Microsoft Xbox One X Review: Breaking limits of living room gaming with native 4K support

Design: Compact, sleek and mostly noiseless

Xbox X is the smallest console from the house of Microsoft. It is more compact than the previous Xbox console but still punches 40 percent more power. And despite its compact form factor, the Xbox One X packs in the best-in-class hardware making it the most powerful gaming console in the market at present. It measures 300 x 240 x 60mm and weighs 3.81kgs.

As far as aesthetics are concerned, the 4k console can easily fit on or under a table and comes with a host of connectivity features to deliver an immersive and connected gaming experience. Unlike the Xbox One S, the new gaming machine comes in Black color which the Microsoft calls as ‘Infinite Black'. The new Xbox is equipped with a new cooling system which enables noiseless gaming experience even when you push the most graphics on a big screen. It actually works as said because I did not come across any noise issues while playing games like Halo 5and Forza Motorsport 7.

Overall, Bryan Sparks, the design mastermind behind the new Xbox One X has ensured that you experience the most intense gameplay from the most compact gaming console in town.

Host of Connectivity features

The newest member of the Xbox One family has 3 USB 3.0 ports, 2 HDMI ports (1 HDMI 2.0b out, 1 HDMI 1.4b in), IR receiver/IR Blaster port, IR Blaster, Ethernet (IEEE 802.3 10/100/1000) and also supports Kinect via external USB adapter. In all, the new Xbox One X supports all Xbox accessories across the family, which makes it the smallest and most feature-rich Xbox ever.

Xbox One X Specifications and Performance Overview

By now you know that Xbox One X is engineered to deliver best-in-class graphics. To achieve the true 4K gaming experience, the team at Microsoft used an 8-core Custom AMD CPU clocked at 2.3GHz and added 12GB GDDR5 graphical memory. The combination pushes the content at an insane speed of 326GB/s. Resultant, games' graphics render faster and content looks more detailed with such high memory bandwidth. The games that you must have played on Xbox One S, for instance ‘Gears of War 4' will show far better detailing and sharpness on a closer look. Besides, the ample graphics memory makes it possible to explore more in a gaming environment without losing speed and performance.

For storage, the compact gaming console has 1TB HDD internal memory and utilizes a six-teraflop AMD Radeon GPU to render graphics. The insane 6 Teraflop GPU enables 4K environments and characters to become more realistic and detailed. The powerful GPU also makes for smoother animations even while playing the most demanding and graphics intensive games ever produced by game creators, for instance- Forza Motorsport 7. Microsoft Xbox One X even supports HDR 10. You also get a built-in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player and Dolby Atmos support.

Stunning Graphics and smooth gameplay

Talking about the games I played on a 1080p TV, Forza Motorsport 7 simply set the ball rolling. The level of detailing is insane. The sky, the tarmac, and the vehicles look super sharp and give a sense of realism which is every gamer's dream. This is where you will realize the power of Xbox One X, the extra teraflops that results in mind-blowing gameplay environments.

The Halo 5 is another must-have addition in your gaming library if you want to experience some high-end graphics. I also tried Assassin's Creed Origins, which has been enhanced for the new Xbox One X. The Scorpio engine made the gameplay immersive and rendered some stunning details despite the fact that I played the game on a 1080p display with oversampled graphics.

Besides, there's one interesting title- Sunset Overdrive, if you like fast-paced action games that require quick reflexes and keep you on toes. The game has some stunning graphics that were rendered brilliantly by the Xbox One X.

No 4K TV? No Problem

The new Xbox X is best suited to a 4K HDR supported TV if you want to experience the ultimate native 4K gaming experience. But that doesn't mean your standard 1080p TV is of no use. Under the Microsoft's Xbox One X Enhanced program, several games have been upgraded to run better even on the standard 1080p. You can look for such games in the Xbox library with the "Enhanced" tag engraved on the game labels. This is achieved by ‘Supersampling', a process that scales down 4K image quality to a 1080p screen. Resultant, you will experience better frame rates and overall improved graphics for a crisper gameplay. Microsoft has also setup a page where you can check the list of all the Xbox One X enhanced games.

The 4k gaming console's repository of games includes Forza Motorsport 7, Assassin's Creed: Origins, Cuphead and Super Lucky's Tale, out of more than 1,300 titles and more than 220 exclusives available on the Xbox One X.

Should you buy Xbox One X?

This can be a tricky one. The new Xbox One X is undoubtedly the most powerful gaming console you can buy today in the market. Pair it up with a 4K TV and you might never want to leave your couch. But what if you already own Xbox One S or trying to zero down between PS4 Pro and the Xbox One X? In the former case, we would recommend you to stick with the One S. And between the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, the deciding factor should be the price difference.

Sony's console is affordable and offers a wider range of game exclusives. Xbox One X is pricier and has fewer exclusives, but it offers backward compatibility which makes it possible to play Xbox 360's varied titles on the new console. Besides, it is a better overall entertainment device with more applications in its pocket, and not to forget the 4K Blu-ray drive, which you will not find in Sony's gaming console. Having said that, the extra price you pay for Xbox One X gives you a beefier gaming console and a better entertainment hub.