Xbox Series X Review: a powerful console that finally makes loading screens bearable

I came late to the Xbox Series X party. I’d been gaming on a base Xbox One and a mid-range PC, and I finally grabbed the Series X mainly for Game Pass and to play newer Call of Duty and Forza titles in decent conditions. So this isn’t some hype-based first impression; it’s more like, “does this box actually improve my evenings after work?”

After a few weeks of use, the first clear thing is that it’s a straightforward power upgrade over older Xbox models. Games load way faster, everything feels smoother, and 4K support actually matters if you have a good TV. But it’s not magic either: if your TV is old or doesn’t support 120 Hz, you won’t see half of what the console can do. In that case, it’s more about loading times and stability than visuals.

I mainly used it with Game Pass Ultimate, trying stuff like Halo, Forza, and a couple of shooters, plus some older Xbox 360 games. The backward compatibility is not just a bullet point; I actually went back to a few old titles I’d abandoned on Xbox One because of slow loading or frame drops. Here they just run better, with fewer hiccups.

In short, the Series X is a solid machine that focuses on performance and convenience. It doesn’t reinvent how you play, but it cleans up a lot of the annoying stuff: waiting, stuttering, and juggling discs. If you’re expecting your life to change because of a console, calm down. If you just want your games to run properly and look sharp, it gets the job done.

Price-wise, the Xbox Series X sits at the top end of the console range, so it’s not an impulse buy. The question is whether it justifies the cost in real use. For me, the answer depends a lot on two things: your TV and whether you’ll use Game Pass Ultimate. With a decent 4K TV (ideally with 120 Hz), you really see what you paid for: sharper image, smoother gameplay, and better HDR in supported games. Without that, it still runs games faster and cleaner, but you’re not using the full potential.

Game Pass Ultimate changes the equation a lot. Having access to hundreds of games, including new releases like Call of Duty, The Outer Worlds 2, and others on day one, makes the console feel like a content machine rather than a box you have to constantly feed with £60–70 discs. I’ve tried games I’d never have bought individually, and that gives a sense of good value. Of course, the subscription is an ongoing cost, so if you’re only playing one or two games a year, it becomes less interesting.

Compared to other consoles or a gaming PC, the Series X sits in a nice middle spot: cheaper than a high-end PC with similar performance, more powerful than last-gen consoles, and pretty quiet. But there are compromises: small internal SSD that fills up fast, no rechargeable controller battery in the box, and you may need to buy extra storage down the line, which isn’t cheap.

In my view, the value is pretty solid for heavy or regular gamers who will actually use the performance and Game Pass catalog. If you just play FIFA and one shooter every year on a 1080p TV, a cheaper or older console might make more sense. But if you want a main living-room machine that runs modern games well for the next few years, it’s a sensible purchase, not a bargain, but not a rip-off either.

The design of the Xbox Series X is basically a black rectangular tower. Dimensions are roughly 30 x 21 x 38 cm and it weighs about 6 kg, so it’s not small, but it’s compact enough to slide into a TV unit if you lay it horizontally. I personally keep it standing next to the TV, and after a few days it just becomes part of the furniture. It’s not pretty, not ugly, just neutral.

From a practical standpoint, I like the design more than I expected. The vents are on top when it’s vertical, and the console stays surprisingly quiet, even in heavy games. Compared to my old Xbox One, which sounded like a mini jet when it got hot, the Series X barely makes a low hum. I can still hear it if the room is silent, but during gameplay with normal volume, it’s basically a non-issue. That’s a big plus if you hate fan noise.

The front is simple: disc drive, power button, a USB-A port and the sync button for controllers. No weird lighting, no overly bright LEDs. The green tint inside the top vent looks nice when you look directly at it, but in real life you don’t notice it most of the time. The back has all the ports (HDMI, power, Ethernet, storage expansion, two USBs). Nothing complicated, everything is clearly laid out.

On the downside, the boxy shape means it can be tricky to fit into TV cabinets with limited height if you want it standing. Laying it down solves that, but then the top vent becomes a side vent, and you need to leave enough space around it. Also, it’s a dust magnet: the matte black surface shows dust very quickly, so if you’re picky about that, you’ll be wiping it down regularly. Overall, the design is practical and discreet, but not exciting in any way.

The console itself is plugged into the wall, so no battery there obviously, but the real topic is the controller. Out of the box, you only get two AA batteries for the Xbox Wireless Controller. No rechargeable pack, no USB‑C cable included for wired use, nothing. After a couple of weeks, this started to annoy me. I ended up buying rechargeable AAs because I didn’t want to keep buying disposables.

In terms of battery life with AA batteries, it’s decent. I was getting around 25–30 hours of mixed use (gaming, menus, media apps) before needing to swap them. So you’re not changing batteries every two days, but you do have to think about it. Compared to controllers with built-in rechargeable batteries (like on other consoles), this feels old-fashioned. You gain the option to quickly swap batteries and keep playing, but you lose the convenience of just plugging it in to recharge.

If you invest in rechargeable AAs or the official rechargeable battery pack, the situation is fine, but that’s extra money on top of an already pricey console. I went with a basic third-party rechargeable AA kit and it works, but it’s one more thing to manage. For a high-end console, I’d have liked a USB‑C cable in the box and at least a basic rechargeable option.

So overall, the “battery experience” is functional but dated. It works, and you can adapt easily with the right accessories, but out of the box it feels a bit cheap. If you plan to play a lot, just budget for either a Play & Charge kit or a decent set of rechargeable AAs and a charger. Once that’s sorted, you can pretty much forget about it, but it’s definitely not the most modern approach in 2026.

From a build point of view, the Xbox Series X feels solid. It’s a heavy rectangular block with a dense feel, no creaks or flimsy panels. I’ve moved it around a couple of times between rooms, and it doesn’t feel fragile at all. The plastic is thick, and the finish doesn’t scratch easily if you’re not careless. I’ve had a few small bumps against furniture, and there’s no visible damage.

The main thing I was watching for was heat and noise. With daily use (a few hours most evenings, sometimes longer on weekends), the console gets warm on top near the vent but not alarming. The fan ramp is smooth; it doesn’t suddenly roar. After long sessions in demanding games, it’s still just a low whoosh. This gives me some confidence for long-term durability: good airflow and not running super hot all the time is usually a good sign for internal components.

The controller also seems sturdy. I’ve dropped it once from sofa height onto a hard floor (not on purpose…), and it survived with no issues: no stick drift, no rattling. The buttons still feel responsive, sticks are firm, and triggers haven’t loosened. The matte finish on the grips helps with sweat and doesn’t get shiny too fast. Over time I expect some wear, but so far it’s holding up fine.

That said, it’s still electronics: a power surge or bad ventilation could mess it up. I’d avoid stuffing it into a closed cabinet with no airflow. Also, the glossy parts around the disc slot can pick up minor scuffs if you’re rough with discs. But in normal use, the whole package feels built to last several years. It doesn’t have that cheap plastic vibe some older consoles had. As long as you give it space to breathe and don’t treat it like a football, it should be okay.

This is the part where the Xbox Series X just feels like a big step up from older consoles. On paper you get 4K gaming and up to 120 FPS, and in practice, when the game supports it and your TV can handle it, you really feel the difference. I tested a few titles with performance modes, and the smoothness in 120 Hz is hard to ignore. Movements are cleaner, camera pans feel less jerky, and aiming in shooters feels more precise.

The other big win is loading times. Games like Fortnite or Grand Theft Auto that used to take ages to boot on my old Xbox now load in a fraction of the time. I don’t sit staring at progress bars anymore, which actually makes me more likely to launch a game for a quick 20–30 minute session instead of thinking “nah, it’ll take forever.” Switching between games with Quick Resume is also practical: I can have several titles paused in the background and jump back in almost instantly.

Backward compatibility is more than just “it runs old games.” A lot of them run smoother and, in some cases, with better resolution and more stable frame rates. Some 360 and Xbox One titles that struggled before now feel stable and cleaner. It’s not like everything magically becomes a next-gen game, but if you have a big library from older generations, the Series X lets you get more out of it without re-buying everything.

There are limits though. Not every game hits 4K/120 FPS; often you have to choose between resolution and frame rate. If your TV is only 60 Hz or not 4K, you’re not using the full potential of the console. Also, storage fills up fast with big modern games, and performance doesn’t help if you’re constantly deleting and reinstalling. But purely in terms of how games run, the Series X is very solid: smooth, fast, and stable in most cases.

Out of the box, you get the console, one Xbox Wireless Controller, an ultra-high-speed HDMI cable, power cable and two AA batteries for the controller. No surprises, no extras. It’s basically the bare minimum: no rechargeable battery pack, no headset, nothing fancy. For the price, I would have liked at least a rechargeable battery in 2026, but Microsoft still sticks to AA by default, which is a bit outdated in my opinion.

Setup is simple: plug in power and HDMI, connect to Wi‑Fi, sign in with your Xbox account, let it download a chunky system update, and you’re off. It took me around 30–40 minutes from opening the box to actually launching a game, mainly because of updates and app installs like Game Pass and streaming services. Once that’s done, day-to-day use is straightforward. The dashboard is basically the same style as previous Xbox consoles, so if you come from Xbox One, you’re not lost at all.

The console is clearly designed for people who want one device for everything: games, Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, etc. I use it as my main living-room box now. Switching between a game and YouTube or a streaming app is quick enough that it doesn’t feel like a chore. Quick Resume especially is handy: I can be mid-race in Forza, jump to another game to check something, then come back and pick up right where I was.

Overall, the presentation is very functional: it’s not a toy, it’s a black box that sits under the TV and does its job. If you’re looking for something flashy out of the box, this isn’t it. But if you just want to plug, play and not think too much, it’s pretty solid. I’d rate it high on practicality, lower on excitement or feeling “premium” when you first open it.