The day has come, and the Xbox Series X has been distributed to the masses. For those who were lucky enough to pre-order their next-gen system, the box has arrived, and it is a joyous occasion. I, personally, was anxiously waiting, with the cursor on the refresh button as 8:00 am came about on September 22nd, and was luckily able to place my order for an Xbox Series X. The great day has come and gone, and I couldn’t be happier that the wait is over.

There is no surprise to the look of the Xbox itself, as the internet has been flooded with images of the new gaming colossus, but pictures cannot ever replace the feel of opening the box. The packaging, undeniably Microsoft, is marked with the subtle beauty of emblems on the front and imagery of the next rendition of Halo on the back. It feels like Christmas has come early as the multiple seals are removed from the pristine packaging and the box is opened to reveal a console nestled in a poly/foam wrap like a present.

Console Design

The design of the console is fairly simple, with bold accents. The massive cooling fan at the top of the tower is highlighted with green on the inside of each vent hole, almost giving a glowing appearance that pops. There is a small message on the round base of the console, which I enjoyed, reading “Hello from Seattle”; Just one of those details that adds to the personality of the machine. This console feels solid, and has a little weight to it.

System Setup

Setup does take a little time, and can be completed through the console or via the mobile device app (available for Android or IOS). Once setup is complete, the home screen looks the same as on previous hardware (both Xbox One and Xbox One X). The setup walks through an option to pull a configuration from a previous Xbox, so the transition is seamless.

After the system is configured, comes the installation of games. I use an external drive for many of my games, so I was able to launch a few titles fairly quickly. As with it’s the former iterations of the Xbox, the download and installation time of new games will take several hours, so it is good to have a loaded hard drive to pass the time while you wait.

It will take some time before the potential of this new system is tapped into, but the initial outlook is very strong. I have tested the new console with Call of Duty: Warzone and found the graphics to be noticeably more rich and gameplay to be smoother. Load times are all but gone, and I find myself waiting for other players in the pre-round warm up for about a minute before each round.

This is a powerful piece of gaming equipment with a lot of room for growth. Personally, I am happy with this next-gen console and I think that the Xbox Series X (and Series S), will shine once game developers have a chance to catch up to the hardware.

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