So now that we’ve had our unit for over a week now (getting it after running through circles on the shopping front), we can confidently say that the Xbox Series X feels like a next-level machine. After making critical mistakes with the Xbox One by launching it more as an “entertainment device” built around its Kinect technology, Microsoft has shifted gears and made the Xbox Series X a bad-ass gaming machine. As it should be.
Not to say that it’s perfect, as there are some slight flaws that deserve to be looked at. But in all, Microsoft is geared up for the next-gen war – and how.
Power Under The Hood
Many people might snicker at the fridge-like design of the Xbox Series X, but Microsoft has done a wonderful job on its design.
First off, it runs smoothly, without any sort of noise emulating from it. It also keeps surprisingly cool, even as it runs Halo: The Master Chief Collection like it would on a massively sized PC. I felt the top of the system, designed with its cool green colors, and it barely felt like it was overheating at all, even after three hours of play. The design is practical and efficient, which is a genuine surprise.
Not only that, but the system is easy to hook up, thanks to its simplistic set-up. You can also turn it on and eject discs with ease, thanks to actual buttons in place of those annoying “push” sensors that later models of the Xbox 360 had. And the start-up screen is magnificent, even more than the Xbox One X, which years ago touted its arrival in next-gen. Yeah, move over, buttercup.
Overall, the system design and performance is second to none, aside from the PS5. It’s a conveniently built unit that’s a blast to set up and play, and it looks really spiffy in an entertainment center, whether you set it up vertically or horizontally. Laugh all you want at its cubeness, but its practicality goes a long way.
Performance To Match
The Xbox Series X isn’t all about its exterior looks. There’s power under this hood.
First off, with its SSD-based design and horsepower, I can honestly say I’ve never seen games load as fast as they do here. Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which usually takes a few good minutes to get started on the Xbox One X, loaded in a matter of seconds the first time I started it up – even with the Xbox Series X update. That’s impressive. And older games get a boost too, as ones like The Pinball Arcade (yes, I still play that, quiet) and Wolfenstein: The New Order have no trouble booting quickly as well.
And even if you move the games to an external hard drive, the games still load up rather quickly and are rather easy to access, thanks to a familiar UI. In fact, the UI, while easy to use, may be one of the system’s biggest flaws, if only because we’ve seen it before. But, hey, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Still, it wouldn’t hurt to give the design some next-gen sheen to match up with its hardware.
At least the power shows in the games, because…wow. Running at a beautiful 4K resolution, games like Forza Horizon 4, DiRT 5 and Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate have never looked better.
Running fast and with minimal loading times and exquisite detail, they’re just as much fun to watch as they are to play. And keep in mind that we haven’t seen that much footage of what’s on the horizon, like Halo Infinite.
What’s more, the new controller design is kind of neat. The biggest thing that’s changed is the overall feel, as it’s a little easier to grasp than the Xbox One units. That said, you can still use your older controllers, even on the newer games, which is a nice backward compatible touch.
Wish Sony would’ve grasped a solution like that, though it’s fair that it wants its PlaySense controller to create a new experience. Ah well.
And I like that the analog pad has changed a bit, aligned with the design that we’ve seen from the Elite controllers, though on a bit of a smaller level. It’s pretty cool, to say the least; and I’m looking forward to Microsoft adding it to the Xbox Gaming Lab for custom designs in the months ahead.
No First-Party Monsters, But Lots To Play
For its launch, the “big” title that Microsoft has for the Xbox Series X is Gears Tactics. That’s not a bad choice, as it’s a fun game to play, but it’s clearly lacking the “oomph” that Halo Infinite could’ve had before its inevitable delay. It’s a shame that game couldn’t make the cut, or at least give us a playable demo, because it would’ve made a world of difference.
That said, there’s still tons available here, thanks to two factors. The first is Xbox Game Pass, with its wealth of options and added features, including the recently signed on EA Play and Destiny 2: Beyond Light experience. That gives players something to enjoy, even if they’re on a budget after buying this monster of a machine.
The second is backward compatibility – and there’s a lot of it. Thousands of games across Xbox, Xbox One and Xbox 360 are supported. And what’s more, a lot of them look great on the Xbox Series X. SSX 3 looks like something out of a next-gen experience on this – and it’s well over a decade old!
A Machine Worth Having
Could the game library for Xbox Series X used more original stuff? Yep. Could the UI use a little bit of tweaking to take advantage of the hardware? Sure. Could availability have been made
easier for fans that really wanted this system? Yup.
But in the end, Microsoft has made its most satisfying console since the Xbox 360 with the Xbox Series X. Its practical design is excellent; its power is undeniable (at least, unless going head to head with master PC’s and the PS5); and its game library is immense, even without the new titles in tow. There’s something really special about this machine, and it’s well worth adding to your library – once you find one of course.
