The new generation of Xbox in the test

And there’s little else really exciting in the test, but that doesn’t mean Microsoft has done a bad job with its new generation of home consoles. Because both versions bring decisive improvements over their predecessors.

Xbox: Faster archiving reduces loading times

On the one hand, there are drastically reduced waiting times. Both consoles now have fast integrated SSD storage, which should significantly reduce load times. The X series has 1 terabyte (TB) of memory, the S series has 512 gigabytes (GB).

The result of this fast memory: In the test, consoles start up faster than the connected TV, and game levels sometimes load in seconds. Games may change even more in the future due to fast loading times.

However, it will take some time for titles that are really designed for this generation and its characteristics to come out.

Smooth, high-resolution images

Of course, more happened under the hood. Both consoles have the latest processors and graphics cards, although the S Series has slightly less computing power. With the new technology, the X series is expected to create an 8K display with 60 frames per second (fps), 4K (Ultra HD) even with 120 fps. But this also requires a corresponding television or screen.

The S series has a maximum resolution of 1440p at 120 fps. It also doesn’t have an optical drive for 4K Bluray.

Little has changed on the controller either: in the middle, for example, a share button has been added that players can use to easily capture screenshots and recordings. The controller continues to run on two AA batteries.

Many apps, but no exclusive games

Both consoles can also be used as a media center. Streaming apps can be downloaded for free from the Microsoft Store; the corresponding inscriptions are obviously required for use. The most important thing about the new hardware, however, is the games. And here Microsoft is taking a rather unusual route: there are no new exclusive games at the beginning.

Instead, Xbox wants to score points with the huge catalog of games from previous generations – almost all games up to the first Xbox that are already running on Xbox One should be playable on new consoles as well. Games that rely on Kinect motion control are excluded.

The Xbox is gradually being optimized

On the one hand, this simplifies the transition to the next generation – if you haven’t finished a game on Xbox One, you can just keep playing on Series X / S – the score comes automatically from the cloud. On the other hand, this makes the switch – new technology aside – rather useless.

Another important point in Microsoft’s strategy is the Game Pass game subscription. For a monthly fee of around ten euros, subscribers have access to over 100 games.

Launch of the console at a competitive price

So is it worth buying one of these consoles to get started? It depends. Anyone who already owns one of the predecessors has hardly any advantages other than shorter load times and nicer graphics. With the S Series, which costs only around € 300, entry into a new generation of consoles has never been so cheap.

If you want to get everything out of your game technically, you can invest around 500 euros in the X Series, but you also need a screen that can display it accordingly.

The lack of enthusiasm for these new consoles is therefore also a good reason to simply wait a little longer before buying them.

Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will be released worldwide on November 10th. Both consoles were loaned to dpa in advance for testing purposes.

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