The embargo on the preview builds of the Xbox Series X and Series S has been lifted; well, for most of its functionality and Backwards Compatible features (We have to wait a bit more for Next-Gen only games running natively.), but already the impressions have been nothing short of invigorating.
Media outlets and figure heads such as Digital Foundry, Engagdet, The Verge, Geoff Keighley, Jeff Grubb, and IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey have been chiming in with the time they’ve spent putting the Series X through its paces thus far. Since they were all restricted to certain features such as Quick Resume, specific UI functionality and only able to play Backwards Compatible games they are limited to exactly what they can report, but what they have is overwhelmingly positive. The overall consensus is that the Series X is not only super fast, but it’s also whisper quiet and wholly efficient.
Jesica Conditt from Engadget stated after trying out Remedy’s Control “-booting up a scene on Xbox One takes 30 to 38 seconds, while the same scene on Series X consistently takes just 9 seconds, 10 at the most. This ratio rings true for most games I’ve tested, and it’s significantly changed the way I interact with the new console overall.“. These are just raw improvements thanks to the SSD and I/O solutions as well. Any devs that decide to add a little extra TLC to their existing titles can do so and really crank up the performance and visual fidelity.
Tom Warren from The Verge provided a nice breakdown (posted below) of load time comparisons for the games he tested out. Across the board you can see a nearly 50% decrease in load times, with big games like Red Dead Redemption 2 having almost a full minute shaved off. Again, this is all just raw performance boosts from running on the Series X.
XBOX SERIES X LOAD TIMES
| Game | Xbox Series X | Xbox One X |
|---|---|---|
| CoD: Warzone | 16 seconds | 21 seconds |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 52 seconds | 1 min, 35 seconds |
| The Outer Worlds | 6 seconds | 27 seconds |
| Evil Within 2 | 33 seconds | 43 seconds |
| Sea of Thieves | 20 seconds | 1 min, 21 seconds |
| Warframe | 25 seconds | 1 min, 31 seconds |
| AC: Odyssey | 30 seconds | 1 min, 7 seconds |
| No Man’s Sky | 1 min, 27 seconds | 2 mins, 13 seconds |
| Destiny 2 | 43 seconds | 1 min, 52 seconds |
Why is this dedication to a quality Backwards Compatible solution so important though? Don’t we buy new consoles to play new games? Yes, we do. However, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone that games consistently whom does not have an extensive backlog. There will be millions of Xbox owners that have a metric ton of physical and digital games sitting in their backlog. The Series X and S are offering them improved versions of those games at no additional cost beyond buying the console. This increases the value of current and older gen games by virtue of making them even more appealing to the consumer.
here's my first look at Xbox Series X games, load times, quick resume, and more.
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) September 28, 2020
📺 full hands-on video: https://t.co/A2UUr85KnH
⬇️ Preview pic.twitter.com/8Oebug0Ua7
I can go on record and say that I have dozens fully sealed and unfinished games I’m holding off on to boot up on my Series X, simply because I know they will play and perform better there. My digital library is another beast entirely that may never be fully conquered.
On the subject of Quick Resume, IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey had this to say: “I tried out Quick Resume, and Microsoft wasn’t kidding around. It works! I like that they even put a little “Quick Resume” icon in the upper right corner of the screen to let you know that you won’t have to wait for the entire game to load from scratch.” Renowned content creator, Jeff Grubb also confirmed that he was “-able to jump into 4 different games in under 90 seconds. Totally. It was kind of incredible.“
Now, for some real meat and potatoes comparisons I wholly suggest watching Digital Foundry’s extensive testing of these features. Games like Dead or Alive 6 saw a jump from variable 30+ fps to a rock solid and consistent 60fps with cleaner visuals. One more time; These are just raw improvements. None of the tested games have been enhanced by the developers. Where Final Fantasy XV’s Lite Mode saw dips within the 40-30fps range, on the Series X it maintained a buttery smooth 60fps throughout.
I, for one, am very excited for the performance benchmarks we are about to see for Next-Gen only titles on the Series X. If you want to take a look at the previews, I’ve included the links below!
IGN, Ryan McCaffrey