theverge--2020-11-05--Xbox Series S review: small console, big potential

The Xbox Series S is the smallest Xbox Microsoft has ever created .
It ’ s also the Xbox with the biggest questions hanging over it .
Microsoft surprised everyone with this smaller , cheaper next-gen Xbox , promising that the Series S is “ designed to play games at 1440p at 60 frames per second.
” At $ 299 , the Xbox Series S looks , on paper , like a budget entry into the next generation of Xbox games .
But the reality is a little more complicated .
The Series S shares most of the same internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That means you get load time improvements , games that run smoother , and the promise of up to 120fps in certain titles .
The big difference is the GPU power involved , which , in reality , means most people will need to pair this tiny Xbox with a 1080p TV or monitor .
This is a console for those who don ’ t care about 4K , but questions over its capabilities still remain for me .
Will this console hold back next-gen games ?
Will it do ray tracing well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xbox Series S is a small console with big potential and a whole lot of questions left unanswered for now .
When I first unboxed the Xbox Series S , I was shocked at the size .
It ’ s really tiny , and I adore the robotic white design .
The Xbox Series S is just 275mm ( 10.8 inches ) tall , 151mm ( 5.9 inches ) deep , and 63.5mm ( 2.5 inches ) wide in a vertical position .
Microsoft has placed rubber feet in both vertical and horizontal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vents for cooling .
Unlike the larger Series X , I think the Xbox Series S looks great in both orientations .
It can also fit comfortably into my TV stand , and it feels like it has been designed to fit a normal person ’ s living room , rather than taking it over like the PS5 and Xbox Series X do .
At the rear , there are two USB ports , an Ethernet port , a storage expansion slot , and HDMI 2.1 out .
Microsoft has added Braille bumps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is a great move for accessibility .
At the front , there ’ s a single USB port and no disc drive .
That ’ s the first big difference on the Xbox Series S besides just size : you won ’ t be able to use any Xbox game discs you already own .
You ’ ll need to own digital versions of games and continue to buy games through Microsoft ’ s digital store .
Sadly , the Xbox Series S doesn ’ t support Wi-Fi 6 , and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a shame for future-proofing , but I think most people will miss the disc drive here more than improvements to Wi-Fi and USB ports .
The most attention-grabbing feature of the Xbox Series S design is the speaker-like black circle at the top .
It ’ s the main fan for the Series S , and it ’ s where heat exhausts out of the console .
I ’ ve only ever heard a gentle hum from the Series S , and I ’ ve never heard the fans really kick in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I ’ d say the Xbox Series S exhausts warmer air than the larger Series X.
It ’ s not to the point where it ’ s too hot to touch , but I wouldn ’ t want to enclose this deep inside a TV stand where airflow is restricted .
The other piece of hardware that comes in the box with the Series S is an updated white controller .
It ’ s very similar to the Xbox One version , with an updated D-pad , textured grips , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a USB-C port .
The share button lets you quickly share clips or screenshots with friends , much like on a PS4 , while you ’ ll need to purchase a rechargeable play-and-charge kit separately ( $ 24.99 ) if you want to take advantage of USB-C — the controller runs on AA batteries by default .
Much like the larger Xbox Series X , the Series S includes a more powerful CPU and SSD storage .
Both of these hardware improvements combine with 4 teraflops of GPU performance to improve existing games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ load times for most games .
Destiny 2 , which has not yet been optimized for this console , loads in just 39 seconds on the Series S. Optimized games like Sea of Thieves load in 20 seconds , and Forza Horizon 4 takes 42 seconds to get into racing .
I ’ ve noticed similar improvements to existing games on the Series S that I ’ ve seen on the Series X .
Games that are currently locked to 30fps will mostly maintain these frame rates more reliably than an Xbox One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ optimized for the Series S yet , but it feels smoother and menus are more responsive .
I ’ ve also tried a variety of optimized Xbox Series S games , including Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 4 .
Both hit 60fps at 1080p on the Series S , and not the 1440p target that Microsoft promised for this console .
Sea of Thieves feels like I ’ m playing on a PC at times , thanks to the smooth gameplay .
Forza Horizon 4 also feels much smoother than what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ S version of the game running at 30fps .
Unfortunately , most games will run as if they were Xbox One S games and won ’ t benefit from the enhancements Microsoft made with the Xbox One X.
That ’ s mostly because the Series S isn ’ t targeting 4K , and most of the One X enhancements were geared toward 4K resolution and HDR .
That means , a lot of the time , the Xbox Series S still feels like an Xbox One S. Titles that use dynamic resolution scaling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resolution target more often , but without testing the thousands of games available , it ’ s hard to pick out big changes here .
The changes I noticed the most came from the optimized games I ’ ve been testing , and they provide a glimpse at what ’ s possible on the Xbox Series S. Gears 5 and Dirt 5 also demonstrate the ability for the Series S to deliver smooth 120fps gaming .
The versus multiplayer mode of Gears 5 runs at 120fps on the Series S , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available on the Xbox One S right now .
Dirt 5 also runs in a 120fps mode , reducing the input latency when you ’ re cornering with the various cars in the game .
These optimized games and 120Hz modes really demonstrate the potential for the Xbox Series S , but if you ’ re planning to pair the Series S with a 1440p or 1080p high refresh monitor , I would check to make sure it supports 120Hz over the HDMI port .
My own 1440p monitor runs at 165Hz via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s limited to just 60Hz .
Most modern monitors should include HDMI 2.0 , but a lot of high refresh rate gaming monitors have shipped in recent years without HDMI 2.0 support .
The Xbox Series S upscales games to 4K resolution quite well While the Xbox Series S isn ’ t designed to be a 4K console , I ’ ve spent a lot of time using it on a 4K TV .
Some titles like Destiny 2 don ’ t look that great automatically upscaled to a 4K TV , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Legion , looked good to me .
I imagine my OLED display helps mask a lot of the resolution imperfections in Watch Dogs : Legion though , as the game is set in London where it ’ s regularly dark and raining .
I should note here that while I was testing Watch Dogs : Legion on the Xbox Series S , Microsoft disabled the game midway through the review period .
Before that , Watch Dogs : Legion had managed to totally lock up my console , turning it off entirely once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was playing it .
I reported these issues , and it turns out , this version of Watch Dogs : Legion will include an optimized patch for Series S at launch .
The version I had been testing “ is not representative of the experience players will have on Xbox Series X|S , ” Microsoft says .
I wasn ’ t able to replicate any similar crashes or issues with other games I tested on the Xbox Series S , so it looks like this was limited to this build of Watch Dogs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been crashing Xbox One X consoles and PCs , it clearly has larger stability issues .
Just like the Series X , there ’ s a trend emerging for next-gen Xbox games that offer much more choice and flexibility .
Dirt 5 , Gears 5 , and Yakuza : Like a Dragon all offer a choice between higher frame rates or visual quality .
I ’ m hoping this trend continues across both the Series X and Series S. One trend with the Xbox Series S I ’ ve also spotted is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1080p at 60fps instead of 1440p at 60fps .
Microsoft made a big deal about this being a 1440p console , but Sea of Thieves , Forza Horizon 4 , Fortnite , Watch Dogs : Legion , and For Honor will all run at 1080p instead .
Yakuza : Like a Dragon and Gears Tactics are exceptions to what looks like the normal , but Yakuza only hits 1440p at 30fps .
I ’ d like to imagine developers are simply targeting 1080p , as that ’ s what most people will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it ’ s a relatively easy lift .
I ’ m surprised that Microsoft ’ s own first-party games like Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 4 aren ’ t hitting 1440p , though .
I ’ m hoping I ’ ll be proved wrong , and we ’ ll see lots of 1440p games for the Xbox Series S in the coming months , but I have a feeling this is very much going to be a 1080p console .
Two of the biggest benefits of the Xbox Series S over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new Quick Resume feature .
SSD storage boosts load times and performance , and I ’ m really glad Microsoft picked this for the cheaper Series S. While it ’ s great to have the fast speeds , I don ’ t think there ’ s enough storage space on the Series S for most people .
You only get 364GB of usable storage on the Series S. I have six games installed on the Series S , and it ’ s almost full .
Call of Duty : Warzone and Destiny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving little space for more games .
Even if we estimate that the average AAA game is around 50GB , that ’ s still only seven games in total .
Microsoft has promised that Xbox Series S game install sizes will be around 30 percent smaller than the Series X , but I ’ ve noticed Gears 5 is 76.4GB on both the Series S and Series X. I hope games do get a lot smaller , but for now , the storage will be a problem for many .
You can offload @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them back to the internal storage when you want to play them , but most would benefit from the expandable storage here .
The only option to expand the Xbox Series S storage is a 1TB expansion card priced at $ 219 .
That ’ s nearly three-quarters of the price of the console itself ; combined , it ’ s nearly $ 520 for the Series S and additional storage .
That ’ s more than the $ 499 price of the Xbox Series X , which comes with twice as much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release an Xbox Series S with 1TB of storage or introduce more sizes of expandable storage for this console .
Either of these options , including buying USB storage , will cost you more money , though .
If you do manage to fill up the Xbox Series S with plenty of games , you ’ ll be able to quickly switch between them , thanks to Quick Resume .
It suspends games and saves them to disk after you switch to another title , meaning you can switch back and , 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to play .
I think this is the best new feature across the Xbox Series S and X , and when it works , it works really well .
Unfortunately , not all games support it .
GTA V , Sea of Thieves , Forza Horizon 4 , and many others don ’ t support Quick Resume .
Microsoft is still working to enable Quick Resume on a number of games due to a “ recently discovered platform bug , ” so updates should arrive after launch .
While most games should support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not clear which missing ones will get updated .
I also ran into an issue with Quick Resume on Gears 5 during my final day of testing where it failed to load the game and presented a “ something went wrong ” error .
After launching the game again , twice , it finally loaded properly without my Quick Resume point .
I ran into issues like these frequently with the Xbox Series X preview unit , but this is the only time I ’ ve experienced the software problem on a retail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Series S also includes the same dashboard as the Series X .
If you ’ re an Xbox One user , it looks identical , as Microsoft has kept the same interface and features here .
It definitely feels like it performs faster , and I think the general improvements that have been made to the Xbox dashboard in recent months have helped here .
I still find the Xbox guide cumbersome to use sometimes , though .
Microsoft could do with offering more customization options here and simplifying the interface further .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sharing of clips greatly improved .
The Xbox Series S has a new share button , but it still takes far too long for clips and screenshots to be uploaded to Microsoft ’ s Xbox Live service for you to share them .
This is a problem that exists on the Xbox One , and I ’ ve had to wait minutes for clips to be available , despite having a fast 1Gbps upload at home .
On my gaming PC , I can instantly stream clips or my screen to friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feels old and slow in comparison .
I ’ m a big fan of this Xbox Series S design , and the console delivers a great value for $ 299 .
If you own an original Xbox One , you ’ ll immediately see the benefits of load times , faster frame rates , and generally smoother gameplay in most games .
Much like the Xbox Series X , it feels like upgrading a PC if you move from an Xbox One .
All accessories work , as do games , and many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This will be a significant upgrade for many games , but don ’ t expect to buy the Series S for the latest and greatest graphics .
This is absolutely a 1080p console , right now .
I ’ m puzzled why Microsoft said the Series S is “ designed to play games at 1440p at 60 frames per second.
” That might be true in the future , but right now , some of its own studios have chosen to optimize and target 1080p , and lots of third-party developers are doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A 1440p target would deliver crisper imagery at 1080p and even far better upscaling to 4K if you really wanted to push the Series S. There ’ s clearly potential for the Series S to deliver 1440p , as Gears Tactics shows .
But given the vast majority of Series S owners won ’ t even use a 1440p display , I can sort of understand the 1080p choices being made .
I ’ m just hoping games for the Series S move more toward 1440p , and not the sub 1080p direction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential here , but also lots of questions It feels like the Series S has a lot of potential but not enough games to fully realize what this smaller Xbox can do .
I ’ m hoping to see more games offer 120fps modes on the Series S , choices for graphical settings , and ray tracing .
There ’ s a lot of promise here , but it feels too early to say exactly how the Series S will perform in this next generation .
The storage situation will also make this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others toward the Series X or even the $ 399 digital PS5 .
But the Series S feels like the ideal console for Xbox Game Pass , until xCloud is really a thing people can use reliably on their TVs .
Xbox Game Pass includes more than 100 games , and the $ 299 price tag makes it more affordable to dig into this giant library and play some older classics and even Microsoft ’ s latest titles at smoother frame rates and with way faster load times .
The Xbox Series S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The use case for this console isn ’ t as obvious as some might think .
It ’ s not necessarily the best budget option , thanks to the storage situation .
Yet , it looks ideal for a bedroom TV , for Xbox Game Pass , or as a Fortnite console .
If you can deal with the storage and you ’ re only playing on a 1080p TV , then this should make Xbox games shine like never before .
I ’ m just not sure what else it will deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re all excited about .

Part of / The Verge guide to the PS5 and Xbox Series X
The Xbox Series S is the smallest Xbox Microsoft has ever created. It’s also the Xbox with the biggest questions hanging over it. Microsoft surprised everyone with this smaller, cheaper next-gen Xbox, promising that the Series S is “designed to play games at 1440p at 60 frames per second.” At $299, the Xbox Series S looks, on paper, like a budget entry into the next generation of Xbox games. But the reality is a little more complicated.
The Series S shares most of the same internal components as the larger Series X. That means you get load time improvements, games that run smoother, and the promise of up to 120fps in certain titles. The big difference is the GPU power involved, which, in reality, means most people will need to pair this tiny Xbox with a 1080p TV or monitor. This is a console for those who don’t care about 4K, but questions over its capabilities still remain for me. Will this console hold back next-gen games? Will it do ray tracing well? Will it hit 1440p?
The Xbox Series S is a small console with big potential and a whole lot of questions left unanswered for now.
The Xbox Series S has a great robot white design.
Hardware
The Xbox Series S doesn’t have a disc drive.
Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles.
The Xbox Series S is a lot smaller than the Series X.
When I first unboxed the Xbox Series S, I was shocked at the size. It’s really tiny, and I adore the robotic white design. The Xbox Series S is just 275mm (10.8 inches) tall, 151mm (5.9 inches) deep, and 63.5mm (2.5 inches) wide in a vertical position. Microsoft has placed rubber feet in both vertical and horizontal positions, and there are plenty of vents for cooling. Unlike the larger Series X, I think the Xbox Series S looks great in both orientations. It can also fit comfortably into my TV stand, and it feels like it has been designed to fit a normal person’s living room, rather than taking it over like the PS5 and Xbox Series X do.
At the rear, there are two USB ports, an Ethernet port, a storage expansion slot, and HDMI 2.1 out. Microsoft has added Braille bumps next to the rear ports here, which is a great move for accessibility. At the front, there’s a single USB port and no disc drive. That’s the first big difference on the Xbox Series S besides just size: you won’t be able to use any Xbox game discs you already own. You’ll need to own digital versions of games and continue to buy games through Microsoft’s digital store.
The Xbox Series S doesn’t include a disc drive
Sadly, the Xbox Series S doesn’t support Wi-Fi 6, and there are no USB-C ports. That’s a shame for future-proofing, but I think most people will miss the disc drive here more than improvements to Wi-Fi and USB ports.
The most attention-grabbing feature of the Xbox Series S design is the speaker-like black circle at the top. It’s the main fan for the Series S, and it’s where heat exhausts out of the console. I’ve only ever heard a gentle hum from the Series S, and I’ve never heard the fans really kick in during gameplay.
In terms of heat, I’d say the Xbox Series S exhausts warmer air than the larger Series X. It’s not to the point where it’s too hot to touch, but I wouldn’t want to enclose this deep inside a TV stand where airflow is restricted.
The other piece of hardware that comes in the box with the Series S is an updated white controller. It’s very similar to the Xbox One version, with an updated D-pad, textured grips, and the addition of a new share button and a USB-C port. The share button lets you quickly share clips or screenshots with friends, much like on a PS4, while you’ll need to purchase a rechargeable play-and-charge kit separately ($24.99) if you want to take advantage of USB-C — the controller runs on AA batteries by default.
The Xbox Series S laying horizontally.
Games and optimizations
Much like the larger Xbox Series X, the Series S includes a more powerful CPU and SSD storage. Both of these hardware improvements combine with 4 teraflops of GPU performance to improve existing games. This results in dramatic improvements to load times for most games. Destiny 2, which has not yet been optimized for this console, loads in just 39 seconds on the Series S. Optimized games like Sea of Thieves load in 20 seconds, and Forza Horizon 4 takes 42 seconds to get into racing.
I’ve noticed similar improvements to existing games on the Series S that I’ve seen on the Series X. Games that are currently locked to 30fps will mostly maintain these frame rates more reliably than an Xbox One S. Destiny 2 hasn’t been optimized for the Series S yet, but it feels smoother and menus are more responsive.
I’ve also tried a variety of optimized Xbox Series S games, including Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 4. Both hit 60fps at 1080p on the Series S, and not the 1440p target that Microsoft promised for this console. Sea of Thieves feels like I’m playing on a PC at times, thanks to the smooth gameplay. Forza Horizon 4 also feels much smoother than what I’ve experienced on the Xbox One S version of the game running at 30fps.
Unfortunately, most games will run as if they were Xbox One S games and won’t benefit from the enhancements Microsoft made with the Xbox One X. That’s mostly because the Series S isn’t targeting 4K, and most of the One X enhancements were geared toward 4K resolution and HDR.
Forza Horizon 4 on the Xbox Series S runs at 60fps.
That means, a lot of the time, the Xbox Series S still feels like an Xbox One S. Titles that use dynamic resolution scaling will also benefit from hitting the max resolution target more often, but without testing the thousands of games available, it’s hard to pick out big changes here. The changes I noticed the most came from the optimized games I’ve been testing, and they provide a glimpse at what’s possible on the Xbox Series S.
Gears 5 and Dirt 5 also demonstrate the ability for the Series S to deliver smooth 120fps gaming. The versus multiplayer mode of Gears 5 runs at 120fps on the Series S, and it feels far smoother than what’s available on the Xbox One S right now. Dirt 5 also runs in a 120fps mode, reducing the input latency when you’re cornering with the various cars in the game.
These optimized games and 120Hz modes really demonstrate the potential for the Xbox Series S, but if you’re planning to pair the Series S with a 1440p or 1080p high refresh monitor, I would check to make sure it supports 120Hz over the HDMI port. My own 1440p monitor runs at 165Hz via DisplayPort, but over HDMI, it’s limited to just 60Hz. Most modern monitors should include HDMI 2.0, but a lot of high refresh rate gaming monitors have shipped in recent years without HDMI 2.0 support.
The Xbox Series S upscales games to 4K resolution quite well
While the Xbox Series S isn’t designed to be a 4K console, I’ve spent a lot of time using it on a 4K TV. Some titles like Destiny 2 don’t look that great automatically upscaled to a 4K TV, but others, like Watch Dogs: Legion, looked good to me. I imagine my OLED display helps mask a lot of the resolution imperfections in Watch Dogs: Legion though, as the game is set in London where it’s regularly dark and raining.
I should note here that while I was testing Watch Dogs: Legion on the Xbox Series S, Microsoft disabled the game midway through the review period. Before that, Watch Dogs: Legion had managed to totally lock up my console, turning it off entirely once. It also crashed frequently while I was playing it. I reported these issues, and it turns out, this version of Watch Dogs: Legion will include an optimized patch for Series S at launch. The version I had been testing “is not representative of the experience players will have on Xbox Series X|S,” Microsoft says.
Dirt 5 supports 120fps on the Xbox Series S.
I wasn’t able to replicate any similar crashes or issues with other games I tested on the Xbox Series S, so it looks like this was limited to this build of Watch Dogs: Legion. Given the game has been crashing Xbox One X consoles and PCs, it clearly has larger stability issues.
Just like the Series X, there’s a trend emerging for next-gen Xbox games that offer much more choice and flexibility. Dirt 5, Gears 5, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon all offer a choice between higher frame rates or visual quality. I’m hoping this trend continues across both the Series X and Series S.
One trend with the Xbox Series S I’ve also spotted is that most optimized games appear to be targeting 1080p at 60fps instead of 1440p at 60fps. Microsoft made a big deal about this being a 1440p console, but Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 4, Fortnite, Watch Dogs: Legion, and For Honor will all run at 1080p instead. Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Gears Tactics are exceptions to what looks like the normal, but Yakuza only hits 1440p at 30fps.
I’d like to imagine developers are simply targeting 1080p, as that’s what most people will be using the Xbox Series S for, and it’s a relatively easy lift. I’m surprised that Microsoft’s own first-party games like Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 4 aren’t hitting 1440p, though. I’m hoping I’ll be proved wrong, and we’ll see lots of 1440p games for the Xbox Series S in the coming months, but I have a feeling this is very much going to be a 1080p console.
The Xbox Series S has a large black cooling system that exhausts air.
Storage, software, and Quick Resume
Agree to Continue: Xbox Series X and Series S Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them, since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate. To start using an Xbox Series X or Series S: You need a Microsoft Account and have to agree to Microsoft’s terms of service.
You must agree to send diagnostic data to Microsoft (basic game or app errors).
You must agree to share usage data with game or app publishers. You can also say yes or no to: Optional usage data sent to Microsoft That’s three mandatory agreements and one optional one to use an Xbox Series X or Series S.
Two of the biggest benefits of the Xbox Series S over the existing Xbox One are storage and a new Quick Resume feature. SSD storage boosts load times and performance, and I’m really glad Microsoft picked this for the cheaper Series S. While it’s great to have the fast speeds, I don’t think there’s enough storage space on the Series S for most people.
You only get 364GB of usable storage on the Series S. I have six games installed on the Series S, and it’s almost full. Call of Duty: Warzone and Destiny 2 take up over 100GB each, leaving little space for more games. Even if we estimate that the average AAA game is around 50GB, that’s still only seven games in total.
Microsoft has promised that Xbox Series S game install sizes will be around 30 percent smaller than the Series X, but I’ve noticed Gears 5 is 76.4GB on both the Series S and Series X. I hope games do get a lot smaller, but for now, the storage will be a problem for many. You can offload games to USB storage and then switch them back to the internal storage when you want to play them, but most would benefit from the expandable storage here.
The only option to expand the Xbox Series S storage is a 1TB expansion card priced at $219. That’s nearly three-quarters of the price of the console itself; combined, it’s nearly $520 for the Series S and additional storage. That’s more than the $499 price of the Xbox Series X, which comes with twice as much built-in storage. Microsoft needs to either release an Xbox Series S with 1TB of storage or introduce more sizes of expandable storage for this console. Either of these options, including buying USB storage, will cost you more money, though.
If you do manage to fill up the Xbox Series S with plenty of games, you’ll be able to quickly switch between them, thanks to Quick Resume. It suspends games and saves them to disk after you switch to another title, meaning you can switch back and, 10 seconds later, your game is ready to play.
Quick Resume on the Xbox Series S.
I think this is the best new feature across the Xbox Series S and X, and when it works, it works really well. Unfortunately, not all games support it. GTA V, Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 4, and many others don’t support Quick Resume. Microsoft is still working to enable Quick Resume on a number of games due to a “recently discovered platform bug,” so updates should arrive after launch. While most games should support Quick Resume, it’s still not clear which missing ones will get updated.
I also ran into an issue with Quick Resume on Gears 5 during my final day of testing where it failed to load the game and presented a “something went wrong” error. After launching the game again, twice, it finally loaded properly without my Quick Resume point. I ran into issues like these frequently with the Xbox Series X preview unit, but this is the only time I’ve experienced the software problem on a retail unit.
Speaking of software, the Series S also includes the same dashboard as the Series X. If you’re an Xbox One user, it looks identical, as Microsoft has kept the same interface and features here. It definitely feels like it performs faster, and I think the general improvements that have been made to the Xbox dashboard in recent months have helped here.
I still find the Xbox guide cumbersome to use sometimes, though. Microsoft could do with offering more customization options here and simplifying the interface further. I’d also like to see the sharing of clips greatly improved. The Xbox Series S has a new share button, but it still takes far too long for clips and screenshots to be uploaded to Microsoft’s Xbox Live service for you to share them.
This is a problem that exists on the Xbox One, and I’ve had to wait minutes for clips to be available, despite having a fast 1Gbps upload at home. On my gaming PC, I can instantly stream clips or my screen to friends on Discord, and the Xbox process feels old and slow in comparison.
The Xbox Series S can stand vertically or horizontally.
A lot of potential
I’m a big fan of this Xbox Series S design, and the console delivers a great value for $299. If you own an original Xbox One, you’ll immediately see the benefits of load times, faster frame rates, and generally smoother gameplay in most games.
Much like the Xbox Series X, it feels like upgrading a PC if you move from an Xbox One. All accessories work, as do games, and many will run even better than before. This will be a significant upgrade for many games, but don’t expect to buy the Series S for the latest and greatest graphics.
This is absolutely a 1080p console, right now. I’m puzzled why Microsoft said the Series S is “designed to play games at 1440p at 60 frames per second.” That might be true in the future, but right now, some of its own studios have chosen to optimize and target 1080p, and lots of third-party developers are doing the same for Series S games.
A 1440p target would deliver crisper imagery at 1080p and even far better upscaling to 4K if you really wanted to push the Series S. There’s clearly potential for the Series S to deliver 1440p, as Gears Tactics shows. But given the vast majority of Series S owners won’t even use a 1440p display, I can sort of understand the 1080p choices being made. I’m just hoping games for the Series S move more toward 1440p, and not the sub 1080p direction.
There’s a lot of potential here, but also lots of questions
It feels like the Series S has a lot of potential but not enough games to fully realize what this smaller Xbox can do. I’m hoping to see more games offer 120fps modes on the Series S, choices for graphical settings, and ray tracing. There’s a lot of promise here, but it feels too early to say exactly how the Series S will perform in this next generation.
The storage situation will also make this a difficult purchase for some and steer others toward the Series X or even the $399 digital PS5. But the Series S feels like the ideal console for Xbox Game Pass, until xCloud is really a thing people can use reliably on their TVs. Xbox Game Pass includes more than 100 games, and the $299 price tag makes it more affordable to dig into this giant library and play some older classics and even Microsoft’s latest titles at smoother frame rates and with way faster load times.


theverge--2020-11-05--Xbox Series X review: a next-gen PC

Xbox Series X review: a next-gen PC

Microsoft ’ s new Xbox Series X console is designed to usher in a new era of gaming .
We affectionally call it the “ next gen ” every time a big leap in console hardware arrives , promising new games and things we ’ ve never seen before .
The Xbox Series X will undoubtedly deliver those in time , but for now , the big launch games , flashy new graphics , and next-gen games are still on their way .
In the meantime , Microsoft has built what feels like an exciting PC upgrade experience in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes the closest I ’ ve ever witnessed to re-creating the superior PC experience of playing games , thanks to SSD storage , a far more powerful CPU , 120Hz support , and impressive backward compatibility features that improve existing games .
This is all inside a $ 499 box that ’ s quieter and far easier to use and maintain than the $ 3,000 gaming PC I built a few weeks ago .
There ’ s a reason the Xbox Series X even looks like a PC — it ’ s because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has squeezed all of the components of the Xbox Series X into a boxy , rectangular , tower-like case .
It looks like a compact PC but with an unassuming design that looks far better standing vertically than it does laying horizontally ( just like most PCs ) .
The base of the Xbox Series X isn ’ t removable , and ( unlike the PS5 ) the console is not designed to be opened up .
When placed horizontally , it ’ s fair to say that the Xbox Series X looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permanently attached .
I ’ m not in love with the design , but I ’ m also not bothered by it .
It ’ s a black box you stick under your TV and forget about , as long as you ’ re able to fit it under your TV .
There are two USB ports at the rear alongside an Ethernet port , a storage expansion slot , and HDMI 2.1 out .
At the front , there ’ s a single USB port and the 4K Blu-ray drive .
Microsoft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the ports on the Xbox Series X , a nice touch for accessibility .
I would have liked to have seen USB-C here or even the clever HDMI passthrough system from the Xbox One days , but neither is a major omission .
Sadly , the Xbox Series X doesn ’ t support Wi-Fi 6 , which would have been great future-proofing for many .
I haven ’ t noticed any issues with heat or noise on the Series X. Microsoft has placed the Xbox Series X exhaust fan at the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plastic cover that makes it look like there ’ s an LED up top .
I ’ ve never once heard this fan , which is surprising since my Xbox One X can get pretty loud in certain games .
Yet , the Series X has remained silent throughout the weeks I ’ ve been using it .
The heat exhausting from the top is very similar to what I ’ ve felt on the Xbox One X , and it has never been too hot to touch .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and fans in just a few weeks of use , but I don ’ t have any immediate causes for concern .
I have mostly been using the Series X outside of a TV stand where air can flow easily , so it hasn ’ t been squeezed inside a unit .
I think most people are going to need to think about positioning and airflow with these next-gen consoles , just like you would with a giant gaming PC .
The only other hardware that ’ s new with the Xbox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storage expansion cards .
( More on these in the next section . )
The updated controller is very similar to the Xbox One version , with an updated D-pad , textured grips , and the addition of a new share button and a USB-C port .
The share button lets you quickly share clips or screenshots with friends , much like on a PS4 , while you ’ ll need to purchase a rechargeable play-and-charge kit separately ( $ 24.99 ) if you really want to take advantage of USB-C — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Load times are incredibly good on the Xbox Series X compared to what we ’ re used to on current consoles .
The Xbox Series X utilizes a greatly improved CPU that works in tandem with the SSD to help games load far faster than the current Xbox One X. I ’ ve noticed load time improvements across every game I ’ ve used on the Series X .
Some are dramatically faster in terms of minutes saved waiting for a game or a level within a game to load .
Others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there , but they all add up to more time spent playing games instead of waiting for them to load .
I ’ m used to the speedy load times from PC SSDs , but I ’ m still impressed with the Series X load times .
Games like Sea of Thieves and Destiny 2 load in less than half the time they do on the Xbox One X .
Even older games like GTA V load a lot faster than before .
While the Xbox Series X comes equipped with 1TB of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it .
That ’ s actually slightly more than the 780GB of usable space on the Xbox One X , even with Microsoft reserving space for the OS and new Quick Resume feature that lets you swap between games in around 10 seconds or less .
Microsoft is also using a proprietary storage expansion slot on the Xbox Series X , and so far , only Seagate has been confirmed as a partner for the $ 219.99 1TB cards that slot into the rear of the console .
The usable space on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again , space is reserved for Quick Resume .
Games that have been specifically updated for the Xbox Series X make use of Microsoft ’ s new Velocity Architecture to get the most performance out of the system ’ s SSD , so you can ’ t run them off USB storage .
The vast majority of backward-compatible games , however , don ’ t use Velocity Architecture , meaning they can be played directly off a USB drive — unless they get a Series X update in the future .
That means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improvements are thanks to the SSD and CPU alone , not the new APIs Microsoft has implemented that should improve load times even more in the future .
It also means that if some of your older games don ’ t get updated for the Velocity Architecture , then you could just run them freely from USB storage .
You ’ ll see plenty of load time improvements this way — providing you ’ re using fast USB SSD storage drives — and some may even come very close to the times you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These load times and CPU improvements , alongside a big bump to 12 teraflops of GPU performance , all contribute to an experience in existing games that feels a lot smoother .
That could mean a jump from 30fps to 60fps in games like Fallout 4 , or menus and planet load times in Destiny 2 suddenly being on par with PC .
These improvements also mean that most titles with poor performance on an Xbox One should hit a stable 30fps at the minimum .
A lot of frame rate drops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Xbox One X have simply disappeared with the Xbox Series X , thanks to the hardware boost .
I ’ ve noticed Apex Legends , Warframe , and Destiny 2 all dipping less at demanding points .
A number of Xbox Series X optimization patches will be available when the console launches on November 10th , and I ’ ve had a chance to test both Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 4 .
Both games are transformed by these updates , moving from 30fps to 60fps .
Sea of Thieves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result , or like you ’ re playing on a PC .
That ’ s how dramatic the shift from 30fps to 60fps feels .
Even backward compatibility support gets an impressive boost .
The Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV now runs super smoothly on the Xbox Series X locked at 60fps , while the Xbox One X often struggled to maintain that 60fps performance .
Grand Theft Auto IV also benefits from the auto HDR feature that Microsoft is shipping with the Xbox Series X , that will work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even better .
Alongside the optimization patches , the most exciting games I ’ ve tested so far on the Xbox Series X are Dirt 5 and Gears 5 — not because they ’ re necessarily technical showcases for the console , but because both offer a new 120Hz option .
This is where the Xbox Series X really started to feel even more PC-like to me .
I play at 165Hz with frame rates that exceed 200fps in games like Destiny 2 , Valorant , Call of Duty : Warzone , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I personally value frame rates over visual quality , so I regularly drop settings to get as many frames as possible .
Running around the versus multiplayer mode in Gears 5 in 120Hz feels like I ’ m playing on my PC .
With frame rates hitting 120fps , input lag is reduced , and the experience is suddenly so much smoother than what I ’ ve ever experienced on any Xbox before .
That same feeling of PC-like smoothness plays out in Dirt 5 with the 120Hz mode enabled .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but when I ’ m sliding around corners , the input latency is reduced , and I value that over some mud and snow rendering just that little better on my 4K TV .
It ’ s that feeling that ’ s really important with this new Xbox , and I can ’ t stress it enough .
Games feel better .
Whether that ’ s because of load times , better frame rates , or simply the CPU , SSD , and better GPU making things like menus or character changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the sluggishness has been removed without developers even having to touch games .
Higher frame rates are clearly a focus on the Xbox Series X , but some games will favor new ray-tracing techniques instead .
Watch Dogs : Legion is a good example , as it will run at 30fps on the Xbox Series X with ray tracing enabled .
The Watch Dogs : Legion patch for Series X wasn ’ t available in time for review , so ray tracing is still largely a mystery on the Xbox Series X @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraged to see that a choice is emerging in Xbox games .
That ’ s something we ’ ve seen in current-gen games , with video options like FOV sliders you typically only find on PCs .
Dirt 5 and Gears 5 are good examples of this choice , allowing you to enable a 120Hz mode for the higher frame rates and smoother gameplay or focus on a 4K target with image quality prioritized .
I ’ m hoping we see these choices on many optimized Xbox Series X titles in the future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gaming have changed on the Xbox Series X , the dashboard remains the same .
Microsoft is keeping the same Xbox One dashboard that exists today , with a few visual changes the company has been working on in recent months .
It feels like Microsoft has been tweaking the Xbox One dashboard ever since the disastrous launch of the console back in 2013 , and not a year goes by without an overhaul .
I think it ’ s definitely in much better shape these days , but I still find the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Most of the big issues I had with the Xbox One dashboard have disappeared , though .
Speed and reliability problems have vanished , and , like games , the dashboard feels just that bit more responsive on the Xbox Series X .
A new store interface , also available on the Xbox One , has definitely helped .
It ’ s clear Microsoft has taken the feedback and made some meaningful changes in recent months , but I ’ d still like to just be able to pin my favorite apps and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interface instead of seeing recently used ones that rotate frequently .
Microsoft could still do with offering more customization options here and simplifying the interface further .
You do get the benefits of a dashboard that feels instantly familiar if you ’ re coming from an Xbox One , but without the fun and fanfare that a new UI entails .
Thanks to the faster components inside the Xbox Series X , you can now boot from cold ( not standby ) in around 20 seconds .
That might be enough for some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in favor of some energy bill savings and the health of our planet .
Also , the boot animation no longer has an accompanying sound so loud it makes you feel like your house is falling down .
The biggest new addition to the Xbox Series X dashboard over the Xbox One is Quick Resume .
It ’ s a feature that lets you switch between games in around 10 seconds or less .
The timing will vary per game , as will the number of games you can switch between and quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to regularly swap between five games freely , but the number will vary on titles .
It even works after reboots or updates , and it ’ s great to just turn a console off and not have to worry about save points .
When Quick Resume works , it works really well , but it doesn ’ t seem to work on all games .
I ’ ve not been able to use it with Forza Horizon 4 , Watch Dogs : Legion , Sea of Thieves , or GTA V. Microsoft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a number of games due to a “ recently discovered platform bug , ” so updates should arrive after launch .
While most games should support Quick Resume , it ’ s still not clear which missing ones will get updated .
While I ran into a number of Quick Resume bugs on an Xbox Series X preview unit , I haven ’ t had as many problems on the retail hardware .
Gears 5 has failed to resume or the audio has crackled as it resumes , but most games seem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quick Resume points just disappear , though .
I think Quick Resume is the best part of the Xbox Series X , but there are clearly some early bugs that still need to be squashed .
I also wish Microsoft had provided some way to manage Quick Resume or to know which games are in a suspended state .
The final part of the dashboard I want to touch on is sharing clips and screenshots .
Microsoft made a big deal about a new share button on the Xbox Series X controller , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the dashboard .
It still takes far too long for clips and screenshots to be uploaded to Microsoft ’ s Xbox Live service for you to share them .
This is a problem that exists on the Xbox One , and I ’ ve had to wait minutes for clips to be available despite having a fast 1Gbps upload at home .
On my gaming PC , I can instantly stream clips or my screen to friends on Discord , and the Xbox process just feels old and slow in comparison .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ generation is to bring a PC-like experience to a console .
You can feel it throughout the Series X and even the smaller Series S. If you upgraded from a GTX 1060 gaming PC to an RTX 3080 PC right now , you ’ d get the same Windows 10 you know and access to the same games you ’ ve been playing for years .
Everything would just feel faster and look better , and you ’ d be ready for the latest and greatest games .
That ’ s exactly what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not only does it feel like you ’ re upgrading your PC if you move from an Xbox One to an Xbox Series X , but it feels and looks like it .
( Hello , PC tower design . )
You take everything you already own , even existing hardware accessories , and you bring them along with you , just like you do on a PC .
It ’ s a different approach to Sony with the PS5 and its dedicated exclusive next-gen games , new dashboard UI , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the basics that really matter : high frame rates , a quiet and cool console , faster load times , accessory support , and backward compatibility .
In my three weeks of using an Xbox Series X , it ’ s fair to say it has delivered on these basics .
But the best part about the Xbox Series X is that it ’ s not actually a PC .
I don ’ t have to worry about drivers , copious game launchers , or Windows updates ruining how my PC works .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you play games .
If developers embrace the choice and performance options I ’ ve experienced on the Series X , I ’ d certainly be tempted to play far more on an Xbox with crossplay , cross-save , and keyboard and mouse support all becoming more prominent on Xbox .
There ’ s one big question that remains for me with the Xbox Series X : when will Microsoft ’ s 23 first-party studios deliver the next-gen games to truly show what this console is capable of ?
Powerful hardware and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mix .
Microsoft will need the games to really make the Series X feel like something brand-new .

Part of / The Verge guide to the PS5 and Xbox Series X
Microsoft’s new Xbox Series X console is designed to usher in a new era of gaming. We affectionally call it the “next gen” every time a big leap in console hardware arrives, promising new games and things we’ve never seen before. The Xbox Series X will undoubtedly deliver those in time, but for now, the big launch games, flashy new graphics, and next-gen games are still on their way.
In the meantime, Microsoft has built what feels like an exciting PC upgrade experience in a console form. The Xbox Series X comes the closest I’ve ever witnessed to re-creating the superior PC experience of playing games, thanks to SSD storage, a far more powerful CPU, 120Hz support, and impressive backward compatibility features that improve existing games. This is all inside a $499 box that’s quieter and far easier to use and maintain than the $3,000 gaming PC I built a few weeks ago.
There’s a reason the Xbox Series X even looks like a PC — it’s because it often feels like one.
The Xbox Series X looks best standing vertically.
Cool and quiet hardware
Microsoft has squeezed all of the components of the Xbox Series X into a boxy, rectangular, tower-like case. It looks like a compact PC but with an unassuming design that looks far better standing vertically than it does laying horizontally (just like most PCs). The base of the Xbox Series X isn’t removable, and (unlike the PS5) the console is not designed to be opened up. When placed horizontally, it’s fair to say that the Xbox Series X looks like it fell over with the base permanently attached. I’m not in love with the design, but I’m also not bothered by it. It’s a black box you stick under your TV and forget about, as long as you’re able to fit it under your TV.
There are two USB ports at the rear alongside an Ethernet port, a storage expansion slot, and HDMI 2.1 out. At the front, there’s a single USB port and the 4K Blu-ray drive. Microsoft has also added raised Braille bumps next to the ports on the Xbox Series X, a nice touch for accessibility. I would have liked to have seen USB-C here or even the clever HDMI passthrough system from the Xbox One days, but neither is a major omission. Sadly, the Xbox Series X doesn’t support Wi-Fi 6, which would have been great future-proofing for many.
I haven’t noticed any issues with heat or noise on the Series X. Microsoft has placed the Xbox Series X exhaust fan at the top, flanked by a green coating in the plastic cover that makes it look like there’s an LED up top. I’ve never once heard this fan, which is surprising since my Xbox One X can get pretty loud in certain games. Yet, the Series X has remained silent throughout the weeks I’ve been using it. The heat exhausting from the top is very similar to what I’ve felt on the Xbox One X, and it has never been too hot to touch.
It’s difficult to judge dust buildup, noise, and fans in just a few weeks of use, but I don’t have any immediate causes for concern. I have mostly been using the Series X outside of a TV stand where air can flow easily, so it hasn’t been squeezed inside a unit. I think most people are going to need to think about positioning and airflow with these next-gen consoles, just like you would with a giant gaming PC.
The only other hardware that’s new with the Xbox Series X is the controller and the storage expansion cards. (More on these in the next section.) The updated controller is very similar to the Xbox One version, with an updated D-pad, textured grips, and the addition of a new share button and a USB-C port. The share button lets you quickly share clips or screenshots with friends, much like on a PS4, while you’ll need to purchase a rechargeable play-and-charge kit separately ($24.99) if you really want to take advantage of USB-C — the controller runs on AA batteries by default.
The Xbox Series X has a green effect up top.
Storage and load times
Load times are incredibly good on the Xbox Series X compared to what we’re used to on current consoles. The Xbox Series X utilizes a greatly improved CPU that works in tandem with the SSD to help games load far faster than the current Xbox One X.
I’ve noticed load time improvements across every game I’ve used on the Series X. Some are dramatically faster in terms of minutes saved waiting for a game or a level within a game to load. Others are a few seconds saved here and there, but they all add up to more time spent playing games instead of waiting for them to load.
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
I’m used to the speedy load times from PC SSDs, but I’m still impressed with the Series X load times. Games like Sea of Thieves and Destiny 2 load in less than half the time they do on the Xbox One X. Even older games like GTA V load a lot faster than before.
While the Xbox Series X comes equipped with 1TB of storage, you can only use 802GB of it. That’s actually slightly more than the 780GB of usable space on the Xbox One X, even with Microsoft reserving space for the OS and new Quick Resume feature that lets you swap between games in around 10 seconds or less.
Xbox Series X storage defaults.
Microsoft is also using a proprietary storage expansion slot on the Xbox Series X, and so far, only Seagate has been confirmed as a partner for the $219.99 1TB cards that slot into the rear of the console. The usable space on these cards is 920GB as, once again, space is reserved for Quick Resume.
Games that have been specifically updated for the Xbox Series X make use of Microsoft’s new Velocity Architecture to get the most performance out of the system’s SSD, so you can’t run them off USB storage. The vast majority of backward-compatible games, however, don’t use Velocity Architecture, meaning they can be played directly off a USB drive — unless they get a Series X update in the future.
Warframe load time improvements.
That means a lot of the immediate load time improvements are thanks to the SSD and CPU alone, not the new APIs Microsoft has implemented that should improve load times even more in the future. It also means that if some of your older games don’t get updated for the Velocity Architecture, then you could just run them freely from USB storage. You’ll see plenty of load time improvements this way — providing you’re using fast USB SSD storage drives — and some may even come very close to the times you’ll see using the internal drive.
Optimized games and 120Hz modes
These load times and CPU improvements, alongside a big bump to 12 teraflops of GPU performance, all contribute to an experience in existing games that feels a lot smoother. That could mean a jump from 30fps to 60fps in games like Fallout 4, or menus and planet load times in Destiny 2 suddenly being on par with PC.
These improvements also mean that most titles with poor performance on an Xbox One should hit a stable 30fps at the minimum. A lot of frame rate drops that I’ve seen in games on the Xbox One X have simply disappeared with the Xbox Series X, thanks to the hardware boost. I’ve noticed Apex Legends, Warframe, and Destiny 2 all dipping less at demanding points.
A number of Xbox Series X optimization patches will be available when the console launches on November 10th, and I’ve had a chance to test both Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 4. Both games are transformed by these updates, moving from 30fps to 60fps. Sea of Thieves feels like a new game as a result, or like you’re playing on a PC. That’s how dramatic the shift from 30fps to 60fps feels.
The new 120Hz option on the Xbox Series X.
Even backward compatibility support gets an impressive boost. The Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV now runs super smoothly on the Xbox Series X locked at 60fps, while the Xbox One X often struggled to maintain that 60fps performance. Grand Theft Auto IV also benefits from the auto HDR feature that Microsoft is shipping with the Xbox Series X, that will work on most games to make them look even better.
Alongside the optimization patches, the most exciting games I’ve tested so far on the Xbox Series X are Dirt 5 and Gears 5 — not because they’re necessarily technical showcases for the console, but because both offer a new 120Hz option.
This is where the Xbox Series X really started to feel even more PC-like to me. I play at 165Hz with frame rates that exceed 200fps in games like Destiny 2, Valorant, Call of Duty: Warzone, and CS:GO on my gaming PC. I personally value frame rates over visual quality, so I regularly drop settings to get as many frames as possible. Running around the versus multiplayer mode in Gears 5 in 120Hz feels like I’m playing on my PC. With frame rates hitting 120fps, input lag is reduced, and the experience is suddenly so much smoother than what I’ve ever experienced on any Xbox before.
Gears 5 supports 120Hz in multiplayer.
That same feeling of PC-like smoothness plays out in Dirt 5 with the 120Hz mode enabled. The overall visual quality drops to achieve 120fps, but when I’m sliding around corners, the input latency is reduced, and I value that over some mud and snow rendering just that little better on my 4K TV.
It’s that feeling that’s really important with this new Xbox, and I can’t stress it enough. Games feel better. Whether that’s because of load times, better frame rates, or simply the CPU, SSD, and better GPU making things like menus or character changes in games feel instant, a lot of the sluggishness has been removed without developers even having to touch games.
Dirt 5 video options.
Higher frame rates are clearly a focus on the Xbox Series X, but some games will favor new ray-tracing techniques instead. Watch Dogs: Legion is a good example, as it will run at 30fps on the Xbox Series X with ray tracing enabled. The Watch Dogs: Legion patch for Series X wasn’t available in time for review, so ray tracing is still largely a mystery on the Xbox Series X right now.
I’m also encouraged to see that a choice is emerging in Xbox games. That’s something we’ve seen in current-gen games, with video options like FOV sliders you typically only find on PCs. Dirt 5 and Gears 5 are good examples of this choice, allowing you to enable a 120Hz mode for the higher frame rates and smoother gameplay or focus on a 4K target with image quality prioritized.
I’m hoping we see these choices on many optimized Xbox Series X titles in the future.
The Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X.
Quick Resume and the Xbox dashboard
Agree to Continue: Xbox Series X and Series S Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them, since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate. To start using an Xbox Series X or Series S: You need a Microsoft Account and have to agree to Microsoft’s terms of service.
You must agree to send diagnostic data to Microsoft (basic game or app errors).
You must agree to share usage data with game or app publishers. You can also say yes or no to: Optional usage data sent to Microsoft That’s three mandatory agreements and one optional one to use an Xbox Series X or Series S.
While the hardware and experience of gaming have changed on the Xbox Series X, the dashboard remains the same. Microsoft is keeping the same Xbox One dashboard that exists today, with a few visual changes the company has been working on in recent months.
It feels like Microsoft has been tweaking the Xbox One dashboard ever since the disastrous launch of the console back in 2013, and not a year goes by without an overhaul. I think it’s definitely in much better shape these days, but I still find the guide confusing to use at times.
Most of the big issues I had with the Xbox One dashboard have disappeared, though. Speed and reliability problems have vanished, and, like games, the dashboard feels just that bit more responsive on the Xbox Series X. A new store interface, also available on the Xbox One, has definitely helped. It’s clear Microsoft has taken the feedback and made some meaningful changes in recent months, but I’d still like to just be able to pin my favorite apps and games at the top of the home interface instead of seeing recently used ones that rotate frequently. Microsoft could still do with offering more customization options here and simplifying the interface further.
You do get the benefits of a dashboard that feels instantly familiar if you’re coming from an Xbox One, but without the fun and fanfare that a new UI entails. Thanks to the faster components inside the Xbox Series X, you can now boot from cold (not standby) in around 20 seconds. That might be enough for some to turn off the instant standby option in favor of some energy bill savings and the health of our planet. Also, the boot animation no longer has an accompanying sound so loud it makes you feel like your house is falling down.
The biggest new addition to the Xbox Series X dashboard over the Xbox One is Quick Resume. It’s a feature that lets you switch between games in around 10 seconds or less. The timing will vary per game, as will the number of games you can switch between and quickly resume. I’ve been able to regularly swap between five games freely, but the number will vary on titles.
It even works after reboots or updates, and it’s great to just turn a console off and not have to worry about save points. When Quick Resume works, it works really well, but it doesn’t seem to work on all games. I’ve not been able to use it with Forza Horizon 4, Watch Dogs: Legion, Sea of Thieves, or GTA V. Microsoft is still working to enable Quick Resume on a number of games due to a “recently discovered platform bug,” so updates should arrive after launch. While most games should support Quick Resume, it’s still not clear which missing ones will get updated.
Quick Resume on the Xbox Series X.
While I ran into a number of Quick Resume bugs on an Xbox Series X preview unit, I haven’t had as many problems on the retail hardware. Gears 5 has failed to resume or the audio has crackled as it resumes, but most games seem to resume well. I have had Quick Resume points just disappear, though. I think Quick Resume is the best part of the Xbox Series X, but there are clearly some early bugs that still need to be squashed. I also wish Microsoft had provided some way to manage Quick Resume or to know which games are in a suspended state.
The final part of the dashboard I want to touch on is sharing clips and screenshots. Microsoft made a big deal about a new share button on the Xbox Series X controller, but it’s totally let down by the dashboard. It still takes far too long for clips and screenshots to be uploaded to Microsoft’s Xbox Live service for you to share them.
This is a problem that exists on the Xbox One, and I’ve had to wait minutes for clips to be available despite having a fast 1Gbps upload at home. On my gaming PC, I can instantly stream clips or my screen to friends on Discord, and the Xbox process just feels old and slow in comparison.
The Xbox Series X also has a 4K Blu-ray drive.
The feel of a PC
Microsoft’s intention with this new generation is to bring a PC-like experience to a console. You can feel it throughout the Series X and even the smaller Series S. If you upgraded from a GTX 1060 gaming PC to an RTX 3080 PC right now, you’d get the same Windows 10 you know and access to the same games you’ve been playing for years. Everything would just feel faster and look better, and you’d be ready for the latest and greatest games.
That’s exactly what you get with the Xbox Series X. Not only does it feel like you’re upgrading your PC if you move from an Xbox One to an Xbox Series X, but it feels and looks like it. (Hello, PC tower design.) You take everything you already own, even existing hardware accessories, and you bring them along with you, just like you do on a PC.
It’s a different approach to Sony with the PS5 and its dedicated exclusive next-gen games, new dashboard UI, and new controller. Microsoft has focused on the basics that really matter: high frame rates, a quiet and cool console, faster load times, accessory support, and backward compatibility. In my three weeks of using an Xbox Series X, it’s fair to say it has delivered on these basics.
But the best part about the Xbox Series X is that it’s not actually a PC. I don’t have to worry about drivers, copious game launchers, or Windows updates ruining how my PC works. You turn the Xbox on, and you play games. If developers embrace the choice and performance options I’ve experienced on the Series X, I’d certainly be tempted to play far more on an Xbox with crossplay, cross-save, and keyboard and mouse support all becoming more prominent on Xbox.


theverge--2020-11-05--Good hardware features don’t require advanced technology, just clever designers

Hello again , friends .
The Processor newsletter is back after a not-so-brief hiatus caused by the absolutely frenetic pace of hardware reviews this fall and a special run of Vergecast podcast episodes about those reviews .
I ’ m really proud of those podcasts and if you haven ’ t caught them , I think it ’ s worth going back to give them a listen .
The big consumer tech news this week is Apple ’ s announcement that it will hold a ‘ One More Thing ’ event for November 10th .
The going assumption — which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unveil the promised first Arm-based Apple silicon-powered Mac , mostly likely a laptop .
In this very newsletter I ’ ve opined a few times on why this transition could be tricky and how Microsoft ’ s rougher ride in a similar transition could provide some lessons for Apple .
Since the newsletter ’ s back , I ’ ll have more to say next week .
For today , I think I ’ d like to provide the service of just pointing out a few neat little things I ’ ve seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I love it when products offer some kind of clever , subtle feature using technology that has been around for years and years .
There are plenty of innovations based on hyper-advanced chips or sophisticated machine learning algorithms , but the features that make me smile are the ones that just required somebody to come up with new ways to use the parts we ’ ve already got .
First , it ’ s not new but it ’ s exemplary : there ’ s a new accessibility feature for the iPhone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or triple tap the back of the phone to do stuff , like a virtual button .
Chaim Gartenberg wrote about it last week .
Apple may not have come up with this first , but its implementation is superb .
Not only can you map those taps to standard features , but you can also use them to launch Shortcuts — so in effect you can make virtual buttons that can do anything .
And of course , it ’ s an accessibility win to offer a different way to achieve common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far as I can tell , all it really does is measure the accelerometer that ’ s been sitting in smartphones since forever .
We ’ ve just been using them to detect switching from landscape to portrait , but there ’ s plenty of other things they could be used for if you just sat and thought about the possibilities ( and , of course , if you can code them up ) .
Google , for example , is using accelerometers to build out a global earthquake detection system with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little feature I love : the Pixel 5 automatically turns on reverse wireless charging for a brief time after you plug in a USB-C charger .
On Samsung phones , you have to manually turn it on before flipping the phone over .
I like the Pixel ’ s solution because it neatly solves the problem of charging your wireless earbuds without requiring any extra effort .
It makes one cable charge two devices without any extra fuss .
One aside though : it ’ s kind of dumb that software tricks are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first place .
The basic wireless standard that won is Qi , but I feel like it ’ s stagnated — and in its place we are getting a bunch of different “ embrace and extend ” style innovations on top of of Qi .
The most recent is Apple ’ s MagSafe system for the iPhone 12 .
It is another example of using ingenuity and already-existing technologies to elegantly solve simple problems .
The magnets in MagSafe align the charging coils for maximum efficiency with minimum effort ( and yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Apple also added NFC to the mix , so that accessories and the phone can seamlessly identify each other .
That ’ s clever — and it ’ s the sort of thing I ’ d love to see built into a standard that all phones could use .
Similarly , it seems like we ’ re getting proliferating wireless charging standards for fast charging : Apple , Google , OnePlus , and Samsung all use different methods for making their phones charge faster on a puck or dock .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end our brief tour of ingenious uses of basic technologies on a high note .
A very high note : Sony ’ s PS5 controller appears to be a triumph of good design .
We ’ ll need to use it for longer and fully review it to verify our early impressions , but oh boy is it a fun little gadget .
Andrew Webster wrote up some impressions , and the TL ; DR is that it has haptics that are more advanced than any I ’ ve felt — in more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controller can make all sorts of subtle , discrete ( and discreet ! )
taps that are tied to what ’ s happening in-game .
You can really feel the difference when your character walks on a hard surface or a soft surface .
Second , the triggers have a mechanism for adding tension when you pull on them .
There ’ s a motor attached to a corkscrew that ’ s geared up against the trigger ; just look at the illustration in this post .
It introduces a lot of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the possibility of them .
I got to briefly try the controller myself and I fully understand why everybody is so hyped up over a thing that ’ s so seemingly mundane .
It ’ s just a very thoughtfully designed object that creates new experiences simply by creative use of simple components .
All of these features could have fallen flat .
It ’ s not enough to have the neat idea , you have also have to have excellent execution .
Today , just as a break , take a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together .
One last meta note about this newsletter , irregularly scheduled emails shall commence again , and I thank you for your patience and apologize for dropping off last month .
I ’ ll be aiming for a couple per week on through to a Thanksgiving break .
There are lots of tech-related results from the election , and I ’ ve linked some of the big ones below .
But of course the biggest tech-related story from the election is how platforms are reacting to misinformation — including misinformation from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restricted a Trump campaign official ’ s tweet alleging Philadelphia voter fraud , Facebook put warnings that votes are still being counted at the top of feeds , both Twitter and Facebook labeled a baseless Trump post suggesting Democrats manipulated ballot counts , Democrats called on Twitter to suspend Trump as election results file in , YouTube left a video up that seems like it ought to have come down , and more than I can fit in this space .
I asked Casey Newton to TL ; DR all of it for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following .
For more detailed thoughts — and to get them daily — you ought to subscribe to his new newsletter , Platformer .
Platforms seem to have largely succeeded in fighting the big wars of 2016 : fighting the spread of misinformation from spammy , scammy “ fake news ” sites , and also making it harder for foreign actors to wage undercover influence operations .
We may learn more later , but so far it does not seem like the 2020 election will have turned on either issue .
The 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but this time it ’ s coming from the top : the president of the United States has repeatedly made premature claims of victory and cast doubt on the integrity of the election .
On that front , I think Facebook and Twitter moved effectively — and with unusual confidence — in labeling the president ’ s posts .
YouTube lagged way behind , with a label on election videos so vague as to be meaningless — and , I ’ d argue , false .
( It says “ Results may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ may ” about it .
They won ’ t be final for weeks ! )
We can ’ t do a full report card until the results are in .
So far I ’ d say the platforms did much better than 2016 — but if the president ’ s posts today are any indication , they still have a huge misinformation challenge to deal with in the weeks and months to come .
┏ Massachusetts passes ‘ right to repair ’ law to open up car data .
As Adi Robertson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then it might for all intents and purposes end up being how this data is made available nationwide .
So far , seems like it ’ s holding up and drivers will be able to access the telematics data in their cars freely with any compatible app .
┏ Uber , Lyft drivers aren ’ t employees after all , California voters say .
┏ Uber and Lyft had an edge in the Prop 22 fight : their apps .
Andrew Hawkins on the all-out campaign to keep gig workers classified as freelancers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was spent in addition to the in-app ads .
┏ The different strategies of Microsoft and Sony ’ s next-generation consoles .
Here ’ s the TL ; DR from Jay Peters , but his article goes deep on what we know now about each console ’ s strengths and weaknesses .
┏ Here ’ s every game coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X at launch and beyond .
Nick Statt has put together a very comprehensive list .
If you were lucky enough to land a preorder of either console @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this page as a reference : More from The Verge ┏ Dell XPS 13 ( late-2020 ) review : greatness , refined .
Monica Chin has all the details on the Tiger Lake processor bump for one of our favorite laptops of 2020 : ┏ T-Mobile will pay $ 200 million to settle FCC investigation into misuse of phone subsidies .
Jacob Kastrenakes explains how before it was acquired by T-Mobile , Sprint engaged in some pretty shady behavior .
┏ Spotify is rolling out the ability to stream music from your Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google says that Pixel 5 ’ s display gap is ‘ a normal part of the design ’ .
Sorry , but this is weak sauce from Google .
People who are spending the extra money for the fancier Pixel this year shouldn ’ t have weird gaps and seams on their phone .

Hello again, friends. The Processor newsletter is back after a not-so-brief hiatus caused by the absolutely frenetic pace of hardware reviews this fall and a special run of Vergecast podcast episodes about those reviews. I’m really proud of those podcasts and if you haven’t caught them, I think it’s worth going back to give them a listen.
You are reading Processor, a newsletter about computers, software, and tech by Dieter Bohn. Dieter writes about consumer tech, software, and the most important tech news of the day from The Verge. You can read an archive of Processor newsletters here and subscribe to all of The Verge’s great videos here! Subscribe
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For today, I think I’d like to provide the service of just pointing out a few neat little things I’ve seen happen this fall hardware season. Specifically, I love it when products offer some kind of clever, subtle feature using technology that has been around for years and years. There are plenty of innovations based on hyper-advanced chips or sophisticated machine learning algorithms, but the features that make me smile are the ones that just required somebody to come up with new ways to use the parts we’ve already got.
First, it’s not new but it’s exemplary: there’s a new accessibility feature for the iPhone in iOS 14 that lets you double or triple tap the back of the phone to do stuff, like a virtual button. Chaim Gartenberg wrote about it last week. Apple may not have come up with this first, but its implementation is superb. Not only can you map those taps to standard features, but you can also use them to launch Shortcuts — so in effect you can make virtual buttons that can do anything. And of course, it’s an accessibility win to offer a different way to achieve common iPhone tasks.
I love this because so far as I can tell, all it really does is measure the accelerometer that’s been sitting in smartphones since forever. We’ve just been using them to detect switching from landscape to portrait, but there’s plenty of other things they could be used for if you just sat and thought about the possibilities (and, of course, if you can code them up). Google, for example, is using accelerometers to build out a global earthquake detection system with Android phones.
Here’s another little feature I love: the Pixel 5 automatically turns on reverse wireless charging for a brief time after you plug in a USB-C charger. On Samsung phones, you have to manually turn it on before flipping the phone over. I like the Pixel’s solution because it neatly solves the problem of charging your wireless earbuds without requiring any extra effort. It makes one cable charge two devices without any extra fuss.
One aside though: it’s kind of dumb that software tricks are required to activate reverse wireless charging in the first place. The basic wireless standard that won is Qi, but I feel like it’s stagnated — and in its place we are getting a bunch of different “embrace and extend” style innovations on top of of Qi.
The most recent is Apple’s MagSafe system for the iPhone 12. It is another example of using ingenuity and already-existing technologies to elegantly solve simple problems. The magnets in MagSafe align the charging coils for maximum efficiency with minimum effort (and yes, I know Palm did it first). Apple also added NFC to the mix, so that accessories and the phone can seamlessly identify each other.
That’s clever — and it’s the sort of thing I’d love to see built into a standard that all phones could use. Similarly, it seems like we’re getting proliferating wireless charging standards for fast charging: Apple, Google, OnePlus, and Samsung all use different methods for making their phones charge faster on a puck or dock. It’s frustrating.
Let’s end our brief tour of ingenious uses of basic technologies on a high note. A very high note: Sony’s PS5 controller appears to be a triumph of good design. We’ll need to use it for longer and fully review it to verify our early impressions, but oh boy is it a fun little gadget.
Andrew Webster wrote up some impressions, and the TL;DR is that it has haptics that are more advanced than any I’ve felt — in more ways than one. Firstly, the controller can make all sorts of subtle, discrete (and discreet!) taps that are tied to what’s happening in-game. You can really feel the difference when your character walks on a hard surface or a soft surface.
Second, the triggers have a mechanism for adding tension when you pull on them. There’s a motor attached to a corkscrew that’s geared up against the trigger; just look at the illustration in this post. It introduces a lot of new mechanics to games — or at least the possibility of them.
I got to briefly try the controller myself and I fully understand why everybody is so hyped up over a thing that’s so seemingly mundane. It’s just a very thoughtfully designed object that creates new experiences simply by creative use of simple components.
All of these features could have fallen flat. It’s not enough to have the neat idea, you have also have to have excellent execution. Today, just as a break, take a second to appreciate when those two things come together.
One last meta note about this newsletter, irregularly scheduled emails shall commence again, and I thank you for your patience and apologize for dropping off last month. I’ll be aiming for a couple per week on through to a Thanksgiving break.
Election news
There are lots of tech-related results from the election, and I’ve linked some of the big ones below. But of course the biggest tech-related story from the election is how platforms are reacting to misinformation — including misinformation from the president’s campaign itself.
I asked Casey Newton to TL;DR all of it for us, and he told me the following. For more detailed thoughts — and to get them daily — you ought to subscribe to his new newsletter, Platformer.
Platforms seem to have largely succeeded in fighting the big wars of 2016: fighting the spread of misinformation from spammy, scammy “fake news” sites, and also making it harder for foreign actors to wage undercover influence operations. We may learn more later, but so far it does not seem like the 2020 election will have turned on either issue. The 2020 platform war is still about misinformation, but this time it’s coming from the top: the president of the United States has repeatedly made premature claims of victory and cast doubt on the integrity of the election. On that front, I think Facebook and Twitter moved effectively — and with unusual confidence — in labeling the president’s posts. YouTube lagged way behind, with a label on election videos so vague as to be meaningless — and, I’d argue, false. (It says “Results may not be final.” There’s no “may” about it. They won’t be final for weeks!) We can’t do a full report card until the results are in. So far I’d say the platforms did much better than 2016 — but if the president’s posts today are any indication, they still have a huge misinformation challenge to deal with in the weeks and months to come.
┏ Massachusetts passes ‘right to repair’ law to open up car data. As Adi Robertson notes, if this law holds up then it might for all intents and purposes end up being how this data is made available nationwide. So far, seems like it’s holding up and drivers will be able to access the telematics data in their cars freely with any compatible app.
┏ Uber and Lyft had an edge in the Prop 22 fight: their apps. Andrew Hawkins on the all-out campaign to keep gig workers classified as freelancers instead of employees. $200 millions was spent in addition to the in-app ads.
This isn’t the first time Uber wielded its app to score a political victory. In 2015, the company was feuding with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio over his effort to limit the number of new ride-hail vehicles on the road. To marshal its user base to oppose the mayor, Uber added a “DE BLASIO” option that illustrated how ride requests could vanish and vehicles could slow to a crawl if the mayor’s proposal was approved.
Consoles
┏ The different strategies of Microsoft and Sony’s next-generation consoles. Here’s the TL;DR from Jay Peters, but his article goes deep on what we know now about each console’s strengths and weaknesses.
Picking between the next Xbox or PlayStation will be less about hardware and more about Microsoft’s and Sony’s philosophies about this generation of console games. With the Xbox Series X and S, you’ll have access to a lot of older games at launch, but we have to wait and see if actual next-gen games will make a convincing case to upgrade. Meanwhile, Sony is betting on an exclusives-focused strategy for the PS5 that worked well with the PS4, but that will only work out if Sony releases exclusives that are worth buying a PS5 to play.
┏ Here’s every game coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X at launch and beyond. Nick Statt has put together a very comprehensive list. If you were lucky enough to land a preorder of either console (I was not), save this page as a reference:
Here’s a list of every day-one game available on both systems, notably excluding titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War that launch shortly after launch day and will not be available by November 12th. Also, some games are noted as console exclusives despite having released on other platforms like the Nintendo Switch in the previous generation; we’re only focusing on whether a game is exclusive to either the PS5 or Xbox Series X / S, and timed console exclusives are treated the same as first-party permanent exclusives until a publisher or developer has a concrete cross-platform release date to share.
More from The Verge
┏ Dell XPS 13 (late-2020) review: greatness, refined. Monica Chin has all the details on the Tiger Lake processor bump for one of our favorite laptops of 2020:
So overall, the XPS 13 is still an excellent laptop. It’s still one of the best you can buy. But I’m not as starstruck as I was at the beginning of this year, because the competition is creeping up. Zenbooks, Swifts, Yogas, Envys, and Spectres have all made strides in design, build, nifty features, and performance this year — and there are ARM-based Macbooks on the way. There are quite a few releases on the horizon that are looking more and more like the XPS 13. This is the best laptop of 2020 with the fewest compromises and the fewest risks. But Dell will need to stay creative if it wants to keep XPS at the top of the stack in 2021.
┏ T-Mobile will pay $200 million to settle FCC investigation into misuse of phone subsidies. Jacob Kastrenakes explains how before it was acquired by T-Mobile, Sprint engaged in some pretty shady behavior.
Instead, Sprint continued collecting subsidies for service it wasn’t providing for “an extended period of time.” Service providers are supposed to begin removing customers who stop using subsidized phone and internet plans after 30 days if they aren’t otherwise paying for it.


theverge--2020-11-05--WhatsApp launches new disappearing messages option

WhatsApp is introducing a new disappearing messages option this month .
The feature will allow WhatsApp users to enable disappearing messages on chat conversations between friends , to automatically delete messages after seven days .
Anyone can enable the option in individual chats , and group admins will be able to enable disappearing messages in group chats .
“ We ’ re starting with 7 days because we think it offers peace of mind that conversations aren ’ t permanent , while remaining practical so you don ’ t forget what you were chatting about , ” says a WhatsApp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store address you received a few days ago will be there while you need it , and then disappear after you don ’ t. ” Photos and videos will also be deleted with disappearing messages Disappearing messages will also wipe out photos and videos after seven days , and while messages will disappear for both parties it ’ s still possible to take screenshots or just simply copy messages before they ’ re automatically deleted .
You ’ ll need to enable disappearing messages on a per group or contact basis .
Once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will be available as a new option in the contact section of each friend in WhatsApp .
The setting won ’ t wipe out older messages , and only affects new messages once it ’ s enabled by either party .
WhatsApp says it will start rolling out disappearing messages to all users this month .

WhatsApp is introducing a new disappearing messages option this month. The feature will allow WhatsApp users to enable disappearing messages on chat conversations between friends, to automatically delete messages after seven days. Anyone can enable the option in individual chats, and group admins will be able to enable disappearing messages in group chats.
“We’re starting with 7 days because we think it offers peace of mind that conversations aren’t permanent, while remaining practical so you don’t forget what you were chatting about,” says a WhatsApp spokesperson. “The shopping list or store address you received a few days ago will be there while you need it, and then disappear after you don’t.”
Photos and videos will also be deleted with disappearing messages
Disappearing messages will also wipe out photos and videos after seven days, and while messages will disappear for both parties it’s still possible to take screenshots or just simply copy messages before they’re automatically deleted.


theverge--2020-11-05--The Nintendo Switch still keeps selling well

Nintendo shipped 6.86 million Switch consoles between July and September , increasing its numbers by more than 40 percent year-on-year and reaching 68.3 million units sold since its launch in 2017 .
That ’ s impressive growth for the company , since this quarter last year was a strong one — it saw the launch of the cheaper Switch Lite variant , boosting Nintendo ’ s shipments by more than 50 percent on 2018 .
The Switch figure is also an improvement on the previous quarter , when Nintendo shipped 5.68 million systems .
Animal Crossing : New Horizons was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 10 million copies moved , and continued to sell well this past quarter with more than three and a half million units .
It ’ s now sold 26.04 million copies overall , making it the second best-selling Switch game behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe .
Nintendo ’ s software releases for the past quarter were fairly low-key , but two titles have performed very well already .
Super Mario 3D All-Stars , a collection of Super Mario ports , had sold 5.21 million copies by the end of September , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2.82 million units .
Nintendo has significantly raised its outlook for the financial year due to its strong sales performance , now expecting to make 450 billion yen in operating profit by the end of March 2021 .
That ’ s a 50 percent increase from the 300 billion yen figure it forecast in May .
The company has already made 291.4 billion yen ( $ 2.79 billion ) in operating profit through the first six months of the year .
Nintendo also now expects to sell 24 million Switch consoles this fiscal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nintendo will be looking to carry its sales momentum through to the all-important holiday quarter , where it will face heightened competition due to next week ’ s launch of the PlayStation 5 , Xbox Series X , and Xbox Series S. The company ’ s biggest holiday release title is the Breath of the Wild prequel/Hyrule Warriors sequel Age of Calamity , which was only announced less than two months ago .
Beyond that , Nintendo pretty much just has an AR Mario Kart game-toy hybrid and a limited-edition Super Mario Bros. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so it may feel like the company is letting Sony and Microsoft take the spotlight .
Some reports have claimed that Nintendo is planning an upgraded Switch for early 2021 , however , with Bloomberg suggesting that more games will be timed to that release .

Nintendo shipped 6.86 million Switch consoles between July and September, increasing its numbers by more than 40 percent year-on-year and reaching 68.3 million units sold since its launch in 2017. That’s impressive growth for the company, since this quarter last year was a strong one — it saw the launch of the cheaper Switch Lite variant, boosting Nintendo’s shipments by more than 50 percent on 2018.
The Switch figure is also an improvement on the previous quarter, when Nintendo shipped 5.68 million systems. Animal Crossing: New Horizons was a major sales driver then with more than 10 million copies moved, and continued to sell well this past quarter with more than three and a half million units. It’s now sold 26.04 million copies overall, making it the second best-selling Switch game behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
‘Super Mario 3D All-Stars’ sells more than 5 million
Nintendo’s software releases for the past quarter were fairly low-key, but two titles have performed very well already. Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a collection of Super Mario ports, had sold 5.21 million copies by the end of September, while Paper Mario: The Origami King sold 2.82 million units.
Nintendo has significantly raised its outlook for the financial year due to its strong sales performance, now expecting to make 450 billion yen in operating profit by the end of March 2021. That’s a 50 percent increase from the 300 billion yen figure it forecast in May. The company has already made 291.4 billion yen ($2.79 billion) in operating profit through the first six months of the year. Nintendo also now expects to sell 24 million Switch consoles this fiscal year, up from 19 million.
Nintendo will be looking to carry its sales momentum through to the all-important holiday quarter, where it will face heightened competition due to next week’s launch of the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. The company’s biggest holiday release title is the Breath of the Wild prequel/Hyrule Warriors sequel Age of Calamity, which was only announced less than two months ago.


theverge--2020-11-05--Amazon’s Fire tablet sale takes up to $70 off select models

Only the best deals on Verge-approved gadgets get the Verge Deals stamp of approval , so if you 're looking for a deal on your next gadget or gift from major retailers like Amazon , Walmart , Best Buy , Target , and more , this is the place to be .
Amazon is hosting a mini-sale right now on most of its Fire tablets with up to $ 70 in potential savings available through November 8th .
The tablets discounted here are all ad-supported , which means they will display sponsored screensavers on the tablet ’ s lock screen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8 line , with the base model down to $ 55 on Amazon , knocking $ 35 off its normal retail price .
If you want the option to have wireless charging and a little more RAM , the Fire HD 8 Plus is also $ 35 off , marking it down to its lowest price ever of $ 75 .
If you are looking for a slightly bigger screen , the Fire HD 10 is $ 80 right now .
Usually , this storage configuration of the Fire HD 10 costs $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut .
We previously saw this model go down to $ 80 on Prime Day last month , and it ’ s the lowest the device has been marked down to date .
Amazon ’ s lineup of Fire tablets for kids is also up to $ 70 off .
Unlike the standard Fire tablets , the Kids Edition tablets include colorful cases that protect them from general wear and tear .
They also include a two-year “ no questions asked ” warranty that lets you replace it for any reason , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Kids Plus service ( formerly FreeTime Unlimited ) , which features a robust library of kid-friendly games , apps , ebooks , and TV shows / movies .
The most affordable Kids Edition tablet , the Fire 7 , is down to $ 60 , or you can get the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition for $ 20 more .
If you want a bigger screen , the Kids Edition of the Fire HD 10 is $ 70 off , bringing the device down to $ 130 .

Amazon is hosting a mini-sale right now on most of its Fire tablets with up to $70 in potential savings available through November 8th. The tablets discounted here are all ad-supported, which means they will display sponsored screensavers on the tablet’s lock screen.
The sale includes the Fire HD 8 line, with the base model down to $55 on Amazon, knocking $35 off its normal retail price. If you want the option to have wireless charging and a little more RAM, the Fire HD 8 Plus is also $35 off, marking it down to its lowest price ever of $75.
If you are looking for a slightly bigger screen, the Fire HD 10 is $80 right now. Usually, this storage configuration of the Fire HD 10 costs $150, making this a big price cut. We previously saw this model go down to $80 on Prime Day last month, and it’s the lowest the device has been marked down to date.
Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019, 64GB) $ 108 $ 190 43 % off $ 108 $ 108 $ 190 43 % off Amazon’s first USB-C-compatible device, which features a 10.1-inch screen, 64GB of internal storage with the option to expand via microSD, and a second antenna to maintain a better Wi-Fi signal. $108 at Amazon