Can Xbox Series X Make A Comeback?
The lack of interest by Microsoft over the years has led to a consumer product rather than just a gaming console, bringing some good ideas, but also a lot of bad ideas. We’ve seen it, everyone has seen it: a lack of games, a cluttered, themeless dashboard, and a general sense that they just didn’t care about gamers for a while. PlayStation isn't perfect either, but we’ve seen what they offer. So, how does Xbox compete, and is it worth buying an Xbox at all?
GTT Quick Score: 8.9/10
Quick Summary:
The Xbox Series X gets put down harshly, but for the right reasons. However, it is rarely noted for its genuinely good qualities either. Xbox generally has a slight edge in ray-tracing performance with slightly more stable frame rates in heavy path-traced titles, and it provides the strongest cross-play integration between PC and console players thanks to the Microsoft ecosystem, even if that ecosystem has flaws of its own. Last but not least, it offers the important ability to play several classic Xbox 360 and Xbox One games via backward compatibility straight from the disc or digital purchases. To add to these important features, Xbox is currently on possibly its greatest comeback in a decade; the leadership team is providing dashboard theme improvements, bringing back exclusive console games to compete against PlayStation, and giving everyone the ability to vote for their old Xbox 360 games to make a return.
Why this matters for gamers:
You are easily guaranteed the same amazing graphics and performance as a standard PlayStation 5. Cross-play also becomes more viable with one unified, shared Xbox account across your PC and console, alongside the ability to use the Xbox Play Anywhere program to enjoy your games on both platforms. Finally, gamers now even get to vote for their preferred Xbox 360 titles to make a return while waiting for new exclusive titles to drop, which finally makes it a bit more appetizing to own an Xbox in your home.
Xbox Series X: What Are The Specs?
Technical Specification | Xbox Series X Details | Why It Matters for Gaming |
|---|---|---|
Processor Silicon | Custom AMD Zen 2 CPU | Delivers a massive foundation of raw computational horsepower. It guarantees stable frame pacing and handles complex game logic, physics engines, and dense player counts seamlessly. |
Graphics Processing | Custom AMD RDNA 2 GPU | Provides massive graphical processing depth. It introduces hardware-accelerated DirectX Raytracing and handles native 4K rendering smoothly while targeting high-refresh fluidity. |
Thermal Dissipation | Parallel Cooling Architecture | Deploys a unique split-motherboard layout paired with a large, silent top-exhaust fan. It reliably tames high thermal loads by pulling air through the entire chassis without distracting fan noise. |
Memory Allocation | 16GB GDDR6 Bus Total | Utilizes an asymmetrical high-bandwidth configuration. It completely optimizes asset throughput by feeding critical rendering data to the GPU on the fastest lanes to eliminate stuttering. |
Storage Topology | 1TB Custom NVMe SSD | Serves as the structural backbone of the Xbox Velocity Architecture. It slashes title boot sequences down to seconds and powers the seamless Quick Resume feature to swap between multiple games instantly. |
I/O & Expansion Speed | Proprietary PCIe Gen 4x2 Lane | Bypasses standard USB bandwidth limits with a direct pipeline to the CPU. It allows you to drop in plug-and-play storage expansion cards that match the internal SSD's exact performance block-for-block. |
Pros & Cons of the Xbox Series X
Pros
Game Pass Ultimate: When you have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you get access to a massive library on both your PC and Xbox under one subscription, along with several perks for other games and apps.
Xbox Quick Resume: This feature suspends and saves multiple games directly to the SSD, allowing you to load them all back up whenever you want, exactly where you left off.
Controller Batteries: Many consider this a con, but we consider it a pro because of the options you get. Using high-end rechargeable battery packs to replace traditional batteries lets you plug in and play, while simultaneously giving you the ability to swap out a dead pack instantly if you want to jump straight back into wireless play.
Cons
UI & Theme: The Xbox dashboard theme, user interface, and overall physical software design over the years have felt modern yet honestly boring. It has lost its identity; the UI feels cluttered and operates more like a Windows device rather than a dedicated gaming console in some areas.
Standout Exclusives: While Xbox is in the early stages of trying to develop new AAA exclusive titles for PC and Xbox, they have historically been known to lack games that are truly worth buying the system for.
Real World Use With Xbox Series X
Here is our comparison for the Xbox Series X vs the previous Steam Deck OLED and then how well the Xbox Series X does daily as a home gaming console.
Specification | Xbox Series X | vs. PlayStation 5 |
|---|---|---|
Silicon Architecture & Compute Depth | Driven by a custom AMD Zen 2 (8-Core) and a heavy-hitting 12 TFLOPS RDNA 2 GPU. It focuses on pure hardware brute force and wider compute lanes, maximizing raw native resolution scaling and shadow/lighting complexity in heavy cross-platform titles. | Powered by a matching custom AMD Zen 2 (8-Core) but running an agile, high-frequency 10.3 TFLOPS RDNA 2 GPU. It trades raw GPU lane width for rapid clock speeds, maximizing pixel throughput and maintaining highly stable target frame rendering. |
Storage Architecture & Asset Pipeline | Utilizes the proprietary Xbox Velocity Architecture built on a custom NVMe SSD pipeline. It shifts the asset streaming load entirely away from the CPU, allowing the console to run the seamless Quick Resume feature to swap between multiple games instantly. | Deploys a screaming-fast, custom Ultra-High-Speed NVMe SSD pushing raw speeds up to 5.5 GB/s. It relies on a specialized flash memory controller to virtually eliminate open-world level loads, enabling developers to stream assets in the blink of an eye. |
Tactile Hardware & Input Immersion | Pairs with the refined Xbox Wireless Controller. It prioritizes a highly familiar, competitive asymmetrical layout, matte tactile textures, and ultra-low input latency (via Dynamic Latency Input), though it keeps haptic vibration simple. | Features the highly innovative DualSense Wireless Controller. It completely rewrites physical immersion using Advanced Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Triggers that dynamically push back against your fingers to simulate string tension or weapon recoil. |
Ecosystem Subscriptions & Library | Backed by the unmatched value of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It grants instant, day-one access to every first-party franchise and a massive rotating vault of major AAA and indie games, serving as the ultimate modern arcade pass. | Supported by the tiered PlayStation Plus (Essential/Extra/Premium) service. While day-one first-party releases are rare, it provides a deep, high-quality catalog of generation-defining cinematic exclusives and historical legacy titles. |
Display Integration & Audio Tech | Outfitted with broad, native support for Dolby Vision Gaming and Dolby Atmos audio spatialization pipelines. It perfectly locks in premium high-dynamic-range mapping and directional audio on compatible home theater setups. | Leverages a proprietary, hardware-level Tempest 3D AudioTech engine. It is engineered to calculate highly precise, customized spatial soundscapes natively through any standard stereo headset or TV speaker configuration. |
Daily Use & Performance
When playing on the Xbox Series X connected to a 1440p, 120Hz monitor, it was immediately an amazing experience. For us, competitive gaming was best with this combo for obtaining good in-game details at a distance while still hitting the 120 FPS target. However, we did experience dips in some games like console Valorant and Fortnite, which looked somewhat choppy if the frame rate dropped down to 100 FPS at times. Overall, though, it looked smooth and played great.
Outside of the actual user interface, all of its features work well, great, as a matter of fact. It’s not that the UI is terrible; it just doesn't feel like a gamer-first experience, or at least that's how we feel. Quick Resume, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and Auto HDR all work perfectly. That is a major plus, though if the FPS was dramatically jumping up and down, we personally still managed to experience some screen tearing. As PC gamers, we also found that plugging your headset into your controller while keeping the wireless connection linked to the PC made for a much more suitable way to talk on Discord while playing Xbox only titles. We highly recommend trying this if you have a headset that supports this functionality.
Who Shouldn't Purchase The Xbox Series X?
The Xbox Series X is a great gaming console with a few hiccups, but in reality, all gaming consoles have their flaws. If you are looking for a console that offers seamless integration between your console and PC, or if you want a good old fashioned console experience with unique functionality like installing emulators, then the Xbox might just be the overall best choice for you.
Game Tested Tech Score: 8.9/10
The Verdict
The Xbox Series X is a great a gaming console with a few hiccups but in reality, all gaming consoles have their flaws. If you are looking for a gaming console that has seamless integration between the console and your PC or having a good old fashioned console experience with the most unique functionality like installing emulators. Then the Xbox might be the overall choice for you.