the game icon.
When in use, the Series X is extremely quiet. I don’t even think I’ve heard the console apart from the start-up chime (which can be disabled in Settings). I’ve read reports of the console getting hot but I have not experienced this. Yes, it gets warm when it’s in use, but this is normal for any piece of technology whether it’s an Xbox, a phone, a tablet or a TV. As long as the top of the console is not obstructed, the heat will be dispersed.
The controller has been slightly redesigned as well. It has retained the same shape but now has a grippier texture on the back and the shoulder buttons and triggers now have a matte finish. The triggers also have the grippy texture that is on the back of the console. I wasn’t sure if I’d like this at first but after an hour or so, I got used to it and now prefer it to my Xbox One controllers (which will work with the Series X|S). The controller also has a share button which when pressed takes a screenshot, and takes a recording when held. It’s not ground-breaking stuff, but it’s a nice addition.
In the box is a 14-day trial of Game Pass Ultimate, which, in my opinion, is currently the best deal in gaming. You get access to a library of over 100 games and with the launch of Series X|S you also get access to EA Play. It also includes Xbox Game Pass for PC and Xbox Live Gold Membership allowing you to play online and receive free games through the Games With Gold promotion. Any new game made by Microsoft Studios or a studio owned by Microsoft is available through Games Pass the day it releases.
My biggest complaint is the storage space. With games getting bigger and bigger as resolutions increase, 1TB (802GB usable space) is simply not enough. I installed 5 games and was already using more than 75% onf the internal SSD.
My other complaint would be that there should be more USB ports. There are 3 USB-A ports (two on the back and one on the front). I have a USB hard drive, and USB receiver for my headset and a charging dock for my controllers connected. I would have like Microsoft to have included a USB-C port as they are becoming more common, and that is what my headset receiver uses (without the need for an adapter).
Overall, I love my Series X and it is a huge improvement from the Xbox One. Even though the OS is the same and navigating the menus doesn’t feel new, every game looks better and loads faster and at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters, right?
The unboxing experience was minimalistic, almost Apple like, and after setting it up, I loved the way the console looks standing up beside the TV. It may feel that it’s a bland device with not much going on, but simplicity is genius.
Once I switched it on, the upgrade was immediately visible. The menus are slick and AC Valhalla took about an hour and a half to download and install. 60 FPS gaming is nothing new when it comes to PC gaming, but this is the first time we’ve seen a AAA game of this magnitude run at 4K 60 locked on a console. And boy, does it deliver on the experience – you won’t realise how big the gap is between 60 and 30 FPS till you’ve experienced it yourself. However, you feel that AC Valhalla at 4K 60 isn’t pushing this bad boy to even 50% of what it can do and it bodes really well for the future. I can’t wait to see what this generation holds.
Dolby Atmos on the Xbox with HDMI 2.1 is beautiful. I’m super happy that my speaker system is finally being used to its full potential. My TV is already delivering the max it can since its not one of the newer OLED/QLED versions and it doesn’t even support Dolby Vision, so I feel like there’s a lot more to come when I eventually upgrade to a 4K 120Hz TV with Dolby Vision.
The Series X is the new king and with all the studios that Microsoft has acquired over the past couple of years, this generation promises to be a bang!!!
I’m glad I have the Series X if nothing else because I know I’m playing the best versions of those games that I can be, but the reality is that PS5 will be my go to machine until software for the Series X really starts to justify itself.
IT IS FINALLY HERE!! You have no idea how long I have waited for this, and how excited I was to get it on Launch Day!! I have bought every single Xbox on launch day since the very first one. I have been to every midnight launch for Xbox and Halo as well. I am a big fan of this platform. Nothing comes close to this in my opinion, as the Series X is a BEAST of a machine. For the price you pay for the Series X, no PC on the market can compete (at this price). No other console can compete. This is the only console that fully supports the AMD RDNA2 architecture. The industrial design, and even the small size (compared to competition) is a sight to behold and shows just how well designed this is. It runs cool, is totally SILENT and is extremely fast. If you play multi platform games, the Series X will run them the best. If you want Xbox first party titles, grab Xbox GamePass (the BEST deal in gaming) and you get every first party Microsoft title on DAY ONE included! In the words of Kevin Bacon; “it’s a no brainer!”. Even EA Play is now included with GamePass! What a steal!!
The console itself is just perfect to be honest. It replaces my Xbox One X and makes it look like an inadequate toy. It is blazing fast; loading games in seconds instead of minutes. The backward compatibility with pretty much ALL of my back catalogue of games from the Original Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One is just incredible! Even my old controllers and headsets work with the Series X! You can even use you new Series X controller on the Xbox One consoles. The money you can save here in peripherals alone is astounding.
Not only is the Series X officially THE MOST Powerful console in the world, it is no more expensive than the competition. It supports RDNA2 like I said, is smaller, has a superior vapour chamber cooling solution and runs silent. Not to mention GamePass and backward compatibility. In my opinion, Microsoft has knocked it out the park with this one. No wonder this is now officially the “biggest Xbox launch ever”. People are smart enough to recognise something special, and this is it.
Don’t wait. Don’t think. If you want true Next-gen NOW, there is no other option.
Another thing that really impresses me is the loading times for games. Games load very quickly, and where your character might die and you’d be sent back to the previous checkpoint, previously you’d be waiting while it loads, but it’s almost instant from dying to spawning again. It’s incredibly fast, and makes playing games on insane difficulty that much less frustrating.
It’s worth mentioning, what this console has over the Playstations, is the Game Pass – Sony will be launching something similar with PS5, but the Xbox Game Pass is incredible value. If you can get a subscription online or at a discount, it’s even better – we got a 40% off subscription with Amazon when the Xbox Series X was dispatched, and we will now have access to an incredible library of games. It’ll be interesting what Sony will compete with, but I’m really blown away with the quality and quantity of games on offer for Xbox.
The UI is much more user friendly than previous Xbox consoles, it’s a lot easier to navigate than the last few for sure.
Overall, we probably won’t be purchasing that many new games for this, because we’ll be streaming available games from the Game Pass, but what we do play, we’re enjoying the super fast, and super silent gaming that the Xbox Series X offers. It’s visually stunning, especially when playing at 120fps – we have a 4K TV with 2.1 HDMI, so we’re getting the absolute best out of the games. I’m looking forward to the PS5 still, but Xbox has really blown me away with this one.
But this is just at an another level. Quicker loading and down loading times. Games look fresher. No more glitching of games. The fan is quite Had to put on its side as it wouldn’t fit standing up next to tv as no room plus it’s safely tucked away from the little ones in the house. Controller is similar to all the other controllers in the Xbox one range which to me is a great controller design which dose it’s job brilliantly.
Finally I take my hat off to Amazon. The release day was a roller coaster of nightmares is it coming is it not. Then just before 8pm I get an email it’s on it’s way. Arriving at just after half 10.
Update.
After a month I stood it up as I was worried it would get hot in the tv stand. Now it’s stood up it looks brilliant. It still away from the kids!
My only complaint is how my package was handled, it took a fair beating and the outer box had a bad dent in which badly damaged the box for the console outside and in but luckily my console is fine. 5 stars for the console not Amazons rough handling, delivery driver was extremely careful when taking out of his car so it wasn’t his fault.
Buy with confidence guys the console is great, no abnormal temperatures, bugs or any other supposed issues mine is working 100%
Remember we’re gamers enjoy whatever you play on 🙂
However, right now as things stand, this is more of a future investment than an immediate benefit. The simple matter is right now there aren’t that many games which can harness this power and deliver true next-gen experiences on this console. A game pass subscription does soften the blow of this but your mileage of the games on that service may vary.
I would urge those with an Xbox one X to maybe hold off for now. Those with an Xbox one S or a base Xbox one this is really worth buying just to see the crazy boost in performance and graphics you will get.
The new addition of using a phone to setup the xbox was cool, although this can be skipped if desired for the normal setup on console. All my settings transferred from my One X.
Only gripe is that I now feel like I need to update my gaming monitoring to a 120hz to enjoy Gears and Halo in their full 120fps glory – sure the wife will agree!!
The system does so much right that MS got right with the 360 and so very wrong with the original Xbox One (addressed by the Xbox One X but too late to turn it around). It is powerful, fast and delivers as a proper gaming system, up there with powerful PC’s in what it can push out (2080 GTX level visuals at a fraction of the price of a gaming PC with such a card).
It comes in very well thought out packaging – very secure but easy to open via sticky seals to then get to the console within. Power and HDMI cables plus new controller are included. The system itself is a big change in look and required me to re-arrange my set-up but I have to say it’s smaller than I’d though and looks much nicer than I expected. It makes a statement.
Set-up is the easiest I have ever known it with a console. You use the xbox app on a smart phone and follow through the various prompts (after it has done an initial update) and you are set up in no time.
I also chose to copy my settings from the cloud (as i am upgrading from a One X) and also moved an external HDD with my games on over to it by plugging it into a USB socket (there are 3, 2 on the back and one on the front).
The system itself is SSD based so you can take advantage of super quick loading times, especially where games are written and optimised for it. To take advantage of this I moved a number of games from my external to the internal.
The operating system / UI is very much the same as the recently upgrades One X UI that has been gradually refined and enriched in recent years but with the addition of dynamic themes and also the new fantastic quick resume feature. Quick resume stores the profile of games that are upgraded to use it, allowing you to jump between a number of different games within seconds. It’s a fantastic feature and a real next gen jump.
In terms of games MS have not released a day one exclusive (other than Yakuza : Like a Dragon as a timed next gen exclusive) since they pushed back Halo Infinite. Instead they have focused on getting the best versions of some big new games like AC Valhalla and Watchdogs: Legion and on bumping up the now huge (over 340 games) Gamepass catalogue. To that end they’ve added the EA play catalogue to Gamepass and you can access all sorts of EA games (inc the brilliant Jedi Fallen Order and all sorts of sports games).
The games themselves are wonderful. Many have been upgraded to take advantage of the system. Many now have the option to run at 4K 60 frames per second or a lower res 120 frame per second (i can’t test that as my TV does not support it) but they look incredible in 4K.
I’ve been blown away by the One X since I had it but this is next level. Effects such as Ray Tracing make those 4K games look even more eye popping and 60FPS adds a real smoothness.
Backwards compatibility is another key area for this system. It plays the whole Xbox One catalogue except Kinect games, many 360 games and some original Xbox games. It also applies auto upgrades inc HDR to a host of games.. making the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2 look incredible.
I’ve had the system under heavy load for a couple of days now, playing, downloading, installing from disk etc and it has remained silent and cool. Very impressive.
I’ve also tested UHD Blu Rays with it and, using the Dolby Atmos option to my soundbar, the sound is stunningly good and the movies look incredible in 4K HDR.
Overall MS have really nailed it this time. The system delivers on what long term Xbox gamers like myself wanted.. powerful and fast with smoother performance. Add Gamepass to that and it’s very easy to recommend.
The Quick resume is brilliant, just add the games you want onto the SSD and they load in almost instantly, the great thing about this is you can turn off or even unplug the console but the games will still be there ready to play from where you left off even days later.
MS now have a huge amount of Xbox Game Studios and they will soon be releasing very big AAA games.
Then there is the excellent value Gamepass Ultimate which now includes Xbox Gamepass, PC Gamepass, Cloud Game streaming, Xbox Live Gold and EA Play.
The console is amazing value for what you get for the money, a must buy.
Aesthetically it’s somewhat smaller than I anticipated and looks less offensive in its vertical and intended position, however as with most day one consoles the series x isn’t without its minor bugs which will no doubt be patched in due course, however as a next gen unit it really is a significant jump in quality and capabilities compared to previous iterations, I don’t know how I functioned without quick resume and super quick load times, genuinely could not go back to the One X! Tested a good few BC games and everything looks polished as you’d expect, time will tell on weather MS investments in games studios bear fruit for exclusives and genuine next gen games but from day one offerings I am fairly confident my money has been spent wisely.
Game pass is forever evolving and only adds to the value of the new hardware on offer.
MS have actually turned a corner here and not only returned to “consumer friendly” territory but they’ve released a worthy replacement for anyone who upgrades.
The interface is very familiar and straight forwards to use. I enabled 4K, 120hz with HDR and VRR enabled and menus were noticeably smoother thanks to the high refresh rate and games are incredibly smooth.
One thing you won’t notice is the fan noise, it’s practically inaudible. I have my one set up on its side in a TV unit and have not encountered any issues with high temperatures and loud fan noises. The console does look better upright though and I might switch it around later. Loading and installation of games and apps is really very fast.
I really like the new controller thanks to its more textured feel and better d-pad. The included HDMI is version 2.1, its long enough for me but could have been a little longer. There is no usb cable for the controller included with the console but there are some non rechargeable batteries included to get you started. There is also no game pass trial included in the box.
It’s good to see the Series X supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, this helps make sure you get the best possible image and audio provided you have devices compatible with this. I can confirm my Sonos Arc works with the Series X for Atmos gaming. The audio quality is incredible in addition to the beautiful smooth graphics.
Finally consoles feel like consoles again. It’s quick, compact and cool.
However, the expectation set by Microsoft suggest the series x will have a performance advantage over its competition, however this has not been the case. The series x’s performance in games is much better on the ps5, so I would question the purpose of this console as it lacks an exclusives to demonstrate its potential.
For the price of 449.99, this console is truly fantastic, so good that I’m not even sure how Microsoft make money on it at this price! You get the console itself, a controller, a power cable and HDMI 2.1 cord… incredibly good value… Just to name one thing, this console is very very fast – coming from the 2013 Xbox One, shockingly fast! Loading times are an absolute breeze… best example I can think of is when fast travelling in Red Dead Redemption 2, it takes 5 seconds or less, the console cold boots in about 15-18 seconds and can start from sleep in just 4 seconds!
Setup is quick and easy with a smartphone and the Xbox App downloaded and it’s easy to transfer and download games if you want to take them with you from your old console, you can either transfer them over WiFi if your old console is still plugged in, or put them onto a physical hard drive which can be plugged into the console to transfer the games off if you prefer…
The build quality is sublime, it’s extremely sturdy, compact, and the quality of the materials used are second to none, aesthetically it looks great, the green paint inside the top of the console really makes it look like it’s glowing – at the base of the console the screws that hold the stand onto the main body actually go all the way through the console itself… meaning it’s very stable when sitting upright, there is no rocking or bad movements… it just has a great look about it, and will stand proud on your desk/in your media centre whilst blending in and remaining subtle at the same time, and is a very convenient shape!
In terms of cooling, again very good… there were originally some rumours about heat problems with this console, but after playing red dead redemption 2 for an hour at 4k quality, I can confidently say these are false, the top of the console was just over luke-warm to the touch, really just felt like the air from a hair dryer on the lowest setting, nothing that could ‘burn your hand’ as some early reviewers suggested… the console sucks air in from the bottom and expels it out of the top vent, so make sure you leave appropriate space above, and on either side of the console to allow for efficient cooling!
Thought I’d talk about noise, the console is almost silent, even under heavy load it makes very little to no noise, you actually have to move close to the console and tilt your head so you can hear the low pitched humming sound coming from the main cooling fan, very impressive to says the quality of the games it can run, pretty much inaudible…
The final thing I wanted to cover was the output quality of the console, this largely depends on the screen that you have but you can choose between 1080p, 1440p, and 4k, followed by refresh rates of 60hz and 120hz, you can also utilise Freesync to eliminate tearing, and calibrate HDR from the console – I’d recommend having a 1440p quality screen or higher to fully utilise the quality that this console has to offer, a monitor and TV are both fine to use and it’s all down to personal preference, as can be seen in the photos I use the LG 27GL850 which is a 1440p, 144hz, 1ms response time monitor!
Overall, I’m just kind of just blown away at the quality to price ratio here, would I recommend the console? 100%… Especially if you are still using an original Xbox One, the performance gap between that and this is phenomenal. Sure there aren’t a lot of new games out at the minute – which is the only real downside, however there are plenty of games that are optimised for use with the console that exist already, and I’d assume that we will see more AAA titles being released as the world gets moving again… I’d definitely recommend getting this console down to the sheer performance and quality alone, you will not be disappointed!
EDIT: (After 40 Days of Usage) This review is still fully accurate of my opinion on this console, it performs like a beast, it’s pretty much silent under load, I’ve been having a blast playing COD at 120fps on it and I’ve clocked about 300 hours so far with no issues, what a great piece of kit!