With the launch of the next-generation consoles less than two weeks away, we finally got our hands on the final, retail versions of Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles. As is custom, we had to tenderly unbox them, display them, line them up alongside one another, and spend an inordinate amount of time photographing and filming them at their best angles. So without further ado, here are some photos and impressions from the unboxing, with the video coming as the poor editor figures out how many times I mixed up “One S” and “One X” with “Series S” and “Series X” while talking.

*Made in collaboration with Glitched

The packaging and retail boxes

It’s clear Microsoft wants to ensure nothing happens to their new consoles during shipping, retail/warehouse packing, and customer deliveries. They arrived in hefty carboard boxes able to withstand most knocks – with a pretty Xbox-themed inner pattern – that snuggly protected the retail packaging. The retail box feels like a continuation of the Xbox One X/Xbox One S black-and-white designs (assuming you haven't gotten a console with a promotional skin), following the same basic design and information layout as far back as the chunky launch Xbox One.



The Series S packaging is slimmer, lighter, crisp white, and – considering the all-digital nature – highlights titles from the Xbox Game Pass library prominently on the back. You’ll find all the symbols and descriptions of next-gen features intact (Xbox Velocity Architecture, Smart Delivery, Ray Tracing, Variable Rate Shading, Fast Resume, Spatial Audio, HDR, and support for up to 120FPS), total storage indicated as 512 GB, and there was a curious circle with a line through it that I quickly realized meant “no disc drive”.



The Series X goes for a black and dark-green colour scheme, highlighting the patterned exhaust vents on the top of console on the front, and the upcoming Halo Infinite on the back. It too highlights the same next-gen feature set but prominently displays “4K”, seeing as its budget sibling is targeting 1440p instead. Both consoles also indicate that the 2.1 HDMI port can output 8K/120, which’ll no doubt be useful as streaming services continue to push for higher fidelity content.


What’s in the box?

Folding open the retail box, both consoles are nestled in a cardboard frame, shrouded in an anti-static sleeve, positioned right in the centre of the packaging, further ensuring they’ll remain safe (even if customs has done a hack-job of inspecting it and denting the corners). Starting with the Series S, you’ll find the absurdly small, light (~2 kg), yet dense console under a “Power Your Dreams” label (presumably Microsoft’s new marketing tag line). Within a carboard enclosure alongside the console you'll find the gamepad, power cables, and a high-speed HDMI cable. The Series X has similar packaging configuration, albeit it for a much heftier console at ~4.5 kg and sports an ultra-high-speed HDMI cable.



Both consoles are aiming for an understated design, blending in with other electronics rather than standing out. The Series S, in particular, feels like an evolution of the One S; half the size but retaining the cooling fan design, now accentuated by black finish on the top of the console. The Series X, on the other hand, is its own beast when compared to the One X. It has the same matt black finish but the distinct rectangular shape, layout of the I/O ports, and prominent green cooling vents on the top of the console give it the appearance of a PC Mini Tower instead of a console.


The consoles

As I alluded to above, the Series S is tiny given its specifications (6.5 x 15.1 x 27.5 cm), with intake vents on the side and base, and the primary fan extracting air through the top of the console. The front is simple: the Xbox logo which is your power button, there's a sync button for accessories, and a USB 3.1 type-A port. On the back, you’ll find the figure-8 power port, a 2.1 HDMI-out port, two additional 3.1 USB type-A ports, an ethernet port, and the proprietary expansion slot for more storage. Although it has the option to stand vertically, the Series S feels more stable on its side without some sort of base accessory. For those who hate rummaging behind their consoles to change cables, or if you suffer from any visual impairments, you’ll find each port has a raised symbol above it so you can identify it by feel (this is also found on the Series X, of course).



In contrast, the Series X is still relatively compact (15.1 x 15.1 x 30.1 cm) but heavy. There are large cooling intake vents behind the base-plate and on the back of the console near the I/O ports, with the internal vapour cooling chamber and primary fan extracting air through the top of the console. The front is again simple: the Xbox logo functions as your power button, there’s the sync button for gamepads, and single USB 3.1 type-A port, and – unlike its all-digital sibling – a 4K Blu-ray drive and eject button. Despite the different positioning, you’ll find the same I/O ports on the back as the Series S (figure-8 power, 2.1 HDMI, two additional 3.1 USB type-A, ethernet port, and proprietary expansion slot). Although the Series X has several soft pads one side for horizontal positioning, it looks best kept upright.



At this point it’s worth noting a few caveats. For those interested in the Series S, the lack of a Blu-ray drive means you need to be committed to digital purchases or the Xbox Game Pass subscription (and your backwards compatibility library needs to be digital too). There’s no longer an HDMI-in port, but the rise of streaming services makes this feature redundant. For those who connect their current Xbox console to an audio system by TOSLINK cable, there’s no optical audio port. Finally, you've got to pick a side in the eternal conflict: a black console that highlights fingerprints easily, or a white console that highlights dust easily.


The gamepad

“If it ain’t broke…” seems to be the approach Microsoft has taken with their next-gen gamepads. In terms of shape and heft, they’re almost identical to the Xbox One gamepads – black for Series X and white for Series S – but have a few much-needed tweaks. As someone who’s enjoyed Microsoft’s heavier gamepads, offset analog sticks, and actual trigger-shaped triggers since the Xbox 360 generation, they’ve almost perfected the design. The gamepad has textured grips and triggers to prevent slip, the d-pad is now an octagonal-hybrid for more versatility, and there’s a dedicated “share” button that makes it much easier to take screenshots or start a recording in the midst of gameplay.



One of the benefits to Microsoft’s attempt to create continuity between generations is that all Xbox One S|X accessories are compatible with the Series S|X. If you need a second gamepad for some couch coop, just sync your old Xbox One gamepad. If you invested in an Xbox Elite Gamepad, you’re not going to have to fork out again this generation for the premium experience. Gamepads still have a 3.5 mm audio jack, so you can make use of spatial audio using a standard headset, using the Sonic for Windows or Dolby Atmos audio functions.


Final thoughts

Overall, Microsoft’s approach to continuity between generations has paid off with two expertly-packed, well-designed consoles – albeit consoles with a no-frills look and feel. They both feel well-constructed in hand, they’re simple to set up with a bare minimum of cabling, and they integrate with your existing Xbox library and accessories seamlessly. The fact they’re offering both a budget and a premium console can only help increase next-gen uptake at launch, so now we have to wait and see how a packed holiday-season worth of games play on them.

Finally, I'd like to give a shout-out to the camera and editing team who generated a ton of great footage to use.