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After more than a year of official teases, names, and lots of performance details, Microsoft is about to release its first proper new generation of Xbox since the launch of Xbox One in 2013. It will launch on November 10, 2020. Microsoft is doing their best on their next-gen Xbox, and have been kind enough to send us one for review. Sadly, that review will have to wait until about the 10th, but today they allow for unboxing and photos of the new hardware, which we thought we would share with you.
The new console is a somewhat radical departure from the previous generation, with Microsoft moving to a vertical tower design that is shaped, well, like a box. Dressed in a flat black finish, it should fit quite well in most TV setups and hopefully blend into the background. Design is, of course, a subjective measure, but the Xbox team has stuck with a sober design. The console can be used vertically or horizontally, but the asymmetrical Xbox logo on the power button will point the other way if used from the side.
For the console’s default standing position, the new Xbox features a round podium to keep it elevated, allowing more airflow into the device. And for horizontal use, there are four rubber feet on one side. Unlike some previous generation Xbox models, no accessories will be needed to change orientation, which is nice to see.
The top of the Xbox Series X features a wide-open cooling grill, with a green Xbox highlighting that can be seen from right angles. It looks pretty good. Cooling is also aided by large vents at the rear of the device. With 12 TF of performance, cooling was clearly one of the key design features and there is plenty of room for airflow.
The dimensions of the console are almost exactly a 1: 2 ratio, with the short sides at 151mm / 5.94in and the long edge at 301mm / 11.85in. Compared to the outgoing Xbox One X, it is much taller as the previous generation console was only 60mm tall, but the square design means it takes up a very small footprint, despite being around 50% more volume than the Xbox One X. Although it does look a bit odd when placed horizontally, as it is much shallower than you would expect from a console.
With the new console comes a new revision of the Xbox controller. Comparatively, this updated controller hasn’t changed much from the previous generation, and all previous generation controllers will work with the new Xbox if you have a custom one that you enjoy. The new design has some subtle changes, with more texture to the grips for better control, and an updated D-pad that now includes a full circle on the D-Pad that should improve usability. There is also a new share button in the center of the controller that allows you to share game clips and screenshots more easily. The controller is still powered by two AA batteries, which are included, and Microsoft chose to continue to sell the rechargeable kit as an optional accessory.
The console ships with a controller, batteries, a power cord, and a High Speed HDMI cable in the box. There is no power brick, as the power supply is internal, so the power cord is the same standard connector that ships with the Xbox One S and One X. The rear of the unit also has a pair of USB ports for connecting storage and accessories. as well as an Ethernet connector and the new storage expansion port for adding additional NVMe SSD storage without having to search the console itself. Kind of sad, but also likely not to be missed, there is no HDMI input port anymore, unlike on the Xbox One range.
We will have a much more in-depth review soon, so check back soon. If there is something you would like to see tested, let us know in the comments.
