TheXbox Series Xreleases in a month and prospective pre-orderers are hungry for any information about the console. $499 is not a small sum to pay and the past generation’s launch woes, whether it be noise or heat, still stand out in pre-orderers' minds. It’s understandable then that there’s some worry, following at least one (now deleted) report from preview coverage of theXbox Series Xsaying it’s “hot, like really hot!” But the story has now progressed to a point where the Xbox Series X’s heat issues appear to have been exaggerated.
Reporting about an apparent heat issue with the Xbox Series X comes from French outlet Jeux Video. Jeux Video’s Ken Bogard reported that theXbox Series X output a lot of heat, describing the console as “almost like a fireplace shaft.” Separately, Giant Beastcast co-host Jeff Bakalar also said their pre-launch console as provided by Microsoft was “a little toasty” even in standby mode. With many reporters still limited by embargoes regarding Xbox Series X coverage, a question grew as to whether the console had heat problems.
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Since then, there’s been somewhat of a call for calm. For one, Jeux Video has pulled the video containing the comments about heating. It’s unclear if this is due toXbox Series X preview embargo issuesor due to the reporting therein. The Verge’s Tom Warren has also added a comment on the topic. In a post on Twitter, Warren first says that he’s under embargo. But he does question the nature of the story. “Microsoft wouldn’t send these consoles to 100s of journalists, streamers, and YouTubers if they had head issues,” Warren states.
To make clear, none of the accusations necessarily call the Xbox Series X’s heat a problem. And that’s even if there really is any noticeable excess heat in the first place. Most video game consoles, as well asgaming PCs, put out a decent amount of heat, after all. It’s likely that the PS5 will also put out a decent amount of heat under load, too. Releasing heat does not mean overheating, though that could definitely be a concern.
Another point to consider is that these pre-launch Xbox Series X consoles may not be the final form factor for the consoles. They may be intended purely to allow the media to test out other aspects of the console, like the backward compatibility coverage that has already been released. Theretail version of the Xbox Series Xmay have a better heat dispersal.
Due to a lack of information,Xbox fanswould be best served to wait for more robust coverage of the Xbox Series X before making any judgments. That doesn’t mean that this early reporting should be ignored, of course, but there’s clearly much more to be said.
TheXbox Series Xreleases November 10.
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