One of the weak spots of the current-gen of consoles is that it can be a bit loud. But with PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, both Sony and Microsoft are tackling this problem with different approaches.
The PS5 has a gigantic dual-sided fan that makes up half of the large console size. Meanwhile, the Xbox Series X has a vapour chamber and a concentrated cooling exhaust on the top. But it’s lesser size, and some remarks by several outlets that are currently testing pre-release versions ahead of the launch, have reported how hot it can be.
Turns out, it is hot, but not as hot as these early reports suggested. Digital Foundry has analysed both the thermal and power use of the Xbox Series X. The analysis found that the Xbox Series X is more power-efficient than the Xbox One X overall. And current backward-compatible Xbox One games and Xbox Series X launch titles haven’t even use most of the 300W power supply it’s equipped.
As for thermal, the heat is concentrated exactly at the top exhaust- with the holes and green tint is. Digital Foundry reported that it can go up to 62 degrees Celsius at most, and the hottest console they have tested so far. But keep in mind that it’s also generating more compute power than any previous generation of consoles. The lower part that houses the optical drive can sit at room temperature.
In addition, Digital Foundry also tested how hot can the expanded storage card can get. In a stress test of transferring Fallout 4 to-and-from the internal SSD for 20 minutes, which resulted in a max reading of 46 Celcius, which is warm to the touch.
If you’re planning to get a Series X when it launches on November 10, just don’t put it in an enclosed space. Other than that, the console seems to have its cooling performance sorted, at least for the time being.