So somewhat unbelievably. It’s been too long years since Microsoft launched the Xbox Series X dude, which we’ve come through the other end of a global pandemic, and the UK has gone through more prime ministers than I have changes of underwear for quite some time. The Xbox Series X was almost completely impossible to track down in the wild.

But now, at the Arsenal of 2022, they’re thankfully in stock at most high street and online retailers. So you no longer have to pay some godless scalper, all of your bitcoin, and a couple of kidneys to get your hands on one.

Now, the Xbox Series X has undoubtedly helped to keep me sane these last couple of years, and it’s also usurped Sony’s PlayStation 5 as the console of choice when I need to burn off some stress by punching things in the face, or shooting things in the face, or generally doing violent things to faces. So here is my two years later long-term review of the Xbox Series X.

Design

Now, one thing that obviously hasn’t changed at all over the past couple of years is the design of this thing, which is kind of a shame, to be honest.

If Microsoft could somehow figure out a way of shrinking the Xbox Series X remotely, well, that would definitely be a bonus. This console is far too big to fit into my already rather enormous tele cabinet, so I do have to have it sat there on top. I can’t even hide it around the back of my tele because it’s so bloody chunky, but at least it’s not quite as ridiculously tall as the PlayStation 5.

To be fair, considering the raw performance packed into this thing, it’s not actually that massive, and I wouldn’t mind having it on the show if it was just a little bit prettier. That front end, let’s face it, does feel kind of like a slap together all that will do kind of effort.

Perhaps it could possibly pass as a work of art if it was slapped into the tape mode modern or something, who knows? But the good thing is, I’ve had no issues whatsoever over the past couple of years when it comes to connectivity. You’ve got three USB ports, one around the front and two slapped around the back as well, which means I can charge both controllers and my Bluetooth headset at the same time.

Startup And Updates

And when you actually get around to pushing that big old power button and booting up the Xbox Series X, this seems to be even speedier now than it was at launch, provided you don’t have to perform an update or anything. It’s usually all warmed up in around ten to 15 seconds, rather than 20 back in the day.

And that’s even if you have the energy saving turned on and everything as well. So, very impressive stuff. And speaking of those console updates? Well, they’ve been regular enough without proven pain in the Ausal region, although the frequency does seem to have increased somewhat recently, to the point where it feels like we’re getting pretty much one a week. So occasionally you’ll turn it on, ready for action, and then I’ll bugger. You’ll have to go brew a nice hot cup of tea or throw back a few shots of tequila while you’re waiting.

Xbox Series X UI

Got to say, I’m still not a massive fan of the Xbox series X UI, which isn’t as streamlined as it really should be, especially where things like settings are concerned. It looks a bit nicer now with the 4K support and the dark mode and all that, but it really does feel like a proper relic these days.

Still, at least jumping back into one of your recently played games is nice and nippy, especially with the super swift loading times of this console generation. That quick resume feature means that there’s really no about the last couple of games you played that will boot up to where you left them in about 5 seconds, which still blows my mind as a child of the ZX Spectrum era.

Seriously, forget 5 seconds. I actually sat through five minutes of this god-awful cattle wall and every time I wanted to play a game, imagine being forced to watch an episode of Mrs. Brown’s Boys at Gunpoint. That’s the level of mental anguish that we’re talking about here.

Now, one of the biggest ball aches of the Xbox Series X back in the day was that sometimes you’d have to launch a game several times before it finally figured out it needed to update, and until it actually acknowledged that fact, you’d just end up unceremoniously dubbed back to the dashboard every time with no explanation.

Thankfully, this bug has now been properly smashed, so you will actually be told the first time that the game needs to update, so you can go do both tequila or whatever.

Games Catalogue

Now, the launch lineup for the Series X wasn’t exactly the kind of stuff to have you enthusiastically rubbing your thighs in anticipation. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was suitably epic and Grey, while Dirt Five was a decent laugh, but the rest were generally updates of all games or mostly forgettable fare. As much as I enjoyed the tour, it wasn’t exactly the next-gen experience that I was really looking forward to. Of course, over the past 24 months, the Xbox Series X’s library of Gibbs has unsurprisingly ballooned.

You really would struggle to find some cracking stuff to play. That said, though, two years on the Xbox still doesn’t boast a huge number of must-play exclusives to really sway you away from the PS 5. Unless you’re a massive fan of Halo or Gears, of course. Still, the likes of Bethesda’s much anticipated Starfield or Lingrid Tantalizingly are on the horizon, and apparently, Microsoft’s Box will get some exclusive Activision Blizzard games at some point too. Hopefully more and all of that shenanigans soon.

Visuals And Audio

And thankfully, we now have a decent selection of games that can take full advantage of the Xbox Series X’s 120 Hz refresh support. Lots more than what you’ll find on the PS 5, in fact, mostly thanks to that FPS boost tool, which can artificially kick up the frame rate of all the titles. And it works beautifully as well. Super smooth without any tears.

And one of my favorite new 120 Hz Time Wasters is the excellent Metal Hell Singer, another game pass extravaganza that I highly recommend to anyone who fancies blasted Griblies right at the chops in time to kick ass music featuring Matt Heifey and Serge Tankini and lots of other geniuses.

And you’ve also got Dolby vision support for a wide range of titles now far beyond the official list of supported games so that next-gen tech can really shine with the eye-popping, super lush visuals pumped out by most big titles hidden in the console. And despite those visual skills, all that raw power packed into this thing, the Xbox Series X is still whisper quiet the majority of the time when it’s in use.

The only time it really gets noisy is if you bung a disc in that drive. Sometimes you’ll get some clicking and some whirring and all that, but even when I’m smashing through the most demanding of games with the volume dipped right down, I never noticed those cooling fans kicking off. I guess one of the benefits of it being so bloody big and also the fact that it’s not locked away in a TV cabinet.

You also now have full support for Windows Sonic Dolby, Atmos, and DTS x Spatial Audio. Great news if you’ve got a proper home theater setup or you use a Beefy-compatible headset. And it’s the little touches that really count as well. So I love how the Xbox Series X automatically mutes your television speakers when you get a headset connected so you don’t accidentally disturb the rest of your household.

Game Pass

But for me, the killer feature of the Xbox is still Game Pass. For a small monthly fee, you’ll never really need to spend cash on any games at all. You’ve got hundreds of the buggers right there at your fingertips, from proper classics like Dave the Technical and Psychonauts to modern triple-A titles like Death Loop. And I love how Microsoft has packed on plenty of great indie games too. Even really weird stuff like immortality and turn it, boy commits tax evasion.

There really is something for everyone here, even though there’s that monthly subscription charge, it undoubtedly saved me buckets of cash in the long run. So, for instance, just recently I would have easily dropped 20 or 30 quid on Scorn and then instantly regretted that the Seattle Gaiga-inspired adventure isn’t too subtle.

Every machine you operate is a mashup of the least attractive bodily orifices. While your main weapon for a good portion of the game is basically a motorized d**do. All fine and dandy, but the combat is absolutely atrocious and I swiftly gave up after yet another walking t**ticle.

Put me down for good. Those days one Game Pass releases are still coming thick and fast, so recently we’ve had High on Life, for instance, and some other titles like Return to Monkey Island or hitting the service just a couple of months after launch. Overall, it is impressive stuff and I gotta say I haven’t dropped any actual cash on a single new game for quite some time because there’s simply too much to play.

Storage

Of course, my Xbox Series X’s 1 TB internal storage did fill up pretty bloody fast once I started enthusiastically downloading Game Pass games. Like a giddy school child, I do occasionally find myself having to delete games that haven’t been quite completed just to make room for new ones.

Thankfully, you can expand that storage at any point by stuffing a custom 1 TB expansion going into the back end of the console. Otherwise, just get any supported external drive and stick it into a USB port and you can back up your files or whatever else.

Best Console For 2023?

So for me, this big old beast is the winner and the almighty Microsoft versus Sony battle. But I do still prefer the Steam deck for gaming because of its portable design and that enormous steam library of megachube games, thanks to the endless sales. Basically with the Steam Deck, I don’t have to press pause when I need to go to the toilet.

Always a massive plus with all of the Tummy pumlin viruses doing the rounds right now. That said, while not quite as convenient, you can still stream your Xbox Series X session to an Android smartphone for a more portable experience using either the remote player feature or Microsoft’s Project Xcloud streaming service if you’re a Game Pass Ultimate Subscriber. Either way, it works well.

Entertainment

Speaking of streaming, if you’re planning on using the Xbox Series X for watching stuff as well as playing stuff, well, no worries at all. All of the usual streaming services are supported through series X’s entertainment menu, including Disney Plus, Netflix, Prime Video, Now TV, Apple TV Crunchy Roll, and of course, good old YouTube Hazard.

And you’ve got quite a few music streaming services on there as well, like the Spotify Deezer Apple Music yada yada. If you just want to sit and vibe to the latest Tiller Swift BOP after a lengthy gruesome murder session on Metal Hell Singer. There is no title support on here though, which is a bit of a bum.

Conclusion

So there you have it, kiddies. That is my long-term two-year review of the Xbox Series X, an essential purchase for any game and fans out there.

Even more essential than when it first launched. And hey, you can actually buy one now as well, which is always a bonus. So have you been rocking the Xbox Series X these past couple of years as well? Has it helped to keep your mind intact? Are you a massive fan of Game Pass? Do comment down below.