8 Reasons To Finally Buy A Xbox Series X In 2023
The Xbox Series X|S and the PlayStation 5 hit store shelves more than two years ago, and many gamers might be wondering whether it is time to upgrade. After all, the Xbox One is now almost a decade old and the platform is starting to show its age — both in terms of its abilities compared to more recent hardware and in the fact that the latest games look and perform better on newer consoles.
On the other hand, the Xbox Series X is hitting its stride and certainly looks like a much more attractive proposition than it did when it first launched in 2020. A lot of things have now changed, with the console seeing a number of important updates and the release schedule filling up nicely.
For those sitting on the fence and wondering whether now is the right time to take the plunge and buy Microsoft's latest offering, these reasons might provide a compelling argument in favor of doing exactly that.
The console is getting exclusive games
When it comes to upgrading to the latest console, the most important point for most players is the games that the platform has. Even the best hardware in the world won't make up for a lack of an impressive library of software. Thankfully for those thinking about grabbing an Xbox Series X, the system is starting to see a steady stream of exclusive games on the horizon that will interest a wide variety of gamers. A few examples include Obsidian Entertainment's "The Outer Worlds 2," the Ninja Theory game "Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2," and "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl."
There are also some very high-profile titles due to come to the Xbox Series X. One of the most obvious examples is "Starfield," an action role-playing game from the same studio that develops both the "Fallout" and "The Elder Scrolls" series. There is also Rare's upcoming action-adventure title ,"Everwild" and Playground Games' fantasy RPG "Fable" reboot. All of these will be exclusive to Xbox and PC, meaning that most people will need to grab an Xbox Series X to play them.
Even games that are not necessarily exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem won't be available on Xbox One when they do launch, meaning that players will have to upgrade either to the Xbox Series X or PS5 to play them on a console. These include "GhostWire: Tokyo," "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor," and "Redfall."
The Activision deal could see many series getting extra content and support on Xbox
In January 2022, Microsoft announced that it had entered an agreement with Activision Blizzard to acquire the publisher for almost $70 billion, one of the biggest technology purchases of all time. This deal would give Microsoft control of franchises such as "Diablo" and "World of Warcraft" along with a host of subsidiaries. This includes "Call of Duty" developers Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games, and Treyarch, in addition to a wide variety of other developers such as Toys for Bob, High Moon Studios, Radical Entertainment, and Raven Software.
The Activision Blizzard deal, which has faced legal scrutiny, might have a number of consequences for gamers. There are suggestions that the Xbox Series X could get exclusive content for games such as "Call of Duty" that are unavailable on rival consoles or older hardware. In that case, having Microsoft's latest system would be essential for players who want everything Activision Blizzard has to offer.
At the moment, it's still unclear whether this acquisition will happen. A number of government regulatory bodies have already expressed objections to the deal, including the UK's Competition and Markets Authority. These protests have largely centered on the fact that it would give Microsoft control over some of the industry's biggest series and put other brands in a disadvantageous position. But if it does go through it could put the Xbox Series X in a position that would make it much more attractive.
It has some great features not on other consoles
A key reason why the Xbox Series X is worth buying in 2023 is the multitude of features not available on other consoles. Perhaps the most obvious and useful of these is Quick Resume, a brand-new ability introduced to the Xbox platform with the release of the Xbox Series X|S. This essentially allows players to toggle between multiple titles running at the same time without having to reload the game as each title is suspended in a save state.
The Xbox Series X also supports Dolby Vision for games, allowing optimized visuals that are more advanced than HDR10. Previously, Dolby Vision was only available on Xbox One X for media streaming rather than playing games and was not supported on the Xbox One. For those who want the very best picture quality, an Xbox Series X is an essential upgrade over the Xbox One
There are even some enhancements available on the Xbox Series X that make playing older titles from the Xbox One and Xbox 360 era a better experience. These include FPS Boost, which can use the extra processing power available in the console to improve the frame rate of classic games. In some cases, the frame rate can be doubled to increase the fluidity of gameplay. The system has another feature called Auto HDR that operates in a similar way but adds HDR to games that originally didn't support HDR.
The Xbox Series X is technically the most powerful console
Looking purely at the specifications of the Xbox Series X, it is clear that it is the most powerful console ever released. It has a faster CPU, measured at 3.8 GHz compared to the 3.5 GHz on the PlayStation 5, and has a 12 teraflop GPU compared to the 10.3 teraflop GPU on Sony's system. The console also has a larger SSD, with 1 TB of space while the PS5 only has an 825 GB SSD.
When contrasted with the Xbox One and the Xbox One X, the difference in power is even more stark. The Xbox Series X is at least twice as powerful as the Xbox One X, which is itself a significant step up from the original Xbox One system. The end result is that games load much faster and perform better on the Xbox Series X compared to its predecessors, increasing the overall quality of titles.
The Xbox Series X is also somewhat future-proof when compared to the Xbox One X. Thanks to its HDMI 2.1 output, it can display visuals at 8K resolution at a frame rate of 120 FPS. As 8K televisions become more widespread and affordable, being able to play games at a higher resolution with a solid frame rate will only be possible on the more recent hardware.
There's been no indication a new model is on the way
Many people put off buying a new piece of expensive hardware to allow manufacturers to iron out problems and introduce updates. There's also the possibility that a new model might be released that has upgraded specs. In fact, this has been a common strategy for console manufacturers such as Microsoft and Sony — both companies released more advanced versions of previous consoles in the form of the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro just a couple of years after the initial launches of the Xbox One and PS4.
With the Xbox Series X now in its third year, many people may wonder if a revised Xbox Series X could be on the horizon. If that were the case, the standard model would be far less desirable, and gamers would probably want to wait for the new console. The good news is that there have been no suggestions that any new version of the Xbox Series X is on the way.
While there have been rumors of potential fresh PS5 models, the same cannot be said for Microsoft's platform. That makes it unlikely that you'll face buyer's remorse by purchasing the Xbox Series X now and then seeing a better version of the console released shortly thereafter.
The console has great backward compatibility support
Upgrading to a new console used to mean spending a lot of money not just on the new system but also on games and accessories. That's because most consoles have not been backward-compatible and so wouldn't support previous iterations of software and hardware. Things have changed and the Xbox Series X is one of the most backward-compatible consoles to ever release, so there's little reason not to upgrade to the console as you'll still be able to enjoy all of your old games.
According to Microsoft, thousands of games from previous generations of Xbox platforms are supported on the Xbox Series X. These range from the most popular games on Xbox One, Xbox 360, and even the original Xbox console. High-profile examples include "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic," "Call of Duty: Black Ops," and "Red Dead Redemption." Additionally, Smart Delivery means that many recent purchases on the Xbox One will automatically unlock access to the enhanced Xbox Series X versions when you upgrade.
Perhaps more impressive is that Xbox One controllers can be used on the Xbox Series X without the need for adapters or additional cables. The original Xbox One gamepad, the Elite Controller, and the Xbox Adaptive Controller can be used on the Xbox Series X simply by syncing them as you would on the older console.
The Xbox Series X is a user friendly experience
Microsoft introduced a unique feature in 2021 in the form of Night Mode. This gives users a plethora of options to make the console more appropriate to use during darker hours. Players can adjust the brightness of the power lights on both the console and controller so they are dimmer in a darker environment. The mode additionally provides the ability to automatically dim the screen and apply a blue light filter so the screen won't stress the eyes. Night Mode can be scheduled to turn on at a set time or be manually switched on and altered at any time.
More importantly, the Xbox Series X has a wide array of accessibility settings. These range from support for adaptive controllers to comprehensive button mapping so users can customize their controls. It's even possible to link two controllers together to operate as a single gamepad or utilize speech-to-text and zoom features. All of this makes the Xbox Series a great choice for those with more diverse needs.
The Xbox Series X also remains quiet when running, thanks to a combination of the SSD drive and the effective cooling system used. This means that it doesn't give off as much heat and is as quiet as a whisper most of the time. Tests suggest that the decibel level of the Xbox Series X is in the range of 22 to 38 dB, significantly quieter than most older consoles and the PlayStation 5.
Xbox Game Pass is getting better
Although those who already own an Xbox One can get access to Microsoft's subscription service Xbox Game Pass, those who have previously primarily played on PlayStation or Nintendo consoles might want to consider a switch. With Xbox Game Pass only being available on PC and Xbox consoles, it means that those who have a PS4, PS5, or a Switch can't get access to the huge library of games that are available through the service.
For a monthly fee, Xbox Game Pass offers players access to hundreds of games that can be downloaded or streamed. These range from exclusive first-party titles such as "Halo Infinite" — which are added to the service on the dayof launch — to day-one indie titles and high-profile AAA third-party releases. As noted by IGN, the service is already having a stellar year with releases such as "Hi-Fi Rush" and "Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty"
With Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda and the potential takeover of Activision Blizzard, Xbox Game Pass could expand immensely in the coming months. Dozens of new games could be added, including the "Call of Duty" franchise and series like "Crash Bandicoot" and "Spyro the Dragon." This is in addition to "Starfield" and "Redfall," highly anticipated releases that are available at no extra cost. Considering all of that, Xbox Game Pass on an Xbox Series X, which can get the best versions of these games, is a very enticing prospect.