Xbox Series X.

The Gavler Review.

Xbox Series X Review: The Most Power in the Xbox Line, Built for Game Pass

The Xbox Series X ranks number 2 on Gavler's Best Game Consoles list with an 8.9, and its pitch has stayed remarkably consistent since launch: the most raw power in the Xbox line, paired with the single best subscription value in gaming. At $649.99 following 2026's industry-wide hardware price increases, it isn't cheap, but 12 teraflops of RDNA 2 graphics performance and Game Pass access to a deep, constantly-refreshed library make it the strongest pick for players whose habits center on subscription gaming rather than chasing a specific exclusive. Buy it if Game Pass matters to how you play. Consider the PS5 Pro instead if PlayStation's exclusive library and best-in-class image quality matter more to you than raw value.

What it is

The Xbox Series X launched as Microsoft's answer to a straightforward question: what does the most powerful possible Xbox look like? The custom RDNA 2 GPU runs 52 compute units at 1.825GHz for 12 teraflops of graphics performance, paired with a fast custom SSD that enables the console's signature Quick Resume feature — the ability to instantly jump between several suspended games without a full reload. It targets 4K output at up to 120 frames per second and includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing for more realistic reflections, shadows, and lighting in supported titles.

But the console's real differentiator has never purely been the silicon — it's what sits on top of it. Xbox Game Pass bundles a large, rotating library of games, including Microsoft's own first-party releases on day one, into a single monthly subscription, and that value proposition is arguably the single biggest reason to choose the Series X over its direct rivals. In 2026, the 1TB disc model rose to $649.99 as part of broader industry hardware price increases, narrowing (but not eliminating) its value gap against the pricier PlayStation lineup.

In use

Reviewers at launch were candid that the Series X's raw hardware capability outpaced what was actually being made for it — a fair critique of any mid-generation console refresh, and one that's largely resolved with time. The Verge's assessment captured that tension directly: "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?"

Eurogamer's technical read landed in a similar place, with a note of confidence about where things were headed: "Ultimately, I believe that in Series X, Microsoft has indeed delivered an excellent next-generation system – but one that likely won't show its many strengths at launch." Years into the console's life, that assessment has largely played out as expected — the hardware capability was real, and the software catalog has caught up meaningfully since, bolstered by Game Pass's growing first-party and third-party lineup.

Day to day, the console's strongest practical selling point remains Quick Resume: the ability to suspend multiple games simultaneously and jump between them instantly, without the multi-minute reload cycle that defines most console multitasking. Combined with the fast SSD's near-instant load times within individual games, it's a meaningfully smoother experience than swapping games used to be on any prior console generation.

Where it shines

• 12 teraflops of RDNA 2 power. The most raw graphics performance in the Xbox lineup, delivering strong 4K performance and headroom for demanding titles.
• Game Pass — the best subscription value in gaming. A large, rotating library including day-one first-party releases, for a single monthly fee — the console's single strongest argument over rivals.
• Quick Resume across multiple games. Genuinely useful day-to-day convenience that most competing consoles still don't match.
• Hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Real, meaningful lighting and reflection improvements in supported titles, not a marketing checkbox.
• 4K output up to 120fps, with 8K hardware support. Strong headroom for high-refresh-rate displays as they become more common.

The trade-offs — who should skip it

The Series X is a genuinely strong console, but the honest caveats are specific:

• Exclusivity is a weaker argument than it used to be. Microsoft has increasingly shipped its first-party titles across Xbox, PC, and sometimes other consoles, so "you can only play this here" carries less weight than it does for PlayStation's exclusive lineup.
• The 2026 price increase narrows the value gap. At $649.99, it now costs the same as the PS5 Slim and only $250 less than the PS5 Pro — a smaller price advantage than the console has historically held.
• It doesn't match the PS5 Pro's image-quality ceiling. Without an equivalent to Sony's PSSR upscaling, the Series X's visual fidelity on the most demanding titles trails the Pro's best modes.

How it compares

Directly above it on the same list, the PlayStation 5 Pro at rank 1 makes the opposite trade: better image quality and PlayStation's exclusive library, at a steeper $899.99 price. If your gaming habits center on PlayStation exclusives and you own a TV good enough to appreciate PSSR upscaling, the Pro is the stronger pick despite the premium.

Further down the list, the Nintendo Switch 2 at rank 3 solves an entirely different problem — it's the only place to play Nintendo's first-party catalog, and its hybrid handheld-or-docked design gives it a use case neither the Series X nor the PS5 Pro can replicate.

The Gavler verdict

An 8.9 — a strong, dependable recommendation for the specific player it's built for. The Xbox Series X remains the most powerful Xbox available, and Game Pass continues to be the best subscription value in console gaming. If that subscription is central to how you play, or you simply want the strongest all-around console at a price meaningfully below the PS5 Pro, this remains an easy, confident buy.

Common Questions

Is the Xbox Series X worth buying in 2026?

Yes, especially if Xbox Game Pass is central to how you play. It ranks number 2 on Gavler's Best Game Consoles list with a 8.9. The console rose to $649.99 in 2026 amid industry-wide hardware price increases, but it remains the most powerful Xbox available and pairs that power with the best subscription value in gaming.

What does the Xbox Series X's 12 teraflops actually mean?

It refers to the GPU's theoretical peak compute throughput — 12 teraflops of RDNA 2 graphics performance, delivered by a custom GPU running 52 compute units at 1.825GHz. In practice, it's the horsepower behind the console's 4K, up-to-120fps output and hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 Pro?

Buy the PS5 Pro if you're invested in PlayStation exclusives and want the best possible console image quality via PSSR upscaling — it costs more at $899.99. Buy the Xbox Series X if Game Pass is central to your gaming habits and you want strong performance at a meaningfully lower $649.99 price.

Does the Xbox Series X have exclusive games?

Fewer than it once did — Microsoft has increasingly released its first-party titles across Xbox, PC, and even other platforms, so exclusivity is a weaker argument for the Series X than it is for competing consoles. Its case rests more on raw power, Game Pass value, and quick resume across multiple games than a walled-off exclusive library.