Xbox Series X | S

[Hitcher]

Isn't the disc just a licence? Try installing without it via the app first.

[Lorfarius]

32 minutes ago, sofasurfer said:

Has anybody has issues trying to install Metro Exodus Complete edition from disc on an X? I picked up a cheap copy and the install stops at 94.6% and no matter what I do will not complete. The game will run but I'm assuming it will need that final 5.4% at some point.

 

 

 

Have you tried pulling the plug for a few minutes? Not just a console shut down but removing the power.

[sofasurfer]

45 minutes ago, Lorfarius said:

 

Have you tried pulling the plug for a few minutes? Not just a console shut down but removing the power.

Not yet, but I'll give it a try.

[Strafe]

I got the official wireless headset yesterday, so far so good but surprised after coming from the Pulse PS5 headset that it doesn’t disable sound to your TV when you have it on.

 

Short of muting the TV is there a setting I’m unaware of to make it auto switch to headset only whilst the headset is on?

[rgraves]

7 minutes ago, Strafe said:

I got the official wireless headset yesterday, so far so good but surprised after coming from the Pulse PS5 headset that it doesn’t disable sound to your TV when you have it on.

 

Short of muting the TV is there a setting I’m unaware of to make it auto switch to headset only whilst the headset is on?

 

A setting to do just that (mute the TV when the headset is connected) has just come out to the early OS build folks - I suspect it'll roll out to everyone in the next few months. Until that point, yep you need to hit mute on the TV.

[TehStu]

I'm surprised the XB1 never did that, a bit overdue.

 

I think the XSX warranty is up soon (or maybe already is), but I wanted to check to see if this is just early OS stability or I have an issue. Aside from all the quick resume issues, I noticed way more games just straight up crash than I'm used to on the XB1. Roblox does, which I don't give a toss about, but so does PvZ Battle for Neighborville. It's tolerable because the XSX loads things so quickly, but it's not very good, is it. Also, I had trouble updating Minecraft recently. It said an update was available, but no matter if we quit, logged out users, did a hard reboot etc., nothing would cause that update to happen (it showed a little progress bar on the tile on the main screen). This actually happened a couple of times. 

 

Weird quirks like this, are they affecting everyone? If the OS just needs polish, I'll stop worrying. Don't want to end up with a wonky drive or machine that needs a total wipe or something.

[SteveH]

12 minutes ago, TehStu said:

I'm surprised the XB1 never did that, a bit overdue.

 

I think the XSX warranty is up soon (or maybe already is), but I wanted to check to see if this is just early OS stability or I have an issue. Aside from all the quick resume issues, I noticed way more games just straight up crash than I'm used to on the XB1. Roblox does, which I don't give a toss about, but so does PvZ Battle for Neighborville. It's tolerable because the XSX loads things so quickly, but it's not very good, is it. Also, I had trouble updating Minecraft recently. It said an update was available, but no matter if we quit, logged out users, did a hard reboot etc., nothing would cause that update to happen (it showed a little progress bar on the tile on the main screen). This actually happened a couple of times. 

 

Weird quirks like this, are they affecting everyone? If the OS just needs polish, I'll stop worrying. Don't want to end up with a wonky drive or machine that needs a total wipe or something.

 I'd get that looked at. I've played quite a variety of games now and despite being on the skip ahead alpha program, where the firmware can be dodgy at times, I think I've only had it crash on me maybe 3-4 times since launch and I use it every day. 

[Stanley]

5 hours ago, Strafe said:

I got the official wireless headset yesterday, so far so good but surprised after coming from the Pulse PS5 headset that it doesn’t disable sound to your TV when you have it on.

 

Short of muting the TV is there a setting I’m unaware of to make it auto switch to headset only whilst the headset is on?

How would you compare the two, sound and features wise, and comfort? I think the Xbox headset is really good but I’ve heard good things about the PS5 one too. 

 

 

[Ry]

I got home and my series X was on the floor. The cat had knocked off off the cabinet. Must have been a good foot and a half fall.

 

It can takes the knocks!

 

And pee. 

[Strafe]

40 minutes ago, Stanley said:

How would you compare the two, sound and features wise, and comfort? I think the Xbox headset is really good but I’ve heard good things about the PS5 one too. 

 

 

The Pulse is significantly better sound wise, though that may be the 3D audio stuff and general audio processing on PS5 being better. (I haven’t bought the Dolby sub mind)

 

I’ve had a few audio/connection drops and stutters on the Xbox headset during gameplay, which I’ve never had with the Pulse and the range is shorter than that of the pulse.

 

The Xbox volume control and the chat mix dials on the cups are better and more intuitive than the Pulses button controls

 

The Xbox headset feels a tad plasticky (I know both are plastic but you get what I mean) compared to the pulse. I think the Pulse looks cooler but I wouldn’t be wearing either of them out. (That said I understand the Xbox can be paired to other stuff so it has more practical applications?)

Comfort appears to be much of a muchness, the cups on the Xbox being softer to the hand but it doesn’t make any difference in practice. 

 

I need to fiddle around with the EQ a bit but as it stands for me and what I use them for the pulse is better on basically everything bar controls.

 

 

 

[JPL]

23 minutes ago, Strafe said:

general audio processing on PS5 being better.

Is it? I thought they were on a par at least. Although I do remember Cerny talking about getting scans of people’s ears for his personal pleasure or something.

[JoeK]

From the limited use I've had of my PS5, I'll probably give the sound awards to it. The 3d audio seems pretty spectacular to my distinctly non-audiophile ears. 

 

That's not to say the Dolby solution on the Xbox side of things is bad - it's been pretty great too, mind. 

 

 

[MattyP]

17 minutes ago, JPL said:

Is it? I thought they were on a par at least. Although I do remember Cerny talking about getting scans of people’s ears for his personal pleasure or something.

Out of the box PS5 is better IMHO. If you download the Dolby Atmos app Xbox is as good. Think the Atmos app is £15.

[deerokus]

1 hour ago, Ry said:

I got home and my series X was on the floor. The cat had knocked off off the cabinet. Must have been a good foot and a half fall.

 

It can takes the knocks!

 

And pee. 

If it was a ps5 your house would have collapsed.

 

As for the 3d audio, I quite like DTS:X one.

[5R7]

1 hour ago, Strafe said:

The Pulse is significantly better sound wise, though that may be the 3D audio stuff and general audio processing on PS5 being better. (I haven’t bought the Dolby sub mind)

 

 

so...to clarify...you are  comparing the built in 3d audio processing of the ps5 (as they didnt want to pay for dolby), to the paid for dolby atmos for headphones app available on xbox...without having the app. and saying 3d on one sounds better that the other, but, you dont have the other to compare to...yes?

[Strafe]

8 minutes ago, 5R7 said:

 

so...to clarify...you are  comparing the built in 3d audio processing of the ps5 (as they didnt want to pay for dolby), to the paid for dolby atmos for headphones app available on xbox...without having the app. and saying 3d on one sounds better that the other, but, you dont have the other to compare to...yes?

No.
 

I’m comparing the experience I have had with the respective headphones and what they come with.

 

The Xbox wireless headset uses Windows Sonic (spatial audio software by MS) whilst the PS Pulse uses 3D Audio (also spatial audio software by Sony).

 

In my experience so far, the Sony one is a lot better when it comes to spatial audio. I also think, so far, the Sony headphones have a better sound quality.

 

It may be that Dolby atmos (which I assume Microsoft didn’t want to pay for either, given it would cost me to use) is superior but I haven’t tried it yet, I’m not sure what sort of value it will provide and what games are supported.

 

[Strafe]

One other thing - the boom mic on the Xbox headset is likely superior to the Pulse (I haven’t had any complaints about chat quality with the pulse but I imagine the microphone closer to your mouth is better) but it has an LED light on it which will reflect in your glasses if you wear them. You can turn the light off by muting or move the microphone a bit but then it’s further away.

[TehStu]

Yeah, not everyone wants to eat the Dolby license. My phone came with it enabled. That said, the Atmos app works across multiple devices if you do end up buying it.

[Mr. Gerbik]

Pro-tip: the Dolby license is also shareable on Xbox, just like games and subscriptions. So if you game share with someone you can split the cost

[Hitcher]

You can buy it from the Iceland store without a VPN for £8.

[Kryptonian]

It comes up in the sales reasonably often too, I think I paid £9-10 at one point.

[DarkCrisis]

What are the chances of actually buying a Series X at the moment, seems like it’s still hard to get hold of like launch…

[moosegrinder]

15 minutes ago, DarkCrisis said:

What are the chances of actually buying a Series X at the moment, seems like it’s still hard to get hold of like launch…

 

They're in and out of stock. Use notifications like Stock Informers Discord to keep on top of it of you need one

 

https://www.stockinformer.co.uk/blog-discord-stock-notification-alerts

[Super Craig]

https://www.stockcheckers.co.uk/

 

Sign up to this. Was able to get a Series X for my nephew’s Christmas a week or so ago from Amazon.

 

I’d also recommend setting up Amazon Smile and using it when they come in stock on there. Seems to get orders through easier than the main site.

[dizogg]

In a moment of weakness (I say a moment, what I mean to say is 2 days of closely monitoring stock levels) I’ve ordered an Xbox Series X. 
 

I’ve not owned an Xbox since the 360 - is there anything essential I’ve missed since then that needs to be played? Hoping if there is it might be on Gamepass?

 

Also talking of Gamepass it seems like the cheapest way of getting it is for an initial outlay of £120? Seems a lot but I guess is seriously offset against the amount of free games over 3 years!

[teddymeow]

My local Game have told me that they can't do All Access when they have stock anyway so what's the point?!

[metallicfrodo]

51 minutes ago, dizogg said:

 

Also talking of Gamepass it seems like the cheapest way of getting it is for an initial outlay of £120? Seems a lot but I guess is seriously offset against the amount of free games over 3 years!

 

You don't have to get 3 years if you don't want that much outlay. You can just get 3 months, or a year and then get reward points to top up your GPU. Or just wait for it to run out, and then do the live sub an covert again (although the conversion is then 11.99* not £1).

 

Obviously the 3 years is the most secure way to do it as you definitely have 3 years, whereas they might change how valuable the exchange for reward points is or the way the conversion works.

 

*Or whatever the cost you can find a month of GPU for is at that point.

[rgraves]

48 minutes ago, dizogg said:

Also talking of Gamepass it seems like the cheapest way of getting it is for an initial outlay of £120? Seems a lot but I guess is seriously offset against the amount of free games over 3 years!

 

BLOT: See first post.

 

No - that's the cheapest way to get *3* years - but you could just do 1 year for about £40, or 2 years for £80 etc - £120 is the max you can do. You could even just do a couple of months for about a tenner as well I guess. The thing to remember is, it converts your gold to GP for £1 - so whatever you have on gold at the time will convert, and after that first conversion subsequent conversions will need you to a) have lapsed and b) pay about £10 instead of £1.

[TehStu]

The Series X bugs strike again. Minecraft online was completely broken - had a big red ! next to Marketplace, couldn't access realms (I pay for one!) or servers with an error suggesting I had a locked down child account. I mean, I'm the family admin and I didn't realize my account could be locked down.

 

Anyway, a hard reboot fixed it. But not before I tried the usual Quit (thinking it was Quick Resume) and reinstall (thinking it was busted data).

[Mr. Gerbik]

18 minutes ago, TehStu said:

The Series X bugs strike again. Minecraft online was completely broken - had a big red ! next to Marketplace, couldn't access realms (I pay for one!) or servers with an error suggesting I had a locked down child account. I mean, I'm the family admin and I didn't realize my account could be locked down.

 

Anyway, a hard reboot fixed it. But not before I tried the usual Quit (thinking it was Quick Resume) and reinstall (thinking it was busted data).

I lost connection to the Forza 5 aervers for a bit too earlier this evening, so it was probably on their side