It's been over a year since the Xbox Series X / S consoles went on sale, and while supply issues persist, there's a greater chance that many gamers were able to get hold of one.
With so much time to think about the future, you probably want to rip the package apart, put your new console in front of your TV, and start playing right away, and who could blame you? But before you do, now is the time to make sure your first few hours with your new console are as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
Nothing is more frustrating than having a black screen or no sound when you first turn on a console. Fortunately, setting up an Xbox Series X or S is relatively straightforward, even if you're not a tech savvy. However, Microsoft's new consoles are a bit more complicated than their predecessors. As such, it can be very easy to miss an essential step when connecting.
Fortunately, we have been through the trials and tribulations of the ninth generation of consoles and we are here to share our experience with you. So here are our tips on the top five things to do if you just got an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S for Christmas.
1. make sure your Xbox is properly connected
Many gamers have used the same old HDMI cable for the last two generations of consoles. Until now, it didn't matter which HDMI cable you used as long as it was of good quality. However, all that changed with the latest generation of consoles.
Xbox Series X / S consoles support HDMI 2.1. So if you use the correct cable with a TV that has HDMI 2.1 ports, you will have access to new features like Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), 4K @ 120Hz, etc. Fortunately, Microsoft includes a compatible superfast HDMI cable that can handle the 48Gbps bandwidth required to use these features.
The tricky part is figuring out if your TV supports HDMI 2.1. Many high-end TVs made in the last two years are HDMI 2.1 compliant, but there may be a catch. Some TVs only support HDMI 2.1 devices on ports 1 and 2. Others have only one usable port. Be sure to consult your monitor manual to avoid guesswork.
The last thing you need to do is calibrate the HDR. The Xbox will guide you through the steps to get the best results with HDR, which is vital since the console spends most of its time in HDR or Dolby Vision. Auto-HDR is also a new feature on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S that can increase color, brightness, and contrast for a dramatically improved picture in games that were not released with HDR.
2. Discover the Xbox app
(*two*)
(Image credit: Microsoft)Microsoft has revamped the Xbox mobile app for the launch of the Xbox Series X / S consoles, making it a great companion. This makes setting up a console for the first time a breeze, and then you can use it to:
- Launch game downloads from your Game Pass library to your console remotely
- Add, remove or block users and chat with them
- Check your profile, avatar and achievements.
- View, share, and download game images and video snapshots
- Use your phone as a remote control for the Xbox
- Play Xbox games via Cloud Streaming if you are an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber (Android only, iOS users must use Safari).
It goes without saying that the app can do just about anything you can do on the console.
3. Check your display and audio options
Since you've been through all of these problems to make sure your Xbox Series X / S is using the correct type of HDMI cable and is connected to the correct port on your TV, you want to make sure you get all the benefits. . When you get to the home screen, the first thing to do is open the settings menu and then enter the TV and display options menu.
Once in the video settings menu, you can make sure your console is set to the correct options for your TV. Most of the time, these will be detected automatically and you just need to confirm them. You'll also want to check and make sure your video modes are set correctly. In this menu you can find the options to enable VRR, ALLM, HDR and Dolby Vision. Clicking on "4K TV Details" also brings up a helpful checklist of all the Xbox features supported by your TV.
After confirming your display settings, you can take a look at Volume and Audio Out to make sure your speakers or headphones are recognized properly. You can also enable spatial audio here, including Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos, or DTS Headphone: X, but you'll need to purchase a license for the latter two.
4. Connect your old external hard drives
While you're probably eager to see a ton of new games, remember that Xbox Series X / S consoles have exceptional backward compatibility. If you were using an external hard drive (or two) to store games on your Xbox One, your current drive will transfer to an X or S series with no problem.
To transfer an external hard drive from an Xbox One to an Xbox Series X / S, all you need to do is connect the USB cable to your new console. It will recognize the player without the need for updates and you can instantly play all the games stored in it. You can also store Xbox Series X / S optimized games on an external hard drive, but they will need to be installed on the internal SSD or Seagate Xbox storage expansion card in order to play them.
5. Get the Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass is one of the best game deals right now. The basic plan is € 9.99 / € 7.99 / AU € 15.95 per month and gives you instant access to over 100 games, including all proprietary titles from Xbox Game Studios like Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon. 5. However, we recommend Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which also includes EA Play, Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Cloud Streaming, and Game Pass for PC.
The only downside to Xbox Game Pass is that some titles are only available for a limited time. However, subscribers get a 20% discount on any title of the service and a 10% discount on DLC, which means you can get a good deal on any game you want to keep.
Now that you've set up your Xbox Series X or S console, you can enjoy some of the best Xbox Series X games available now and throughout 2022.
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