My first Xbox console was the Xbox 360. I was hesitant to buy it because of the problems associated with the previous Xbox consoles. But over time it has proven to be reliable. More reliable than the Xbox One console that I bought years later. The hard drive malfunctioned and I couldn't reliably play, load, or save my games. But, I eventually replaced the hard drive and the console is working again. Before the hard drive failure, I was able to play games on the Xbox One for years without a problem. I could have played the Xbox One a little longer but I decided that it was a good time to upgrade. I upgraded to the Xbox Series X a year after making the repair on my Xbox One. I wanted to be able to play Grand Theft Auto 6 and the other games that I was starting to hear about. I chose this version because of the optical drive and storage capacity. I also chose this version because I prefer owning physical copies of games and being able to play games on discs from previous consoles.
Inside the box
With the Xbox Series X, you will get a high-speed HDMI cable, one controller, a manual, and built-in WIFI.
My experience
I was slightly hesitant to buy the Xbox Series X. It was the most I had ever paid for a console. The Xbox 360 and the Xbox One were more affordable in comparison. Hearing about Grand Theft Auto 6 and other modern games motivated me to buy it despite the high price.
I have owned this console since October of 2022 and I am glad I made the purchase. I haven't had any problems and I feel like my games are loading faster. I am able to play games from my Xbox 360 and Xbox One. I haven't bought any of the modern games yet.
I have connected an external hard drive from my Xbox One to my Xbox Series X. I have transferred all of my digital games to the internal hard drive of this new console. I left the remaining disc-based games on the external hard drive. I am able to save space with this technique.
As mentioned, the console comes with built-in WiFi. But, I am currently using the Ethernet connection. I haven't had any problems in this area.
The game controller won't feel unfamiliar if you have played previous consoles. But, it looks slightly more advanced than previous controllers. It comes with two AA batteries but I switched to rechargeable batteries when they wore out.
Like the Xbox One, it has the capability to access the Xbox-themed Microsoft store. With this new console, I have only explored the store. But with the Xbox One, I have downloaded add-ons, bought digital copies of games, viewed video demos of games, viewed recommended games, loaded gift card codes, downloaded apps, and looked at the list of games that I could download for free. Beyond what I have mentioned, there are other things that can be done in the store. It's worth exploring.
Also like the Xbox One, this console can be set to download games and apps when the console is off. Sometimes it's not possible to sit and wait for games to completely download. It's an easier way to download/transfer games or apps because I don't have to sit and monitor the progress. I can turn the console off and know that whatever I am downloading will be ready the next day. It's a helpful feature when there are multiple downloads and bigger games. I only turn it on when it is needed. I prefer to have my console completely off. With this feature, the console is never fully turned off. I think that having this feature on all the time could have possibly been the cause of my hard drive failure on the Xbox One. One of the bad weather events that I experienced(power surge, etc) may have caused the failure. With this feature turned on the Xbox One would also overheat. I don't want to take any chances with my Xbox Series X.
Compatible Games
Another thing that made me decide to buy this console was its ability to play games from previous consoles. I was able to transfer and play the majority of the games that I own. I have installed and currently play Forza 6, Pipe by BMX Streets, Fight Night Champion, Street Fighter IV, Walking Dead Season 1, Walking Dead Season 2, Walking Dead A New Frontier, Walking Dead Final Season, Red Dead Redemption 1, Red Dead Redemption 2, Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto V, Madden 17, UFC 3, Mass Effect 2, Monster Energy Supercross, MXGP Pro, MX vs ATV All Out, and WWE 2K16. The only one I wasn't able to transfer was the original State of Decay which was created in 2013. They have since made others but I would have liked to have been able to play this version on the Xbox Series X.
Storage Options
The Xbox Series X has 1TB of storage space. It's decent but I feel like it should have been more. External hard drives like the one I mentioned earlier can only handle games from previous consoles. Modern games can only be played from the internal hard drive. The older-style external hard drives can't keep up with the pace of modern games.
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| My external hard drive from my old console |
Currently, I am satisfied with the amount of storage space I have. I have a total of 19 games and 14 apps. I have 963.3GB free. Once I start buying more modern games I will consider buying an expansion card. I might do it because I will probably not want to delete any of my older games. I will consider either the 512GB or the 1TB expansion card.
- 4K gaming at up to 120FPS
- Up to 8K high dynamic range
- Xbox velocity architecture
- 1TB Solid State hard drive
- Variable refresh rate
- 4K Blu-ray player
- Play games across four generations of Xbox
- 3 USB-A ports
- 1 HDMI out port
- 1 SSD card expansion slot
- Ethernet port
- Power socket
- Vertical or horizontal Storage
- 11 7/8 height, 5 7/8 width, and 5 7/8 depth
Overall
The Xbox Series X is a good choice. I think that it's better than the Xbox Series S. It has an optical drive and more storage space. It's a game console for those who have enjoyed previous consoles, those that are still enjoying older games, and those who want to play the latest games.
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