E3 is the biggest annual event in gaming, packed with major reveals and expensive-looking trailers. However, not all the news from the week of E3 came with a lot of fanfare, with Microsoft quietly rolling out the new Xbox Series X box out.
Retailer listings are already being updated to reflect the new Xbox Series X design. While the changes are comparatively minor, many observers say they are an improvement over the previous format.
Microsoft redesigned its Xbox box art during the jumps from the original Xbox to Xbox 360 and from the 360 to the Xbox One. However, before this week, the Xbox Series X didn’t alter the format much. The dimensions stayed more or less the same, as did the green plastic bar across the top. The most significant change was Microsoft removing the “One” from the Xbox logo and adding a small black bar listing Xbox Series X and Xbox One as compatible consoles. Where relevant, Microsoft also plastered “Optimized for Series X” in a big hexagon on the front of the box, covering some of the artwork.
The new design removes the green bar altogether and replaces the black bar with a large white box filling the same purpose. The Xbox branding across the top is also gone, replaced with a logo in the top left corner. The Xbox Smart Delivery logo is in the same place it used to be but printed on the corner of the artwork instead of the green band. Microsoft also ditched the hexagon, making the design look less cluttered.
The new design seems to have been well-received overall. Some say the white text box is a little boring, but it is significantly easier to read. A white box is also less likely to blend in with the colors of the artwork. Additionally, the new design frees up more spaces for the box art and helps distinguish Xbox Series X games from those designed for the Xbox One.
While the original design wasn’t perfect, it did make some sense. Microsoft marketed the Series X and Series S as upgrades rather than replacements for the Xbox One. Most new Xbox games, including all Microsoft’s first-party titles, are cross-generation. While Microsoft still believes in console generations, the company’s certainly been blurring the line. The previous box art reflected that philosophy.
Still, love it or hate it, it seems like most people agree that the new design is an improvement. Hopefully, gamers will keep being able to say the same about the generation as a whole.