Announced a lifetime ago in June of 2016, the Xbox One X—previously known as Project Scorpio—is finally here. And after a week or so of hands on time, here's how it seems to be measuring up.
First thing's first: The £449.99 Xbox One X is not a new Xbox, at least not in the traditional console generation sense. It plays the same games as the regular Xbox One. But with more power under the hood, it plays them better, so long as the games are optimised to take advantage. The two big things that Xbox One X enables, for compatible games played on expensive TVS, is 4K resolution and High Dynamic Range or HDR. Otherwise, the One X can give you higher framerates and more highly detailed textures. Nice little bonuses, but nothing earth shattering.
For our tests, I used a couple of different setups. First, an Xbox One S connected to a HD 1080p monitor—the baseline of what the current Xbox One is capable of. I also tried the One X on that same monitor, to see what sort of improvements you might expect without a 4K TV. And last but not least, the Xbox One X on a big ol' 55-inch Samsung QLED Series Q7 for 4K and HDR—the best conceivable combo. I also tested a handful of compatible games but only a handful because while about 100 games are slated to get Xbox One X enhancements eventually, only about a dozen have them right now, and a decent share of those titles are old, or kind of obscure. Whatever conclusion you take away from this review, it will always be a good decision to just wait a bit and see how the library shakes out.
How does it play?
When it comes to show ponies, last year's Gears of War 4—which has full 4K and HDR support or 60fps support but not both at the same time—was one of the most illustrative of what you can get out of an Xbox One X in the optimal, expensive scenario. The game supports two graphics modes: "Performance" for high framerate you can appreciate on any TV, or "Visuals" for 4K resolution, or more modest visual improvements on non-4K screens.
With all power to visuals and on a 4K TV, Gears of War 4 is almost startlingly clear, and reminded me of those first eye-opening times I saw 4K (and before that, HD) in action. It's really, actually, literally breathtaking. Meanwhile, in performance mode, a framerate locked at 60 frames per second makes the movement on the screen beautifully, buttery smooth, compared to the 30 fps you'll get in Visuals mode in 4K or just on a normal Xbox One X.
But after trying both options, I have to admit it was frustrating to have to choose. After 4K, the1080p resolution of performance mode looks muddy in contrast. And after 60 fps, those beautiful 4K visuals feel like they're stuttering their way across the screen when they're running at 30 fps. And on this new, expensive, powerhouse console, it's more than a little aggravating that "both!" isn't a viable option.
For some games, like Forza Motorsport 7, 60 fps and 4K will be possible, when the game's enhanced features go live. And having seen a few sneak peeks at pre-release events, I can tell you it looks jaw-droppingly incredible. But the fact that the best of both worlds is only occasionally possible even among the limited library that supports enhancement (though hopefully that will be mostly everything going forward) sets you up for a taste of the good graphics life that you can't always have. If you don't know what you're missing, all the better!
Of course this painful either/or scenario only applies if you have an expensive 4K TV. If you don't, the advantages of an Xbox One X get more complicated and a bit iffier. The One X can offer graphics improvements on a normal HD 1080p screen, but they're nowhere near as noticeable as the jump to 4K resolution. With Gears of War 4, I had to teach myself to spot the subtle difference by switching between an Xbox One S and One X rapidly, back to back. The improvement is a bit of clarity, but to a degree you have to actively look for to appreciate. At least one coworker looking over my shoulder mistook the lower-quality version for the higher-quality one.
For anyone without a 4K TV, the real appeal of the Xbox One X will be the higher framerate. A brisk 60 fps is beautiful on any television and can be a matter of (virtual) life or (virtual) death if you're playing online shooters. But perhaps more importantly, more games are being designed and built for high-end PCs and being scaled down to work on consoles, sometimes not far enough. Just Cause 3 and Fallout 4 are two recent examples of AAA releases that had considerable framerate issues on console, despite working lovely on powerhouse PCs. Would titles like fair better on Xbox One X? It's hard to know for now since neither of those have Xbox One X enhancement yet, but one would hope!
Should I buy one or upgrade?
The beauty of a console used to be that it was cheaper and less complicated than a gaming PC. Buy the box, plug it into your TV, and all the games will run. Broadly, this is still true, but the stratification of features makes things makes your decision more complicated than ever. There's also, obviously, the matter of Xbox One X vs. PS4 Pro but I'll assume you're making that choice largely based on your games library or what the friends you game with already have.
If you have a 4K TV and no Xbox, you're in the position to get the most out of an Xbox One X. For the extra cost—roughly £200, but as much as £250 when the One S occasionally goes on sale—you'll get the ability to use your fancy-pants TV for what it was made for, with performance bonuses as the gravy on top. Chances are you're an early-adopter gadget freak anyway if you already dove in on 4K. Go nuts, but remember it's always wise to wait and see how many games get enhanced and how well their enhancement works.
If you have a 4K TV and an older Xbox, it's a trickier situation. You'll be paying more and getting less since you can already play your games in plain HD. That being the case, it's probably even smarter to sit and wait to see how the library of games shakes out and wait for a title that you really just gotta see in full-on 4K.
If you don't have a 4K TV, all the Xbox One X will get you over its cheaper predecessor is some better framerates and some slightly better graphics. If you're a casual, couch-based gamer, don't bother with the One X, unless perhaps you see a 4K TV in your future. If you've already got an Xbox, it's probably best to stick with what you have. If not, just pick up a One S, maybe even wait for it to go on sale as the holidays roll in.
The Xbox One X is, unsurprisingly, the best Xbox out there. And if you're dead set on sticking to consoles, it's top-of-the-line.
