A recent video compares the size of the Xbox Series X side by side with various other video game consoles and gives a new perspective on Microsoft's next-gen console. The Xbox Series X's release date and price are still unknown, but it's set to launch sometime in November.
With the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling major trade shows like E3 and forcing other events like Gamescom to move entirely online, Microsoft and Sony have been deprived of a lot of traditional means of introducing fans to their upcoming consoles. The result has been an increase in confusion and mystery around the next-gen consoles' release dates, a time which has traditionally been a very hectic one for video game fans anyway. It's getting awfully late in the year for players to still have no idea how much new consoles are going to cost, and their divisive appearances certainly haven't put fans at ease. Promotional footage for the Xbox Series X make it look like a towering monolith, bulky and likely difficult to integrate into a typical TV setup.
Polish video game YouTube channel Maniak Gaming recently went hands-on with a prototype model of the Xbox Series X, which should help allay some consumers' fears. The console is actually much smaller than many likely expected. To illustrate this, the presenter put it next to a Nintendo GameCube, showing that the Series X is about as wide as the GameCube and only two or three times taller than the squat little box. This puts its height at roughly the length of a more conventional console like a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox One. It's certainly boxier, but that also makes it more compact; ultimately it doesn't look like nearly as much of a space-hog as it first appeared. The video is only available in Polish, but it conveys plenty of useful visual information, and it can be found below.
This is the kind of information one might generally expect to get from Microsoft itself. Certainly the actual size of the console is important for consumers to know, as it helps them prepare their gaming space to best effect. With the release of the Xbox Series X lurking just a few months away, it's becoming more and more apparent just how little customers actually know about the upcoming console.
Ideally, fans shouldn't have to get vital console info from third parties rather than their actual manufacturers. One hopes that in a better, more stable time, players wouldn't be left this much in the dark, but there's no way to say that for sure. On the bright side, Maniak's video does give people a concrete idea of what to expect when it comes to the size of the Xbox Series X. Microsoft customers should rejoice at finally having access to this info, and can start rearranging their entertainment center accordingly.
Source: Maniak Gaming/YouTube