The console is one of the planned fourth-generation family of Xbox hardware, succeeding the current Xbox One line, and expected to have improved hardware for higher display resolutions and frame rate and reduced loading times. Microsoft plans to have this be a soft transition to its next generation of hardware; the Xbox Series X is expected to be fully compatible with all games, controllers, and accessories that are currently supported by Xbox One, including selected Xbox 360 and original Xbox games already backward compatible on the Xbox One.

Notes:

• The Xbox Series X needs an internet connection during setup or it will not function, even offline games will fail to launch.
• The controller that ships with the console uses AA batteries.

Common problems/faults with the console:

• Controllers are known to drift, sometimes out of the box, because the gamepads use ageing off-the-shelf joystick modules with a short life expectancy (2 to 7 months). It was a cost saving move by Microsoft that makes the joysticks extremely difficult to repair without soldering gear. There are four main causes of stick drift: sensor wear, spring fatigue, material stretching, and dust/moisture build up.
• Xbox uses DRM that may prevent games from being played when the Xbox Network shuts down. In 2022, Xbox DRM caused an outage that prevented games (single player & Online/physical & digital) from being played for several days.