A games console that costs $499, looks like an ugly speaker, and doesn’t have many exclusive games on the horizon? Get out of here, right? Wrong. The Xbox Series X looks likely to change what we all think we know about games consoles, and it’s only early days yet.

Key Takeaways

  • The Xbox Series X can be purchased outright or as part of Xbox All-Access.
  • Backwards compatibility is looking great already.
  • Xbox Game Pass is key to its success.

What Does the Xbox Series X Actually Offer?

As a long-term Xbox fan, I watched the announcements and pored over the bullet points, and they were…fine. Just fine. In a way, it felt like Microsoft had become a victim of its own success. I love my Xbox One X and use it most days, so was there any need for another console to try to tempt me away? To me, launch games were crucial and, well, they aren’t great.

Those games include Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Dirt 5, The Falconeer, Gears Tactics, Marvel’s Avengers, NBA 2K21, Tetris Effect: Connected, Watch Dogs: Legion, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Almost all of those games are available in some form elsewhere.

The launch window games continue in a similar vein with the likes of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (could the name get any longer?) and Cyberpunk 2077 leading the charge in titles available on the current generation of consoles, too. So, what gives?

It’s an Upgrade, Not a Whole New Console

You could definitely keep using a regular Xbox One and be happy, but that’s because the whole point of the Xbox Series X isn’t that it’s a whole new world of gaming—it’s an evolution of what we’ve already got.

It’s only going to get better once the likes of

Remember all those times you bought a new PC or upgraded existing components? You gravitated to your favorite ‘old’ game, right, to see how great it looked and felt. I love checking out how much better World of Warcraft is on every new PC upgrade I make. The Xbox Series X is like that right now. It revolutionizes what you’ve already got with the promise of some exclusive and unique titles further down the line as developers continue to discover just what the system can achieve.

Let’s look at recent reports from those folks who have had a hands-on with the new console. Most notably, veteran freelance journalist Geoff Keighley tweeted his impressions of the Xbox Series X. Limited to only backwards compatible titles and seeing how speedy the Quick Resume feature is, he was impressed.

Recent games have definitely been struggling lately on the Xbox One. Games like Forza Horizon 4 and Control have suffered from long loading times that soon proved frustrating, and they’re far from the only ones. The Xbox Series X will change all that.

“Load times VASTLY improved across the board. I tested Fortnite, Warzone, Ori, Batman: Arkham Knight, even older titles like Modern Warfare 2 and Gears of War (the original 360 disc versions!),” explained Keighley.

Similarly, Quick Resume sounds like it’ll be a game-changer. Keighley explains it’s “almost like Alt-TABing.” You can easily switch between multiple games without thinking about what you’re doing. That kind of ease of use sounds extremely useful before you even consider what exclusive Xbox Series X games might be like. 

Why $499 Isn’t So Bad a Price (Sort Of)

I’m not saying the Xbox Series X isn’t a hard sell. It’s been a rough year for pretty much all of us, and $499 is a lot of cash. That’s actually where Microsoft has the right idea. Through its Xbox All Access service, you can effectively subscribe to an Xbox Series X, kind of like signing up for a new phone contract.

For $34.99 over the next 24 months, you get an Xbox Series X console, plus 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. This is Microsoft’s killer app, allowing you to enjoy a catalog of hundreds of games entirely for free, kind of like Netflix. New games are added regularly with the latest Microsoft published games included. It’s typically $14.99 a month anyhow, so $20 a month for the latest games console? How could anyone resist something that basically works out as an indulgent coffee a week?

When you don’t even have to worry about budgeting for buying new games, and you can choose to pay monthly, the Xbox Series X feels like a great deal, even if it doesn’t have many exclusive games just yet. Better still? It’s only going to get better once the likes of Halo Infinite and more arrive.

This is why I’m getting the Xbox Series X as soon as possible. What about you?

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