Let’s face it, while the launch model PS5 was a huge improvement over its predecessor and even the more powerful PS4 Pro, it was hardly a looker. Instead, it was a bulky device that literally led to people rearranging their entire entertainment centers or straight up buying a brand new one just to accommodate it.
The same can be said for the Xbox Series X, at least when it comes to size. Even to this day, I still find it odd to see one laying flat instead of standing up next to a TV. Meanwhile, I think the Xbox Series S is one of the best-looking consoles this generation by far, even if hardcore gamers will never take it seriously due to its underpowered internals.
As I was too busy working to fight off scalpers at the beginning of this console generation, I decided I would wait things out. After all, I still had my trusty Nintendo Switch and I had built a new gaming PC only a few years prior.
Being a fan of Sony’s exclusives, I knew that one day I would eventually pick up a PS5. Plus, I had a big enough backlog of games to tide me over in the meantime. I figured if I waited long enough, a better looking and more compact PS5 would come around, and it did with the launch of the PS5 Slim last year.
I can’t count how many times I almost bought a PS5 Slim but one thing always stopped me before I could: the inevitable PS5 Pro. If I could wait for the PS5 Slim, what’s a few more months or even a year for the PS5 Pro, right? Well, I got tired of waiting but instead of buying a PS5, I upgraded to an Xbox Series X instead. Here’s why.
An unexpected purchase
Although I spent a lot of time admiring the look and design of both the Series S and the Series X at the beginning of this console generation, I’m by no means an Xbox fanboy. After my Xbox 360 died years ago, I switched to PC gaming and never looked back. In fact, I had sworn off consoles entirely until the Nintendo Switch came around.
Besides reminding me just how much care and attention goes into the best Nintendo Switch games from the House of Mario, Nintendo’s hybrid console took me in an entirely different direction when it comes to gaming. After falling head over heels with mechanical keyboards a few years earlier, the Switch ignited a love of controllers in me that I still have to this day.
I love testing and trying out new controllers and when I was asked to start reviewing the best PC game controllers, I jumped at the offer. There was only one problem: many PC controllers also work with Xbox and to do my reviews justice, I needed to test each controller on both platforms.
While I was fine with going over to a friend’s house to play on his Xbox Series X back when I reviewed the HyperX Clutch Gladiate, as more Xbox-compatible, PC controllers found their way to me, I realized I needed an Xbox of my own. I wasn’t ready to rush out and buy a $500 Xbox Series X, so I did the next best thing: I bought a used Series S solely for testing controllers.
From its compact size to how quickly and seamlessly I could switch from one game to another using Quick Resume, I fell in love with my Series S even with its shortcomings. It was never intended to be my main console after all. However, the more I used my Series S, the more I liked it — and don’t even get me started on the value of Xbox Game Pass. I also really like how there are portable monitors like UPspec Gaming's XScreen which attach directly to the back of the Series S and turn into something a bit closer to a gaming laptop.
Despite this, I knew deep down that I would have an even better experience on the Series X. Likewise, I still found it to be the most visually appealing console of this generation. Even though I’ve been saving for a PS5 to play Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in particular, I finally went ahead and bought a Series X last week.
Hard to pass up
When buying certain types of electronics like mechanical keyboards and gaming headsets, I would never even consider picking one up used. As you can tell with my Series S, consoles are another story entirely.
Right now, you can find the Xbox Series X discounted by $50 but it was going for just $350 during the holidays. I should have jumped on that opportunity when I had the chance and I still regret it to this day. However, while scrolling through X recently, I kept coming across posts about refurbished consoles on Woot.
Unlike with the Xbox 360’s Red Ring of Death, I haven’t heard about any serious hardware problems with either of Microsoft’s consoles this generation. Still though, Grade A refurbished Series X consoles kept popping up on Woot (h/t Wario64). I’ll admit I was skeptical at first and I did miss the first few batches including when the console was on sale for $150 as part of a “Special Prime Appreciation Days Pricing” promotion. However, when I saw that refurbished Series X consoles were available at just $300 for the third time, I added one to my cart and checked out before stock ran out.
Less than a week later, a box from Amazon (Woot’s parent company) arrived on my doorstep. I was expecting GameStop Refurbished but what I got was a like-new console in almost its original packaging. You see, Microsoft sells enough refurbished Xbox consoles that it has special boxes with a refurbished label on the bottom left corner. Even though I bought a used console, I still got the same unboxing experience that I would have with a new one and taking my new Series X out of the identical black bag with “Power Your Dreams” written on its label immediately brought a smile to my face.
Worth the wait
So what’s it like going from Microsoft’s smallest console ever to its most powerful one yet? Exactly as I expected. The games I play often like Session and Rocket League immediately looked and ran better while Persona 3 Reload really popped in native 4K as opposed to being upscaled to 4K.
As I recently bought an open box gaming monitor to build out a new desk setup entirely dedicated to gaming, I was also able to utilize its higher refresh rate to play more Xbox games than I would have expected at 120fps. You would have needed one of the best gaming PCs to do something like this only a few years ago but with both the Series X and even the Series S (with some limitations), you can now experience high refresh rate gaming on consoles. The same goes for the PS5 but you will need an HDMI 2.1 cable while this works on Xbox with just a standard HDMI 2.0 one.
One of my biggest gripes with the Series S besides its scaled down performance is the fact that its HDMI port is so high up when the console is positioned vertically. This makes cable management a little harder and no matter what you do, you’re still going to see some wires jutting out from the back of the console. The same can’t be said for the Series X though, as all of its ports are located at the very bottom of the console.
I don’t own any physical Xbox games as I gave away all of my older titles after my Xbox 360 died but it’s still nice to know that I could pop in an original Xbox game, an Xbox 360 game or an Xbox One game and it will work on the Series X. At the same time, I also now have a Blu-Ray player if I want to start a physical movie collection for those times when the best streaming services just don’t cut it.
The PS5 can wait (for now)
Don’t get me wrong, I will likely buy a PS5 before the PS6 comes out. There are just too many great PlayStation exclusives that I don’t want to miss out on or have to wait to eventually play on PC. While I like the streamlined design of the PS5 Slim minus the fact that you have to buy a vertical stand separately, waiting to see what the PS5 Pro will look like and the improvements it will offer seems like the right move at the moment. Plus, we also have the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon.
One of the main things that soured me on the PS5 early on this generation is that the console isn’t backwards-compatible with PS4 controllers. Sure, you can run PS4 games on it and play them with your old controllers but you’ll need a DualSense controller to play actual PS5 games. Not to mention that there isn’t and likely will never be a PS5 equivalent to the DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment. I’ve reached a point in my own gaming experience where I need back buttons and the $200 DualSense Edge just doesn’t appeal to me and third-party PS5 pro controllers lack many of the DualSense’s best features. Meanwhile on Xbox, I can use all of my old first and third-party controllers without any fuss.
I know there’s a new version of the Series X rumored to launch later this year but a discless, all-white console just doesn’t call to me in the same way the current black one does. I could be wrong but without any performance and graphical updates, now seemed like the best time to experience Microsoft’s latest console in all its glory. So far, I’m glad I jumped on the deal I did; my refurbished Series X is a huge step up over my Series S.
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