Microsoft informs me that the dash is optimised for Series X and uses the Zen 2 CPU cluster itself for decompression, reserving the hardware blocks for the games. Previously, I speculated that the system used compression to achieve this, possibly using the hardware decompression engines in the SoC. One final note before we move on to power and thermals - yes, Xbox Series X provides 802GB of useable storage on its internal SSD, up against 781GB of space on Xbox One X's 1TB HDD. The same extends to the Xbox UI, which I'd hope to see improve over time - right now, Microsoft's focus is on delivering as much useable memory to developers as possible. Series X is a 4K console and a sub-native interface does take away a touch from the quality of the presentation - sub-native games aren't really that much of an issue in the age of temporal super-sampling, AI upscaling and dynamic resolution scaling, but almost all titles deliver a native UI, simply because scaling of these elements doesn't look great. It's been noted that the UI is 1080p - and it caps out at 60fps, even if your console is set to 120Hz output. Access to a huge leap in CPU and storage performance does delivers a nigh-on lag-free experience. The current restrictions on the Series X preview preclude us from talking much about the dashboard (which may change by launch) but suffice to say, it's basically identical to the recent front-end upgrade for all Xbox One consoles, and if you're happy with performance on Xbox One X, it's better still on the new console. Watch on YouTube The breakdown of our Series X impressions so far - plus those all-important power consumption and thermal measurements. In an entirely unscientific way, it certainly 'looks' better, in my opinion. Hot air rises by its very nature, so there may well be a slight cooling advantage in doing so too. You can rest the machine vertically or horizontally and in terms of footprint, I think vertical is the way to go. It's basically the same height as One X, but somewhat portlier in certain dimensions. The size and shape of the box is quite different, but still very console-like. Series X is more power-hungry, but the revised form factor ensures that noise is simply not an issue. It's essentially on par with Xbox One X - and perhaps even better - which I'd rate as the current gold standard in console design. Series X is quiet to the point where breaking out the noise meter is a pointless exercise because the console's acoustics merge into the background noise of my living room and office. Starting with the industrial design, there is a quiet revolution in design here, with the emphasis on the word 'quiet'. I've already talked about the excellent backwards compatibility features, and what kind of storage solution is best for running your old Xbox titles on Series X, but now I can share more. With the final preview embargo up, I can share some more of my overall thoughts about the machine. So, just how hot does it get and how much electricity does Series X draw from the mains? The answers are surprising - in a positive way! Has this decision paid off? With press units in the hands of journalists, stories began to appear suggesting that the console could get very hot. In delivering what it believes to be the most powerful console of the next generation, Microsoft rewrote the rule book, producing a mini-tower like design aimed at maximising both performance and cooling. When the Xbox Series X form factor was first revealed at The Game Awards in December 2019, the size and shape of the unit was something of a surprise. UPDATE: For the authoritative take on Microsoft's new flagship console, Digital Foundry's full Xbox Series X review is now live.
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