Xbox Series X

Got my Series X last year (2024). Was planning on getting a series S but went for the series X because it was readily available and there was a republic day discount.This is my first console. This black beast still provides A-class gaming to this day. Every game runs as smooth as makhan. The quick resume feature lets me restart from where I left off without the need of moving back to a save location in-game. The original controller works perfectly. I got an additional PowerA controller which also works fine for co-op play.Gamepass has introduced me to a whole variety of games over the past year. Bought few games for ridiculously low prices during Xbox holiday\special sales. I've recommended the console to all friends and relatives who are gaming enthusiasts. My sister and her husband got a Series X a few months ago. She lives abroad and Xbox has been a crucial part of us connecting over weekends playing co-op and online games. With all the new games coming to Xbox in 2025, I'm hoping for a genuinely awesome gaming year ahead.Adding a few tips from experience.The console heats up a little bit, which is understandable since it is rendering high end graphics. Just make sure there's enough ventilation (I place my console horizontally).Ensure you have a UPS or inverter back-up. Just like a PC, there is no internal battery back up for safe shutdown during power outages.Although not required for all games, some games (MSFS 2024 for example) are heavily dependent on internet bandwidth. So make sure you have a stable and fast internet connection when playing online (min 50 MBPS).I personally don't use the batteries in my controller since they feel a bit heavy. Wired connection works just fine. Make sure you get a USB-C-type cable that is at least 10 feet long.The subscription charge for gamespass has gone up considerably last year. I usually buy bulk subscriptions off THE GAMEKEYS store for discounts. The 3-6 month subscription is somewhat reasonably priced.

To put it simply, Xbox Series X is the best thing to happen to the gaming community in a long time. Microsoft is back in full swing and brings the best hardware you can find for Sub-50K INR this generation. Detailed review below:Hardware:The hardware is very refined, and whisper quiet while also being the most powerful gaming console, The fan is inaudible even when playing games for a few hours nonstop, The black monolith design blends well with my entertainment cabinet.Graphics:One of the things I love about the Series X is how good the games play and look, and on many occasions the enhancements on older gen games are simply amazing with most games having up to native 4K support and some next gen games also support 4K/120 with a HDMI 2.1 if your TV supports it.Storage:On the Series X you get 1 TB of blazing fast internal SSD storage, out of which about 802 GB is usable. Plenty for a good number of games (Average games size ranges from 40-90 GB for most new games). You can also attach any USB hard drive you already have to store and play last gen games from, so storage space won't an issue for most.Another thing that must be mentioned is 'Quick Resume' feature because of the SSD, that lets you swap between games in about 10-15 seconds as opposed to couple of minutes on the older consoles, this makes it feel like a true next gen experience.Gamepass Ultimate:The thing that keeps me coming back to my Xbox however is 'GamePass' and the sheer number of games that I can freely play and experience without having to spend thousands of rupees, It has essentially changed my gaming habits and opened up many new genres in games which I had previously not explored due to time/financial constraints. If you have a PC then you can also play GamePass titles on it with the same subscription.If you are new to Xbox then you can basically get 3 years (Max 36 Months) of Xbox Live gold for around 6K then upgrade to GPU for free, as mentioned by some fellow reviewers in detail.Verdict and options:All of my friends and family members who had the chance to play on my Series X have lauded its lightning fast speed and simplicity, and for someone who is not a hardcore gamer or play games on a monitor/1080p TV, it is better to go for a Xbox Series S at lower price with and get essentially the same experience.But if you have a 4K TV (even better if it supports HDMI 2.1) do yourself a favor and go for the Series X, you will be surprised with how far we have come with graphics and speed on home gaming console.To conclude this looong review, I would like to thank team Xbox as well as Amazon.in and everyone who has worked hard to bring the Series consoles to India, and I look forward to the many great experiences and games that I gladly await to experience on my Series X over the years!