Xbox Series X/S

This article was copied (instead of imported) from the now-deleted Awesome Games Wiki from the Internet Archive, with various edits.

Xbox Series X/S
Power Your Dreams.
Developer: Microsoft Release Date: WW: November 20, 2020 Predecessor: Xbox One Competitors: PlayStation 5 Nintendo Switch Generation: Ninth generation

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are the fourth generation of consoles in the Xbox series developed by Microsoft and released on November 10, 2020. They are successors to the Xbox One and Microsoft's entry into the ninth generation of console gaming.

Why They Power Your Dreams

1. The controller is almost identical to the Xbox One's controller, adds a share button, uses USB-C for charging, and is backward compatible with the Xbox One. The Xbox One controller is also fully compatible with the Series X/S for those who prefer it.
2. The Series X supports 8K resolution and 120 FPS and has an 8-core CPU and 12 TFLOP GPU that supports ray-tracing, making the Xbox Series X the most powerful console in the ninth generation.
   • The Series S is considerably weaker regarding graphical power, but it is an understandable sacrifice for a cheaper price point.
3. Similar to PlayStation 5, It uses an all-new M.2 NVMe SSD, especially on previous-gen Xbox games. This is also helped by the Xbox Velocity Architecture, which significantly reduces loading times on games optimized for Series X|S.
4. Tranquil cooling system (here's a tip: If you have to put the Series X on its side, leave a good amount of space for each of the three vents, especially the green one on top).
5. Quick Resume is a new feature that allows players to switch between multiple games and apps at once without having to close them. Initially, you could have one game and app on at a time.
6. There are also a lot of games that are released on the Xbox Series, such as:
   • Halo Infinite
   • Forza Horizon 5
   • Hi-Fi Rush
   • Doom Eternal
   • Baldur's Gate 3
   • Omori
   • Etc.
7. It's backward compatible with 39 original Xbox games, 568 Xbox 360 games, and almost every Xbox One game, which is truly saying something, given how its predecessor is also backward compatible with the Xbox 360 (and the original Xbox) games, on here, it makes backward compatibility even better.
   • With the RetroArch emulator, you can run games for other systems, such as the PlayStation 2.
8. It has a program called Smart Delivery, which allows games from the Xbox One to be upgraded to the Series X/S versions at no additional charge.
   • It was confirmed that every first-party Xbox Games Studio title would support Smart Delivery. Microsoft has allowed third parties to use the Smart Delivery technology (Ubisoft and CD Projekt are two companies supporting Smart Delivery).
9. The budget-oriented Series S is perfect for those who don't mind not using discs, though this could be a problem for those with lots of Xbox One games on disc and a limited budget.
10. The systems have a feature called FPS Boost, which doubles the framerate of supported Xbox games from 30 to 60 FPS (or even from 60 to 120 FPS) with no additional work needed on the developer's end.

Bad Qualities

1. Disappointing launch game lineup with a lack of system seller exclusives. However, this is mitigated by the amount of backward-compatible titles on offer.
2. The Kinect and any games that use it aren't compatible. This is probably because the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, killed the Kinect add-on when he took control of the Xbox brand.
3. 512 GB of storage is too small and limited for the digital-only Series S, especially considering the huge file size of most current-gen Xbox games, thus requiring the player to either purchase a storage expansion card to expand the memory or keep shuffle games back and forth between the internal drive and an external hard drive or SSD.
   • The storage expansion cards cost almost as much as the Xbox Series S.
   • Since it's all digital, the storage in the Series S will be filled up quickly, so buying a storage expansion card is very recommended; however, buying a storage expansion card and a Series S will be more expensive than the Xbox Series X itself.
   • Because the Series S is digital only, if, in any case, the Microsoft Store on Series X/S shuts down one day, it will become a useless paperweight unless there are hacks that allow the users to put Series X|S ROMs onto it for free.
4. Due to the Xbox Velocity Architecture, Series X|S games cannot be played on traditional external hard drives. They must be installed on the consoles' SSDs or the Seagate expansion card. Existing Xbox One and 360 games can still be played with external hard drives.
5. Backwards compatibility for Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox games uses always-online DRM, which means you cannot play the game on a disc without updating it on the internet first, and it's currently impossible to play backward compatible games offline.
6. Despite being the most powerful console of its generation, Xbox Series X games run slightly worse than the PlayStation 5; however, the difference can be hardly noticeable.

Good/Decent examples of Xbox Series games

1. Halo Infinite
2. Starfield
3. Minecraft
4. Sonic Frontiers
5. Sonic Superstars

Bad/Average examples of Xbox Series games

• Redfall

Trivia

• A few weeks before the official launch of the Series X and Series S, Microsoft released three fully functioning refrigerators designed off the Series X, based on the joke that the Series X looked much like a refrigerator.
  • The first fridge was given to rapper Snoop Dogg, an avid Xbox gamer.
  • The second fridge was given to the YouTuber Justine.
  • The third fridge was given away via a Twitter contest.
• Later on, at E3 2021, Microsoft revealed the Xbox Mini Fridge, a small refrigerator styled after the Xbox Series X.
• Like the Xbox One S|X, the Series X|S has several Easter eggs around the console. For instance, 'Hello from Seattle' is written on one of the bases for the consoles, and a Master Chief logo is etched on their motherboards.

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