Xbox Series X + Modern Warfare III Review: a fast, no-nonsense jump into current‑gen

I grabbed this Xbox Series X bundle with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III because my old Xbox One was really starting to crawl. Load times were getting on my nerves and newer games were clearly not running great anymore. This pack looked like a simple way to upgrade: console, controller, cables, and a big-name shooter to test the hardware on day one. No need to think too much, just plug and play.

Out of the box, the first impression is that Microsoft isn’t trying to impress with frills. It’s a black box, a controller, the MW3 disc, and the usual paperwork. Setup was straightforward: HDMI to the TV, power cable in, sign in with my Microsoft account, let it update. It took a while the first evening because of system updates and MW3 downloads/patches, but that’s pretty standard now.

What hit me quickly is how much faster it feels compared to my old Xbox One. The home menu reacts quicker, games boot up in seconds instead of a minute, and Quick Resume is actually useful when you bounce between a campaign and something else. I tested MW3, a couple of Game Pass titles, and some older Xbox One games, and everything felt more responsive. It’s not magic, but the difference is clear if you’re coming from an older console.

Overall, this bundle is basically a straightforward way to jump into the Series X if you like Call of Duty. No fancy limited edition design, no extra accessories, just the standard console plus a current shooter. If that’s what you want, it does the job. If you already own a Series X or don’t care about MW3, then it’s just a normal console with a disc you might not use.

Value really depends on two things: whether you actually want Modern Warfare III, and what price you find this bundle at compared to the standalone console. If you’re already a Call of Duty player and you were going to buy MW3 anyway, getting it packed in with a Series X makes sense. The game is a full-price release, and here it’s basically included at a discount compared to buying both separately at launch prices.

On the other hand, if you’re not into CoD, this bundle is less interesting. The console itself is the standard Series X, nothing special, and the MW3 disc might just sit there or get traded in. Depending on promotions, you might find a plain Series X cheaper and then just grab whatever game you actually care about, or rely on Game Pass. So before buying, I’d check current prices of the console alone plus MW3, and see if the bundle really saves you money or not.

In terms of what you get for the overall cost, the Series X is still a strong machine: fast SSD, 4K support, up to 120 fps, backward compatibility with tons of Xbox One and 360 games, and generally quiet operation. It’s not cheap, but you do feel the performance difference compared to old-gen every time you play. Storage is the main limitation. With around 800 GB usable, big games like CoD eat a big chunk, and the proprietary expansion card isn’t exactly cheap. That adds to the real long-term cost if you’re a heavy user.

For me, since I actually wanted to play MW3 and I was coming from an old Xbox One, the bundle felt like decent value. I got a clear performance jump, a current shooter to test it, and access to a big library of older games that run better on this hardware. If you’re in that situation, it’s a pretty solid deal. If you’re more casual or not interested in CoD, I’d look at the plain console plus Game Pass and see what works out cheaper and more useful for you.

Design-wise, the Series X is basically a tall, matte black rectangle. No curves, nothing flashy, just a clean box. Personally, I like it because it doesn’t scream “gamer toy” in the living room. I’ve got it standing vertically next to the TV stand, and it just looks like another piece of AV equipment. If you prefer it horizontal, it can lie on its side, but it takes a bit more shelf depth than the older Xbox One.

The build feels solid. The plastic isn’t fancy, but it doesn’t feel cheap either. The main vent is on the top (in vertical position), and you can feel warm air coming out after a while, but it never got crazy hot for me, even after long MW3 sessions. The fan noise is very low; from my couch I mostly hear the TV and not the console. Compared to my old Xbox One, the Series X is quieter under load, which is nice for late-night gaming.

On the front, you’ve got the disc slot, power button, one USB port, and a pairing button. Nothing complicated. On the back, HDMI, power, Ethernet, two more USB ports, and the slot for the proprietary storage expansion card. Ports are clearly labeled, and connecting everything takes two minutes. It would have been nice to have a USB-C port, but the standard USB-A works fine for disks and accessories.

Overall, the design is practical: it fits easily in most setups, doesn’t light up like a Christmas tree, and runs cool and quiet. If you like flashy RGB and aggressive shapes, you’ll find it boring. If you just want something that disappears under the TV and does its job, this is exactly that. Nothing fancy, but well thought out.

The console itself has no battery to worry about, it just plugs into the wall and that’s it. Power consumption is decent for what it does, but if you leave it in Instant-On mode, it will draw a bit more in standby. I switched mine to energy-saving mode so it fully shuts down when I’m done. Boot takes a little longer, but it’s still pretty quick compared to old-gen, and I prefer not having it sipping power all day.

The more relevant part is the controller. The included Xbox Wireless Controller is the usual one: comfortable, decent grip, responsive buttons. The downside is that it still uses AA batteries by default. Out of the box, you don’t get a rechargeable pack, which feels cheap at this price point. I threw in a pair of rechargeable AAs I already had, and that solved the problem, but if you don’t own any, you’ll either buy batteries regularly or pay extra for the official rechargeable kit.

Battery life on a pair of decent rechargeable AAs is actually pretty good. I got several long evenings of MW3 multiplayer and some Game Pass sessions before needing to recharge them. So, in practice, it’s not a disaster, just a bit old-school compared to controllers with built‑in batteries. On the plus side, if a battery dies, you can swap it in seconds instead of waiting for a charge. On the minus side, you need to manage batteries yourself.

If you play wired, you can plug the controller via USB‑C to the console or a PC and not worry about batteries at all. I tried it and it works fine, but I still prefer wireless for comfort. In summary: the power side of things is okay, but I would have liked a rechargeable pack included in a bundle like this. It’s not a deal-breaker, just something to keep in mind as an extra cost or a small hassle.

This is where the Series X actually justifies itself. Coming from an Xbox One, the jump in performance is very noticeable. Load times are the first big change. In MW3, going from menus into a campaign mission or a multiplayer map is much faster. I don’t have exact seconds, but it’s the difference between checking your phone for a minute and barely having time to read a notification. The SSD and the whole “Velocity Architecture” thing isn’t just marketing – in day-to-day use, you really feel the speed.

Graphics-wise, MW3 runs smoother and sharper than on my old console. On a 4K TV with 120 Hz support, the game looks clean and feels more responsive, especially in multiplayer. You can pick between visual modes (resolution vs performance), and I stuck to performance for the higher frame rate. The image is still very good, and the smoother motion makes aiming easier. Even older games that got Series X optimizations, like some older CoDs and other titles, run better with higher resolution and frame rate.

Quick Resume is another feature that sounds like a gimmick but ends up being useful. I can jump from MW3 to another game and back without fully reloading everything, as long as the game supports it and there hasn’t been a system update. It’s not perfect – sometimes it fails and reloads anyway – but when it works, it saves you a lot of time. Combined with the fast boot and fast game installs, the whole experience is less waiting and more playing.

In terms of raw power, if you’re already on a Series X, there’s nothing new here, it’s the same machine. But if you’re coming from Xbox One or One X, the difference in speed, fluidity, and even how snappy the dashboard feels is pretty big. For me, the best part is how consistent it is: no big frame drops, no weird stutters in MW3, and the console handles heavy games quietly. It’s not magic, but it’s a clear step up that you feel every time you play.

The bundle is simple: you get the standard black Xbox Series X (1 TB model), one black wireless controller, a high-speed HDMI cable, a power cable, and the physical disc for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III in the cross-gen version (so it works on Xbox One and Series X). No headset, no extra controller, no fancy stand. It’s the regular console box with MW3 added. So if you were expecting a special edition console with artwork, this is not it.

On setup, the console walks you through Wi‑Fi, account login, and updates. If you have the Xbox app on your phone, you can speed up the sign-in and some settings, which is handy. The MW3 disc installs the base game, but you still have to download a big chunk of data and patches, plus the Warzone and Zombies components if you want everything. So even though it’s a disc, plan a few hours if your internet isn’t very fast.

One thing that matters: the advertised 1 TB internal storage is not what you actually can use. After the system files, you end up with around 800 GB. Call of Duty is greedy, especially with all the modes installed. Between MW3, Warzone, and a few other big games, I filled more than half the space pretty quickly. If you’re a digital buyer with lots of AAA games, you’ll probably look at an expansion card at some point, which is another cost.

In terms of contents and value, this bundle makes sense mainly if you were already planning to buy MW3. If you’re not into Call of Duty, you’re basically paying for a game that might just sit on the shelf, and a plain Series X without the bundle might be cheaper depending on current deals. But as a straight package for someone who wants a current-gen Xbox plus a big shooter to test it, it’s pretty solid and doesn’t overcomplicate anything.

Since this bundle is sold around Modern Warfare III, it makes sense to talk about how the game itself feels on the Series X. In short, the console runs it very well. The campaign is smooth, even in the bigger open combat missions with more freedom of approach. No big frame drops, no texture pop-in that bothered me. You can go stealthy or loud, and the console keeps up just fine. It’s not the deepest campaign ever written, but technically it runs well.

Multiplayer is where I spent most of my time. The 20th anniversary angle means you get a bunch of classic maps remade plus new ones. On Series X, the fast loading and high frame rate really help, especially if you’re a bit competitive. Matches load quickly, and between rounds you don’t sit in endless loading screens. The controller response feels tight, and paired with low input lag on a decent TV, it’s a clear upgrade from older hardware. Ping and connection will depend on your internet, obviously, but the console itself doesn’t choke.

Zombies is the other big mode they push here. It’s an open-world style map with squads, and there’s a lot going on: hordes, effects, vehicles, and other teams. Even with all that chaos, the Series X holds up well. I didn’t notice any major slowdown, just the usual network hiccups you sometimes get in online games. If you like co-op and grinding for weapons and upgrades, the hardware is more than capable of keeping the action smooth.

Is MW3 itself the best CoD ever? Debatable. To me, it feels solid but not mind-blowing. Some missions are fun, some feel a bit recycled, and progression systems are pretty typical. But if your question is “does this console run MW3 properly, or am I going to deal with lag and slow loading all the time?”, then yes, it handles it well. The bundle does what it says: gives you a high-performance box and a current shooter that makes good use of it, even if the game itself is more evolution than revolution.