The Old Days of Hard Drives: A Look Back at Loading Screens

The old hard drives of the past were notoriously slow, and one of the most frustrating aspects of playing games on them was the endless loading screens. You'd get through those screens so much faster on modern consoles, but there's something to be said for the nostalgia of loading up your favorite game from years ago. The fact that newer systems like the Series X are backwards compatible with older games is a game-changer, allowing developers to optimize those classic titles for better performance.

Developers can now go back and make those old games shine on the new hardware, resulting in improved load times, frame rates, and graphics. It's amazing to think about the entire Xbox catalog being playable on the Series X and Series S, and when we say optimized for the Series X, we mean even better. Load times will be faster, frames per second will be higher, and the visuals will be enhanced in every way.

But that's not all - if you pick up a new TV that supports HDR (High Dynamic Range), some of those older games will automatically get fine-tuned for HDR capabilities. The Xbox has intelligent technology that can do this on its own, so even if the developer doesn't put in the extra effort, your game will still look amazing. It's like having a whole new world to explore, with richer colors and increased dynamic range.

One of the coolest features of the Series X is Quick Resume, which allows you to jump between games seamlessly without loading up each one individually. Imagine being able to play multiple games at once, switching between them as easily as clicking on a tab in your browser. It's a game-changer for gamers who like to switch between titles frequently.

But don't just take my word for it - I've tested this feature firsthand, and it's truly amazing. I can jump from one game to another, and then back again, without ever having to exit the previous game or wait for the loading screens to finish. It's a huge time-saver and makes playing multiple games at once feel almost second-nature.

Of course, no system is perfect, but the Series X has been an absolute blast to play. I've spent hours exploring the world of Yakuza Like a Dragon, and it feels like next-gen gaming right here. The series has truly delivered on its promise of faster performance and smoother gameplay, making for an overall experience that's hard to put down.

But is the Series X worth it? Absolutely. While personal preference plays a big role in this decision, I can confidently say that if you're considering buying a new console, the Series X should be at the top of your list. The hardware is impressive, and the backwards compatibility is a major selling point. Plus, the system itself has everything you need - but ultimately, it all comes down to what kind of games you want to play.

Will we see 8K support in the future? Only time will tell, but for now, the Series X is capable of delivering incredible visuals and performance. And with developers already on board to optimize their classic titles for the new hardware, there's no shortage of exciting games to look forward to.

In conclusion, if you're a gamer looking to upgrade your console or join the gaming community for the first time, the Xbox Series X is an easy recommendation. It has everything you need and more, with incredible performance and backwards compatibility making it the perfect choice. And who knows? Maybe one day we'll see PlayStation content and reviews too.

But for now, let's get back to the important stuff - playing games on this thing!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhat's going on guys it's your average consumer and it is finally time for me to give you my thoughts on this guy over here the brand new Xbox series X now if you guys are interested in seeing a series s review I'm going to have that coming soon as well so definitely make sure you're subscribed and you stay tuned for that but today we're talking all things Xbox series X from the performance the design how it all worked out for me while having it so let's get into it so first things first let's talk about the design now there have been all kinds of different feelings and opinions on this some people said it looks like a fridge Microsoft took that in a very interesting way this is actually not a bad looking console it's very simple design honestly it's pretty minimal uh I do like the way they did the top where you've got your exhaust for you know the heat looks good I think it looks kind of nice now the issue that you might run into with this console and probably even worse with the PS5 is just the overall size and where you'll place it for me both systems you just got to stand them up that's the way to do it now you can of course there are rubber feet on the sides so if you would like to you could also do it like this as well and I definitely don't think that's bad it definitely doesn't stand out as much but it is a larger box now the only thing that's going to be a little bit tough with these guys is depending on your TV console area uh you might have some issues getting this inside something like here so the PS4 uh Pro over here and the Xbox One X they both fit pretty easily inside of this TV stand probably not going to be the case for any of the Next Generation consoles except for the Xbox series s that one's going to be a lot easier to place just about out anywhere Jay you think you'd have trouble putting this into your TV area you think it'd stand out it's pretty big Carl what about you it would definitely Stand Out is that an issue for you guys my wife won't your wife won't do it what about you Carl I live by myself so I got no problem I'm good now what's nice is this thing does have quite a few vents so you're not going to have any issues in terms of heat I haven't experienced this thing getting loud or having any you know issues with it just having like a screaming fan for the most part in terms of just playing the games that I play having it appear out in the open it's been quiet as a mouse P5 looks huge as well it's the the listen the PS5 is huge you're going to have a harder time putting the PS5 away than this guy but design wise the series X does have a very minimal look whether you like it or not and it should fit no problem in some modern looking living rooms if you care about the design that much now once you figure out what your placement for your Xbox series X is going to be chances are you're going to turn it on right once you get inside though you'll be greeted by this UI and I will say this UI is very similar to what we've seen on the Xbox One X or Xbox One in general and if you're used to that you'll be right at home over here it's a very very similar UI with just some aesthetic changes like the wallpaper in the background being animated it looks awesome I like it uh and you can also do you know a bunch of customization get it to be the color that you want obviously mine is rocking some teal because that's what I do now it may be familiar but is it a userfriendly UI I still feel like Xbox has some work to do in that department I know how to navigate this because I've been using it for so long uh but if you're new into the Xbox lineup there might be a slight learning curve in terms of the overall UI if you're coming from something like a PS4 where everything is pretty linear all of your apps are just like Bo boop boop boop boop and your games it's very simple this it's a bit more chaotic but it looks nice I like what they did with the background I love the customization so once you get used to it it is what it is but for the UI I do wish we saw a little something new uh rather than something so similar to previous versions of the Xbox now let's talk about specs for just a split second it's a powerful console and if you compare it on paper to something something like the PS5 this is a little bit better uh but we'll see how actual performance goes when they both get here and while I don't want to bore anybody with the CPU clock speed the taror flops and the GPU speed what I do want to talk about is something that's going to hit home for a lot of people and that's the ability to do 4K gaming and even 120 htz gaming now we've all heard about frame rates in the past for a lot of people it's been something that can be pretty much ignored but with the new systems all boasting about being able to game at 4K 120 frames per second we got to address it so when you go into the settings you'll actually be able to select how you want your system to look on your TV if you've got a 4K TV you'll of course be able to select 4K UHD and the refresh rate now this is a little bit different now not all TVs will support 4K 120 FPS so that is going to be a bit of a challenge for people trying to pick up a new TV to work with their system now I've got a TV here that is 4K supports 120 HZ but it doesn't do 120 HZ 4K so that requires an HDMI 2.1 Port which this guy does not have it's only 2.0 uh so if I go to 120 htz I'll only be able to do that in 1080P people are going to run out and purchase a TV to support support their new 4k console but I really implore you to do your research because chances are you might pick up something that says it supports 120 or it supports 4K but it might not do it together that HDMI 2.1 is extremely important so definitely definitely do your research because it can save you a lot of headaches trust me now this might be new for some people and you might be wondering which one should you prioritize now if you're not paying playing any games that are like super competitive you just want to see nice Graphics you can go for that 4K you might enjoy that so what it really just comes down to is how visually appealing do you want your games to be or how responsive and smooth looking do you want them to be so you then figured out where you're going to put your Xbox what TV you're going to use all that's left is to grab the controller that it comes with and start gaming but let's talk about this controller it's very familiar it is an extremely familiar controller to the pre previous Xbox one uh but there are some nice subtle changes which I think plays a pretty big role first things first for me I've always liked when they had like those ridges and a little bit of grip and texture to the controller which is what they've added to the little handles over here as well as the trigger buttons so if you're into the game Palms are sweating it's serious you got you need all the traction that you can get so you're not just slipping and sliding with all that sweat you Nast nasty so you're talking about me no no J no no no that's you but all I do like these changes uh also what they've changed is the d-pad now we've seen a very similar d-pad on the Xbox Elite controllers but instead with this guy the actual d-pad portion the little cross here actually Rises a bit higher than what we see on the elite controller so you can actually feel them so when you're pressing it it feels like the actual d-pad and then pressing the in between Parts feels kind of nice too so I think this feels better than what we have as options with the elite controllers those just felt a little bit too flat and I think the other important change is the share button so I actually really like having the share button right here in the center uh if you press it really quickly you do a quick screenshot and if you hold it depending on what you have as a default setting you'll be able to prepare a clip so you can save a game playay clip so for me that's huge because every time I pulled off something decent in Apex I'm like oh hold on let me go let me go record what happened there I've definitely stood in place trying to find that menu leaving myself exposed to get shot uh so this is a lot better don't judge me not to mention the fact that this also has USB type-c now this does still take you know doublea batteries so if you want that rechargeable battery you're going to have to to buy that as like you know those kits separately some people are pretty upset that they still take AA batteries honestly I don't know if it bothers me too much um I like being able to have the batteries in there and not worry about recharging every night or every couple of playthroughs so there's a piece of mind that comes with using the ablea batteries that rechargeable batteries don't give uh but I do understand that it can be annoying to change them out but now you're familiar with the controller you think you're ready to game but what about your audio we've got this guy over here steel series was cool enough to sponsor today's video and send over their arctus 7x wireless headset uh for the Xbox series X now I personally like the design of this headset it's got nice swivels on the ear cups you can of course pull out the mic if you want to talk to your teammates thanks to its Wireless USBC dongle it's also compatible with the switch PCS and even Android devices and it uses a low latency wireless connection so that you don't have to worry about lag it has lossless 2.4 GHz audio so it has High Fidelity and you also get all of your controls right here on the headset but what's really really cool is the fact that this thing has a 24hour battery life guys I've personally been using it with the series X I've been enjoying it if you guys want to try it out I'll of course have links Down Below in the description now that you've got your audio you've got your controller you got your TV you've got your placement let's talk about gameplay and I got to say gaming on a nextg console is different things are just so much faster whether it's the lad times which we've covered on this channel in the past the lad times are absolutely insane and it does feel like a nextg system now we've gone and played a couple of games that have some disastrous load times like Monster Hunter and we've seen some ridiculous improvements in terms of the speed there and it was absolutely awesome to experience so you guys can see for yourself just what having an SSD inside of this thing a fast SSD is like compared to the old hard drives of the past you just get through those loading screens so much faster and the fact that this thing is backwards compatible developers can always go back and optimize them for the series X but it is insane to think that the entire Xbox catalog is going to be playable on the series X and Series S and when we're talking about optimized for the series X we're looking at better load times better frame rates better graphics all that kind of stuff we're going to be able to see developers really have a hand in making those games just run better on the series X or Series S and one thing that I also think is pretty cool is if you pick up a new TV and it supports HDR some of those older games that you get thanks to backwards compatibility will automatically be fine-tuned for HDR the Xbox is is able to intelligently do that on its own so even if the developer doesn't have a hand in that you can still get those nice quality colors get increased dynamic range it'll just look a lot better simply by being on the system so lots of cool stuff there so if you really care about backwards compatibility there's a ton of benefits from playing them on this system now some other really cool features of the series X that I think people will really enjoy things like quick resume uh being able to jump right back into a game and I've also tested this I'll have a link to that video down below in the description where you can literally jump out of a game jump into another game and another game and another game and go back to all of those games and still be in the same place if you're somebody who jumps back and forth between games you don't stay on one game for too long it's going to be really cool to just be able to just get right back to where you were and not worry about like those super long loading screens in the beginning where you go through all those different Publishers and companies and people who had a hand in it you get right into the game which is awesome but overall guys I do think that the gameplay experience has been pretty awesome with the series X I've been playing this game Yakuza like a dragon uh and it's actually been pretty fun I haven't gotten really far but I feel like I'm going to actually try and finish this game I I love Japan and everything about Japan and I'm not going to lie I lowkey feel like I'm there in this game but either way my experience in terms of the gameplay has been awesome definitely feels like next gen is here so I'm really happy about that now the question is do I recommend this system and I can wholeheartedly say absolutely now while I may not be the biggest fan of the UI I think the overall experience playing the series X has just been pretty mindblowing it definitely feels like a generational leap compared to the 1X because of just how much faster and smoother everything everything is and not to mention we're going to be able to see things like maybe 8K come to the Future Xbox has talked about being able to support 8K that's something we have to really sit down and figure out and see how that's going to work and how far down the line with the series X that that's going to come into play but the fact that that's even on the table shows how much power that this thing has and just how much longevity that we're looking at with this system now of course it all comes down to personal preference uh are you an Xbox guy are you a PlayStation guy that's your call uh but anybody who's just looking to purchase this system I definitely think it's an easy recommendation but like with any console honestly we do have to see what kind of games are going to come out for the system uh the system itself has everything you're going to need uh but titles are a huge huge part of of it but from a hardware perspective this thing has everything but that about wraps it up for this video guys hopefully you enjoyed it hopefully this helped you in your purchasing decision uh let me know what you guys think of the series X I have enjoyed my time with it and I cannot wait for series X titles to start coming out I'm very very hyped and optimistic for those but like I said let me know what you guys think which system are you going for go ahead have your console wars in the comment section it's okay but that about wraps It Up Guys hopefully you enjoyed it if you did be the cool guy or girl that gives this video a thumbs up and if you want to see PlayStation content don't worry that's coming too and a Xbox series s review also coming it is in the works till next time guys it's your average consumer peace I'm just going to play Apex on this anyway I don't even know why it all matters that's the only game I care aboutwhat's going on guys it's your average consumer and it is finally time for me to give you my thoughts on this guy over here the brand new Xbox series X now if you guys are interested in seeing a series s review I'm going to have that coming soon as well so definitely make sure you're subscribed and you stay tuned for that but today we're talking all things Xbox series X from the performance the design how it all worked out for me while having it so let's get into it so first things first let's talk about the design now there have been all kinds of different feelings and opinions on this some people said it looks like a fridge Microsoft took that in a very interesting way this is actually not a bad looking console it's very simple design honestly it's pretty minimal uh I do like the way they did the top where you've got your exhaust for you know the heat looks good I think it looks kind of nice now the issue that you might run into with this console and probably even worse with the PS5 is just the overall size and where you'll place it for me both systems you just got to stand them up that's the way to do it now you can of course there are rubber feet on the sides so if you would like to you could also do it like this as well and I definitely don't think that's bad it definitely doesn't stand out as much but it is a larger box now the only thing that's going to be a little bit tough with these guys is depending on your TV console area uh you might have some issues getting this inside something like here so the PS4 uh Pro over here and the Xbox One X they both fit pretty easily inside of this TV stand probably not going to be the case for any of the Next Generation consoles except for the Xbox series s that one's going to be a lot easier to place just about out anywhere Jay you think you'd have trouble putting this into your TV area you think it'd stand out it's pretty big Carl what about you it would definitely Stand Out is that an issue for you guys my wife won't your wife won't do it what about you Carl I live by myself so I got no problem I'm good now what's nice is this thing does have quite a few vents so you're not going to have any issues in terms of heat I haven't experienced this thing getting loud or having any you know issues with it just having like a screaming fan for the most part in terms of just playing the games that I play having it appear out in the open it's been quiet as a mouse P5 looks huge as well it's the the listen the PS5 is huge you're going to have a harder time putting the PS5 away than this guy but design wise the series X does have a very minimal look whether you like it or not and it should fit no problem in some modern looking living rooms if you care about the design that much now once you figure out what your placement for your Xbox series X is going to be chances are you're going to turn it on right once you get inside though you'll be greeted by this UI and I will say this UI is very similar to what we've seen on the Xbox One X or Xbox One in general and if you're used to that you'll be right at home over here it's a very very similar UI with just some aesthetic changes like the wallpaper in the background being animated it looks awesome I like it uh and you can also do you know a bunch of customization get it to be the color that you want obviously mine is rocking some teal because that's what I do now it may be familiar but is it a userfriendly UI I still feel like Xbox has some work to do in that department I know how to navigate this because I've been using it for so long uh but if you're new into the Xbox lineup there might be a slight learning curve in terms of the overall UI if you're coming from something like a PS4 where everything is pretty linear all of your apps are just like Bo boop boop boop boop and your games it's very simple this it's a bit more chaotic but it looks nice I like what they did with the background I love the customization so once you get used to it it is what it is but for the UI I do wish we saw a little something new uh rather than something so similar to previous versions of the Xbox now let's talk about specs for just a split second it's a powerful console and if you compare it on paper to something something like the PS5 this is a little bit better uh but we'll see how actual performance goes when they both get here and while I don't want to bore anybody with the CPU clock speed the taror flops and the GPU speed what I do want to talk about is something that's going to hit home for a lot of people and that's the ability to do 4K gaming and even 120 htz gaming now we've all heard about frame rates in the past for a lot of people it's been something that can be pretty much ignored but with the new systems all boasting about being able to game at 4K 120 frames per second we got to address it so when you go into the settings you'll actually be able to select how you want your system to look on your TV if you've got a 4K TV you'll of course be able to select 4K UHD and the refresh rate now this is a little bit different now not all TVs will support 4K 120 FPS so that is going to be a bit of a challenge for people trying to pick up a new TV to work with their system now I've got a TV here that is 4K supports 120 HZ but it doesn't do 120 HZ 4K so that requires an HDMI 2.1 Port which this guy does not have it's only 2.0 uh so if I go to 120 htz I'll only be able to do that in 1080P people are going to run out and purchase a TV to support support their new 4k console but I really implore you to do your research because chances are you might pick up something that says it supports 120 or it supports 4K but it might not do it together that HDMI 2.1 is extremely important so definitely definitely do your research because it can save you a lot of headaches trust me now this might be new for some people and you might be wondering which one should you prioritize now if you're not paying playing any games that are like super competitive you just want to see nice Graphics you can go for that 4K you might enjoy that so what it really just comes down to is how visually appealing do you want your games to be or how responsive and smooth looking do you want them to be so you then figured out where you're going to put your Xbox what TV you're going to use all that's left is to grab the controller that it comes with and start gaming but let's talk about this controller it's very familiar it is an extremely familiar controller to the pre previous Xbox one uh but there are some nice subtle changes which I think plays a pretty big role first things first for me I've always liked when they had like those ridges and a little bit of grip and texture to the controller which is what they've added to the little handles over here as well as the trigger buttons so if you're into the game Palms are sweating it's serious you got you need all the traction that you can get so you're not just slipping and sliding with all that sweat you Nast nasty so you're talking about me no no J no no no that's you but all I do like these changes uh also what they've changed is the d-pad now we've seen a very similar d-pad on the Xbox Elite controllers but instead with this guy the actual d-pad portion the little cross here actually Rises a bit higher than what we see on the elite controller so you can actually feel them so when you're pressing it it feels like the actual d-pad and then pressing the in between Parts feels kind of nice too so I think this feels better than what we have as options with the elite controllers those just felt a little bit too flat and I think the other important change is the share button so I actually really like having the share button right here in the center uh if you press it really quickly you do a quick screenshot and if you hold it depending on what you have as a default setting you'll be able to prepare a clip so you can save a game playay clip so for me that's huge because every time I pulled off something decent in Apex I'm like oh hold on let me go let me go record what happened there I've definitely stood in place trying to find that menu leaving myself exposed to get shot uh so this is a lot better don't judge me not to mention the fact that this also has USB type-c now this does still take you know doublea batteries so if you want that rechargeable battery you're going to have to to buy that as like you know those kits separately some people are pretty upset that they still take AA batteries honestly I don't know if it bothers me too much um I like being able to have the batteries in there and not worry about recharging every night or every couple of playthroughs so there's a piece of mind that comes with using the ablea batteries that rechargeable batteries don't give uh but I do understand that it can be annoying to change them out but now you're familiar with the controller you think you're ready to game but what about your audio we've got this guy over here steel series was cool enough to sponsor today's video and send over their arctus 7x wireless headset uh for the Xbox series X now I personally like the design of this headset it's got nice swivels on the ear cups you can of course pull out the mic if you want to talk to your teammates thanks to its Wireless USBC dongle it's also compatible with the switch PCS and even Android devices and it uses a low latency wireless connection so that you don't have to worry about lag it has lossless 2.4 GHz audio so it has High Fidelity and you also get all of your controls right here on the headset but what's really really cool is the fact that this thing has a 24hour battery life guys I've personally been using it with the series X I've been enjoying it if you guys want to try it out I'll of course have links Down Below in the description now that you've got your audio you've got your controller you got your TV you've got your placement let's talk about gameplay and I got to say gaming on a nextg console is different things are just so much faster whether it's the lad times which we've covered on this channel in the past the lad times are absolutely insane and it does feel like a nextg system now we've gone and played a couple of games that have some disastrous load times like Monster Hunter and we've seen some ridiculous improvements in terms of the speed there and it was absolutely awesome to experience so you guys can see for yourself just what having an SSD inside of this thing a fast SSD is like compared to the old hard drives of the past you just get through those loading screens so much faster and the fact that this thing is backwards compatible developers can always go back and optimize them for the series X but it is insane to think that the entire Xbox catalog is going to be playable on the series X and Series S and when we're talking about optimized for the series X we're looking at better load times better frame rates better graphics all that kind of stuff we're going to be able to see developers really have a hand in making those games just run better on the series X or Series S and one thing that I also think is pretty cool is if you pick up a new TV and it supports HDR some of those older games that you get thanks to backwards compatibility will automatically be fine-tuned for HDR the Xbox is is able to intelligently do that on its own so even if the developer doesn't have a hand in that you can still get those nice quality colors get increased dynamic range it'll just look a lot better simply by being on the system so lots of cool stuff there so if you really care about backwards compatibility there's a ton of benefits from playing them on this system now some other really cool features of the series X that I think people will really enjoy things like quick resume uh being able to jump right back into a game and I've also tested this I'll have a link to that video down below in the description where you can literally jump out of a game jump into another game and another game and another game and go back to all of those games and still be in the same place if you're somebody who jumps back and forth between games you don't stay on one game for too long it's going to be really cool to just be able to just get right back to where you were and not worry about like those super long loading screens in the beginning where you go through all those different Publishers and companies and people who had a hand in it you get right into the game which is awesome but overall guys I do think that the gameplay experience has been pretty awesome with the series X I've been playing this game Yakuza like a dragon uh and it's actually been pretty fun I haven't gotten really far but I feel like I'm going to actually try and finish this game I I love Japan and everything about Japan and I'm not going to lie I lowkey feel like I'm there in this game but either way my experience in terms of the gameplay has been awesome definitely feels like next gen is here so I'm really happy about that now the question is do I recommend this system and I can wholeheartedly say absolutely now while I may not be the biggest fan of the UI I think the overall experience playing the series X has just been pretty mindblowing it definitely feels like a generational leap compared to the 1X because of just how much faster and smoother everything everything is and not to mention we're going to be able to see things like maybe 8K come to the Future Xbox has talked about being able to support 8K that's something we have to really sit down and figure out and see how that's going to work and how far down the line with the series X that that's going to come into play but the fact that that's even on the table shows how much power that this thing has and just how much longevity that we're looking at with this system now of course it all comes down to personal preference uh are you an Xbox guy are you a PlayStation guy that's your call uh but anybody who's just looking to purchase this system I definitely think it's an easy recommendation but like with any console honestly we do have to see what kind of games are going to come out for the system uh the system itself has everything you're going to need uh but titles are a huge huge part of of it but from a hardware perspective this thing has everything but that about wraps it up for this video guys hopefully you enjoyed it hopefully this helped you in your purchasing decision uh let me know what you guys think of the series X I have enjoyed my time with it and I cannot wait for series X titles to start coming out I'm very very hyped and optimistic for those but like I said let me know what you guys think which system are you going for go ahead have your console wars in the comment section it's okay but that about wraps It Up Guys hopefully you enjoyed it if you did be the cool guy or girl that gives this video a thumbs up and if you want to see PlayStation content don't worry that's coming too and a Xbox series s review also coming it is in the works till next time guys it's your average consumer peace I'm just going to play Apex on this anyway I don't even know why it all matters that's the only game I care about\n"