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So a few weeks ago, to the surprise of many, Microsoft revealed the name and physical design for their next gen console. I personally wasn’t expecting to see any more about these next gen systems until early next year but here we are, in mid-December, looking at the name and full design of the new Xbox! So then, what do I think of this big reveal and will I be getting one? Let’s find out! Check out the reveal trailer down below and keep scrolling to see my thoughts:

So, most people have been pretty negative towards both the physical design, and the name. I personally kind of like the design as it looks futuristic and striking whilst also being something I would actually like to display in my living room or office. Its vertical design resembles the Corsair One gaming PC which is essentially what the console is at the end of the day, and I don’t have a problem with that. I play on console for polished, refined gameplay which is easy to access and can be played more casually than most PC games. Whether or not the console is just a PC in a different shell doesn’t matter to me, as long as it still feels and responds like a console. As for the name, I have had an inkling ever since the Xbox Twitter account tweeted the word Xbox, earlier this year that the system/generation will simply be called, Xbox. This makes a lot of sense and I like it as it acts as a very appropriate name for what is probably the last generation of traditional games consoles as we know them. Being able to have different series’ within the generation is also a solid idea as long as they don’t fragment the player base. We have literally just got our hands-on cross platform and it would be a huge step backwards if some players cant play with others because they have slightly different hardware…

Looking more at what we can expect from this next generation, I’m left thinking, do we really need it? Let’s just squash one buzzword right now, 8K gaming will not be supported on these launch systems. PC hardware isn’t at the point where we can run games at 8K at reasonable framerates and if a £5k+ machine can’t do it, there’s no way in hell a £400-£500 one will be able to. The 8K you are hearing will be purely for video/movie content as that is just about available and will become more common over the next few years. As for games then, I get the feeling that these systems are just going to be upgraded Xbox One X’s as aside from high frame rate 4K gaming, there’s not really much else they can do. Having said that, I’m all here for higher frame rates but are the general public, well, probably not. High framerate gameplay is without a doubt a huge selling point but most people sit back and play their consoles on a 55 inch 4K TV which tends to have a large amount of input delay or low refresh rates. Being someone who has worked in TV’s, I know that it is only the premium models that come with 120hz panels and unless you go for something like an Nvidia BFGD, a large gaming monitor or a high end Samsung QLED TV, you’re not going to be able to take full advantage of those framerates. On the subject of TV’s , 8K screens do exist but they’re usually in a bigger from factor like 65”,75” or even 82”, none of which are particularly affordable but as the consoles and content come through, I would expect to see these prices drop.

For me, I use my Xbox mainly for media consumption. It does an unrivalled job of acting as my entertainment centre with every app I could want and need at my finger tips. My PS4 has always felt like more of a console for me with the Xbox One X being that beefy media centre which is capable of some stunning visuals if you let it get stuck in. I also adore Game Pass as it gives me the opportunity to try some random games that I usually wouldn’t have touched and given the fact that we have cross play now, the Series X has a really good chance to take back some market share. Ill probably get one at some stage and it will sit next to my living room TV. I cant see myself switching from PlayStation as I've grown a custom to their controller and their exclusives do appeal to me a bit more but I do very much like the look of the Xbox and I’m excited to see what Microsoft bring to the table! Let me know your thoughts on the Series X down in the comments below, will you be getting one? Pre-orders aren’t live just yet but you are able to register your interest in the console using the link below!

Register your interest here - https://bit.ly/2PGJgz4