A full year after it’s release, I was able to get myself an Xbox series X . I take a look at what’s in the “box”. As you can imagine I’m rather excited to take a close look at one of these.
It’s sealed with 4 four easy to peel stickers. Once removed, it opens up like a treasure chest.
It’s packaged very snug, with plenty of padding to ensure the console doesn’t suffer any damage. Even if it’s handled roughly. The first thing we see is the console itself. It makes up most of the contents inside the box. It’s wrapped like a gift box in a film like Styrofoam. With a flyer wrapped around it that says, “Power your dreams”. Nice presentation, though the phrase makes no sense to me. lol. In a small compartment you get an hdmi cable , a power cable and a gaming controller. You also get a small booklet with all the legally required warnings, and a flyer with instructions on how to install the batteries on the control.
The more powerful Xbox Series X has an optical disc drive, a 1TB SSD hard drive, and a better performing GPU. It retails for $499. Which is $200 more than the smaller less powerful Xbox series S, which retails for $299. Coincidentally the Xbox Series S losses the optical drive (strictly digital) , has a 512MB hard drive, and a less powerful GPU.
How I managed to get one
Microsoft got smart and decided to ensure actual gamers are purchasing the consoles, rather than scalpers. They implemented a service called Xbox all access. Here’s how it works. It’s like applying for a credit card. Once approved your free to continue the check out process. Here’s where I think it gets seedy. You “HAVE TO GET A 2 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION” to Xbox game pass ultimate. So you’re buying and Xbox and 2 years worth of a subscription. In my opinion, it’s not too bad. Considering retailers like GameStop force you to purchase the consoles in a bundle with games I would otherwise not buy. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has a lot content that makes it worth the price. For example, Free games, access to Microsoft’s online service. I hate the fact that I was forced to get it. But it’s something that I would have subscribed for anyway.
Why I chose the Series X
One might wonder. Why pay more when you don’t have to? Microsoft promised both iterations can play the same games. I myself do play digital over optical games most of the time. So the optical drive doesn’t really mean much to me. Being a gamer as long as I have (30+ years). Physical media is very important. It preserves better, and it retains some value. The last couple of years, I’ve been buying a digital copy of the game. And when it goes on sale, I purchase the physical version. It’s mainly a collectors thing I suppose. If you’ve seen how much the prices for sealed copies of certain games go for, you’d do the same.
With games getting bigger in size. It’s pretty evident that 1TB won’t be enough. Now imagine half that!? A 1TB ssd will run you around $100 anyway. I know for sure I will need it. So add that extra $100 to the price of the Xbox Series S and they are now only $100 apart for me.
The better GPU is a cosmetic upgrade really. With the Xbox Series X promising Raytracing , which is graphically intensive. It won’t really change the overall gaming experience, but it will enhance it. If your going for the NEXT GEN experience by purchasing these consoles. You wanna make sure you actually get the “next gen” experience.
Lastly the reason why I chose the Xbox Series X over the cheaper Xbox series S. Emulation. I’ve been reading a lot about the emulation from both the Series X and the Series S. Both seem to emulate games very well. I want to ensure I can have that little edge if I can. And hopefully emulate even newer consoles, or even at better frame rates.
The last reason to get an Xbox Series X or S. They bought Bethesda! That means Fallout, Elders Scrolls(Skyrim), Starfield are now First party titles. Microsoft has been rather weak in their first party game, and I believe it hurt them in the last generation. It’s pretty exciting to see them make moves this big. Time will only tell if they make another big splash like this.
If your not convinced and you still wanna get an Xbox Series S. You can pick one up here from Amazon.
If your anything more than a casual gamer the Xbox Series X is a must. I think Microsoft made a genius move in allowing their consoles to emulate with out the need to hack or jailbreak. For me, it made the new generation Xbox a must buy. How about you?
