Xbox Series X: Fine for Microsoft’s PS5 rival. The test overview

Microsoft has launched the new Xbox and the rival PS5 really can

Microsoft is playing in the new generation of consoles with the Xbox Series X. The first test reports show whether the 500-franc box is worth the money. An overview.

We have Microsoft Xbox Series X and the smaller one S Series Tried before the start on 10 November 2020 and the first, quite positive, impressions, described in detail.

But how do the international media judge the new game console?

Silent game console without experiments (Heise)

German tech portal Heise points out in the review that games with the new Xbox sometimes load “5x faster”. Also practice the new “Quick Resume” feature, through which players can switch between games in seconds. “This worked in the test with up to eight games at the same time,” writes Heise.

The biggest problem at the moment: At first, you can only play the cheaper X series and S series titles that are also available for the previous Xbox One. Exclusive hit games are completely missing.

Heise positively points outthat almost all the games of the latest generation run on the X and S series from the beginning and many of them show sharper textures and more beautiful colors without any adjustments by the developer. The purchase of the X Series may therefore already be worth it, “because the power of the new console also gives a lot of momentum to many older titles”.

Unfortunately, the storage is a bit tight. The X series could effectively use 820GB and the smaller S series only 364GB. More experienced gamers will sooner or later need an external SSD to expand the storage space. And that’s really expensive, as Microsoft only supplies a proprietary 1 terabyte memory expansion card, which currently costs around 260 francs.

To be fair, it must be said that previous Xbox One games can be stored on an external hard drive so that the fast SSD storage is reserved for new X series games.

Xbox Series X is a next generation PC (The Verge)

Microsoft and Xbox specialist Tom Warren of technology portal The Verge says the new Xbox appears to upgrade the PC. This is due to the ultra-fast SSD storage, the now much faster processor and 120Hz support, which ensure smoother gameplay. Loading times are noticeably shorter than on Xbox One X. Warren has created an information table for this.

Ladezeiten Xbox Series X versus Xbox One X

The Xbox Series X is very quiet even under full load and never heard the fan. Downward compatibility is also praised. According to Microsoft, thousands of old games will run on the new console at first, but not all of them will benefit equally from the better performance and shorter load times.

Warren also criticizes the lack of successful games at the start and that proprietary memory expansion (SSD card) is very expensive.

The Xbox Series X looks best when placed vertically. Unlike the PS5, Microsoft’s console looks weird in a horizontal position, as the stand cannot be removed.

Microsoft has developed a technically compelling console. The big question now is whether their own gaming studios provide the exclusive blockbuster Gams that would justify buying the console. Microsoft has 23 of its own game development companies, so the potential is there.

Graphics are not everything (“Der Spiegel”)

Der Spiegel from Germany has also already tested the new Microsoft console and game editor Carsten Görig initially praised the successful design, “which is a welcome farewell to the slightly clunky Microsoft consoles of the past”. Görig also claims that the fan works “almost imperceptibly”.

The X Series is about four times faster than its predecessor and the technology looks “impressive” overall. 4K games at 120 frames per second ensured a smooth gaming experience, and this also benefited from “older games that can be played on the new device thanks to backward compatibility”. Previous X series games had “often noticeably better graphics and, more importantly, much faster loading times.”

In the beginning there are 30 games, “but the compulsory exclusive title is missing”, complains Görig.

Microsoft has learned from past mistakes and has acquired several development companies in recent years. Finally, Bethesda, which owns many famous brands such as “Doom”, “Fallout” or “Elder Scrolls”.

Little has changed on the controller. The case is a bit rougher, which improves sealing, otherwise you don’t have to get used to it and the old Xbox One controller just keeps working.

Microsoft’s Mighty Tower (IGN)

The IGN game portal first emphasizes the minimalist design. The Xbox Series X is arguably the best looking Xbox of all time, at least when you put it upright.

The user interface has just been changed, but it reacts a little faster than its predecessor. The controller was only slightly modified. It still feels good, but not quite like a next-gen controller. This is in contrast to Sony’s DualSense controller, which has been radically revised.

According to IGN, the new Xbox has around 20 percent more power on paper than the Playstation 5, which is also new and at exactly the same price. However, only future games developed exclusively for the new generation of consoles will show whether this is truly an Xbox advantage in everyday life. Initially, almost all games appear for both console generations and, like all critics, IGN also laments the lack of a real exclusive crash in the “Halo Infinite” format.

It is also praised that almost all Xbox One games and many Xbox 360 games run on Series X right from the start.

It’s already clear that fast SSD storage and short wait times are the biggest advancement over the last generation. Of the 1 terabyte SSD, only 802GB can be used. As new games sometimes take up well over 100GB, internal storage is likely to run out quickly for some gamers, and the price of around CHF 260 for a 1TB SSD card is a deterrent.

Like all testers, IGN is thrilled with the new “Quick Resume” feature. This means that after a few seconds you can pick up where you left off in games, even if you’ve played another game in between.

Great, but … (wired)

The new console is easy to get up and running, writes Matt Kamen of renowned tech magazine Wired. The user interface is pretty much the same as the predecessor, which isn’t necessarily bad. Only the online store has become much clearer.

Kamen doesn’t hide the fact that the minimalist design is too boring for him, but he praises the surprisingly small size of the X Series (the S Series is also significantly smaller).

The controller is generally good for the Xbox, but it doesn’t make much progress. The directional pad has been slightly improved, the back is easier to grip, and Microsoft has added a share button.

On backward compatibility, Kamen writes in his review: “Every single game currently playable on Xbox One, including Xbox 360 and original Xbox games, is playable on the X series. The only exceptions are all Kinect titles.” In the test, the old games ran smoothly on the new console, Kamen writes. Old games are also synced via the cloud so you can continue playing where you left off years ago.

The proprietary external SSD card is very expensive, but also as fast as the internal SSD and can be used effortlessly. New games should run from a fast SSD, while older games can also run from a USB drive.