Xbox Series X
Microsoft’s new flagship console is here, but is it the multi-generational leap we have all been waiting for?
There has never been a new generation of games consoles quite like the one including the Xbox Series X. Usually, a new console brings with it an opening volley of new and exciting games. The message: if you want to play the new games, you have to buy the new console.
That’s not the case this time. Neither the Xbox Series X nor the Playstation 5 has any exclusive games. Everything the two consoles can play can also be bought for and played on an Xbox One or a Playstation 4. Undoubtedly, that will change and the ‘old’ consoles will be left behind but, for the foreseeable future, you don’t need to buy the latest console in order to play the latest games.
The upside is that there is already a huge library of games available to play on the new machines, and both manufacturers are claiming that their new powerhouse devices will make those games look and play better than ever before, while also functioning as do-it-all entertainment machines.
The Xbox Series X is joined by the much more affordable Xbox Series S (£250), which lacks a disc drive and is less powerful than its bigger brother.
Both new consoles can be bought via Microsoft’s All Access programme, which involves paying interest-free monthly installments in return for a console, access to over 100 games on Xbox Game Pass and multiplayer gaming via Xbox Live Gold. At £29 per month, All Access is arguably one of the most compelling reasons to choose the Xbox Series X over the Playstation 5.
The Xbox Series X is a big slab of console whose form follows function. The more powerful a device, the more heat it produces, and the Series X is largely the shape it is because of a huge fan at the top. Huge it might be, but it’s seriously quiet and mostly inaudible over the ambient noise in your living room.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the disc drive, which makes a real racket. It’s not really a problem with disc-based games, as they run from the console’s internal storage, but it is an issue when watching Blu-rays and DVDS – the Xbox can easily be heard during low-volume scenes.
While the Xbox Series X has obviously been designed primarily to be positioned vertically it can also be laid horizontally; just be sure it has ample breathing space.
While most are unlikely to see or even feel the difference, the new controller is a little smaller than its predecessor, which should make it easier for younger and smaller gamers. It’s also more prominently textured, too. It’s better than the already excellent controller before it, but not drastically so. We wouldn’t recommend rushing out to replace your controllers – and you don’t need to either: Xbox One controllers work just fine with the Series X.
Microsoft claims that the Xbox Series X is the ‘most powerful console ever’, and it has the specification to back that up, combining an 8-core 3.8GHZ CPU with 12 teraflop GPU and 16GB of RAM. That’s a significant step-up from the outgoing Xbox One X and a slight increase on the on-paper power of the PS5.
So what does the Series X do with all of that power? Not 8K – at least not yet. The company claims the Series X is fully capable of outputting 8K but that, with no media currently available to make use of the resolution, it has chosen not to enable the option in the system settings.
Beyond the games
While a games console will prioritise games, it should also serve as a do-it-all entertainment system – and Microsoft has duly packed the Xbox Series X with streaming apps. On top of the company’s own pay-as-you-go movie store with a solid library of 4K HDR films, there’s also Netflix and Disney+. The Apple TV app was promised by the time the console goes on sale, too, although it wasn’t available at the time of review. We were able to access Amazon Prime Video, although not in HDR. Spotify and Deezer give you options for music streaming, while Plex and VLC allow you to play your own media files. UK buyers also get access to BBC iplayer, ITV Hub, All 4, Now TV, TV from Sky and BT Sport.
There are still aspects of the Xbox user interface with which we struggle – core features such as the system settings being treated as an app, for example. Arguably a bigger deal is that keeping the same user interface means that the core user experience doesn’t feel particularly next-generational. That isn’t to say that the user experience is exactly the same as that of an Xbox One. The big news is the extension of the Quick Resume feature, which now allows you to flick between multiple games rather than just one, freezing each as you leave it and allowing you to instantly resume. It works exactly as promised.
Naturally, once you’ve unboxed and set up your new console you’re going to make a beeline for those ‘Optimized for X’ games. If you’re a Game Pass subscriber, you’ll immediately have a number to choose from. They include popular titles such as Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, Destiny 2, Sea Of Thieves and Ori And The Will Of The Wisps. X-optimised games will be available from third-party publishers, too.
We opt for Gears 5 and get a strong sense of the upgrades as soon as we enter the action. The resolution still adjusts dynamically according to what’s happening on screen, so doesn’t stick rigidly to 4K, but detail has been increased and lighting improved. The result is a significantly more crisp, solid and three-dimensional image that’s more immersive and exciting.
Arguably more transformative is the upgrade to the way the game feels to play. The Series X is able to stick pretty rigidly to its 60fps target and makes for a supremely responsive playing experience.
If you’re wondering how the Series S compares, the answer is not favourably. The cut-price console is perfectly capable in its own right, but its lowerresolution output makes for a much softer and flatter presentation.
Dazzling performance
As we flick from Gears 5 to Forza Horizon 4 and on to Sea Of Thieves, we’re dazzled by the look and feel of each. Bear in mind that these are existing One X games that have been given Series X upgrades, rather than designed from the ground up. It’s likely they represent just the tip of the performance iceberg.
For a games console, the Series X is sonically capable. It gets to the core of a soundtrack and delivers it with decent clarity, solidity and atmosphere.
The Xbox Series X is a slightly tricky console to wrap your head around. You don’t need to buy it in order to play the latest games, it doesn’t bring a leap in resolution and its user interface is more or less identical to that of its predecessor. There will come a time, though, when the One X is left behind and games designed from scratch will take advantage of the Series X’s awesome power and features. What matters more to most people now, though, is how the Series X’s performance compares with that of the PS5…