Xbox One X Review - The Worlds Most Powerful Console Yet
By daire-November 3, 2017
Design
The Xbox One X is much smaller than its predecessor and it seems Microsoft has listened to fans and made quite a few improvements to the overall design. Firstly, the shell is matte black instead of gloss. This is a major change and means that it will be a lot harder to cover it in fingerprints and has a much cleaner look overall. The vent at the top has also moved to the back, meaning that the console won't fill with dust as much. it also helps with the sound level and any overheating issues. [caption id="attachment_19999" align="alignnone" width="696"]
Xbox One X Rear Ports[/caption]
One of my favourite improvements is the power button. Yes, an actual button! I have forfeited many a game because of the old power sensor. Even if I was reaching over to grab my coffee, as long as I was close enough then Doo Doo Doo, the console goes off. It still lights up but it's smaller and cleaner. It still has the sensor but it's not as sensitive and much easier to navigate. There is also a front-facing USB 3.0 port instead of on the site. This makes it much easier to plug in a controller or a smartphone without having to move the console too much.
[caption id="attachment_20004" align="alignnone" width="696"]
Xbox One X Exploded View[/caption]
The specs
Microsoft has previously released most of the Xbox One Xs specifications so it comes as no surprise to see that is has 6 teraflops of GPU power (compared to 1.4 on the Xbox One S, 1.3 on the Xbox One and 4.2 on the PS4 Pro) which means that the console has a lot of computing power. Microsoft uses a custom GPU engine, clocked at 1,172 MHz, which is an increase compared to the old Xbox One (853 MHz) and PlayStation 4 Pro (911 Mhz). Also, the Xbox One X will feature an Ultra HD Blu-ray player, suitable for the new 4K discs, and 1TB of internal storage. In design, the One X seems a bit like Xbox One S, which Microsoft released earlier: Microsoft even calls the design 'the smallest Xbox One', in response to the criticism that the Xbox One is quite bulky. While it is much smaller than the original Xbox One, it is also far heavier, this probably has something to do with the internal power supply rather than external.| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 30cm x 24cm x 6cm |
| Weight | 8.5lbs |
| CPU | Custom CPU @ 2.3 GHz, 8 cores |
| GPU | Custom GPU @ 1.172 GHz, 40 CUs, Polaris features, 6.0 TFLOPS |
| Memory | 12 GB GDDR5 @ 326 GB/s |
| Flash | 8GB |
| Internal Storage | 1TB HDD |
| Optical Disc Drive | 4K UHD Blu-ray |
| PSU | 245W, Internal |
| Video | |
| HDMI resolution and framerate | 2160p @ 60Hz AMD FreeSync HDMI Variable Refresh Rate (when ratified) |
| HDR10 Support | Yes |
| Content Protection | HDCP 2.2 |
| Video CODECs | HEVC/H.265, VP9, AVC/H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG- 4 Part 2, VC1/WMV9 |
| Audio | |
| HDMI audio, encoded | Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, PCM 2.0, 5.1, & 7.1; Dolby TrueHD w/Atmos (from games) |
| HDMI audio, passthru | Dolby TrueHD (opt. Atmos), DD+ (opt. Atmos), DTS- HR/MA (opt. DTS:X) |
| S/PDIF audio, encoded | Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, PCM 2.0 |
| CODECs decoded | AAC, MP3, MPEG1, WMV |
| Interfaces | |
| Wireless | IEEE 802.11ac dual-band (5GHz & 2.4GHz), 2x2 wireless Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct for home networks |
| Ethernet | IEEE 802.3 10/100/1000 |
| Accessories Radio | Dedicated dual band Xbox Wireless radio |
| USB Port | 3x USB 3.0 |
| HDMI Out | 2.0b |
| HDMI In | 1.4b |
| S/PDIF | Yes |
| IR Receiver/IR Blaster Port | Yes |
| IR Blaster | Yes |
| Kinect Port | External USB Adapter |
