We’re getting closer and closer to the impending launch dates of both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X. Both systems have their own respective bells and whistles going for them, which has greatly fueled the desire for consumers to get their hands on them as soon as they became available to pre-order. One of the more interesting tidbits to come out recently is in regards to Microsoft’s Xbox Series X, in this case not with the games or features, but with the way it heats up, literally. According to livestream from French publication Jeux Video (which has since been removed), the Xbox Series X gets extremely hot, which Video Games Chronicles also reported on.
As most people know by now, Microsoft has allowed certain publications to have a special pre-release Xbox Series X in order to report with their hands-on time with it, including Jeux Video. In the now removed livestream video, Jeux Video’s Ken Bogard states that “The Series X is hot, like really hot! It doesn’t make any noise, but damn it’s hot! The console is emitting heat like crazy. It’s almost like a fireplace shaft. You can heat up your flat with it.” Similarly, Giant Bomb Jeff Bakalar also commented on the systems heat situation during a Giant Bomb Podcast video on YouTube, stating that the Xbox Series X gets hot even when it’s in standby mode.
It’s important to note that all of the Xbox Series X systems that were sent out are all considered pre-release hardware, meaning that the final product that eventually comes out for the public to buy might have some alterations, internal changes, and extra features added or removed. It’s also important to state that the heat emanating from the console is mainly coming from the top, the very noticeable dotted air vent that helps cool the system by guiding the hot air upward and outwards. The fact that it’s generating heat, in general, isn’t terribly substantial, since all systems using any type of machinery generate heat in some form or capacity.
The most concerning aspect of this is the fact that all of the incoming reports of the Xbox Series X heat is from playing backwards compatible titles from the Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One library. If this console is bringing that much heat out from older generation games, we can’t even begin to imagine when the actual Xbox Series X titles will do to it. If anything, this will only push the GPU even more, which might cause the system to generate even more heat. While we highly doubt that Microsoft will allow a brand new system on the market to overheat and crash, we’re still wondering if anyone planning on getting the Xbox Series X should have an extra fan on the side just in case, or have the air conditioning on beforehand.
The Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S launches on November 10, 2020, and will cost $499 and $299 respectively.