The Xbox Series X is a top-notch gaming console that will give you the best games experience possible. But before you head out to buy one, there are a few things that you should know.
One of the key features of this console is backward compatibility. This means you can play older Xbox games on it without worrying about lag or poor frame rates.
How It Works
The Xbox Series X is the latest iteration of Microsoft’s console. It features improved graphics, a new controller, and more. It’s a great choice for gamers who want to experience the latest games on an incredibly powerful platform, but there are a few things you should know before buying it.
First of all, it’s important to note that the Xbox Series X is backward compatible with older titles from three generations of consoles. There are over 1,000 backward compatible titles at launch, and many of the Xbox One accessories you’ll likely buy will also work on the Series X, too.
You can also plug in an external drive and use it to store backward compatible Xbox games, letting you free up the internal storage for your newer Xbox games. However, be sure to get a USB 3.1-compatible drive for this feature to work properly.
Another handy feature that the Xbox Series X offers is FPS Boost, which allows you to run some games at higher frame rates. This is especially useful when playing action-packed titles that require more than 30FPS.
Finally, the Xbox Series X can support HDR, which is a high-dynamic range of colors that can improve game visuals. While most Xbox Series X games are compatible with standard HDR, a select number of titles can take advantage of Dolby Vision, which adds more colors to your images.
If you’re considering purchasing the Xbox Series X, we highly recommend taking out a subscription to Game Pass, as this gives you access to over 100 first-party games on release day. This includes titles from Id Software, Machine Games, Tango Gameworks, Double Fine, and Arkane, plus more. This is the best value in gaming, and it’s a good way to try out all the latest games without shelling out for them.
Design
The Xbox Series X is a radical departure from the previous consoles in the line. It combines a new form factor with prodigious airflow to cool its powerful System on Chip (SoC) and GPU.
Like most of Microsoft’s next-gen consoles, the Xbox Series X was designed with feedback from customers. They wanted something that felt different, but also fit into their homes where they played. The design and research teams visited these customers and shared prototype form factors to understand what they wanted from their next console.
They found that gamers were most excited by a compact, small-footprint console that could be placed in multiple orientations and spaces. They also wanted something that could easily be slipped into a backpack or bag, and taken with them on a gaming trip.
With this in mind, the design team looked at how they could build the best possible hardware in a device that was as tiny as possible. They came up with a double board design and a powerful cooling system that pulled cool air in through the bottom of the console and vented it out at the top.
The design also makes sure to include a few key design flourishes, such as the one slim slit for the disc drive and the slight texture of the console. These are designed to give the Xbox Series X a modernist, industrial look that’s more than just pretty, but also functional.
While the Xbox Series X is not a bad entertainment hub, it’s not as feature-rich or as easy to use as some of its rivals. For example, it does not support Quick Resume, which allows you to pick up where you left off if you switch between games and entertainment.
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Performance
The Xbox Series X isn’t just about power – it also offers a number of other benefits. For example, it has automatic HDR support that can significantly boost the visuals of older games, plus it’s got a Smart Delivery program which upgrades older cross-gen titles to a native version as soon as you upgrade your console.
The X also has a custom processor with eight AMD Zen 2 CPU cores, a 12 Teraflop RDNA 2 GPU and 16GB of GDDR6 memory. This means it’s capable of executing games at a native 4K resolution and 60 frames per second with little to no compromise, even on high-end TVs.
Microsoft also put a lot of effort into game capture and streaming, making it easier than ever to take screenshots or record gameplay videos in high resolution at 60fps. This is something the Xbox One had trouble doing despite having a 720p video capture cap, and it means that if you’re planning on streaming your gameplay online or recording clips for YouTube, the X is a great option to consider.
Another useful feature is Quick Resume, which allows you to suspend a game in a suspended state, then jump back into it as soon as you want. This saves you a huge amount of time when playing multiple games, and it’s especially helpful for games that aren’t as optimized for the new hardware as some.
The Xbox Series X is also built around the Xbox Velocity architecture, which pairs a custom SSD with integrated software for faster load times than any other console in history. This translates into huge reductions in load times and speedier transitions between games and menu-based administration.
Price
The Xbox Series X is Microsoft’s most elite gaming console, armed with cutting-edge technology and a massive library of games available on Game Pass. It’s also a powerful, reliable console that makes for a great home entertainment system thanks to its 4K Blu-ray drive and support for a variety of entertainment apps.
The Xbox X is the more powerful of the two new consoles, boasting an AMD Custom Zen 2 CPU running at 3.8GHz, a 1.825GHz AMD RDNA2 graphics processing unit and 12GB of RAM. It also has a 1TB hard drive, a 4K UHD Blu-ray optical drive and the ability to output up to 8K video.
As with the Xbox One, it’s backward-compatible and plays all of your favorite Xbox titles. It also comes with a Smart Delivery feature that upgrades your games automatically as they are played, making them look and run better than ever before on the new machine.
In addition, the Xbox X has a new SSD that reduces loading times by up to 60% and improves visuals thanks to improved resolution and graphics. Plus, it’s a lot more affordable than the PlayStation 5 and is compatible with Xbox Game Pass, which allows you to play hundreds of first-party titles for just $10 a month.
If you’re just looking for a solid platform that will give you access to a huge library of games, it’s well worth spending a little more on the Xbox X. It’s more expensive than its cheaper cousin, the Series S, but it offers the same impressive hardware and features, and is more future-proof as a result.
The Xbox X is not an easy console to buy, particularly because it’s often out of stock at major retailers and resellers. However, it’s still possible to find deals online on the best price.
Final Words
The Xbox Series X arrives with a lot to offer, and there’s no shortage of games that are optimised for the new console. This includes the likes of Halo Infinite, Flight Simulator and Forza Horizon 4 – all of which look absolutely stunning, and will push the boundaries of what you can achieve on next-gen hardware.
What’s more, many of the best games from the last generation will automatically benefit from optimisation through Microsoft’s new FPS Boost system. Whether they’re Xbox One exclusives such as Gears 5 or the cross-gen multiplayer titles you play regularly, like Apex Legends and Destiny 2, they’ll run far faster than you ever experienced before.
This is also an important factor in the overall performance of the Xbox Series X, as the hardware has improved its ability to handle heavy graphics loads. It can load up the latest titles in a fraction of the time it used to, and even handle backwards compatible games with ease.
In addition to these optimisations, the Xbox Series X offers a host of quality-of-life improvements that you’d otherwise need to pay for on an older console. These include short load times, a fast and stable 60fps at 4K, and the ability to sift through a huge library of games with ease.
The Xbox Series X is a solid, solid machine that is proving to be a great value for gamers. It’s the perfect system for those looking to get into gaming again, or who want to spend less on games and subscriptions than they would with the PlayStation 5.
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