After over a year of official teases, naming, and plenty of performance details, Microsoft is on the cusp of launching their first proper new generation of the Xbox since the Xbox One launched in 2013. Set to be released on November 10, 2020. Microsoft is going all-out on their next-generation Xbox, and they have been gracious enough to send us one for review. Sadly, that review will have to wait until close to the 10th, but they are allowing some unboxing and photos today of the new hardware, which we thought we would share with you.

The new console is a somewhat radical departure from the previous generation, with Microsoft moving to a vertical tower design that's shaped, well, like a box. Dressed in a flat black finish, it should fit quite well in most TV setups, and hopefully blend into the background. Design is of course a subjective measure, but the Xbox team has stuck with an understated design. The console can be used either vertically or horizontally, but the asymmetrical Xbox logo on the power button will be pointed the wrong way if it is used on its side.

For the console's default standing position, the new Xbox features a round podium to keep it elevated, allowing more airflow into the device. And for horizontal use, there are four rubber feet on the one side. Unlike some previous gen Xbox models, there will be no accessories needed to change the orientation, which is nice to see.

The top of the Xbox Series X features a wide-open cooling grill, with some Xbox green highlighting that can be seen from the right angles. It looks pretty good. Cooling is also helped by some wide vents on the rear of the device. With 12 TF of performance, cooling was clearly one of the key design features, and there is plenty of room for airflow.

The console's dimensions are almost exactly a 1:2 ratio, with the short sides being 151 mm / 5.94 inches, and the long edge being 301 mm / 11.85 inches. Compared to the outgoing Xbox One X, it is much taller, as the former generation console was only 60 mm tall, but the square design means it takes up a very small footprint, despite having around 50% more volume than the Xbox One X. Though it does look a bit strange when laid out horizontally, since it is much shallower than you would expect a console to be.

With the new console comes a new revision of the Xbox controller. Comparatively, this updated controller has not changed much from the previous generation, and all of the previous-generation controllers will work with the new Xbox if you have a custom one you enjoy. The new design has some subtle changes, with more texture on the grips for better control, and an updated D-pad which now includes a full circle on the D-Pad which should improve usage. There is also a new share button in the center of the controller which lets you share game clips and screenshots more easily. The controller is still powered by two AA batteries, which are included, with Microsoft opting to keep selling the rechargeable kit as an optional accessory.

The console ships with a controller, batteries, a power cord, and a 6-foot high-speed HDMI cable in the box. There is no power brick, as the power supply is internal, so the power cord is the same standard connector as shipped with the Xbox One S and One X. The rear of the unit also features a couple of USB ports for connecting storage and accessories, as well as an Ethernet jack, and the new Storage Expansion port for adding additional NVMe SSD storage without having to dig into the console itself. Somewhat sadly, but also likely to not be missed, there is no longer an HDMI input port, unlike the Xbox One range.

We will have a much deeper review coming up, so check back soon. If there is anything you’d like to see tested, let us know in the comments.

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  • NoodlesK - Wednesday, October 28, 2020 - link

    Or it could be designed to ensure hot air escapes the enclosure, not sure why they would want to do that though.
  • GreenReaper - Friday, October 30, 2020 - link

    Still fighting the last war from the Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death. :'-(
  • JCB994 - Thursday, October 29, 2020 - link

    This is a coaster also?? Who knew?? Great multi-tasking.
  • Dahak - Wednesday, October 28, 2020 - link

    Wow, guess some people got out of the wrong side of the bed / had someone piss in there cereal this morning / or maybe can't read

    No where does it say is a review.
    The specific words are "First Look" / "Unbox" and FYI this is dictated by MS and same goes for the PS5 from Sony.

    All "Reviews" are currently first look / Unboxings as they cannot do a review of the units yet.
  • Dahak - Wednesday, October 28, 2020 - link

    their **** wish for an edit button
  • wrkingclass_hero - Wednesday, October 28, 2020 - link

    Wow, an "unboxing" with no box whatsoever, just the console alone or the controller alone (but not together!) floating in a sea of white nothingness. Tremendous.
  • morello159 - Wednesday, October 28, 2020 - link

    Holy crap the entitlement in these comments.... as if you're owed anything from a tech blog...
  • Jumpedup - Wednesday, October 28, 2020 - link

    No optical out, no Kinect support and no hdmi in means it is not a drop in for my One X. I have three Xbox Ones and none of them will be upgraded.
  • Calista - Wednesday, October 28, 2020 - link

    A bit embarrassing they are not shipping the controllers with rechargeable batteries in the year 2020. Sony did it in 2006 with the PS3. Yeah, I know rechargeable batteries can be bought afterwards, but MS is asking €25 for them which is more than likely like ten times the cost of manufacturing.
  • lmcd - Thursday, October 29, 2020 - link

    I prefer my rechargeable AA batteries personally. The non-standard battery phenomenon only makes sense on devices not expected to last more than 3-4 years. My Xbox One controllers are older than that.

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