Microsoft Xbox Series X review review

Hellish load times a thing of the past ; Quick Resume is great (when it works); Ridiculously powerful ; Makes old games look better ; Game Pass is only getting better ;

Not many optimised titles at launch, and even fewer new ones ; 1TB SSD will fill up fast ; Not the most attractive design;

Microsoft Xbox Series X review

Right now, it feels a bit like we’re reviewing the Xbox Series X’s potential. Too few games have been optimised at the time of writing to really get a handle on just how good this thing is, and we’ll have to revisit the topic before the year is out. We already love the crazy-fast loading times, Quick Resume and the upscaling of older games, but we’re keen to see all those teraflops employed on a few more brand new titles, too. Of course, you don’t need to spend £450 on a new Xbox if you don’t have the gear. The Series S can do many of the same party tricks at a lower resolution, so if you’re still happy with your non-4K telly, take a look at that. We've used one extensively alongside the Series X and can confidently say that it's a big step up from the Xbox One S it replaces. And you don’t need to upgrade at all if you don’t want to, with all the brilliance of Game Pass still available to the Xbox One crowd. Though there’s something slightly underwhelming about the Series X launch - it being positioned as more of an evolution than a revolution, with Microsoft keen to move away from the idea of exclusives - this is still a monstrously powerful machine that feels truly next-gen to use. Now let’s have some more games.

Hellish load times a thing of the past ; Quick Resume is great (when it works); Ridiculously powerful ; Makes old games look better ; Game Pass is only getting better ;

Not many optimised titles at launch, and even fewer new ones ; 1TB SSD will fill up fast ; Not the most attractive design;