If the PlayStation 5 is a games-at-heart machine, flexing its classic gamepad prowess at the expense of all else, then the Xbox Series X is a more well-rounded console-as-ecosystem, leaning into multimedia, community, cloud gaming and cross-platform continuity. If anything, Microsoft's Xbox Series X is a reductive evolution, fine-tuning and perfecting what worked so well in the Xbox One line.

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Yes, it's not for everyone, but AV people want what they want. The one loss I'm lamenting is the optical audio jack, an Xbox One feature missing here. Gone are gimmicks and extras (except for a semiproprietary slot for an expensive Seagate expansion drive). There's no more Kinect camera and no HDMI-in port right next to the usual HDMI-out port, back when the Xbox One wanted to be your cable box. But the $500 (£450, AU$749) Xbox Series X is also a different beast at launch, compared to its 2013 predecessor, the Xbox One. Just the name itself, Xbox Series X - following Xbox One X and Xbox One - points towards steady progress as opposed to a grand leap into uncharted territory. But much of it also comes from Microsoft's determination not to fix what wasn't broken.

Some of that comes from the steady stream of details, tech specs and game lists that have kept potential buyers well informed since it was first teased under the codename Project Scarlett more than two years ago. The Microsoft Xbox Series X is a console without surprises.

Real name no gimmicks