{"id":26,"date":"2020-10-02T08:18:26","date_gmt":"2020-10-02T08:18:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.momengames.com\/?p=26"},"modified":"2020-10-02T08:18:26","modified_gmt":"2020-10-02T08:18:26","slug":"xbox-series-x-first-look-fast-powerful-and-quiet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.momengames.com\/index.php\/2020\/10\/02\/xbox-series-x-first-look-fast-powerful-and-quiet\/","title":{"rendered":"Xbox Series X first look: Fast, powerful and quiet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Xbox<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0Xbox Series X\u00a0is\u00a0zippy<\/em>. That\u2019s the word that stands out in my mind as I bounce among several active games via quick resume, die and respawn in under 10 seconds or load up an HDR version of an old favorite.\u00a0Zip, zip, zip<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Xbox Series X is Microsoft\u2019s top-of-the-line next-gen console, and this is our first good look at it, in a home and actually plugged in. As with each new generation, Microsoft promises this console is faster, more powerful and prettier than the Xboxes that came before, and so far, that\u2019s entirely accurate. Because, well, of course it is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, the Series X has a few features that deserve extra attention before launch day on November 10th. The Series X is priced at $499, while its all-digital counterpart, the Xbox Series S, will cost $299.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before diving in too deep, let\u2019s lay the ground rules. There are limitations on the scope of the initial preview, with specific features we\u2019re allowed to discuss. Fortunately, this round covers the console\u2019s most obvious improvements: the performance of the backward compatible library, the quick resume feature and the look and feel of the hardware itself, including the new Xbox Wireless Controller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First up, backward compatible games on Xbox Series X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Back compat <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On day one, both of Microsoft\u2019s next-gen consoles will support more than 1,000 games from the original Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. On Series X, all backward compatible games receive automatic HDR support, and some will even play at double their original framerates, bumping 30FPS titles to 60FPS, and 60FPS to 120FPS. This library will run natively on the console, meaning each game can take advantage of the Series X\u2019s faster CPU, GPU and SSD, and even hit 4K. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Series S games will receive similar treatment, though they\u2019re upgraded from their\u00a0Xbox One S versions, meaning they won\u2019t be playable in 4K.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resolution aside, players on both consoles will have immediate access to a library 19 years deep. Alongside\u00a0selling Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions, this is a huge part of Microsoft\u2019s pitch for the next generation: the fact that the Series X will have plenty of content at launch, and these titles will perform better than ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Microsoft\u2019s main console competitor, Sony, hasn\u2019t outlined how backward compatibility will work on the PlayStation 5.\u00a0Many PS4 games\u00a0will be playable on PS5, but it\u2019s still unclear which ones, how they\u2019ll take advantage of the new hardware, or if they\u2019ll be accessible outside of\u00a0a PlayStation Plus subscription. There\u2019s no word on games from before the PS4 era, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Xbox Series X, Microsoft\u2019s commitment to spit-shining its old and classic games has resulted in one massive improvement: Faster load times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In my experience, backward compatible games on Xbox Series X load three to four times faster than their Xbox One counterparts. Take Remedy\u2019s Control<\/em>, for example — booting up a scene on Xbox One takes 30 to 38 seconds, while the same scene on Series X consistently takes just 9 seconds, 10 at the most. This ratio rings true for most games I\u2019ve tested, and it\u2019s significantly changed the way I interact with the new console overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whenever I die or fast travel in most console-bound AAA games, I automatically drop the controller while waiting for the new scene to load, knowing it\u2019ll take enough time to give my fingers a break. Or I\u2019ll grab a fresh drink, or reach for my phone and scroll through Reddit while the loading bar creeps across the bottom of the screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Series X, there\u2019s no time for this nonsense. When a fail state pops up, my hands will instinctually fall to my lap, but almost immediately, the game is ready for another round. I\u2019ve had to become more proactive with my drink breaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only are Series X backward compatible games faster to load, but many of them take advantage of another speedy new console function — quick resume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Quick resume<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This might be the coolest software feature of the Xbox Series X. Quick resume allows players to toggle between several active games at once, rather than having to close out one title before loading another. In my experience, games load between five and ten seconds, and my character is always exactly where I left them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no hard cap on the number of games that can be suspended in quick resume, but there is\u00a0a hardware-based limit. The console\u2019s SSD contains a cache that stores system RAM for each game that\u2019s suspended, and this can fill up, preventing additional titles from using the feature. So, the number of games will mainly depend on the memory usage of the titles you\u2019re pausing. Microsoft hasn\u2019t said how large the quick resume SSD cache is, but I\u2019ve been able to cycle through five games at a time just fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not every title supports quick resume, though a majority of the ones I\u2019ve tested do. Firewatch<\/em>, for instance, does not have the feature, but Control<\/em>, Don\u2019t Starve<\/em>, Felix the Reaper<\/em>, Resident Evil 7<\/em>, Blair Witch<\/em>, Untitled Goose Game, Fallout: New Vegas<\/em> and Sunset Overdrive<\/em> do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Xbox<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Hardware and controller design<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

And finally for two features that every Series X game definitely supports — the Xbox Wireless Controller and the console itself. Microsoft has a solid track record in gamepad design and the new Wireless Controller is no exception, mainly because it doesn\u2019t deviate much from its predecessors. It\u2019s essentially an Xbox One controller, with a nod to the Elite in the D-pad, an extra share button and a flat face. For seasoned Xbox players, this one will feel like home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the Series X looks nothing like Microsoft\u2019s previous consoles. It\u2019s a rectangular, black prism that stands at just under a foot tall, and about half as wide and deep. It has a trypophobic top highlighted in green, and a friendly, glowing Xbox logo in the upper left corner. Most importantly though, it actually looks great in a living room. It can be laid on its side for horizontal shelving, but I happen to like the tall-and-proud look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so far, it\u2019s quiet as hell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take this short story for example: One day last week, after playtesting the Series X the entire morning and afternoon, I booted up my PS4 to play Overwatch<\/em>, which is the standard evening routine in my house. As the game began to load, the PS4 fan kicked on and it was legitimately shocking. I hadn\u2019t realized just how silent the Series X was until the current gen blasted hot air at me. Turns out, the future sounds nice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

More to come<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s everything we can share for now. I\u2019ve only had a few days with the Series X so far , but I\u2019ll keep on playing and testing, and we\u2019ll be back in the coming weeks with more preview details and impressions. And eventually, we\u2019ll share full reviews of all the new consoles coming out this holiday season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Xbox Series X\u00a0is\u00a0zippy. That\u2019s the word that stands out in my mind as I bounce among several active games via quick resume, die and respawn in under 10 seconds or load up an HDR version of an old favorite.\u00a0Zip, zip, zip. The Xbox Series X is Microsoft\u2019s top-of-the-line next-gen console, and this is our first […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":21,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-latest-articles"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.momengames.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.momengames.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.momengames.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.momengames.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.momengames.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.momengames.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27,"href":"https:\/\/www.momengames.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26\/revisions\/27"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.momengames.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.momengames.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.momengames.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}