Home Gaming Xbox One X review round-up – Microsoft’s newest console is a 4K beast

Xbox One X review round-up – Microsoft’s newest console is a 4K beast

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Xbox One X (2)

I like the idea of the Xbox One X. I think despite Microsoft’s marketing pitch of this being a mid-generation refresh, the Xbox One X is a next-gen device that just so happens to be backwards compatible. It’s also a console for show-offs, people who want to boast about their 4K setups and do some visual bragging about having the best looking gaming experience.

That being said, the Xbox One X is a niche device. It’s a machine for a certain market, while also requiring some faith from those people who splash cash down on it. That seems to be the running theme in reviews for the hardware-heavy console, as opinions on the actual tech is overwhelmingly positive so far.

Good tech can only go so far however, as it’ll be up to developers to help support the Xbox One X. For those players who do receive enhanced games on that console however? The Xbox One X appears to be an absolute beast of a machine. Here’s a roll-out of what some critics and sites have had to say so far:

IGN – 8.7/10

Xbox One X (4)

The Xbox One X is a very impressive collection of hardware crammed into a sleek case. It runs cool and quiet as it delivers impressive performance in the enhanced games we’ve been able to test out so far. It’s hard to believe Microsoft exclusives like Gears of War 4 can look so good and run so smoothly on a box that costs less than half of what you’d pay for a high-end gaming PC. Plus, it caters to home theater enthusiasts with 4K ultra-HD Blu-ray playback and Atmos sound.

However, the big question of how it compares to the PlayStation 4 Pro in running third-party games remains, for now, unanswered. We won’t know for sure until those enhanced updates come out around the November 7 launch, but if I had to score it now…

The Verge – 8.5/10

Xbox One X (6)

That said, the X does offer the best graphics currently possible on a console. If you don’t care about Sony’s exclusives then the Xbox One X will be the best console to play all the cross-platform games coming out. If you already have a large stack of Xbox One games and you’re using the original console, this is going to be a nice upgrade if you own a 4K TV.

For anyone else, this probably isn’t the console for you. Sony really has some impressive exclusives on the way, and it’s hard for Microsoft to counter this despite its great job on the hardware. Microsoft promised the best hardware, and it delivered — but that’s nothing without games.

VentureBeat – No score

Xbox One X (3)

I already mentioned the other group that I would suggest an Xbox One X to: people who don’t already own an Xbox One and want to buy one.

For everyone else, I think you need to wait and see. At least let me try games like Star Wars: Battlefront II and Call of Duty: WWII with the system so I can finalize this review. But beyond that, you need to see if Microsoft or outside developers find innovative ways to use the power of the Xbox One X. Because if they don’t, your original Xbox One is fine.

God is a Geek – No score

Xbox One X (1)

The honest truth right now is that I can’t tell you if it’s worth the money, but if you don’t own an Xbox One, then this is the console to get. If you have a 1080p TV, you’ll still be getting the best performance, and for my money, finally getting a console that appears to be able to push 60 frames across the board is a far bigger deal than the jump from 1080p to 4K resolution. Sure, you’ve got the best of both worlds if you do have a 4K HDR capable TV, but it’s the potential draw of the higher frame rate that impresses.

US Gamer – No score

Xbox One X (5)

Put simply: The Xbox One X is a pretty niche offering. It’s nice that it exists, but it’s hard to recommend without reservation. That said, the ability to run a game natively in 4K at a solid framerate is nothing to sneeze at—it’s something that even strong gaming PCs still struggle with. In that light, you might say that $500 is a bargain given that Microsoft is also tossing in a 4K UHD Blu-ray player.

The best recommendation I can give is that I will be requesting review copies for the Xbox One from now on. After all, now that I actually have an Xbox One X in my house, I’m inclined to put my expensive 4K TV to good use. But if you’re still undecided on which premium console to choose, just know that I would personally choose the console with the widest selection of exclusives. All those teraflops are impressive; but in the end, it’s still all about the games.

The Xbox One X will be available in December on our shores, although stock is expected to be limited for its initial run.

Last Updated: November 3, 2017

6 Comments

  1. I have zero doubt this console is a great piece of tech it probably is but again if I was a new console buyer and sure I am a Sony fan however, without trying to be biased here is I would still go for the PS4 Pro simply from the perspective of the sheer amount of exclusives especially after everything that got announced recently. There is just way too many great games and upcoming games that look fantastic that are PS exclusive’s that you would miss out on I would not be able to justify buying the Xbox.

    If you have an Xbox already and you just want to trade your’s in and get this by all means that is a completely different scenario. As much as I would love to have a piece of tech like the new Xbox I just can’t justify spending R7500 for 3rd party games that I can play on the PS4 pro in 4K already and two exclusives (Forza, Gears of War)

    Reply

  2. Aries

    November 3, 2017 at 11:40

    Nope nope after this last week, I think I’ll stick to my PS4

    Reply

  3. Pieter Kruger

    November 3, 2017 at 11:41

    FANTASTIC! Welcome to the future! Already downloaded most enhanced packs on my external HDD so ready to roll! Still undecided on which 4K tv to acquire though but will be 100% sorted come Christmas. Over 150 enhanced games for XB1X, 70 available at launch! (REALLY enhanced, not like PS4 Protato “enhanced” either LOL!) All the “neutral” PC fanboys hating, why do you upgrade your GPU’s? All the PS fanboys hating, why buy the Protato or PS5 then? My wishlist for Christmas is simple…..4K DVD’s please!

    Reply

  4. Skittle

    November 3, 2017 at 12:16

    I wonder how much the guy who came up with the name Xbox One X got paid

    Reply

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