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<div role="main"><nav data-behavior="ContextNav" data-context-nav-offset="200">
</nav><header>
<p>
<h2> But only hardcore
gamers will appreciate it. </h2>
</p>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p><a href="http://fakehost/about/editors/devindra-hardawar/">
<img src="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?thumbnail=45%2C45&quality=80&image_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogcdn.com%2Fwww.engadget.com%2Fmedia%2F2016%2F03%2Fdevindra-engadget-headshot-small.jpg&client=cbc79c14efcebee57402&signature=e6ffba7468c380581b6589a70ce5d7c1ec40cd1d"></img></a></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</header><div data-behavior="BreakoutsHandler">
<div>
<div>
<article><div data-behavior="trigger_contents_nav" id="page_body">
<div>
<div data-behavior="FitVids ">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div data-behavior="Dropcap">
<p>The <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/13/the-xbox-one-x-is-aspirational-in-the-purest-sense-of-the-word/">Xbox
One X</a> is the ultimate video game system. It sports
more horsepower than any system ever. And it plays more
titles in native 4K than <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2016/11/07/sony-playstation-4-pro-review/">Sony's
PlayStation 4 Pro</a>. It's just about everything
you could want without investing in a gaming PC. The
only problem? It's now been a year since the PS4 Pro
launched, and the One X costs $500, while Sony's console
launched at $400. That high price limits the Xbox One X
to diehard Microsoft fans who don't mind paying a bit
more to play the console's exclusive titles in 4K.
Everyone else might be better off waiting, or opting for
the $279 <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2016/08/02/xbox-one-s-review/">Xbox
One S</a>. </p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<section><h4> Gallery: Xbox One
X | 14 Photos </h4>
<div data-behavior="lightbox_trigger" data-eng-bang="{"gallery":803271,"slide":7142088,"index":0}" data-eng-mn="93511844" data-engadget-slideshow-id="803271"><p><a data-eng-bang="{"gallery":803271,"slide":7142088,"index":0}" data-engadget-slide-id="7142088" data-index="0" href="#">
<img src="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?thumbnail=980%2C653&quality=80&image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fs.blogcdn.com%2Fslideshows%2Fimages%2Fslides%2F714%2F208%2F8%2FS7142088%2Fslug%2Fl%2Fxbox-one-x-review-gallery-1-1.jpg&client=cbc79c14efcebee57402&signature=9bb08b52e12de8e4060f863a52c613489529818d"></img></a></p>
</div>
</section></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<ul><li>Most
powerful hardware ever in a home console
</li>
<li>Solid
selection of enhanced titles
</li>
<li>4K Blu-ray
drive is great for movie fans
</li>
</ul></div>
<div>
<ul><li>Expensive
</li>
<li>Not worth
it if you don’t have a 4K TV
</li>
<li>Still no VR
support
</li>
</ul></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<p>As promised, the Xbox One X is the
most powerful game console ever. In practice, though, it
really just puts Microsoft on equal footing with Sony’s
PlayStation 4 Pro. 4K/HDR enhanced games look great, but
it’s lack of VR is disappointing in 2017.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Hardware</h3>
<p><img alt="" data-credit="Devindra Hardawar/AOL" data-mep="2181678" src="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?crop=1600%2C1067%2C0%2C0&quality=85&format=jpg&resize=1600%2C1067&image_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fo.aolcdn.com%2Fhss%2Fstorage%2Fmidas%2F93beb86758ae1cf95721699e1e006e35%2F205826074%2FXbox%2BOne%2BX%2Breview%2Bgallery%2B7.jpg&client=a1acac3e1b3290917d92&signature=c0f2d36259c2c1decfb60aae364527cda2560d4a"></img></p>
<p>Despite all the power inside, the One X is
Microsoft's smallest console to date. It looks
similar to the Xbox One S, except it has an entirely
matte black case and is slightly slimmer. It's also
surprisingly dense -- the console weighs 8.4 pounds,
but it feels far heavier than you'd expect for its
size, thanks to all of its new hardware. The One S,
in comparison, weighs two pounds less.</p>
<p>The Xbox One X's real upgrades are under the hood. It
features an 8-core CPU running at 2.3Ghz, 12GB of
GDDR5 RAM, a 1 terabyte hard drive and an upgraded
AMD Polaris GPU with 6 teraflops of computing power.
The PS4 Pro has only 8GB of RAM and tops out at 4.2
teraflops. Microsoft's console is clearly faster.
That additional horsepower means the Xbox One X can
run more games in full native 4K than the Sony's
console.</p>
<p><img alt="" data-credit="Devindra Hardawar/AOL" data-mep="2182489" src="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?crop=1600%2C949%2C0%2C0&quality=85&format=jpg&resize=1600%2C949&image_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fo.aolcdn.com%2Fhss%2Fstorage%2Fmidas%2F9ece7fdad1e7025dec06ac9bf98688d0%2F205826075%2FXbox%2BOne%2BX%2Breview%2Bgallery%2B5.jpg&client=a1acac3e1b3290917d92&signature=9913883753141e7df322616bfe0bc41c6ecd80c8"></img></p>
<p>Along the front, there's the slot-loading 4K Blu-ray
drive, a physical power button, a single USB port
and a controller pairing button. And around back,
there are HDMI out and in ports, the latter of which
lets you plug in your cable box. Additionally, there
are two USB ports, connections for optical audio, IR
out, and gigabit Ethernet. If you've still got a
Kinect around, you'll need to use a USB adapter to
plug it in.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div data-engadget-breakout-type="image">
<figure><img src="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?resize=980%2C640&quality=100&image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fo.aolcdn.com%2Fimages%2Fdims%3Fcrop%3D1599%252C1043%252C0%252C0%26quality%3D85%26format%3Djpg%26resize%3D1600%252C1043%26image_uri%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fo.aolcdn.com%252Fhss%252Fstorage%252Fmidas%252F8b98ec8f6649158fe7448ac2f2695ac5%252F205826072%252FXbox%252BOne%252BX%252Breview%252Bgallery%252B6.jpg%26client%3Da1acac3e1b3290917d92%26signature%3D353dad1308f98c2c9dfc82c58a540a8b2f1fe63c&client=cbc79c14efcebee57402&signature=60b7c061460d0d45f5d367b8a9c62978af6b76ce"></img><figcaption><span>Devindra Hardawar/AOL</span>
</figcaption></figure></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p>The console's controller hasn't changed since its
last mini-upgrade with the Xbox One S. That revision
rounded out its seams, improved bumper performance
and added a 3.5mm headphone jack. It's still a great
controller, though I'm annoyed Microsoft is sticking
with AA batteries as their default power source.
Sure, you could just pick up some renewable
batteries, or the Play and Charge kit, but that's an
extra expense. And manually swapping batteries feels
like a bad user experience when every other console
has rechargeable controllers.</p>
<h3>In use</h3>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div data-engadget-breakout-type="image">
<figure><img src="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?resize=980%2C640&quality=100&image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fo.aolcdn.com%2Fimages%2Fdims%3Fcrop%3D1600%252C900%252C0%252C0%26quality%3D85%26format%3Djpg%26resize%3D1600%252C900%26image_uri%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fo.aolcdn.com%252Fhss%252Fstorage%252Fmidas%252F1885534bd201fc37481b806645c1fc8b%252F205828119%252FXbox%252Bone%252BX%252Bscreenshot%252Bgallery%252B8.jpg%26client%3Da1acac3e1b3290917d92%26signature%3Df63cf67c88b37fd9424855984e45f6b950c8c11a&client=cbc79c14efcebee57402&signature=0adca80fc8ee26a7353be639082881450a5ad49f"></img><figcaption><span>Devindra Hardawar/AOL</span>
</figcaption></figure></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p>You won't find any major differences between the One
X and the last Xbox at first — aside from a more
dramatic startup sequence. Navigating the Xbox
interface is fast and zippy, but mostly that's due
to a recent OS upgrade. If you're moving over from
an older Xbox One, you can use the backup tool to
transfer your games and settings to an external hard
drive. Just plug that into the new console during
setup and it'll make it feel just like your old
machine. It's also a lot faster than waiting for
everything to download from Xbox Live.</p>
<p>You'll still have to set aside some time if you want
to play an Xbox One X-enhanced title, though. Those
4K textures will make games significantly larger,
but Microsoft says it's come up with a few ways to
help developers make downloading them more
efficient. For example, language packs and other
optional content won't get installed by default.</p>
<p>We only had a few enhanced titles to test out during
our review: <em>Gears of War 4</em>, <em>Killer
Instinct</em> and <em>Super Lucky's Tale</em>.
They each took advantage of the console in different
ways. <em>Gears of War 4</em> runs natively in 4K at
30 FPS with Dolby Atmos and HDR (high dynamic range
lighting) support. It looked great -- especially
with HDR, which highlighted bright elements like
lightning strikes -- but I noticed the frame rate
dip occasionally. I was also surprised that load
times were on-par with what I've seen with the game
on the Xbox One S.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div data-engadget-breakout-type="e2ehero">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<figure><img src="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?crop=1600%2C900%2C0%2C0&quality=85&format=jpg&resize=1600%2C900&image_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fo.aolcdn.com%2Fhss%2Fstorage%2Fmidas%2F8352a8a14e88e2ca2ba5be4d8381a055%2F205828115%2FXbox%2Bone%2BX%2Bscreenshot%2Bgallery%2B1.jpg&client=a1acac3e1b3290917d92&signature=d2ccb22e0eaabeb05bfe46e83dbe26fd07f01da8"></img><div>
<div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</figure></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p>You can also play in Performance mode, which bumps
the frame rate up to 60FPS and uses higher quality
graphical effects, while rendering it lower in
1080p. Personally, I preferred this, since it makes
the game much smoother -- as if you're playing it on
a high-end gaming PC, not a console. Some
PlayStation 4 Pro games also let you choose how you
wanted to distribute its power, so in some ways
Microsoft is just following in its footsteps.</p>
<p>I've been playing <em>Gears of War 4</em> on my
gaming PC (which is connected to my home theater)
over the past year, and I was impressed that the
Xbox One X is able to deliver a similar experience.
It didn't quite match my rig though, which is
powered by Intel Core i7 4790k CPU running at 4GHz,
16GB DDR3 RAM and an NVIDIA GTX 1080 GPU. Typically,
I play at 1,440p (2,560 by 1,440 pixels) with HDR
and all of the graphical settings set to their
highest level, and I can easily maintain a 60FPS
frame rate. The One X felt just as solid at 1080p,
but there were clearly plenty of graphics settings
it couldn't take advantage of, in particular higher
levels of bloom lighting and shadow detail.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div data-engadget-breakout-type="gallery">
<section><h3> Gallery: Xbox
One X screenshots | 9 Photos </h3>
<div data-behavior="lightbox_trigger" data-eng-bang="{"gallery":803330,"slide":7142924}" data-eng-mn="93511844" data-engadget-slideshow-id="803330"><p><a data-eng-bang="{"gallery":803330,"slide":7142924}" data-engadget-slide-id="7142924" data-index="0" href="#">
<img src="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?thumbnail=980%2C653&quality=80&image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fs.blogcdn.com%2Fslideshows%2Fimages%2Fslides%2F714%2F292%2F4%2FS7142924%2Fslug%2Fl%2Fxbox-one-x-screenshot-gallery-2-1.jpg&client=cbc79c14efcebee57402&signature=38c95635c7aad58a8a48038e05589f5cf35b1e28"></img></a></p>
</div>
</section></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p><em>Killer Instinct</em> and <em>Super Lucky's
Tale</em> run in 4K at a smooth 60FPS. They both
looked and played better than their standard
versions, though I was surprised they didn't take
advantage of HDR. As usual, I noticed the
improvement in frame rates more than the higher
resolution. Unless you're sitting very close to a TV
above 50-inches, you'd likely have a hard time
telling between 4K and 1080p.</p>
<p>That poses a problem for Microsoft: It's betting that
gamers will actually want true 4K rendering. In
practice, though, PlayStation 4 Pro titles running
in HDR and resolutions between 1080p and 4K often
look just as good to the naked eye. The Xbox One X's
big advantage is that its hardware could let more
games reach 60FPS compared to Sony's console.</p>
<p>Microsoft says over 130 Xbox One X-enhanced titles
are in the works. That includes already-released
games like <em>Forza Motorsport 7</em> and <em>Assassin's
Creed Origins</em>, as well as upcoming titles
like <em>Call of Duty: WW2</em>. You'll be able to
find them easily in a special section in the Xbox
store. There is also a handful of Xbox 360 games
that'll get enhanced eventually, including <em>Halo
3</em> and <em>Fallout 3</em>. Some of those
titles will get bumped up to a higher resolution,
while others will get HDR support. Microsoft
describes these upgrades as a bonus for developers
who were prescient about how they built their games.
Basically, don't expect your entire 360 library to
get enhanced.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div data-engadget-breakout-type="e2ehero">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<figure><img src="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?crop=1600%2C900%2C0%2C0&quality=85&format=jpg&resize=1600%2C900&image_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fo.aolcdn.com%2Fhss%2Fstorage%2Fmidas%2Facb08903fbe26ad77b80db8c8e7e8fb1%2F205828118%2FXbox%2Bone%2BX%2Bscreenshot%2Bgallery%2B7.jpg&client=a1acac3e1b3290917d92&signature=21630fa5ec6d8fdce2c35f7e1f652636a2d8efe7"></img><div>
<div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</figure></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p>Even if a game isn't specifically tuned for the new
console, Microsoft says you might still see some
performance improvements. The PlayStation 4 Pro,
meanwhile, has over one hundred games built for its
hardware, and its boost mode can speed up some older
games.</p>
<p>Microsoft is still pushing the Xbox as more than just
a game console, though. 4K Blu-rays loaded up
quickly, and I didn't notice many delays as I
skipped around films. <em>Planet Earth II</em>, in
particular, looked fantastic thanks to its brilliant
use of HDR. Unfortunately, the One X doesn't support
Dolby Vision, so you're stuck with the slightly less
capable HDR 10 standard. That makes sense since it's
more widely supported, but it would have been nice
to see Dolby's, too.</p>
<p>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c8aFcHFu8QM" width="640"></iframe>
</p>
<p>And speaking of Dolby technology, Microsoft is also
highlighting Atmos support on the One X, just like
it did with the One S. The company's app lets you
configure the console to pass audio Atmos signals to
your audio receiver. You can also shell out $15 to
get Atmos support for headphones, which simulates
immersive surround sound. It's strange to pay money
to unlock Dolby features, but it's worth it since
it's significantly better than Microsoft's audio
virtualization technology. The Netflix app also
supports Atmos for a handful of films (something
that the Xbox One S and PlayStation 4 offer, as
well).</p>
<p>One thing you won't find in the new Xbox is VR
support. Microsoft has mentioned that the console
will offer some sort of mixed reality, but it hasn't
offered up any details yet. It's technically
powerful enough to work with any of the Windows
Mixed Reality headsets launching this fall. It's a
shame that Microsoft is being so wishy-washy because
Sony has had a very successful head start with the
PlayStation VR.</p>
<h3>Pricing and the competition</h3>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div data-engadget-breakout-type="image">
<figure><img src="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?resize=980%2C640&quality=100&image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fo.aolcdn.com%2Fimages%2Fdims%3Fcrop%3D1600%252C1027%252C0%252C0%26quality%3D85%26format%3Djpg%26resize%3D1600%252C1027%26image_uri%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fo.aolcdn.com%252Fhss%252Fstorage%252Fmidas%252Fa2c8ba1caccdbb9e0559797e5141eafd%252F205826078%252FXbox%252BOne%252BX%252Breview%252Bgallery%252B11.jpg%26client%3Da1acac3e1b3290917d92%26signature%3Da11bcddced805c6e3698f8ce0494102aef057265&client=cbc79c14efcebee57402&signature=1e9bd192add2772bc842a34e67b7572cfd1b265a"></img><figcaption><span>Devindra Hardawar/AOL</span>
</figcaption></figure></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p>The biggest knock against the Xbox One X is its $500
price. The PS4 Pro launched at $400 last year, and
there's a good chance we'll see plenty of deals
around the holidays. If your friends are on Xbox
Live, or you're a devotee of Microsoft's first party
franchises, then the X makes more sense. If you just
want to play third-party titles that come to both
platforms, though, the PS4 Pro is clearly the better
deal.</p>
<p>If you're looking to upgrade from an original Xbox
One, and you have a new TV, the One X might be more
compelling. It's faster and offers more features
than the One S, and more importantly, it'll last you
much longer without needing an upgrade. There's also
plenty of wisdom in simply waiting a while before
you buy the One X, especially if you haven't moved
to a 4K TV yet. The new console can make games look
better on 1080p sets, since it'll supersample
high-res textures and have more graphical effects,
but it's simply not worth the upgrade since those
TVs don't support HDR.</p>
<p>If price isn't a huge concern for you, it's worth
considering investing in a gaming PC. A decent one
costs between $600 and $800, plus the price of a
monitor, but it'll easily be more powerful than the
One X. And you have the added benefit of upgrading
components down the line. Now that Microsoft and
game publishers are offering most major titles on
PC, you won't be missing out on much by ditching
consoles.</p>
<h3>Wrap-up</h3>
<p><img alt="" data-credit="Devindra Hardawar/AOL" data-mep="2181681" src="https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?crop=1600%2C1028%2C0%2C0&quality=85&format=jpg&resize=1600%2C1028&image_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fo.aolcdn.com%2Fhss%2Fstorage%2Fmidas%2F5396460ef8b6bde7fb7272d9e66a7701%2F205826076%2FXbox%2BOne%2BX%2Breview%2Bgallery%2B9.jpg&client=a1acac3e1b3290917d92&signature=f5b5b4b986c2f8b5031a4469ae0ecec82aff65b0"></img></p>
<p>Ultimately, the Xbox One X offers some major
performance upgrades that gamers will notice --
especially if you're coming from an original Xbox
One. But it's also a bit disappointing since it's
coming a year after the PS4 Pro, and it doesn't
offer VR yet. For Microsoft fans, though, none of
that will matter. It's exactly what the company
promised: the fastest game console ever made.</p>
</div>
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</article></div>
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<p>
<h2> From around the web </h2>
</p>
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