Xbox Series X wins Trusted Reviews "Best Console" for 2021

The console overcame key rivals including the Xbox Series S, PS5 and Oculus Quest 2 to secure the win. The console wowed our expert testers when we reviewed it last year, scoring an impressive 4.5/5. It has since gone from strength-to-strength with Microsoft securing key victories, like its acquisition of Bethesda.

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The Xbox Series X is Microsoftā€™s current flagship console. It aims to offer buyers 4K gaming with a number of next generation features, including Ray Tracing lighting.

The Best Games Console category is an Editorā€™s Choice Award. The shortlist and winner of these awards are decided by the team of product experts at Trusted Reviews. To be considered, outside of some special exceptions, the product must have scored at least 4/5 after being reviewed by one of our tech experts.

The winner is chosen by the editorial team at Trusted Reviews. The decision is based on key factors including how it performed during testing, our experience using it in real life and how it compares to the competition on things like price.

The Trusted Reviews Awards 2021 are a week-long digital event where we celebrate the best products to pass through our labs and brands weā€™ve covered over the last 12 months. Weā€™ll be revealing a fresh set of winners each day using the below schedule, so make sure to check back regularly.

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Oh Im sure twitter and era will take it well.

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They havenā€™t posted about it at all.

Make the thread there Javi.

probably they will lock the thread in 5 min :doge: :doge:

I got banned ever since that ā€œPsychonauts 2 had a racist sceneā€ thread

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As I noted on Twitter flame wars incoming and if someone even tries it instant block love my series x

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It is a great console for sure! Iā€™ve never heard of this outlet before, are they any good?

Knew I bought the right console.

Problem with articles like this is just fuel for fanboy wars. Thereā€™s no best as everyone has different tastes, likes and use cases etc.

Well theyā€™re Trusted Reviews so must be good.

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I mean by the end of the year, Its hard to see how it isnā€™t the best console of the year. You can argue PS5 based on pure exclusivesā€¦but with the amount of problems PS5 still has and its awful PSnow service it loses points. Last Year Iā€™d have give it to PS5 for the dualsense and new factor though for me PS4 was clearly the best system last year by a mile. This yearā€¦Series X would have had Forza Halo and a wealth of great Gamepass games as well as being the best value for gaming out there.

For meā€¦

  1. Series X
  2. PS5
  3. Series S
  4. Switch

Iā€™m not sure what ranking achieves or means or why separating out two consoles in the same ecosystem makes sense.

But as an owner of both Series X and Series S then Iā€™d say for relative price points and value they are at the very least equal if not Series S slightly edging ahead. What the console can do for what it costs is truly unparalleled. And the only way it makes sense to rank them separately is if you factor in relative value. Play all modern games at a high fidelity with just about all features preserved in a tiny box - its remarkable really. Especially when you start comparing at a hardware level to say the switch.

Because only one offers the best performance and fidelity as a package. Series x going forward will be the best console for multiplats.

Donā€™t get me wrong. Value wise Series s is great. But the small SSD size and being limited to lower res BC versions sort of does it down. There are a plethora of multiplats released per year and Series s will have the worst versions of all 3 next gen consoles. Thatā€™s a fact.

Still great but Iā€™d argue for value. Series x is far better than Series s. Comes with twice the SSD space and 3x the GPU power. Theyā€™re both great value.

Compared to switch. My raspberry pi has more value. So pointless comparing to switch which is the worst value for what you get.

Ah so youā€™re just ranking them on a narrow basis that fits your own view as to what a console is. I definitely think thatā€™s misguided.

Power is a conversation but its one factor. One thing. So is size and form factor. And probably equally as important to trusted reviews. Portability another. Flexibility. The ecosystem. The games. All these factor in. And price.

Trusted reviews arenā€™t really that interested in ā€˜the best performance for multiplatsā€™. Not in isolation.

The switch is easily going to outsell anything else and perhaps it shows that a console is not defined only by power and that the consumer base (which something like TR reflects) has multiple categories it looks towards.

I donā€™t see how putting series x above s is wrong. Theyā€™re not the same console. Same ecosystem but series x clearly has the better value pound for pound.

Of course multiplatform is important. Not every game is exclusive.

And I donā€™t care if the switch sells well. Itā€™s the worst value unless youā€™re a nintendo fan.

The Wii sold well and itā€™s legitimately the worst console Iā€™ve ever owned. Now switch is great. But when most of the best games on the system are wii u ports and you take 4 years to have Bluetooth support you have problems.

This is best console. Not console that sells the most.

The series S is much better value however you look at it. The X is the pinnacle in power but for majority of consumers the difference is in no way worth the extra Ā£200. Thatā€™s a huge amount of money and whilst someone who really only cares about visual fidelity for most people no way is that worth it.

You can play all the same games and it has the same features minus the optical drive.

Honestly the value is insane on the series S. The X is still very good value but a next gen system that plays games for less than Ā£250 is absolute insanity.

Yeah it is insane. Especially with Gamepass. Which further solidifies my point about The switch being absolutely not good for value.

But it doesnā€™t mean its the best console.

Itā€™s not even close.