In the few months that have passed since the Xbox Series X’s reveal, Microsoft has answered quite a few questions regarding the upcoming console, opening up on the XSX’s technical specs and how those specs will improve gamers’ gaming experience. However, it was only until this week that the company finally gave an explanation to perhaps the most pressing question everyone’s had: why is it shaped like that?
From day one, one of the biggest points of contention regarding the next Xbox has been the design of the console itself. A tall rectangular case with a square base is certainly a noticeable departure from the flatter, pizza box-esque style of not just past Xboxes, but media-playing devices in general. Naturally, this has led to people poking fun at the XSX for its unconventional shape, comparing it to similarly-shaped objects like fridges, cinder blocks, and Lego pieces.
The fridge comparison is actually quite fitting, because, as Microsoft recently told Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry, the dimensions of the Xbox Series X are meant to help the console’s hardware stay cool. Among the several factors that led to its shape was the need to maintain airflow and efficiently vent out all of the hot air the console’s powerful components can generate, according to principal designer Chris Kujawski.
“The ODD [optical disc drive] sets one dimension, the volume of the heat sink sets the other dimension,” Kujawski explained. “The height is set by airflow and throughout this kind of complex negotiation of figuring out how this stuff comes together, we landed on a square form factor which we love."
Outside of the need to improve airflow (which is aided by a fan at the top that is reportedly 70% more powerful than the one used for the Xbox One), Microsoft revealed that the XSX’s design was further cemented by how it implemented its motherboard. Instead of keeping it in one large piece, the motherboard has been split in two and mounted on either side of a metal chassis block. This also serves to help cool off the console’s hottest pieces, while allowing Microsoft to fit all of the components into a smaller footprint.
With how different the new Xbox Series X’s design is from what came before, it wasn’t guaranteed that consumers would welcome it, so it was sent out to focus testers to see what they thought. According to Kujawski, “the vast majority of people totally loved it,” which was a huge relief for the Xbox team. “That was pretty magical for us to get that feedback so early on in the program and to get that confidence that this was going to work, that people are going to respond well to this."
The Xbox Series X is scheduled to launch this holiday season.
Source: Eurogamer