The Xbox series consists of two current-gen consoles: the flagship Xbox Series X and the affordable Xbox Series S. They both feature the same architectural foundation and support many of the same features but at different price points and performance targets.
Despite the differences, both are powerful enough to play all the latest games in 4K resolution at their maximum graphical fidelity. The Xbox Series X is also the more capable console, offering an eight-core CPU and twice as much SSD storage as its sibling.
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Power
The new xbox series X controller is one of the most powerful consoles in the world. Microsoft says this allows games to hit 60 frames per second and deliver higher-quality visuals consistently. It also has advanced next-gen features like ray tracing reflections and shadows that aren’t available on other consoles.
There are a few different power modes on the Xbox Series X, including Instant-on and Energy saving modes. Both are designed to save energy while letting you get back to playing your game quickly after shutting down into standby or entirely powered off.
However, the Xbox Series X is a compelling device, and it can draw quite a lot of electricity from your mains power supply. Unfortunately, it can use this to play Netflix and other online video content while gaming simultaneously, which isn’t great for the environment.
To find out how much electricity your Xbox Series X draws from your mains power, press the Xbox button to open the user guide, navigate to Profile & system, and select Settings. Under the Power options menu, you can see how many watts of power your Xbox uses in each of its two power modes.
Sleep mode is the most demanding, consuming 13W while in use and 0.5W when shut down. That makes it a good option if you don’t play many games and want to switch off your Xbox when not in use.
Design
It’s not often that we get to see the inside of a console before it launches, but that’s precisely what happened with Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox consoles. I got to sit down with the Xbox design team and learn how they built the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles from scratch.
The Xbox design team tasked themselves with rethinking the rules of console design to efficiently cool the system on chip (SoC) that powers Xbox Series X, which means re-rethinking the console’s shape and form. They did this by creatively cooling the SoC with a single axial fan that splits the motherboard in half and pulls enormous amounts of air through the system at a low enough acoustic level to keep the console running quietly and efficiently.
Another critical aspect of the Xbox Series X’s design is the vertical orientation. While it can be laid horizontally, the design team recommends that you put the console vertically so that the venting array adorning the top grille doesn’t look too big or overbearing when you stand it up.
The team also wanted the Xbox Series X to look as much like an old-school gaming console as possible, which is why it was designed to make it easy to set up on most living room shelves and furniture. It’s also a tiny, square, and shallow-looking console, which allows it to fit into more space than a standard Xbox One or Xbox 360 console.
Streaming
Streaming is a great way to connect with your audience and grow your online community. First, however, you must take plenty of steps to get started. Buying the right equipment, downloading software, and setting up your Twitch channel are just a few.
Thankfully, there are ways to skip some of these steps on the Xbox Series X and Xbox One. For example, Microsoft recently rolled out an integrated live streaming feature for both Xbox consoles, which makes it easier than ever to stream games directly from your device.
In addition, Microsoft has announced a work-in-progress device designed to stream Xbox games to TVs without needing a console. This device is codenamed Keystone and can connect to monitors or TVs and use Game Pass’s cloud streaming functionality.
The Xbox One and Xbox Series X are backward compatible so you can play older Xbox games on these consoles. This includes the original Xbox and games remastered for the latest generation.
You can stream Xbox games and other content on the Xbox One, Series X, or S with Lightstream or the Twitch app. You’ll need an active Xbox Live account to stream from your console, but you don’t need additional equipment, such as a capture card.
Controllers
The Xbox series features a range of controllers that can be used with the console and PCs. You can use a wired or wireless controller, and there are also options for customizations like swapping buttons and other configurations.
The controllers are also forward-compatible, so if you’re upgrading to the new Xbox One S or X consoles from the older one, you can continue using your old controller with the latest system. It’s important to note, though, that if you’re considering upgrading your old controller with a new one, you should consider whether the features and design of the new version will be worth it.
Overall, the new Xbox controller is a relatively minor redesign of its predecessor. But it does make some improvements to its handling choices – the buttons are matte with a more robust texture, while triggers have gained tactile dots that should help grip them more easily during play.
Another noticeable change is the hybrid D-pad – a four-directional pad with a rounded diagonal that can be more ergonomic for fighting games and platformers than the Xbox One’s standard d-pad. And the share button has been redesigned to be more comfortable to hold and press, making it easier to snap a screenshot and record gameplay on the go.
