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Xbox One X - Review in Progress

We've had a chance to experience the most powerful Xbox ever

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The launch of new console hardware is always exciting, but this year things are a little different. Rather than offering a brand new console experience, Microsoft is getting ready to offer the Xbox One X, a big upgrade over the original launch version and one that hopes to move the market “beyond console generations”. The company says that a large number of games are going to support the hardware, both first and third party, and that gamers can expect great experiences from the most powerful console that the company has ever created. We had a chance to spend a week with the Xbox One X, and while our full review will be coming next week, we wanted to share some brief impressions of the new hardware. [UPDATE: You can now read our complete final Xbox One X review]

Xbox One X console

Microsoft is obviously not messing around – the launch of the PS4 Pro last year gave Sony an early start, but the Xbox brand is trying to reach for a much wider hardware and software support. First announced as Project Scorpio, there is indeed a limited edition of the console with that name, but our experience is based on the standard model. With the console in our hands, the packaging felt premium from the get go, and as you unpack the console its heft compared to a relatively small physical size felt like you’re really unearthing something rather powerful. There's no glassy surface like on the base launch version, just matte black, and you can place the console in a vertical position (with optional stand). Everything that you need to get started is included, including an HDMI cable that’s quite nicely longer than usual, and the newer style controller. Following a unique brief video clip before the startup, users will be greeted with the same dashboard design that they are used to on the Xbox One family of devices. There is a day one patch you’ll need to download before the system is ready, but with faster processing power and a better hard drive, it does not take too long.

Much like the launch Xbox One, the X runs cool and quiet. We’ve performed tests with various games, both X Enhanced and others, and there are no concerns with the temperature metrics. We’ve also tested things like bootup times, performance in both 1080p and 4K modes, and more. All of these tests and the results will be included in our full review of the Xbox One X, but you can safely predict that the outcomes showed an improvement across the board. After all, with 6 teraflops of graphical computing performance, 12 GB of GDDR5 RAM, and a $500 price tag ($600 CAD), you expect the X to deliver, and it does. It’s certainly an offering for enthusiasts – those who already have a capable display and the cash to drop, and who want to get the most powerful console experience available today – at least in terms of pure specs.

Xbox One X console

The experience in the dashboard remains largely the same as on the Xbox One and Xbox One S, so you if you happen to run both systems side by side with the X, you’ll need to constantly double check which console’s menu you’re looking at. That’s one of the key driving points – the X joins a “family of Xbox One devices”, which means your controllers and other accessories will work. You can also seamlessly transition your game content too, whether it’s via an external hard drive or by transferring data over Wi-Fi. There’s still a restriction of not being able to sign in to the same account on both consoles, but you can do the file transfer without signing in.

As mentioned, the Xbox One X is promising a lot of support via the X Enhancement program. Alongside Microsoft’s first-party games, there are a few other major publishers developing patches to improve their games on the X, to take advantage of the newly available power. You can find a helpful list of all games here, which will hopefully continue to grow. Not all games will have their patches ready in time for the retail launch of the console, but hopefully soon thereafter. We had a chance to put a number of X enhanced games through their paces this week, and the results have been pleasing, again as you would expect from a console with so much computational power. And the improvements aren’t just simple resolution bumps, as many of the games do for the PS4 Pro; you could be getting new rendering modes, additional effects, better textures, and of course 4k/HDR. As we near the launch, we’ll spend more time with the games as patches are hopefully released over the coming days, and will include as many games tested as possible in our final review.

Xbox One X console

Whether or not you already own an Xbox One, the arrival of the X is an exciting prospect. Not only does it truly go in on the idea of a mid-generational console upgrade, it potentially paves the way for what the next generation may hold, if there is a new generation at all. Owners of the launch Xbox One units will likely be the most impressed group of potential customers for this unit, as it’s a big leap from their somewhat underpowered internals (that was still designed to support Kinect). Owning a 4K TV to take advantage of the console will also be a factor, but perhaps not a deciding one thanks to new rendering techniques that the X can use with its enhanced games lineup. We’ll have all that, and more, in our final and detailed review of the Xbox One X, planned for publishing next week.

The Xbox One X will be released on November 7, 2017 in North America with a 1 TB model that will be priced at $499USD/$599CAD.

 

Disclaimer: Microsoft has provided an Xbox One X review unit to New Game Network for coverage purposes.

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