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I brought here Dee last video. Should be useful.
I will try to hunt Xbox Series X today in my city. I live in a somewhat great city and Xbox Series X in stores availability can be a thing. I will cancel my Amazon pre-order in no time if I can get one.
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My Series X should arrive in a few hours - happy new gen to all of you!
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Review: Microsoft’s Xbox Series X is ahead of its time
Lucas Matney@lucasmtny / 11:00 AM GMT-3•November 5, 2020
Arriving seven years after the Xbox One first launched, the new Microsoft Xbox Series X console lands in a different world and a very different Xbox ecosystem. Microsoft is embracing subscription bundling with its Game Pass service and cloud-streaming with xCloud; nevertheless, they are still committed to building huge metal boxes with tremendous power designed to carry new boundary-pushing gaming titles into consumers’ homes.
Right off the bat, I will say that the $499 Series X and $299 Series S were tough systems to review. Launch lineups for brand-spanking-new consoles always leave a little to be desired, but this generation has been particularly prone to launch title delays, and a handful of the launch-day Series X titles weren’t even available to reviewers ahead of launch. The former can be pinned on COVID-19-related delays impacting already aggressive timelines, but the latter seemed to be a bit of an unnecessary limit placed on reviewers.
Nevertheless, I’ll look to update this review next week when more of these titles are able to be played.
Image Credits: Lucas Matney
This thing has a lot of specs behind it. It’s got lots of cores and lots of teraflops. There aren’t any futuristic/gimmicky features that Microsoft is pushing; there’s no bundled Kinect, there’s no VR headset. The Series X is just a giant black box that plays games better than any Xbox before it.
Quickly, here are the high-level differences between the Series X and Series S (this review mostly focuses on the Series X):- Series X
Plays titles in 4K at up to 120fps, with eventual 8K support at up to 60fps*
1TB storage
4K UHD Blu-ray drive
Very big
*developers decide how hard you can push their titles - Series S
Plays titles at up to 1440p at up to 120fps
512GB storage
No optical drive
Not nearly as big
A result of that is that this doesn’t immediately feel like a mind-bending upgrade over Microsoft’s previous release, the One X. It’s twice as fast teraflops-wise, but there isn’t a title that really showcases those internals. It feels ahead of its time, and I think consumers that buy the device on day one will have to wait quite a while before they can harness its full capabilities.
While I’m not convinced that users are going to be staring mouth agape at a launch title that blows their mind graphics-wise, I think that all of this power will eventually go a long way to eliminating some huge annoyances that have been accepted as commonplace in the world of console gaming.
Image Credits: Lucas Matney
The load-time reductions that are largely thanks to the new SSD storage are very substantial and are probably the biggest thing you’ll notice off the bat. Another advantage of barely meeting its potential out-of-the-box is that I barely heard a peep from the Series X when I got into the thick of a game as the console’s fans were whisper quiet. Another big quality-of-life improvement is Quick Resume, which allows users to quickly hop back into a game they were playing a while ago without reloading the entire game and wandering through start menus. This feature is killer, and is one that PlayStation 5 users are missing, at least for the time being.
With all of this in mind, I’d say that the reality is — and this is on paper — there also isn’t a ton separating the Series X and Sony’s PS5 consoles in terms of playability. Both are getting much better internals, SSDs that will drastically reduce loading times, better UIs and newer controllers.
They definitely look different. The Series X itself is quite large (though not quite as hulking as the PS5) and will require plenty of prospective owners to bust out the measuring tape and check if it can even fit it horizontally in their media cabinet. It feels more like a well-designed gaming PC than a console. The chassis is very solid and dense — it’s one of the least-fragile designs I’ve seen on a console. On the note of hardware, I will also say that while the Series X/S controllers are very similar to the previous generation, I think that the subtle improvements, especially in regards to the feel and texturing of it, are going to be popular with users.
Most of the people reading this, I’m sure, already have a pretty solid idea whether or not they’re going to buy the Series X, and many of those people will buy it simply because it is new and they know that regardless of whether they currently need the power or are able to harness it with their other gear, they are getting access to new titles and future-proofing themselves. That’s certainly not a bad reason.
Image Credits: Lucas Matney
Others might be on the fence about getting a Series X/S or a PlayStation 5. Much like American politics, I’m not so convinced there are quite as many undecideds here as is believed. People have a good idea of which franchises are PlayStation exclusives and which titles are only going to ship on Xbox. There have been decades to drill down the flavors that both Sony and Microsoft are pushing, though Microsoft has been getting more aggressive about studio acquisitions over the past couple years, so that list of exclusives is likely going to start getting longer more quickly as they seek to build up a huge library of titles for their Game Pass subscription service.
But, yeah, most of the people on the fence end up going for the system that is going to have the games on it that they really, really want to play. But it’s a little harder to tell that right now because chances are there isn’t a launch title for the PS5 or Series X that you’re dying to play, or at least one that couldn’t also be played on a previous-gen console, albeit in less optimized fashion. The promised Series X holiday showstopper Halo Infinite was delayed until 2021, and the reality is a game that really shows off this hardware probably won’t be coming around until late next year.
Really most people won’t be able to take full advantage of the Series X until next year anyway. There’s an overwhelming chance that your TV or AV receiver are not positioned to maximize what the Series X can offer, namely 8K gaming or high frame rate (120fps) 4K gaming. Hitting the high end requires a technology called HDMI 2.1 which only a select few newer TVs have adopted. It’s likely to be more standard across the board come next year, but for the time being there aren’t many of these TVs or AV receivers that are actually in people’s homes. With HDMI 2.0, which your 4K TV does support, you can play Series X titles at 4K resolution at up to 60fps, closer to what the previous-generation Xbox One X was capable of.
Being super early to a technology as a consumer often leads to trade-offs, and that’s definitely the case with the Series X/S. While operating at the cutting edge of video standards will benefit the console’s longevity, it does mean that consumers might be in a less optimal spot for a bit if they don’t have the latest AV hardware. What will be more frustrating to day-one buyers is the generally light library of new content. There are some multi-platform hits that will be landing, but it doesn’t seem like there will be a must-play title that makes the most of its power. For consumers that are buying a system so focused on performance, that’s disappointing, but over time, I have few doubts that the Series X/S library will grow robust. The questions for consumers is whether all of the quality-of-life improvements are enough for them to take the plunge in 2020.
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Mines arrived :D
Now have to do a full days work with the box looking at me from across the room :DComment
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So happy for you!
Try to at least connect it to the TV and start updating and downloading games.
I'm in vacation till Friday. I hope I can get one. -
Probably not, although I might try and finish an hour or so earlier today. I have it sat in the background as an Easter egg to see if anyone at work spots it on the Teams calls I have scheduled for the day :) -
BadCeeJay1975 congrats and lol on the conference thing... hope there's not some angry PS5 fan there, who'll get pissed :joy: -
docLEXfisti The numbers of consoles sold in the UK where I am do not really tell the whole story, there must be some really significant regional variation. In the North West of the country where I am I think it's definitely Xbox territory. I don't know anyone locally who owns a PS4 and loads of people who have Xbox One. Yet on forums I hear people say the exact opposite in the areas where they live. -
Congrats!
Happy gaming, mine is still being "processed" whatever that means ... but it does seem even my PS dominated territory is selling out the XSX faster than I would ever think possible. Finally! -
Just had to sneak out of work to pick mine up from Game. Can't even plug it in yet as me and the mrs are working from home and we need all the bandwidth :( -
BadCeeJay1975 My cunning plan was thwarted by lock down - I figured mid-night opening at Game, get home plug it in and let it update. All my games are on my external hdd and external nvme drives - so I'd have plugged them in and anything there that needed an update would have got it, and woke up in the morning to start work knowing it was all set for this evening :(
I've left in the carrier bag in the hall way because at 43, i'm too much of a child and would get soooo distracted by it if it was in here with me 😆
xboxfandev where did you order from? -
Mine has made it from Tamworth in to Kent, but UPS tracking now says its coming tomorrow. -
Mines here too, going through set up. Joddington you're in Kent? Where abouts? I am near Canterbury.
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Another ray-traced game footage in Xbox Series X
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My Series X is coming this afternoon and my new LG CX OLED is coming tomorrow!
been playing in SDR 1080P on my old LCD for years, so now I'm finally ready for an amazing generational shift!
What will/did you play as the first game? For me it will probably be Gears of War 5.Comment
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I am jealous of you getting a new TV, that really is the true next gen experience! I tried to float the idea of a new TV with the wife and she was having none of it haha I'll have to stick with my 1080p Sony Bravia until it fails. To be fair, it's been a rock solid TV so it will probably carry on for quite a while yet. -
Wow, congrats mate!
I like my RPGs so I'll probably try Valhalla first, but I'll switch between multiple games like FH4 and G5.
Have fun =)
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My two have arrived....UPS driver said the Tamworth depot have 1000s to deliver today😎🥳🥳🥳🥳👌Comment
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really don't know how to post photos here no more 🤣🤣🤣🤣🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
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Got my SX. Now it will be along wait till evening.
Also,
Xbox dashboard got an update over night that includes better labeling for Xbox Series X / S optimized games pic.twitter.com/LoF95qw2Tj
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) November 10, 2020
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Rumors are swirling hot right now indicating Cyberpunk 2077 is due to get delayed...again.
— Gaming Leaks & Rumors (@GameLeaksRumors) November 10, 2020
The official twitter account has removed the release date. pic.twitter.com/NCCL4xcZBX
Looks like Cyberpunk might be about to get another delay. I read about about it in XboxEra as well.Comment
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Loads of room to breathe...
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Microsoft in talks to purchase or form a partnership with Koei Tecmo Co.👀 pic.twitter.com/87X4c6MH3b
— Post Up (Xbox Ambassador) (@PostUp_bbb) November 10, 2020Comment
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Congratulations to @Xbox @XboxP3 on the launch of Xbox Series X | S today.
— Doug Bowser (@thetruebowser) November 10, 2020
Head of Nintendo America.Comment
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THIS THING IS FAST. Gaming, downloading, navigating, OH MY!!!!!!!!!!Comment
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stuck downloading updates and waiting for destiny 2 to go online. Have 120 mbit internet but still they do not manage to get full speed. Ordered AC through game and taht has not been delivered yet so that sucks.
I agree though, its fast, its quiet (I do mean quiet, you cant hear it) and doom eternal looks great on it. Had a few crashes already though, disney plus error as well. I may be asking too much of it so will leave it to do its thing.
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Just picked mine up from best buy NYC, the guy said they had about a hundred in the back for pick up. On my way into the store there were people leaving with their's and on my way out there were people walking coming in.
I got mine in literally 30 seconds of showing up ahead of others who were waiting even though guy told me waiting time would be around 15 minutes since they had to find your specific console in the lot. I guess apparently I'm priority lol.Comment
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Can't get mine until after work. However I packed up the x1x and will trade that in bringing the cost of my sx down to 350. Now the trick is finding a series s for the kids this Christmas. Hopefully I can snag one online today.
Well we finally made it guys. The start of a new gen. What a ride it has been since 2013! This place really helped get through it and I'm grateful to have this site to talk to you all. We're in for something special, enjoy the ride!Comment
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Question..........vertical or horizontal? I'd like to place mine upright, but I'm worried about dust. Laying it sideways makes me wonder if it will have to work harder to get rid of the heat. Thoughts?Comment
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Haven't worked out yet whether it will for horizontally in my TV unit yet (i think it will be tight); if not it will have to be vertically probably behind the TV at the side. -
Horizontal currently. Need to rearrange, but likely will be having it vertical at some point. NO really sure about the heat for either way. Slightly better vertical is my guess. -
Vertical, its outside the TV unit sat on the floor next to the subwoofer. Lovely looking little tower. The flash of green through the vent holes looks awesome. -
Yeah, upright is the way. It looks better and should probably cool a bit better.
I do find your statement about dust pretty interesting though. I haven't thought of it.
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The inside story of how Microsoft shipped two new Xbox consoles in the middle of a pandemic, by @dinabass: https://t.co/jVFuw7qIJ2
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) November 10, 2020
The debut of a video game console is a carefully choreographed event. It matches state-of-the-art electronics with complex software and big-budget games. It takes years of development and billions of dollars in collective investments, all building to a single deadline. The Xbox Series X was the fourth go-around for Microsoft Corp., and the company had a plan to improve upon the lackluster performance of its last console.
Then on Jan. 20, the first confirmed U.S. case of the coronavirus was reported in a suburb of Seattle. Over the next six weeks, the area surrounding Microsoft’s headquarters became the country’s first hotspot. After the virus claimed some of the first lives in a nearby nursing home, Microsoft closed its doors to most employees on March 4. “Everyone has a plan until a global pandemic punches you in the face,” said Jerret West, the marketing chief for Microsoft’s Xbox.
At first, Microsoft worried about whether manufacturers, many of which are in Asia where the virus originated, would be able to deliver hardware on time. But China soon contained the spread, and the supply chain issues proved to be less severe than anticipated. The biggest problems for Microsoft were at home.
The games planned for the Xbox Series X couldn’t be developed on the kinds of laptops people have lying around the house. So Microsoft and its game development partners went to work on a Plan B. They shifted to cloud computing tools and bulked up their network infrastructure to enable workers to remotely access more powerful machines located in dark offices. It still wasn’t enough for some Microsoft engineers, who took turns ransacking the office and piling heavy equipment into their cars, one executive recounted. For one star employee, Microsoft explored running a fiber-optic cable underground to his home in the woods.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-in-a-pandemic
Very interesting read.Comment
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Congratulations to @Xbox on the release of the #XboxSeriesX and #XboxSeriesS! 💚 pic.twitter.com/c7Up84sjLw
— Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) November 10, 2020
Cant wait to see, what MS first party studio, Bethesda have cooking.Comment
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Spencer: Microsoft almost abandoned Xbox brand after the Xbox One launch https://t.co/z0NPaW8xGT by @KyleOrl
— Ars Technica (@arstechnica) November 10, 2020
By early 2014, a few months after the Xbox One launch, Whitten had left for Sonos, and Spencer was the one left to pitch the value of the gaming division to newly named Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. "Then the question is, do we go forward with Xbox?" Spencer said. "Because we're getting really outsold by PlayStation in the market at this point. Do we stay invested in it? Or do we make a different decision?"
While Spencer said he knew he was going to stay in the game business, at the time he thought it was far from clear if there would be space for him to do so at Microsoft. "I think the question was, is the company going to stay in this space?" he said. "And then, if so, you know, what's my role?"
Spencer said that at the time, Nadella "didn't quite understand [the gaming division] yet, not from an intelligence standpoint, but he just hadn't been close to it." Still, Nadella decided to give the division his continuing support, letting Spencer head up a reunified Xbox team. "I think the reason I ended up in the job, frankly, was the other leaders were gone," he said. "I tease myself that I was the last person left at the table, and there's some truth in that. I want to make sure I keep my ego in check."
The full interview contains a lot more details about Spencer's history at Microsoft and the philosophy behind the Series S/X and Microsoft's focus on Game Pass subscription plans for game access. It's well worth a read if you have the time.
No wonder. That launch was a shit show.Last edited by hasmeh; 11-10-2020, 06:22 PM.Comment
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Celebrate the launch of the Xbox Series X and experience your own Dreamscape Adventure - a “choose-your-own-adventure” lucid dream journey inspired by this year’s most anticipated next-gen games https://t.co/PteUKM8J8Z pic.twitter.com/gdlRAgUYO6
— Larry Hryb (@majornelson) November 10, 2020
https://dreamscape.xbox.com/en-us/
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The first page is something special these days. Happy launch day everyone!Comment
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