Going into the holiday shopping season a lot of people may be asking whether they should purchase an Xbox One X. As someone who has had an Xbox One since launch, and upgraded to an S once we got our first 4K TV, I thought I’d share my thoughts on upgrading to the Xbox One X.

UI

If you’re expecting the Xbox One X to make the atrocious Xbox UI to run faster or smoother, you’ll be disappointed. The UI on the One X is just as painfully slow as it is on the other versions of the console. When I first launch it and go to ‘my games and apps’ it can take 10 seconds or longer for my games to load in. What’s worse is when I scroll down to updates it can take up to 30 seconds for those to load in (I used to have it set to automatically update, however I had to stop once I was routinely blowing through my 1.2TB data cap downloading updates for games I would probably never play). I currently have 20 games awaiting updates, but even when I’ve had lower numbers the load time seemed just as long.

On the plus side recording gameplay clips on the One X doesn’t seem to cause my games to lag (which I experienced a lot on the S, most notably with Madden where it would record a clip after every touchdown, which on more than one occasion caused a lag spike that made me miss the PAT).

Load times

One of the things I like most about the One X is that it has noticeably decreased load times in games. When my brother was out visiting we set my One S up alongside the X and were playing Destiny 2 (both using s 200mbps internet connection with an open NAT). Every time we would go to a planet or load into a mission or strike I would load in somewhere around 15 seconds before he would. That may not seem like a long time, but stop reading for a second and count to 15. It adds up in the long run for sure. I’ve also noticed I load into games of Madden much, much quicker than I did on the S, which has significantly cut down on the time I’ve spent browsing Reddit on my phone between games.

Graphics 

One of the biggest selling points of the Xbox One X is that it’s the ‘most powerful console’ on the market, and it shows. Games like Forza Horizon 4, Tomb Raider and Red Dead Redemption 2 look stunning in 4K with HDR (well Red Dead’s HDR is less impressive, but that’s not the Xbox’s fault). Everything looks so crisp, and I’ve been blown away many times by games. I know I’m not doing it justice by describing with text, but it’s truly something you’ll have to see for yourself. What I can say is that I also own a PS4 Pro, and while it looks really good as well (Uncharted: Lost Legacy amazed me), I’ve played games on both, and the One X is certainly the superior experience.

UHD Blu Ray capability

Another added benefit of the Xbox One X (and the One S as well) is that it will play UHD Blu Rays. These look great, and are a wonderful way to show of a 4K TV. I’ve rented and bought UHD videos through the Microsoft Store, and UHD Blu Rays still look superior. If you’re into movies, having a UHD Blu Ray player is a plus, and something that the PS4 Pro lacks.

What if I have an Xbox One, but not a PS4?

If you already have an Xbox One and are happy with it, it may be worth looking at picking up a PS4, depending on what type of games the purchaser (or gift receiver) likes. If you’re the type of person who mostly plays third party games by EA, Ubisoft, etc. that are available on both systems, then the One X will likely improve your experience of those games. However, if gaining access to an entirely new library of games sounds appealing, your money may better be invested in a PS4, especially if you can get a hold of a good holiday bundle. You’ll then be able to get into a great selection of games, including Horizon Zero Dawn, Yakuza.0, Spider-Man and God of War. I can’t speak to the difference between the PS4 Pro and the standard model, as my only PS4 has been the Pro. That said, games look and run well on the Pro, though it chugs at times, even with first party games when set to the higher graphics settings.

Is the Xbox One X a good investment?

In my opinion it is, but I’ve had mine since its launch. Something I would consider over the next year is that the next generation of consoles have been strongly hinted at releasing as early as 2020. Also, if you don’t have a 4K TV, you’ll still get the benefit of faster load times, smoother gameplay, and slightly enhanced graphics, but the cost is still a little high for what you’ll get.