The Atari 2600 was my first video game console. I say this to not only show my age, but to stress that I’ve been a gamer since day one. (Well, more like day one-ish, as the Odyssey pre-dates the Atari by a few years.) Still, from the Atari, to the Nintendo Entertainment System, all the way to the Playstation 4 Slim, I have spent a lifetime getting the high score, getting trophies, and accomplishing achievements. I love playing games, and as weird as it sounds, I like owning a console that runs strongly after years of use, or in the case of my original NES, decades after its release.
I’ve never been a gamer to pick sides during console wars. I never cared what system was objectively better, I just wanted the one(s) with the games I wanted to play. In the last few years, I’ve been playing either on the Nintendo Switch or Playstation 4 Slim. To be honest, I can be slow to get onto the hot new console: Call it procrastination or an economical mindset, but I’m not in a hurry to shell out hundreds of dollars for a new system. I realized this when Sony recently released the Playstation 5 Pro, because I still did not own the original PS5. I purchased my PS4 in 2016 after my original one kept overheating, and since then, my PS4 has been running well, and it’s coming close to a 10-year anniversary.
When I decided to buy the Xbox Series X, I wasn’t yearning to upgrade to a new, 4K, HDR, ray tracing super console. No, I simply wanted to play Xbox 360 games. Long ago, I had an Xbox 360, and it left us after a battle from the red-ring of death. I didn’t want to risk buying a used, or second hand 360, so I decided to go with the newer system, considering how the Series X has backwards compatibility. That meant I would be able to play games I previously owned, classic titles I never played (including games from the original Xbox), and the biggest perk meant I could play new games like Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, since newer releases are not available on my ancient PS4. A triple win!
Xbox Series X
Since my economical mind wouldn’t allow me to spend $599 on one system, I lurked on Facebook Marketplace for weeks searching for a secondhand Series X. I came up empty handed. Thankfully, I knew someone who knew someone who was willing to part ways with his Series X during the last holiday season. This barely used system came with two games, rechargeable controller batteries, the SteelSeries Arctis 9X headphones, a remote control, and a sparkling like-new controller and system, all for the friendly price of $400. Not bad! Everything even came in its original packaging.
I’ve been using my Xbox Series X for about six months and it’s been an absolute blast. The system delivers on every aspect as advertised, and if you’re thinking about getting one, I think you should — unless, of course, you already own a PS5.
Pros
- Exceptional performance.
- Incredible loading speed.
- Arguably the best controller in gaming.
- Game Pass subscription is the best in gaming.
- Backwards compatibility.
- Cloud saving available from Xbox to PC.
- 1TB hard drive.
- True 4K graphics.
Cons
- Expensive (when purchased new).
- The tower design could be cumbersome for some.
- A fleeting number of Xbox-exclusive games.
- Recent price hikes announced by Microsoft for all gaming materials.
- Thick, heavy system.
- Potential new Xbox console on the horizon.
Specs
Price: $599.
Dimensions: 5.9 inches deep × 5.9 inches high × 11.9 inches long.
Weight: 9.8 lbs.
Framerate: 60-120 fps.
Storage: 1TB internal hard drive.
Gaming resolution: True 4K.
Refund policy: The Microsoft Store offers a 60-day return policy for Xbox Series X consoles purchased from them.
Design
The Xbox Series X has a minimalistic design. It’s a rectangular black tower: On the front facing side, there is a vertical slot for discs, a small eject button, an illuminated power button at the top left corner, and a USB port on the bottom right, next to a BlueTooth pairing button. All of those features are barely noticeable and make for a sleek look. You can also lay your Xbox horizontally if necessary, but thanks to a built-in circular stand at the bottom, it’s mostly intended to stand upright. It’s a starkly plain looking console when compared to the Playstation 5’s unique (and dare I say overly complex) design. But, I like the simplicity of the Series X. It’s reminiscent of a PC tower — simple, clean, and all about what’s inside.
Microsoft also offers two other options of the Series X if all black is not your thing. They have an all white option, but it’s digital-only, meaning there’s no disc drive, for $549.99. There’s also a “galaxy black” console, which has Xbox green trim throughout, and it also provides a 2TB SSD for $729.99.
The console comes with a matching black controller, the Xbox Core, which is incredibly comfortable. Outside of third party controllers, the Core is my favorite controller out of the big three. The button layout, specifically the placement of the right-handed joystick, is my preferred option. Overall, the controller feels great, works great, and can work with AA batteries, rechargeable batteries, or it can work with no batteries but plugged into the Xbox with a USB C cable.
Set Up
Setting up the Series X was a breeze, but I wanted to take a moment to pat Microsoft on the back a little here. My Microsoft account has been dormant for nearly 10 years, but I was still able to reset and reuse my old Xbox 360 account. The joy of logging in and seeing my old gamertag, exactly how it was years ago, was like opening a digital time capsule, which brought me a great deal of joy.
Performance
The first thing I noticed with the Series X, after I set up my account and downloaded a game, was the lack of loading times between starting a game and actually playing. Even loading points in between levels in games like Robocop: Rogue City was seamless. To ensure that I wasn’t imaging the speed in loading time, I decided to clock two games on both the Series X and my PS4. I used Doom and Doom Eternal as my tests, since I have both games on both systems.
DOOM load time on PS4: 1 minute and 01 second
DOOM load time on XSX: 32 seconds
DOOM ETERNAL load time on PS4: 58 seconds
DOOM ETERNAL load time on XSX: 38 seconds
The loading time was cut in half on the Series X for 2016’s Doom, while Doom Eternal was nearly the same. While I didn’t clock the differences in loading times between levels, it was clear that the Series X was flying compared to the PS4. It’s worth noting, too, that I’ve recently optimized my PS4 by cleaning it internally, and running all of my game saves from an external HD, and remapping my hard drive. Even with those tasks done, the Xbox felt lightning quick by comparison.
Loading classic 360 titles was also incredibly fast. I don’t have the ability to compare it to a classic 360 console, but my re-playthrough of Gears of War 2 felt like a load-free experience, loading levels and cut scenes within seconds. Better yet, everything looked even better thanks to the free upgrade Microsoft is giving to classic titles.
Graphics
It should come to no surprise that games on the Xbox Series X look fantastic. On my 4K gaming monitor, on my 1080P flat screen, and on my friend’s 65-inch 4K TV, every game I tested looked unbelievable. Of course, the screens that have 4K capability are really where the Xbox shines. While graphics have always been a big talking point for gamers, that has never really been my particular nitpick — it’s always been the smoothness of the graphics that mattered to me. That’s where the Series X truly impresses me.
For example, when I replayed Doom and Doom Eternal on my PS4, there were clear moments when the PS4 lagged, or had a momentary lapse in loading the rest of the level. The game would occasionally jitter, albeit minimally. On the Series X, there were no hiccups in either game. Everything runs effortlessly and makes every moment in every game shine. It truly looks, visually speaking, like an evolutionary next step in gaming graphics.
Another benefit to the backwards compatibility is that Microsoft upscales most classic titles to look as close to 2025’s graphics as possible. For example, my time playing Gears of War 2 and Gears of War 3 looked so impressive with their visual updates, I would have never guessed the games were released 15 years ago.
Game Pass
Arguably the biggest and best perk to playing a Series X is their Game Pass membership. The three tiered subscription, which is also offered on the Xbox Series S, offers gamers the chance to play a variety of games for a monthly fee. Game Pass Ultimate, the highest level of the subscription ($19.99/month) lets you play brand new games on Day One of release. Simply put, that is just a phenomenal deal, especially considering how new game prices are increasing.
The other two tiers in Game Pass, Core and Standard, allow you to play games for free on both, however the options are much more limited. For example, new releases are not offered on either option.
The Console War
The console war is over. Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, pretty much said so himself earlier this year. Since the dawn of video game time, corporations have been fighting to make the best video game console for you to buy instead of buying the competitors’ machine. But now, in 2025, the console war appears to be over with a whimper. This is largely due to Microsoft releasing their exclusive game, Forza Horizon 5, on the PS5 (to much acclaim, too), along with Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, which was originally a Microsoft exclusive. As recently as May, Microsoft announced their original and wildly successful franchise, Gears of War, will be remastered for the first time ever on Playstation (along with Xbox and Steam).
Xbox isn’t the only one moving on from the console wars. Nintendo has very much been in its own world with the incredibly popular Switch console: The hybrid system has become Nintendo’s most successful console ever, and with the recent announcement of the Switch 2, it looks like Nintendo plans to improve on what’s been working for them since 2017. Meanwhile, Sony, with the recent release of the PS5 Pro, seems to be running the same formula they’ve played in the past. Every few years, they release a refresh on their current generation until they release an all new model. While all of this is happening, PC gaming has become mainstream, with PCs being more affordable and offering power and performance on par — or just unquestionably better — than consoles.
So, if there are no more wars and Microsoft is tearing down their own exclusive wall, what’s next? Microsoft is rumored to be working on a new, next generation system, while leaks continue to pop up showing a possible Microsoft handheld system. Still, regardless of platform preference, gaming has become more accessible than ever before. It all depends on what you want to play, how you want to play, and how much you’re willing to spend.
Price
On May 1, Microsoft instituted an increase to their Xbox consoles and accessories globally. That means the Xbox Series X, which was originally $499.99 since it launched in 2020, is now $599.99. It’s a practice that Sony has been doing outside of the U.S. for years, and Nintendo already confirmed a price tag increase for Switch 2 video games. Consoles and games have always been expensive, especially when you’re getting brand new games, so consoles and their accessories have never been notably discounted or cheap outside of the holiday season. The price increase, however, puts an emphasis on what item you’re willing to buy for that price tag. Meanwhile, a budget gaming PC will still run you something close to the price of a Series X or upwards of $1,000.
On top of all of that, you can still choose the Xbox Series S. The S is pretty much the little sibling to the Series X: It offers virtually everything the X does, but at about half the power, size, price, and performance. While I didn’t test a Series S myself, the S is a smaller, lighter console with 1440P resolution (versus the X’s 4K), and depending on the model, you can get 512 GB or 1TB of storage. At $380, it’s a cheaper option for half the specs. It’s just another option to consider.
Is It For You?
After owning my Xbox for about six months, I’m quite happy with it. That doesn’t mean it has replaced my other consoles: I still play Nintendo Switch with my kids, and I’m still chipping away at new games like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and retro classics like F-Zero 99. While I haven’t purchased anything new for my PS4 since 2024, I do turn it on from time to time to play old favorites like God of War and Ghosts of Tsushima. But, the Xbox has definitely become my primary console. It’s incredibly fast, offers smooth game play, and best of all, I can play two gaming generations’ worth of classic titles by either buying games discounted from second hand stores, or by subscribing to Game Pass. Depending on the tier of your Game Pass subscription, you can play brand new games on the day they’re released, and that alone makes the Xbox Series X head and shoulders above its competitors.
Xbox Series X
If you own a PS5 (or a PS5 Pro), then there’s no reason to jump ship, especially with Gears of War and Forza being available on Sony. If you want to play vintage Xbox games you can surely enjoy the Xbox Series S, which is cheaper, but less powerful than the Series X. And, if you don’t care about current-gen games or graphics, then the previous Xbox One offers the same backwards compatibility of the Series X. If you want modern day titles mixed in with some vintage games, though, then the Xbox Series X is a powerful choice.
