Though we’ve heard early Xbox Series X previewers say the console was giving off a tremendous amount of heat through its top vents–and making the expansion card on the back hot to the touch–Microsoft has denied it runs any warmer than the Xbox One X.
Responding to a question on Twitter, Xbox games marketing GM Aaron Greenberg said that the temperature isn’t “significantly different” for the Xbox Series X’s exhaust compared to the Xbox One X. He added that he hasn’t experienced significant heat with the console he has at home, either.
Though Jeff Bakalar of GameSpot’s sister site CNET said on the Giant Beastcast that it was “toasty,” he clarified that he did not actually burn himself touching it.
Getting a lot of chatter regarding Series X heat. On Beastcast I said it was “toasty” and that’s exactly what it was
I’ve read stories that are using the Beastcast segment to support claims the Series X has a “heat problem” and I would disagree w/ making that assumption
[1/3]— Jeff Bakalar (@jeffbakalar) October 6, 2020
The games players were able to test for previews were not native Xbox Series X games. Instead, they were backward compatible Xbox One games with enhancements to loading times or other features. It remains to be seen if the heat level rises when playing games designed from the ground up for Xbox Series X.
Xbox Series X makes use of an enormous fan that is located on the top of the console, pushing air out vertically or, if placed on its side, away from the system horizontally. PS5 also features a big fan, though it is a double-sided design that goes through the system. For minimizing the heat conducted, it also liquid metal in a mechanism attached to the board.
Xbox Series X launches on November 10 alongside the all-digital and less powerful Xbox Series S. The console recently got a new commercial that features Halo quite heavily, despite the fact that the game was delayed from the system’s launch to an unspecified 2021 window.