Xbox One X | UK release date, price, enhanced games, where to pre-order and everything you need to know

Xbox One X Box
Xbox One X Box

Microsoft’s Xbox One X will soon be joining the bulging selection of video game consoles on the market with its release date on the horizon. The high price, 4K-enabled, souped up Xbox One X will join Sony’s PS4 Pro as one of the premium choices for players high-end gaming fix. It will release alongside its more affordable, if less technologically capable sibling, the Xbox One S. Both Xbox Ones will be compatible with Xbox One games, with the X offering some technological benefits. But which console is right for you? Here is everything we know about Microsoft’s new box.

What is the Xbox One X release date?

The Xbox One X is released worldwide on 7 November 2017. Just in time for Christmas, of course.

What will the Xbox One X cost?

The recommended retail price for the Xbox One X has been set at £449.99.

Where can I pre-order the Xbox One X?

You can buy the Xbox One X at the selected retailers below.

Xbox One X where to buy

What is the Xbox One X anyway?

Formally known as Project Scorpio, the Xbox One X is a mid-generation, upgraded version of Microsoft’s existing Xbox One console. While all games released for the consoles will need to be compatible with each model, the Xbox One X is set to offer significant technical benefits. The most obvious being the ability to display a ‘true’ 4K HDR picture on suitable ultra high-definition televisions.

That’s the headline feature, but the console will also offer other graphical and technical enhancements to a selected list of existing and upcoming games. The type and extent of the technological boost varies between each title. For the audiophiles among us, the X will also be Dolby Atmos compatible.

What also impresses is just how sleek the box itself is, a little black number that is considerably smaller and more stylish than the original Xbox One design. It goes for a similar aesthetic to the lovely white Xbox One S, but is packing a lot more under the hood.

Xbox One X Front
Xbox One X Front

The specs: How powerful is the Xbox One X?

The official specifications of the One X are below.

  • CPU  - Custom eight-core 2.3GHz processor

  • GPU  - Custom unit running at 1.172GHz

  • RAM -  12GB GDDR5

  • Storage -  1TB hard disk

  • Disc drive - UHD Blu-Ray player

  • Video output - 4K resolution, HDR 10 support

  • Audio - DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1,Dolby Atmos, PCM 2.0, 5.1, 7.1

  • Wireless - Bluetooth, dual-band Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, IR blaster

  • Connectors -  2x HDMI, 3x USB 3.0 ports, IR out, S/PDIF, Ethernet

Xbox One X Back
Xbox One X Back

In layman’s terms this means that, in terms of pure technological grunt, the Xbox One X is the most powerful video game console ever made. A point that Microsoft are understandably keen to drive home. It isn’t as capable as the highest end gaming PCs, of course, but has more going on under the hood than the PS4 Pro. Sony’s premium console also outputs in 4K and offers graphical upgrades to certain titles, but Microsoft will be hoping that their assertion that game will run best on Xbox One X pans out. Xbox has lagged behind PlayStation in the performance stakes this generation and performance doesn’t always rely just on what technology a machine is packing. But the One X’s much vaunted CPU speed of ‘6 teraflops’, which is faster than the PS4 Pro’s 4.2 TF, will give the console a fighting chance.

What it means in a practical sense is that games may run smoother, achieving target frame rates more consistently, and offer a clutch of graphical improvements in lighting, texture and, of course, resolution. You will only see the main benefit of the Xbox One X on a suitable 4K television, but owners of 1080p TVs are promised that many of the finer details will apply. It is also suggested that, much like PC games, many graphical settings will be customisable so that you can select the mode that will benefit you the most. Full 4K resolution may be able to be traded in for a faster frame rate for instance, a feature that was present in the PS4 Pro version of Rise of the Tomb Raider, but will reportedly be more widespread in Xbox One X games.

Halo 5
Halo 5

List of Xbox One X enhanced games

Microsoft have been very clear that all Xbox One games will work on all members of the console ‘family’, but over 130 of those games will benefit from the X’s technological boost. Here is the official list of existing and upcoming Xbox One X enhanced games. The benefits that each game will vary.

  • A Plague Tale: Innocence | Focus Home Entertainment

  • Anthem | Electronic Arts

  • ARK: Survival Evolved | Studio Wildcard

  • Ashen | Annapurna

  • Ashes Cricket | Big Ant Studios

  • Assassin's Creed Origins | Ubisoft

  • Astroneer | System Era

  • AWAY: Journey to the Unexpected | Aurélien Regard & "Jim" Gennisson

  • Battlerite | Stunlock Studios

  • Below | Capybara

  • Biomutant | THQ Nordic

  • Black Desert | PearlAbyss Corp.

  • Brawlout | Angry Mob Games

  • Chess Ultra | Ripstone Publishing

  • CODE VEIN | BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

  • Conan Exiles | Funcom

  • Crackdown 3 | Microsoft Studios

  • Crossout | Gaijin Entertainment

  • Danger Zone | Three Fields Entertainment LTD

  • Dark and Light | Snail Games

  • Darksiders III | THQ Nordic

  • Dead Rising 4 | Microsoft Studios

  • Deep Rock Galactic | Coffee Stain

  • Diablo III: Reaper of Souls - Ultimate Evil Edition | Blizzard Entertainment

  • Dishonored 2 | Bethesda Softworks

  • Dishonored: Death of the Outsider | Bethesda Softworks

  • Disneyland Adventures | Microsoft Studios

  • DOOM | Bethesda Softworks

  • Dovetail Games Euro Fishing | Dovetail Games Ltd

  • DRAGON BALL FighterZ | BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

  • Dynasty Warriors 9 | KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.

  • EA Sports FIFA 18 | Electronic Arts

  • EA Sports NBA Live 18 | Electronic Arts

  • EA Sports Madden NFL 18 | Electronic Arts

  • EA Sports NHL 18 | Electronic Arts

  • Elex | THQ Nordic

  • Elite: Dangerous | Frontier Developments Plc.

  • EVERSPACE | ROCKFISH Games GmbH

  • F1 2017 | Deep Silver

  • Fable Fortune | Mediatonic Ltd.

  • Fallout 4 | Bethesda Softworks

  • Far Cry 5 | Ubisoft

  • Farming Simulator 17 | Focus Home Entertainment

  • Final Fantasy XV | Square Enix

  • Firewatch | Campo Santo

  • For Honor | Ubisoft

  • Fortnite | Epic Games Inc.

  • Forza Horizon 3 | Microsoft Studios

  • Forza Motorsport 7 | Microsoft Studios

  • Gears of War 4 | Microsoft Studios

  • Gravel | Milestone

  • Greedfall | Focus Home Entertainment

  • GRIDD: Retroenhanced | Antab Studios

  • Halo 5: Guardians | Microsoft Studios

  • Halo Wars 2 | Microsoft Studios

  • Halo: The Master Chief Collection | Microsoft Studios 

  • Hand of Fate 2 | Defiant Development

  • Hello Neighbor | tinyBuild LLC

  • Hitman | Square Enix

  • Homefront: The Revolution | Deep Silver

  • Immortal:Unchained | Sold Out Sales & Marketing

  • Injustice 2 | Warner Brothers Interactive

  • Jurassic World Evolution | Frontier Developments Plc.

  • Killer Instinct | Microsoft Studios

  • Killing Floor 2 | Tripwire Interactive LLC

  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance | Deep Silver

  • L.A. Noire | Rockstar Games

  • Life is Strange: Before the Storm | Square Enix

  • Mafia III | 2K

  • Mantis Burn Racing | VooFoo Studios Ltd.

  • METAL GEAR SURVIVE | KONAMI

  • Metro: Exodus | Deep Silver

  • Middle-earth: Shadow of War | Warner Brothers Interactive

  • Minecraft | Microsoft Studios

  • Minion Masters | BetaDwarf

  • Monster Hunter: World | CAPCOM CO., LTD

  • NBA 2K18 | 2K

  • Need for Speed Payback | Electronic Arts

  • Nine Parchments | Frozenbyte

  • OKAMI HD | CAPCOM CO., LTD

  • Ooblets | Glumberland

  • Ori and the Will of the Wisps | Microsoft Studios

  • Outlast 2 | Red Barrels

  • Paladins | Hi-Rez Studios

  • Path of Exile | Grinding Gear Games

  • PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds | Microsoft Studios

  • Portal Knights | 505 Games

  • PES PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2018 | KONAMI

  • Project CARS 2 | BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

  • Quantum Break | Microsoft Studios

  • Raiders of the Broken Planet | Mercury Steam

  • Railway Empire | Kalypso

  • Real Farm | SOEDESCO

  • ReCore: Definitive Edition | Microsoft Studios

  • Redout: Lightspeed Edition | 34BigThings srl

  • RESIDENT EVIL 7 biohazard | CAPCOM CO., LTD

  • RiME | Tequila Works

  • Rise of the Tomb Raider | Square Enix

  • Roblox | Roblox

  • Robocraft Infinity | Freejam Ltd.

  • Rocket League | Psyonix

  • Rugby 18 | Bigben Interactive

  • Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure | Microsoft Studios

  • Sea of Thieves | Microsoft Studios

  • Slime Rancher | Monomi Park, LLC

  • SMITE | Hi-Rez Studios

  • Sonic Forces | SEGA

  • Star Wars Battlefront II | Electronic Arts

  • State of Decay 2 | Microsoft Studios

  • STEEP | Ubisoft

  • Strange Brigade | Rebellion Developments

  • Super Lucky's Tale | Microsoft Studios

  • SUPERHOT | SUPERHOT Team

  • Surviving Mars | Paradox Interactive

  • Tacoma | Fullbright

  • Tennis World Tour | Bigben Interactive

  • The Artful Escape | Annapurna

  • The Crew 2 | Ubisoft

  • The Darwin Project | Scavenger Studio

  • The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind | Bethesda Softworks

  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition|  Bethesda Softworks

  • The Last Night | Raw Fury

  • The Long Dark | Hinterland

  • The Surge | Focus Home Entertainment

  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | CD Projekt

  • Titanfall 2 | Electronic Arts

  • Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands | Ubisoft

  • Tom Clancy's The Division | Ubisoft

  • Train Sim World | Dovetail Games Ltd

  • TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge | Bigben Interactive

  • Warframe | Digital Extremes

  • Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide | Fatshark AB

  • We Happy Few | Gearbox

  • Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus | Bethesda Softworks

  • World of Tanks | Wargaming.net

  • WRC 7 FIA World Rally Championship | Bigben Interactive

  • Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection | Microsoft Studios

What about virtual reality?

When Project Scorpio was first announced, Microsoft highlighted the machine’s ability to handle virtual reality. However, since that announcement the VR revolution hasn’t taken off as many have hoped. So the focus for the Xbox One X has moved away from VR and there will not be any kind of headset at launch or in the immediate future.

Never say never, though, as Microsoft has been rather coy about their approach to VR with the One X. The box is apparently VR-capable, but Microsoft’s Mike Nichols told the Telegraph at E3 that the company’s interest in VR was currently focussed on PCs, claiming the current, heavily wired headsets as unsuitable for a living room setup. There is a chance that Microsoft will revisit a headset for Xbox One X in the future, depending on the market and technology, but for now: no VR for Xbox One X.