Brad gives some initial impressions of his brand new console purchase.
Hey out there, QTB community! Luck has blessed me with securing the coveted Xbox Series X (via Best Buy). No plugs or hookups, just arbitrary luck (just ask Bruno). Now that I have had it set up for about a week, here are my initial impressions:
1. It's Powerful & Fast
Oh, did I mention it's powerful? The 12 teraflops of processing power in the system instantly show itself with insanely fast system boot and game loading times. I turn on the system power and am instantly at my home screen (no discernable load or wait time). Games load with ease and I am typically one of the first players in any online match (granted this also comes with strong internet). On top of that, it looks & plays better. The system delivers true-to-life lighting, shadows, and accurate reflections to create dynamic, living worlds. It’s the most visible improvement compared to my Xbox One X
2. It's Quiet
I have become accustomed over the years to feeling like a jet plane takes off every time I play a game on my Xbox One X. With so much power built into the Series X, I was immediately concerned for the noise factor of the system. Who knew Microsoft would flip the script and develop the Stealth Bomber of gaming systems with the Xbox Series X? The design elements of the air-flow channels, vapor chamber, and whisper-quiet fan all help keep the console running smoothly and cooling quietly. This system runs so quietly you can hear a pin drop in the room adjacent to you.
3. Quick Resume Rules
Long gone are the days of switching out discs, restarting games, or even spawning at predetermined checkpoints. With Quick Resume, I have been able to seamlessly switch between multiple different titles and resume instantly from where I left off. This is a useful feature when playing a solo campaign ( I was playing NBA 2k and stopped in the 3rd quarter) and then needing to quickly jump over to another game for battle royale/multiplayer when you get the chat/game requests from the QTB community! Once done getting some squad wins, I can easily then go right back to my solo campaign once done with the boys!
4. It makes me want a better TV
Leave it to Microsoft to put out a system that quickly shows you your TV is vastly under par and can’t tap into true 4K gaming (120FPS) of the system. Who knew I’d feel like I’m settling with an HDR TV giving me consistent 60 FPS? Is it a need? No, but it is now absolutely a major want!
5. It validates the Game Pass Ultimate Model
With the Xbox Series X delivering faster load times, higher resolution, more stable frame rates, and better input latency on Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Original Xbox games, it's almost a no-brainer to subscribe to the Game Pass Ultimate and get access over 100 high-quality games, plus get all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold and EA Play. I'm not only able to enjoy games that will continue to be optimized for the Series X|S , but replay classics like Halo: Combat Evolved with a brand new look and feel!