Xbox Series X

The xbox series X is the high powered of Microsoft's two new console offerings. At over 12 TF of raw power it's the most powerful system of this generation (by 2-3 TF - 2-3 being 2-3 trillion operations per second).The system does so much right that MS got right with the 360 and so very wrong with the original Xbox One (addressed by the Xbox One X but too late to turn it around). It is powerful, fast and delivers as a proper gaming system, up there with powerful PC's in what it can push out (2080 GTX level visuals at a fraction of the price of a gaming PC with such a card).It comes in very well thought out packaging - very secure but easy to open via sticky seals to then get to the console within. Power and HDMI cables plus new controller are included. The system itself is a big change in look and required me to re-arrange my set-up but I have to say it's smaller than I'd though and looks much nicer than I expected. It makes a statement.Set-up is the easiest I have ever known it with a console. You use the xbox app on a smart phone and follow through the various prompts (after it has done an initial update) and you are set up in no time.I also chose to copy my settings from the cloud (as i am upgrading from a One X) and also moved an external HDD with my games on over to it by plugging it into a USB socket (there are 3, 2 on the back and one on the front).The system itself is SSD based so you can take advantage of super quick loading times, especially where games are written and optimised for it. To take advantage of this I moved a number of games from my external to the internal.The operating system / UI is very much the same as the recently upgrades One X UI that has been gradually refined and enriched in recent years but with the addition of dynamic themes and also the new fantastic quick resume feature. Quick resume stores the profile of games that are upgraded to use it, allowing you to jump between a number of different games within seconds. It's a fantastic feature and a real next gen jump.In terms of games MS have not released a day one exclusive (other than Yakuza : Like a Dragon as a timed next gen exclusive) since they pushed back Halo Infinite. Instead they have focused on getting the best versions of some big new games like AC Valhalla and Watchdogs: Legion and on bumping up the now huge (over 340 games) Gamepass catalogue. To that end they've added the EA play catalogue to Gamepass and you can access all sorts of EA games (inc the brilliant Jedi Fallen Order and all sorts of sports games).The games themselves are wonderful. Many have been upgraded to take advantage of the system. Many now have the option to run at 4K 60 frames per second or a lower res 120 frame per second (i can't test that as my TV does not support it) but they look incredible in 4K.I've been blown away by the One X since I had it but this is next level. Effects such as Ray Tracing make those 4K games look even more eye popping and 60FPS adds a real smoothness.Backwards compatibility is another key area for this system. It plays the whole Xbox One catalogue except Kinect games, many 360 games and some original Xbox games. It also applies auto upgrades inc HDR to a host of games.. making the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2 look incredible.I've had the system under heavy load for a couple of days now, playing, downloading, installing from disk etc and it has remained silent and cool. Very impressive.I've also tested UHD Blu Rays with it and, using the Dolby Atmos option to my soundbar, the sound is stunningly good and the movies look incredible in 4K HDR.Overall MS have really nailed it this time. The system delivers on what long term Xbox gamers like myself wanted.. powerful and fast with smoother performance. Add Gamepass to that and it's very easy to recommend.

I don't have a PS5 so can't compare. But...reasons to get the Xbox Series X:Start with the unboxing, it's quite a cool unboxing, it's not something I'd normally get too excited about, but they way they boxed this thing is so cool it has to be mentioned.It really can't get much better than this. I upgraded from the Xbox One, and had heard about some of the new features like quick resume, thought it sounded cool. Faster loading speeds etc. 4k 120 fps.Just wow, the upgrade is very noticeable. If you have the right TV/Screen (which I do) to get the most out of this then the pictures are outstanding, even on older games. The load times are a fraction of Xbox One, which keeps you immersed in games or swapping between apps a delight. Not too many next gen games yet but I can confidently say they are coming and will be coming in bulk, in the near future.Quick resume. Now this is sometime I thought was a cool feature upon hearing about it. But after using it, damn. It's such a great feature and now one I couldn't go without again, you can have several games on quick resume all ready and waiting to be played from the exact moment you left them. Literally takes a few seconds to swap and load up another game. If your an avid gamer, and your playing games daily, sometimes playing between 2/3 or more games a day. It's cutting out all the start up load times, all the main menu, load game, start up ads, etc. Saving you minutes every time. This adds up quick. I've gone from playing 1 game, to another, then watching videos, jumping into another couple games for say a couple days, then a couple days later going back to the first game, still thinking as if I'm on the Xbox One "oh I'll have to wait for it to go through the start up process", for it to 3 seconds later have loaded me in at where I left it 2 days ago and be playing straight away. They really thought about what a player wants and went above and beyond with this one, how I can go from turning off the xbox during a game, to 24 hours later im able to start up the xbox and be playing that game from the exact point I turned it off in less than 15 seconds is amazing.It's quiet, less noise than the Xbox One which I didn't even consider noisy anyway. Heat output is about the same, had the console a few month now and had ZERO issues with it.The unit itself looks nice, techy and will go anywhere quite solidly. Feels solid and well built.Game pass, got to love the game pass, obviously a separate product but worth the mention, tons of games for a low monthly cost which can not only be used on your Xbox. But you can play the same games on your PC AND mobile via cloud too. So can be playing a game at home on Xbox, go to work, park, wherever, and play the same game from my phone on cloud without having to install it.