A Year with the Series X
I switched from PlayStation to Xbox this generation, which felt almost heretical as a long-time Sony person. A year later, I have thoughts.
Why I Switched
Game Pass, basically. The math just made sense - instead of buying games at $70 a pop, I could pay monthly and have access to hundreds of titles including day-one releases from Microsoft studios. After a year, I’ve definitely come out ahead financially.
Also, I was tired of the PS5’s massive size and finding out about the disc drive issue after I’d already bought one didn’t help.
The Hardware
Design
It’s a black rectangle. That’s it. Looks like a small PC tower or a really fancy speaker. I actually prefer this understated look to the PS5’s “spaceship from a 2005 concept of the future” aesthetic.
It fits vertically on my TV stand without drawing attention, which is exactly what I want from a console.
Performance
This is where the Series X delivers. Games load fast - like, really fast. I still remember waiting for GTA V to load on my PS4 and wanting to throw something. Now even huge open world games are ready in seconds.
4K at 60fps is smooth when games support it. 120fps at lower resolution is an option for competitive stuff. The machine handles everything I’ve thrown at it without breaking a sweat.
Noise
Nearly silent. My PS4 sounded like a jet engine during demanding games. The Series X is essentially inaudible unless I put my ear right next to it.
Game Pass: The Real Star
Look, the hardware is solid, but Game Pass is the reason to buy an Xbox. Here’s what I’ve played in the last year without buying anything:
- Starfield (day one)
- Forza Horizon 5
- Halo Infinite
- Hi-Fi Rush
- A bunch of smaller indie games I never would have bought
That’s easily $300+ worth of games for the cost of the subscription. Even if I cancel, I got way more value than I paid for.
The library rotates, so games do leave sometimes. But there’s always more than I have time to play.
What’s Not Great
The Controller
It’s fine. It works. But Sony’s DualSense is genuinely more innovative with the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. The Xbox controller feels almost identical to the One controller from 2013.
That said, I prefer the ergonomics of the Xbox controller for long sessions, so it’s a tradeoff.
Exclusive Titles
Microsoft has been buying studios like crazy, but we haven’t seen the results yet. Sony still has better exclusive games overall. Starfield was fine but not the system-seller they hoped for.
This might change in a few years as those acquisitions bear fruit, but right now, PlayStation has the edge in exclusives.
Storage
1TB sounds like a lot until you install five modern games. Storage fills up fast, and the proprietary expansion cards are expensive. I’ve been managing by uninstalling games I’m done with, but it’s annoying.
Quick Take: Series X vs PS5
| Aspect | Series X | PS5 |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Roughly equal | Roughly equal |
| Game Pass | Way better | PS Plus isn’t close |
| Exclusives | Weaker | Stronger |
| Controller | Traditional | More innovative |
| Design | Subtle | Dramatic |
| Noise | Silent | Mostly quiet |
Who Should Buy This
- Anyone interested in Game Pass (it’s genuinely great value)
- PC gamers who want a console that plays nice with their setup (cross-buy, play anywhere)
- People who value a quiet, understated console
- Anyone who already has friends on Xbox
Maybe Stick with PlayStation If
- You care about exclusive story-driven games (Spider-Man, God of War, etc.)
- The DualSense features matter to you
- Your friends are all on PlayStation
Final Thoughts
I don’t regret switching. Game Pass alone justified the purchase, and the hardware is excellent. But I do sometimes miss PlayStation exclusives - I had to watch my brother play through Spider-Man 2 and that hurt a little.
If you can only have one console, it depends on what you value. If you can have both, that’s obviously the ideal situation. For now, Xbox is my primary and I’m happy with that choice.
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