Ever since it was teased at E3 2016 under the codename Project Scorpio and then later unveiled at E3 2017 as the Xbox One X; it became highly anticipated and started being advertised at the World’s Most Powerful Console and that it would be released in the November of 2017. Many people were sceptical about the bold claims made by Microsoft about the latest Xbox.
In August 2017 the Xbox Team unveiled the limited edition Xbox One X – Project Scorpio Edition, Naturally as soon as it was available for pre order I ordered it! Now that I’ve had The Scorpio Edition a few days I feel I am able to confidently answer the question on everyone’s lips… Is worth it?
On November 10th I got to do a live unboxing on Twitch, the first thing you notice when you look at the box is the distinctive design that many fans of the Xbox franchise would recognise as the image pays homage to the original console that was launched in 2001. Upon opening the box you are greeted with a 14 day trial of Xbox Live Gold and a 1 month trial of Xbox Game Pass along with the setup instructions – Always nice to get some freebies. The Cables are exactly the same as those for the Xbox One S which is handy if you are upgrading from the most recent predecessor as you won’t need to fiddle behind your TV trying to unplug anything! Unfortunately if you’re upgrading from the Original Xbox One then you will have to venture behind the TV to change the cables, but who doesn’t love a little adventure?
Whilst admiring the new Xbox you’ll notice some things like the placement of the USB has been changed again and you will also see that it says ‘Hello from Seattle – Xbox One X’ on the right hand side of the console. This is accompanied by some numbers on the left side that read: ‘0105101317’. But what do these numbers mean? Well let me explain;
01: Microsoft launched the first ever Xbox console.
05: The Xbox 360 made its debut in November 2005.
10: Microsoft launched the Kinect Sensor for the 360.
13: XBOX Released the Xbox One.
17: The Xbox One X was released to the world.
The ‘Hello from Seattle’ text also appears inside all of the Xbox One Controllers.
Turning the One X on for the first time is definitely an experience! The startup screen pictures the Scorpio CPU in glorious 4K and it’s a beautiful sight. From there it’s just like the other Xbox One consoles in terms of the dashboard and accessibility. The Xbox One X detects your TV and recommends the perfect settings so you can get the most out of the 4K goodness that it has to offer! Although it looks stunning on a 4K TV it also upscales images making them look sharper and brighter on lower quality TVs, so either way you will still see some benefits from upgrading even without a 4K television.
I am a HUGE Gears of War fan and have been since the start of the franchise and it is so amazing to see the differences between playing Gears of War 4 on the Xbox One and then playing the Xbox One X enhanced version of the same game on the One X console. The main details I noticed were the pigmentation on the skin of the characters and there are also some more subtle differences such the light from their armour now reflecting on their faces depending on the lighting! It is improvements like this that make me love my Xbox One X. Microsoft have released around 70 Xbox One X enhanced titles with more on the way. So what better way to try something new or simply revisit an old favourite with such a huge collection of games to try from the OG Xbox games all the way to the most recent titles!
So in answer to the all important question… IS IT WORTH IT?…
Yes, I believe this upgrade will change how gamers see and experience their games for the better and I think it will definitely open new gateways for developers to do more with their games! I love my Xbox One X and I could not see myself playing any other console any time soon. Definitely worth the investment!
