The Xbox Series X makes use of its potent specifications to lower load times dramatically, enhance game performance, and boost visual fidelity. Although it has advantages like Fast Resume and substantial backward compatibility, it falls short in some crucial areas, most notably compelling exclusives and significant UI upgrades.
A quick evaluation of the Xbox Series X
Due to the several capabilities the Xbox Series X lacked when it first arrived, sales of the device were difficult. Yet since 2020, it has advanced significantly, and the new enhancements have fundamentally altered the experience. The Xbox Series X is now unquestionably worth every penny, despite the fact that it has always been a stunning piece of technology.
However, this is not to argue that the Xbox Series X did not previously lack the wow factor. Being in such intense competition with the PS5 and a handful of Sony-exclusive games made it seem like you would struggle to get the most out of Microsoft’s newest system due to the absence of exclusive games. Moreover, the Xbox Series X’s adoption of the Xbox One interface didn’t help.
Review of Xbox Series X: DESIGN
The upright tower form of the Xbox Series X, though it can also be placed horizontally, is more similar of a desktop gaming Computer than that of its predecessors. The cuboid-shaped console is matte black throughout, with the exception of a green hue inside the recessed cooling vents on top. This innovative addition elevates the console’s design. It measures 15.1 x 15 x 30.1cm and weighs 4.45kg.
The Xbox power button is located at the top-left of the console’s face, the disc drive (and eject button) is located at the bottom-left, and the pairing button and USB 3.2 port are located at the bottom-right (the pairing button also acts as an IR receiver). Cooling vents, an HDMI 2.1 output port, two USB 3.2 ports, a networking port, a storage expansion slot, and a power input connection are all located on the console’s back.
All of the ports on the rear of the console have tactile indicators, which are little raised dots that let you know which port you are touching. For instance, the power input port has just one elevated port compared to the three raised ports on the USB 3.2 ports. This is done to help with reach-around cabling and to make the console easier for those who are blind to use.
Whisper-quiet, but rather hot
The Xbox Series X’s remarkably silent operation is a huge plus. The Xbox Series X is the quietest Xbox we’ve had the pleasure of using. We’ve almost become accustomed to consoles revving up like they’re about to take off while running games that really push them through their paces.
The console emits roughly 30dB of sound when you’re on the home screen, which is about the audio level of a whisper. Very little of this changes when you actually load up and play games. We discovered that the decibel levels never went beyond 33dB while playing PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, No Man’s Sky, and Sea of Thieves.
But, after installing a larger update, we measured levels up to 45dB, which is comparable to the noise of a running printer. Even so, that’s not excessively loud, and it hardly stands out in comparison to the sound of a game being played. The same thing happened when you tried out different new-generation games.
Ui and dashboard for xbox series x
The Xbox Series X’s exterior appearance differs significantly from its predecessors, although its UI and dashboard have undergone more subtle alterations. The dashboard of the Xbox Series X is identical to that of the Xbox One. The main cause of this is that in August 2020, Microsoft released a substantial upgrade for the Xbox One that streamlined and harmonized its user interface with that of the Xbox Series X.
This indicates that the tiled layout with movable pins of the Xbox Series X UI has not changed. The Xbox button on your controller provides quick access to games, applications, party chat, and other functions, and you can choose which games and programs you want to view first on your home screen. It has a rather simple UI with lots of customization possibilities and simple navigation.
The Xbox Series X Interface seems to be centered on customization. Microsoft is allowing users to express themselves a little more by including new profile themes, acting as a background for your profile page, in addition to shifting around your pinned games and apps. Also, players can now utilize dynamic backdrops, providing them with a more unique home screen alternative if they become tired of the Xbox One’s static display.
Review of Xbox Series X’s performance
With an eight-core AMD Zen 2 processor running at 3.8GHz, a bespoke RDNA 2 AMD GPU that generates 12 TFLOPs of processing power, 16GB of GDDR6 RAM, and a 1TB Custom NVMe SSD, the Xbox Series X is an amazing powerhouse.
Conclusion
The Xbox Series X’s lightning-fast SSD significantly reduces game load times, both for new and old games, and its unique RDNA 2 GPU enables 4K/60fps gameplay (and supports up to 120fps). You’ll be relieved to learn that here, you can have both frame rates and graphic fidelity if you’re sick of having to choose between the two.
