

Even when we get one, it’s sometimes difficult to tell whether the Xbox Series X works best as a standalone gaming machine, or as an extension of a larger Microsoft ecosystem. On the other hand, after a year, we’re still waiting for a breakout flagship exclusive (perhaps Halo Infinite will fit the bill?). If you have an Xbox Series X and an Xbox Game Pass subscription, your gaming options feel almost limitless. Even better: the Xbox Series X is a perfect focal point for Microsoft’s multiplatform parity strategy. The Xbox Series X has delivered on Microsoft’s promise of a high-quality console with a huge library and excellent backwards compatibility. It’s an upsetting situation, and one without an easy answer. However, if you're determined to buy a next-gen console before the year ends, you could argue that the Xbox Series S is the right console for holiday 2021.Īs far as the Series X goes, the situation might improve in 2022 - or it might get worse, if recent PS5 news is any indication.
XBOX ONE SERIES X FULL
While the Series S has its charms, it’s not necessarily the right system for most people, especially those who want a console that will operate at peak performance for a full gaming generation. To be fair, the Xbox Series S has been quite a bit easier to find than the Xbox Series X, often staying in stock for whole hours at a time, rather than mere seconds.

Xbox Series X consoles come and go within minutes, and retailers have not done nearly enough to curb the epidemic of scalpers that keep snatching up new systems. Thanks to semiconductor shortages and shipping crises, the whole consumer tech supply chain has essentially gone haywire over the past year. The worst thing about the Xbox Series X is simply that most people still can’t get one. Pay close attention to what happens to Game Pass within the next few years it may set the tone for how Microsoft intends to sell games and services in the future. A big price hike or tier structure could be on the way.įurthermore, having to subscribe to Game Pass to stream games that you might already own seems like an unnecessary cost. Fifteen dollars per month is already a lot of money for a subscription service, but considering how many games and features are on offer, the price seems almost artificially low. While Xbox Game Pass is one of the best things about the Xbox Series X, it’s probably not a good idea to get too attached to the service in its current form. If your system breaks down, you may not be able to reach the right party to get it fixed.

Xbox tech support is also, charitably, something of a mixed bag. The new “Share” button clutters up an otherwise-ideal design, and the new battery pack cable doesn’t actually let you know when the battery is done charging. Like the PS5, the Xbox Series X also has an imperfect controller.
XBOX ONE SERIES X PC
That’s not inherently bad, but it does mean that the Xbox Series X hasn’t done much to distinguish itself from a decent gaming PC - or even a well-maintained Xbox One. Xbox players got the excellent Microsoft Flight Simulator, Psychonauts 2 and Forza Horizon 5, but other Microsoft-exclusive titles in 2021 have generally been niche indie fare. The bigger issue is that 2021’s slate of Microsoft-exclusive titles has been mild. That’s partially by design, since Microsoft has promised parity between Xbox consoles and PCs going forward. There are no true exclusives on the Xbox Series X. One year later, the PS5 has about half-a-dozen excellent exclusives, but the Xbox Series X hasn’t followed suit. Back in our original Xbox Series X review, we pointed out that while the PS5 had Demon’s Souls and Astro’s Playroom to fall back on, the Xbox Series X didn’t have a comparable flagship exclusive.
