Xbox Series X - Review Thread

Murdy Plops · Nov 5, 2020

As with most consoles, it makes more sense to buy day one and get years worth of enjoyment before it reduces in price. As I may have mentioned before, this is the ONLY console I have ever bought, where day one I'm simply buying the console and nothing else.

I'll be plugging in my new machine next tuesday and network transferring games from my One X and benefiting from better GFX & performance across games. It's like buying a new iphone every 2 years or so and honestly; thats probably the way it should feel.

Pheonix · Nov 5, 2020

MrBob said:
Series X is delivering exactly what was advertised. Play existing games with a bunch of quality of life improvements due to better cpu, gpu, and ssd. Whether this is considered a slight disappointment or not, it seems ms is delivering everything they advertised. A better way to play your existing xbox games. You need to make a decision whether or not this is worth 500.

I think what is causing this issue is that people are trying to twist things.

The Series X s a great piece of kit, in every way. And yes, it's delivering on its next-gen promise. But that does not change the fact that it is also the first next-gen console to launch without a single next-gen exclusive title for it.

That is just stating the obvious. Now, how much that matters to anyone is anyone guess, but it doesn't mean it's not true. So I see no reason why reviewers shouldn't point it out, or why pointing it out seems to be a bad thing to do.

Dunlop · Nov 5, 2020

Rhaknar said:
ok im back on the hype train about my Series X pre-order, not even joking

been wanting to play this for ages

Awesome, I could not finish on the PS4 as the framerate was just terrible on my pro

DanielG123 · Nov 5, 2020

I definitely get the argument of there being no new exclusive MS games immediately on launch day to dive into. However, you still have the likes of Valhalla, Legion, Gears Tactics, and Dirt 5 to play. While yes, all of those, except for one, are multi platform, to say that the Series X/S have no games to play is disingenuous. Plus, you're getting your first Series X/S games coming later this year with The Medium, and Call of the Sea, AND, hopefully, CrossfireX. We'll also have those Destiny 2 improvements to look forward to. Not to mention, the thousands of games available on day 1 via BC and GamePass that will all look and play significantly better on the new hardware.

Hopefully, journalists will update their reviews to properly fit once more games start funneling in later this year.

MCD · Nov 5, 2020

tomwarren said it best couple of weeks ago. Lack of games at launch is weak and no one can say otherwise but if you come from a PC mindset, it doesn't matter as you are upgrading for more power, speed and next gen features.

Karak · Nov 5, 2020

Toriko said:
I think all the technical improvements alone is a gamechanger. Miles Morales is going to look and play worse on PS4 then PS5. Same with games like Sackboy. Demon Souls is exclusive to PS5.It is probably the best launch lineup playstation has had since the PS1 which is granted not a very high bar but it is still good. Forgot to mention Godfall too.

Its would be like saying Switch had a terrible launch lineup because BOTW is available in WiiU as well. Launch line up is more than fine IMO. Even on the Series X side all the technical improvements for third party games should be sizable. I think Cyberpunk is going to run piss poor on current gen consoles for example.

Yes switch also had a Terrible launch LINEUP.
I can not speak about my time with some games as I am under NDA. But my sentiments still stand completely even with those mentions of games you make.
Also Godfall is PC as well.

Urishizu · Nov 5, 2020

Bottom line for me is this hardware jump is going to make everything about how I play on Xbox a better experience, which is why I'm here day one. And I've been holding off on Gears Tactics so I could experience it day one on XSX in all of its glory. But I will fully admit I am still bummed I'm not playing a new Halo next week.

LNBL · Nov 5, 2020

Hyped! Current launch line up is weak, but this will be my console for the coming years so i'm not to worried about it. Enough games in Gamepass and releasing the current period.

nss · Nov 5, 2020

Lobster Roll said:
The PS4 UI is objectively terrible. The PS5 UI looks to be a significant step forward and a massive improvement. Navigating the PS4 UI for even the most basic things (plugging in a new headset, system-level HDR settings, etc.) is a scavenger hunt. Nothing about it is intuitively designed.

Quick Menu > Devices
Settings > Screen > HDR

I'm not exactly sure what's unintuitive about that.

Anyways. As stated agree to disagree.

Confused Cheeseburger · Nov 5, 2020

Voke said:
Launching a console with no new games.... can't help but think that's not a good idea at all

No new games or no new exclusives?
There's a difference.

Deleted member 45130 · Nov 5, 2020

This sounds positive and I'm looking forward to seeing what is announced over the coming few months for Xbox. I hope everyone picking up a new console over the next few weeks enjoys it!

Sputnick said:
Ratchet and Clank says hi.

Rachet and Clank looks good but it's not a launch title, it's in the 'launch window' meaning you won't be picking a copy up with the PS5. Maybe by the end of the year.

Tarnpanzer · Nov 5, 2020

If you put 3rd-party titles in the equation, the launch lineup is actually pretty great.

Ambient · Nov 5, 2020

I wish they were able to get Flight Sim on Series X and S ready for launch.

Lobster Roll · Nov 5, 2020

nss said:
Quick Menu > Devices
Settings > Screen > HDR

I'm not exactly sure what's unintuitive about that.

Anyways. As stated agree to disagree.

You can disagree all you want, but Xbox is allowed to do things better than PlayStation. Much like I would never suggest that Xbox has better exclusives, I'm not going to suggest that the PS4 UI is anything other than terrible. There's a reason why it's being overhauled for the PS5: to vastly improve the experience of the UI.

Voke · Nov 5, 2020

Confused Cheeseburger said:
No new games or no new exclusives?
There's a difference.

doesnt matter if it's exclusive or not. Just a next gen game that isnt on old platforms as well.

crazillo · Nov 5, 2020

I'm buying a console for seven years not for launch. And those seven years will be the best yet in Xbox's history from a first-party perspective. Until then, Game Pass and EA Play have me more than covered.

Deleted member 5028 · Nov 5, 2020

Voke said:
doesnt matter if it's exclusive or not. Just a next gen game that isnt on old platforms as well.

By that logic we just have one -- Demon's Souls. Anything else coming out is on PC.

john titor · Nov 5, 2020

Congrats on the upcoming launch!
Looking to get PS5 first probably but will definitely get an XSX later on.

Goldenroad · Nov 5, 2020

MCD said:
tomwarren said it best couple of weeks ago. Lack of games at launch is weak and no one can say otherwise but if you come from a PC mindset, it doesn't matter as you are upgrading for more power, speed and next gen features.

That's always what I keep thinking. 3080's are sold out everyone and I don't think there is a single 3080 exclusive game available right now, or even in development. Some people just want new tech to run their games better, at least for the time being.

plow · Nov 5, 2020

MCD said:
tomwarren said it best couple of weeks ago. Lack of games at launch is weak and no one can say otherwise but if you come from a PC mindset, it doesn't matter as you are upgrading for more power, speed and next gen features.

Honestly i think it's a poor argument. If the last time you updated you rig on your PC was 7 years ago, there are absolutely games that you weren't able to play before your update.

nss · Nov 5, 2020

Lobster Roll said:
You can disagree all you want, but Xbox is allowed to do things better than PlayStation. Much like I would never suggest that Xbox has better exclusives, I'm not going to suggest that the PS4 UI is anything other than terrible. There's a reason why it's being overhauled for the PS5: to vastly improve the experience of the UI.

Calm down with your system wars. I like the PS4 UI more than the Xbox UI and think they're both great, none of the console UIs are terrible.

Barneystuta · Nov 5, 2020

Have any reviews mentioned the 4k Blu-ray player playback quality?

My One X seems to be audibly louder when spinning the disc of a 4K disc and curious what the playback quality (and sound of the console) is like on the Series X?

Iwao · Nov 5, 2020

Lobster Roll said:
I'm not going to suggest that the PS4 UI is anything other than terrible. There's a reason why it's being overhauled for the PS5: to vastly improve the experience of the UI.

It's being overhauled because that's what Sony does, and it wants to deliver you features and an experience you can't get on any other of their previous consoles. That is the constant that underpins every PlayStation generation, your individual opinion of the PS4's UI doesn't inform Sony on what to do with their next iteration. Their vision for where they see gaming going does.

MrBob · Nov 5, 2020

Pheonix said:
I think what is causing this issue is that people are trying to twist things.

The Series X s a great piece of kit, in every way. And yes, it's delivering on its next-gen promise. But that does not change the fact that it is also the first next-gen console to launch without a single next-gen exclusive title for it.

That is just stating the obvious. Now, how much that matters to anyone is anyone guess, but it doesn't mean it's not true. So I see no reason why reviewers shouldn't point it out, or why pointing it out seems to be a bad thing to do.

Agreed. I do expect ps5 to be similar though it has a couple more exclusives. PS5 hook will be the controller, so we need to see how the dual sense works in various games.

shodgson8 · Nov 5, 2020

Rhaknar said:
ok im back on the hype train about my Series X pre-order, not even joking

been wanting to play this for ages

Thanks for posting. This is definitely going to get installed straight away.

MCD · Nov 5, 2020

plow said:
Honestly i think it's a poor argument. If the last time you updated you rig on your PC was 7 years ago, there are absolutely games that you weren't able to play before your update.

Steam's August 2020 Hardware Survey is out and most still use GTX 10 Series cards

We don't often cover Steam hardware stats, but average user specs can be interesting, and let's just say the August 2020 survey shows RTX off.

www.pcinvasion.com

People are still rocking quad core cpus @1080p. Just a quick google search.

Why MS made the Series S and why Tom's point about X makes sense imo. If you can't afford a shiny new PC in a global pandemic especially at the power this thing packs compared to what you get for $500, it's hard to beat honestly.

The same thing said by jschreier

But people keep linking the first two posts and ignore his third for console war BS.

Deleted member 5596 · Nov 5, 2020

MCD said:
tomwarren said it best couple of weeks ago. Lack of games at launch is weak and no one can say otherwise but if you come from a PC mindset, it doesn't matter as you are upgrading for more power, speed and next gen features.

That logic checks, but it only makes sense if you come as an Xbox owner. People who owns PS4 has very little reason to consider an Xbox Series X even from the 'upgrade PC-like' mindset.

I guess that's enough for launch since there's plenty of Xbox owners that might be interested on this as an upgrade and availability is definetly not there now to worry about expanding it to new users.

Venatio · Nov 5, 2020

I'm really on the fence about keeping my preorder. The hardware looks fantastic, but I just can't find a good reason why I need this now.

Lobster Roll · Nov 5, 2020

nss said:
Calm down with your system wars. I like the PS4 UI more than the Xbox UI and think they're both great, none of the console UIs are terrible.

Yeah you're barking up the wrong tree if you think I care about console wars. My favorite experiences from this generation, by far, all belong to Sony. The Series X at launch still appeals to me more, and I'm going to openly talk about the strengths that each console offers. With sincerity, FOH with that "system wars" stuff.

Karak · Nov 5, 2020

Aeroucn said:
Has anyone talked about how long it takes to move around games from an external drive to the internal storage?

Yep I covered it a good deal with examples of moving on and off and around the storage systems

meenseen84 · Nov 5, 2020

nss said:
Calm down with your system wars. I like the PS4 UI more than the Xbox UI and think they're both great, none of the console UIs are terrible.

Yeah my original comment had nothing to do with Xbox vs Playstation UI. I like them both too.

It was merely me pointing out that people shouldn't say the UI being similar is a negative. Out of every device I have ever owned it has changed the UI so frequently that when they finally get it right they should leave it alone.

I do like the live background and the small differences but being in the preview I can almost guarantee their will be something new in January.

Yautja_Warrior · Nov 5, 2020

Powerful hardware, good value with GamePass and solid backwards compatibility support, which is awesome if you want to play your old games with improvements. Can't fault them when it comes to that stuff.

The only issue for me is, it's lacking that next gen feel of having some big new, next gen 1st party games to play, which is a shame, they really dropped the ball with Halo.

When games like Hellblade 2, Avowed and Fable are ready, I'll definitely be more interested then.

PS Dog · Nov 5, 2020

Thugnificent · Nov 5, 2020

XSX looks to be a great console.

I've always bought PlayStation consoles and this next gen is no exception. Really excited to get my hands on the PS5.

But I also think this will be the first time I also decide to get an Xbox. Will probably wait 2-3 years down the line to get one. But I think it'll be really cool to own one along with a sub to game pass. Just not sure whether to get an S or X yet but there's still time.

XVerdena · Nov 5, 2020

crazillo said:
I'm buying a console for seven years not for launch. And those seven years will be the best yet in Xbox's history from a first-party perspective. Until then, Game Pass and EA Play have me more than covered.

.

Jiraiya · Nov 5, 2020

I'll be playing nba2k and madden. My next gen will be off to a great start by the end of the month. Wouldn't have minded going through chiefs campaign though.

DarthWalden · Nov 5, 2020

Watching GiantBomb glide around the dash....

I wonder if the hate for that dash will go away now, that to me was always the biggest issue with the old dash.

Bruceleeroy · Nov 5, 2020

MCD said:
tomwarren said it best couple of weeks ago. Lack of games at launch is weak and no one can say otherwise but if you come from a PC mindset, it doesn't matter as you are upgrading for more power, speed and next gen features.

I think this is really limited thinking and represents a very small segment of gamers. I know a ton of people that still have their OG X1 and PS4s. The general public is looking for the next big thing. I think over the next decade Microsoft is definitely trying to go more the Apple route and will believe less and less in defined "generations" but I think it just sucks a bit of the fun out gaming.

nanskee · Nov 5, 2020

Is there a way to use this console in an energy conservative way? For example, instead of playing at 4k and using 4k textures, can you play at 1080 or 1440p requiring less energy to run the system? My biggest issue with the S is the lack of storage and not knowing if it will last the generation.

Deleted member 864 · Nov 5, 2020

So, overall, it looks to be a really nice console.

I can't wait to pick one up eventually.

Yerffej · Nov 5, 2020

DarthWalden said:
Watching GiantBomb glide around the dash....

I wonder if the hate for that dash will go away now, that to me was always the biggest issue with the old dash.

The dash hasn't been bad like that for quite a while. The last two updates (especially the latest) made it breezy as hell.

Fredrik · Nov 5, 2020

Just skimmed through the summary in the OP. Personally I'll have more games to play at launch than I could even hope for, because of Game Pass, but the tone of the reviews I saw is that MS kinda stumbled on the finish line here. Awesome hardware, great BC, Game Pass is amazing. But... No real system seller. Feels bad. The Halo delay completely messed up their launch.

AtomicShroom · Nov 5, 2020

Lukas Taves said:
But there are new (and some exclusive) games launching with the console or in the launch window.

There are no new exclusive mainstream blockbusters. You know, what was meant to be Halo Infinite. MS was obviously betting all its money on this game powering its launch.

alexbull_uk · Nov 5, 2020

Sounds good to me. I'm not getting one (for now) because I've got a PC, but if you're invested in the Xbox ecosystem I don't see any reason you wouldn't want to jump straight in. And if you aren't invested yet, it'll be an even better purchase in a ~year's time when there's some solid exclusives to play.

aevanhoe · Nov 5, 2020

MCD said:
tomwarren said it best couple of weeks ago. Lack of games at launch is weak and no one can say otherwise but if you come from a PC mindset, it doesn't matter as you are upgrading for more power, speed and next gen features.

True, but the competition has a solid launch line-up. Not saying this should matter to everyone (especially if you're not interested in these games) - and I'm not saying this as an "a-ha!" moment - but Sony is still doing its thing, Nintendo is still doing its thing - it's Microsoft who is changing this view. And maybe they are right to do so, but we shouldn't act like "consoles are becoming like PCs when it comes to launch titles" when it's basically just Microsoft. And even Microsoft wanted Halo at launch, so I'm not even sure this was their plan A, exactly.

Look, it's fine. People who pre-ordered the Series X should be excited. Amazing stuff at launch, amazing stuff coming. I just get slightly annoyed when we pretend like all consoles have no exclusive launch titles any more.

Fawz · Nov 5, 2020

Seems like a great piece of hardware that's decently priced and comes with a competent OS

Overall no big surprises or alarming discovries, they played it pretty safe and were clear in what they're offering. I think it was smart to have Backwards compatibility be such a focus where it's the best way to play hundreds of older generation games. That being said the lack of a standout title or feature that offers a Next-Gen experience is hard to ignore. Ultimately that doesn't really matter when stock is sold out anyways, but hopefully by next year that changes on both fronts

FuturaBold · Nov 5, 2020

Side note: Is anyone buying an external SSD at launch for older games like BFV, Gears 5, FH4 etc? They load just as fast as the internal SSD. I'll keep Vahalla installed on the internal.

andresmoros · Nov 5, 2020

PS Dog said:

He probably dropped it or something. Right?

MCD · Nov 5, 2020

Bruceleeroy said:
I think this is really limited thinking and represents a very small segment of gamers. I know a ton of people that still have their OG X1 and PS4s. The general public is looking for the next big thing. I think over the next decade Microsoft is definitely trying to go more the Apple route and will believe less and less in defined "generations" but I think it just sucks a bit of the fun out gaming.

The general public will appreciate all their games being backward compatible + enhanced + game pass + ea play + two options for next gen (powerful or affordable).

I'd believe the Apple route if they didn't just buy a publisher for 7.5 billion usd and released the most power console. They could have only released the S, for example or delivered game pass on all other consoles but their Zenimax acquisition is basically "we are here" messege loud and clear.

nihilence · Nov 5, 2020

Papa G, that's a name I remember.

"hey waszurpeverybodi"

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