xbox series s lcd screen free sample

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Using your Windows laptop as a screen for your Xbox Series X|S is simple. And it"s an ideal solution if you don"t have a dedicated monitor, or your laptop"s screen is higher quality than your existing monitor.

If you connect via Remote Play, this also has the advantage of allowing you to play Xbox games anywhere you like. The only caveat being that your laptop must be able to connect to your console via the internet.

Remote Play lets you use your Xbox console with any eligible device. This includes PCs, Android, and iOS devices; see how to play Xbox games on your iPhone as an example. You"ll be able to use your console exactly as you would normally. However, rather than cloud gaming, you will be connecting directly to your Xbox.

It"s worth being aware of the differences between Xbox Remote Play and Xbox Cloud Gaming. When opening your Xbox or the Xbox app for PC, you will see an option titled Cloud Gaming.This requires an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and allows you to play Xbox games on the cloud. Unlike Remote Play, this does not require you to own an Xbox console.

While Remote Play can always be used as long as you have a wireless connection to your Xbox, you"ll get the best performance by ensuring you meet the following requirements:

If your laptop and Xbox are both on the same network, you won"t need to worry too much about the network settings. However, if you are playing on a different network, you may experience noticeable network lag if you drop too far below these settings.

While you don"t technically need an Xbox controller for this, we recommend using an official controller to get the best experience. If you"re not using an Xbox Series X|S controller, you might not be able to use Bluetooth to connect your controller to your laptop. In that case, you"ll need to use a different method to sync your controller with your PC.

If you"re playing near your Xbox, you won"t need to do anything here. Your controller will connect directly to your Xbox Series X|S. Otherwise, follow these steps to connect your Xbox controller to your laptop:

You"ll first need to install the Xbox app for PC for on your laptop. Once you"ve installed it, sign in with the same Microsoft account you use for your Xbox. Then perform the following:

After a brief loading screen, you"ll be greeted with the Xbox startup screen. From here, you can interact with your Xbox in the exact same way you would normally. You won"t be able to use your mouse and keyboard to interact with your Xbox with this method.

However, by clicking the three-button menuin the top-left of your screen with your mouse, you can access useful options. These include Mute, Send feedback, Toggle fullscreen, and Disconnect.

As long as your Xbox is set to Standby Mode,you won"t even need to turn your Xbox on first. Just connect to your Xbox as described above, and your Xbox will turn on remotely. So even if you"re on a train, on vacation, or even on a break at work, you can play games from your console.

If you"ve only used the Xbox app for PC for Remote Gaming, you should know this is only a tiny part of its functionality. The Xbox app primarily serves as the platform for Xbox PC gaming. You can shop for new Xbox games, interact with the Xbox community, and take advantage of the Xbox Game Pass. Even if your laptop isn"t powerful enough to run the newest AAA titles, you can play games via Cloud Gaming.

As we"ve previously discussed, Remote Play is available on more than just PC. You can install the Xbox app on iOS and Android devices, so you can play wherever your phone is. However, as you"ll need to hold a controller to play, you might want a stand to hold your phone.

If you don"t have a console, or want to play with a friend who doesn"t have one, you"ll want to give Xbox Cloud Gaming a shot. You don"t even need an official Xbox controller for this, just a Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

If you’re looking to use your desktop monitor for modern console gaming, there are some settings and options that will likely be different to most TV’s. This guide will explain how to configure the Microsoft Xbox Series X games console when you connect it to a normal PC monitor, including what all the settings do and what we would recommend for different monitors (the guide should also largely apply to the Series S console too).

The Xbox Series X comes packaged with a ultra high speed HDMI 2.1 cable in the box, so it’s easiest and best to use that to connect it to your monitor. Your monitor may include the latest HDMI 2.1 video interface, although this is still very new in the monitor market and only starting to appear now on a few models. It’s available on a few 4K high refresh rate monitors now (e.g. the recently reviewed Gigabyte Aorus FI32U and Asus ROG Swift PG32UQ), but it is far less prevalent than in the TV space at the moment.

If your monitor only has the older HDMI 2.0 (or maybe the even older HDMI 1.4) connection on it, you can still use the Xbox Series X, but you will be missing some of the capabilities. Anyway, connect the Xbox using the provided cable to your monitors HDMI input.

Power on the Xbox, but before you delve in to the Xbox settings menu, you may want to check a few things on the monitor itself via its OSD. You will need to switch to the relevant HDMI input source obviously. You may want to change to a different preset mode or enable any specific “low input lag” settings in that may appear in the menu, to ensure you’re in the optimal mode for gaming. Given that the HDMI input probably has a different setup to your normal PC use over the DisplayPort connection, you may also want to lower the brightness for now which often set at a very high level out of the box. There is some calibration guidance later on that will help tweak other things.

First step once you’ve navigated to this section is to check the “4K TV details”. This should read information from the monitor EDID and present a check list page of what is reported as being compatible. This will help you set the relevant settings in the other sections.

If you’ve got one of the most modern monitors which includes HDMI 2.1 connectivity along with 4K resolution and a high refresh rate of 120Hz or more, you can select 4K and 120Hz in the Xbox settings as there is sufficient bandwidth to make that possible.

If you were to set the refresh rate at 60Hz, the Xbox actually assumes you are using an HDMI 2.0 connection and limits the bandwidth pipeline to 18Gbps. This pipeline is sufficient for 4K 60Hz, but will cap your colour depth to 8-bit instead of 10-bit which is unnecessary when the connection actually can handle more. If your monitor has 120Hz+ and HDMI 2.1, always set that 120Hz here to ensure it’s operating in “HDMI 2.1 mode” and will output at maximum capabilities where appropriate and supported in the content.

You can look at the “4K TV details” section on the Xbox to check what it thinks is possible, but normally older HDMI 2.0-only monitors will not support 4K and 120Hz at the same time, as that connection lacks the bandwidth to support it. You therefore have a choice:

Prioritise refresh rate and motion clarity – you could drop the resolution setting to 1440p or 1080p even though the screen can support 4K, which would allow you to then select the higher 120Hz refresh rate setting. The monitor will interpolate the resolution up to fill the screen.

Keep in mind that game support for 4K and 120Hz combined will be very limited anyway, so this might not even matter that you can’t do both at the same time due to the monitor HDMI limitations.

In some rare cases (e.g. the Asus ROG Swift PG32UQX) the monitor may only have HDMI 2.0, but the manufacturer may have made 4K 120Hz possible by instead sacrificing some colour quality. If the “4K TV details” section confirms 4K and 120Hz are supported, you may be able to try selecting both. In the example of the PG32UQX, 4K 120Hz is possible but it will drop chroma to 4:2:0.

There are currently no 1440p resolution monitors that have HDMI 2.1, and HDMI 2.0 will be sufficient here to support the bandwidth for high refresh rates. You should select 1440p as the resolution and 120Hz as the refresh rate.

Note that some monitors of this type include a “Virtual 4K” feature where they might have a panel resolution that is lower than 4K (often 2560 x 1440), but will still accept an input source signal that is outputting at 4K. You might see the Xbox TV details section report that 4K is supported too. If you select 4K resolution though the monitor will downscale from the 4K input source, to the panels native 1440p resolution. This might be useful on a device like the PS5 which can only output at 1080p or 4K, but on the Xbox Series X since it has a specific 1440p setting you should use that. That will avoid any need for scaling from the monitor, and allows the Xbox to prioritise frame rates and performance instead of pushing 4K resolution unnecessarily to a screen that only has to downscale it anyway. If you tried to use Virtual 4K over HDMI 2.0 you’d have to drop to 60Hz anyway which is unnecessary.

There are currently no 1080p resolution monitors that have HDMI 2.1, and HDMI 2.0 will be sufficient here to support the bandwidth for high refresh rates. You should select 1080p as the resolution and 120Hz as the refresh rate.

Allow 50Hz – ON (where supported) – to output content intended for 50Hz at this refresh rate instead of at 60Hz. This should only be selectable if the monitor supports it, and it will also be confirmed within the “4K TV details” section. This will vary from one monitor to another and is generally not discussed in product specs.

Allow 24Hz – ON (where supported) – to output content intended for 24Hz at this refresh rate instead of at 60Hz. This should only be selectable if the monitor supports it, and it will also be confirmed within the “4K TV details” section. This will vary from one monitor to another and is generally not discussed in product specs.

Allow auto-low latency mode (ALLM)– not needed on monitors and generally not used even on modern HDMI 2.1 enabled screens. If your monitor has HDMI 2.1 and ALLM is supported it will be available to select here. Depending on what it’s been set up to do, you could enable this here and it might automatically move you in to certain preset mode or something on the monitor when it detects the console is turned on. We’ve yet to test a monitor that uses ALLM so it’s unlikely you’d need it. No harm in leaving it on though.

Allow variable refresh rate – ON – if the monitor has an HDMI 2.1 connection that should include HDMI-org VRR as standard, and so this setting can be used. If the screen doesn’t have HDMI 2.1 and only has v2.0, VRR can still be used from the Xbox Series X as long as the monitor also includes VESA adaptive-sync support over HDMI (likely marketed on the monitor as FreeSync). The “4K TV details” section should confirm if it’s supported as well from your monitor but you will need to make sure that FreeSync is enabled in the monitor OSD as well. If the monitor supports both, you should be able to disable adaptive-sync from the monitor OSD and defer back to HDMI 2.1’s underlying HDMI-VRR.

Allow 4K – if your monitor has a native 4K resolution turn this ON. If it has a lower panel resolution but includes ‘Virtual 4K’ support, turn this ON if you want to use HDR support as HDR only works at 4K on the Xbox at the moment. Only bother doing this if your monitor has decent HDR capability which we discuss below.

This needs it’s own section really. In this menu you have options for HDR10, ‘Auto HDR‘ and Dolby Vision. One of the main things you need to consider here is what level of HDR your monitor really has. Most modern monitors will now support HDR in some way, but it might not be anything more than accepting an HDR input signal and might not actually be able to do much with it. We would suggest a read of our article about HDR to understand more about what it is really all about, and most importantly to help you understand what you need from a monitor to actually produce an HDR image. There’s no point really in a screen accepting an HDR input if it lacks the hardware capabilities to display an improved HDR image.

Before we get started, we should point out that the Xbox Series X only supports HDR if the console is running at 4K mode, so this will be dictated by the resolution you’ve set earlier and whether you’ve been able to tick the “Allow 4K” box.

Allow HDR10– this will send an HDR10 output signal from the Xbox for compatible games and content. HDR10 is the most common HDR standard for content, and should be accepted by any monitor that promotes HDR (even if its hardware capabilities to show an HDR image are rubbish)

Auto HDR – this setting causes the Xbox to artificially “enhance” SDR (standard) content and try and “upscale” it to HDR. This is a bit like modes on TV’s and monitors which are labelled in a similar way. It might make the image look brighter or more colourful in some cases, but keep in mind that this is an artificial change. The content is still mastered and created in SDR mode, the Xbox is just attempting to artificially enhance it to HDR. That will never be as good as if the content had been HDR in the first place of course. Some people like that process, some people who are more sensitive to “creative intent” dislike the idea of it, but it will be down to user preference.

Allow Dolby Vision – will allow the Xbox to output supported games and content using the Dolby Vision (DV) HDR standard. At the moment there are no desktop monitors that support Dolby Vision so this mode is going to be irrelevant for this guide really.

Allow HDR = you can leave this ON but it won’t really do much for you. You might even be better leaving it OFF. Try both, but personally I’d be inclined to leave it on to at least handle the tone mapping. Just don’t expect the screen to be capable of displaying any real improvements.

Auto HDR = definitely OFF, why artificially change SDR content and go against the creative intent when the monitor lacks HDR capabilities anyway? Stick with SDR content displayed as SDR

Allow HDR = you can leave this ON but it won’t really do much for you but leave it on to at least handle the tone mapping and slight brightness increase

Auto HDR = User Preference, personally I don’t like to artificially change SDR mastered content to HDR, but if you do then at least the monitor can cope with displaying an HDR image better now. That includes some local dimming support as well as the necessary colour enhancements. So if you like that “upscaling” approach from SDR > HDR then you can turn it on here.

Auto HDR = User Preference, personally I don’t like to artificially change SDR mastered content to HDR, but if you do then at least the monitor can cope with displaying an HDR image better now. That includes decent high-end local dimming (on most of these screens) as well as the necessary colour enhancements. So if you like that “upscaling” approach from SDR > HDR then you can turn it on here

This setting only impacts SDR content colour depth. All HDR content will automatically be sent at 10-bit where possible from the monitor. So this setting is about colour depth for SDR content.

If your monitor has support for 10-bit colour depth andhas HDMI 2.1 set this to 10-bit – You can check the product specs by the way to see if your screen supports 10-bit colour depth. Look for this being specifically mentioned or perhaps “1.07b colours”.

Even if your monitor supports 10-bit, if it only has HDMI 2.0 then leave this set at 8-bit – If you enable 10-bit here then because the bandwidth isn’t enough, it will send 10-bit colour depth but it will also drop you to 4:2:0 chroma, or at 4:2:2 if you’ve enabled that additional option in the ‘Video modes” section (discussed below). You’d be better leaving the colour depth setting at 8-bit where 4:4:4 full chroma is used.

By the way, don’t bother with 12-bit as your monitor won’t support 12-bit colour depth anyway, and it will exceed bandwidth capabilities of the Xbox (40Gbps) even over HDMI 2.1. This would cause a drop to 4:2:0 chroma, and that’s totally unnecessary.

If you were connecting to a TV you would choose “standard” here which is basically limited RGB 16 – 235 range. For a PC monitor, which is designed to accept a full 0 – 255 RGB input, you need to select “PC RGB”. This has nothing to do with chroma levels or bit depth by the way, this is purely about determining what RGB range your display is expecting.

By default the Xbox Series X will output content at 444 chroma (where it can), or at 420 chroma (if compression is needed). This additional option for YCC 422 is a bit more complicated and whether or not you enable it will depend on the monitor and its HDMI connection type. Don’t assume you should just enable it every time! It’s helpful if you first of all understand what chroma sub-sampling is. As a bit of background, chroma sub-sampling levels are listed in a format like 4:4:4, 4:2:2 or 4:2:0.

4:4:4 format is just the normal standard, uncompressed colour output where sub-sampling is NOT needed and means that for a sample of 4 (the first digit), there are 4 horizontal samples (second digital) and 4 vertical samples (third digit). That’s the norm and usually in a PC graphics card setting you would see this listed as YCbCr444, or simply ‘RGB’. So 4:4:4 is uncompressed full chroma and full colour quality.

4:2:2 and 4:2:0 modes however require some compression of the colours, leading to some loss in colour levels and picture quality. For 4:2:2 as an example, the two chroma components are sampled at half the sample rate of luma. The horizontal chroma resolution is halved. For 4:2:0 this is even more drastic sampling leading to further colour and picture quality loss.

The purpose of chroma sub-sampling is to reduces the bandwidth of an uncompressed video signal to allow modern resolutions and refresh rates to be sent over older video connections with lower bandwidths. You don’t always need to use chroma sub-sampling but it will depend on the display and the video connection you are using.

OFF – you do not need this setting enabled if your monitor has HDMI 2.1, even at 4K 120Hz and with 10-bit colour depth as there is sufficient bandwidth to not need chroma sub-sampling anyway. Leave it off

ON – for older monitors with HDMI 2.0 connections only, when 10-bit colour depth is being used then the Xbox will need to drop the chroma to fit it within the lower HDMI 2.0 bandwidth. As we said above, in the ‘Video Fidelity & Overscan’ section we would suggest leaving colour depth set to 8-bit, which will mean that for SDR content it should then use 8-bit and 444 chroma (no chroma sub-sampling needed). But HDR (including if you’ve enabled “Auto HDR” to upscale normal SDR content) is always sent at 10-bit, and so that’s where this YCC 422 setting comes in. That 10-bit HDR content will need to use chroma sub-sampling of some sort and with this option turned on it will only drop you to 422 chroma, instead of dropping all the way to the default 420 chroma. There may be some screens that do 10-bit at 420 by default, and then change to 8-bit at 422 with this enabled. It can vary and it’s probably then debatable which option is better. For ease, we think it is probably easier to enable this setting for screens that lack HDMI 2.0 to protect chroma where possible.

OFF – you won’t need to use chroma sub-sampling as the bandwidth of HDMI 2.0 is sufficient for 1440p and 1080p at 120Hz and with 10-bit colour depth anyway.

ON– if you have a really old monitor with only HDMI 1.4, then chroma sub-sampling will be needed again to accommodate 120Hz and 10-bit content. So enable this setting here to drop only to 422 chroma instead of down to 420.

This step is based on the recommendations of HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), a group founded by Microsoft and Sony with a target to ensure “best practices for HDR game content developers, game platforms as well as for TV display manufacturers”. It should ensure correct HDR tone mapping for games. For TV’s you would want to enable HGiG where it is supported, but on desktop monitors you won’t find this unfortunately. It is worth running through the quick HDR calibration function for the console using this section though, which helps match things like peak brightness etc. It’s quick and easy to follow.

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If you’ve ever owned a screen for the PSone or the GameCube, the xScreen will look instantly familiar. The xScreen is an 11.6-inch (1080p) display that attaches to the rear of an Xbox Series S, and it transforms Microsoft’s miniature console into more of an Xbox laptop for on-the-go gaming. It’s a modern take on the tiny 5-inch cramped LCD displays we’ve seen attached to consoles in the past, and it’s a great accessory if you never want to worry about attaching an Xbox to a TV when you’re traveling.

Unfortunately, that portability doesn’t cheap. The xScreen is $249.99, nearly the same price as an Xbox Series S, so you’re going to really want to have a portable Xbox to buy into this. I’ve been testing an xScreen over the past few weeks, and I think it’s one of the best executions of the concept of portable console gaming. But it’s far from perfect.

The xScreen is really all about its display. The 11.6-inch panel supports up to 1080p at 60Hz and has surprisingly good viewing angles. If you’re looking to play outside, the panel is rated at 350 nits, and it’s matte, which helps a lot in direct sunlight. The only real limitations to playing outside are simply that you’ll need a cord long enough to power the Xbox Series S.

I played multiple games for hours with the xScreen and never noticed any severe input latency or ghosting issues. It’s a solid panel, except for black levels. If you’re playing titles that have a lot of low-light scenes, the panel sometimes struggles to really nail the black levels, and games can lack some detail as a result.

The xScreen manages to attach to the Xbox Series S through a USB-A port and the HDMI port. You have to lineup the USB first before the unit slots into place and is secured by latches at either side. The attachment feels very secure, and I never experienced any connection issues or worried about it becoming detached.

UPspec Gaming, the makers of xScreen, has done a solid job of matching the size of the xScreen to the Xbox Series S, so it all folds into a neat little package once you’ve finished playing. The white of the xScreen doesn’t quite match the Xbox Series S, but it’s close enough that I only noticed under certain light when I was closely inspecting the xScreen.

Setting the xScreen up does involve some work, though. The Xbox Series S immediately defaults to 720p output for the xScreen, and I had to switch to 1080p in the Xbox settings menu to rectify that. I also enabled the HDMI CEC options so that when I close the display, it turns the Xbox Series S off. This is neat integration, but you will need to use the Xbox power button to boot up the console again.

To avoid any damage to the xScreen or Xbox, I also had to ensure the Xbox Series S had Energy Mode enabled, so it fully powers off instead of sitting in standby. This is important, as the xScreen covers the main vent on the Xbox Series S when it’s folded down, and the Xbox will still output some heat which could damage the display if it’s running in Standby mode. Thankfully, the Xbox Series S boots super fast, so not having standby mode is a minor inconvenience.

The xScreen gets its power from the Xbox Series S USB port, so you don’t have to worry about a separate power supply, and simply connecting the Xbox to a wall works like normal. You’ll need to use Wi-Fi for connectivity, though, as the xScreen blocks off the Ethernet port on the Series S and the additional USB port. That leaves only the USB port at the front open for additional accessories.

UPspec Gaming has also enabled an optional cross-hair overlay for use in FPS games, and there are a bunch of built-in controls for screen settings and the volume of the built-in speakers. The speakers get surprisingly loud — but not in a good way. There’s no mute shortcut, and the volume controls don’t seem to affect the volume after a certain level. The speakers are definitely a disappointing aspect of this $249.99 accessory.

If you want to prop the whole thing up, there are optional feet that move the entire unit into a stand-mode orientation. I rarely used the xScreen this way, but it could be useful if you’re limited for space or you want the screen to be higher up in certain environments.

I think the optional carry case is essential for the xScreen, though. When attached to the Xbox and folded down, I noticed that the xScreen will creak and wobble if you apply any pressure to it from above. I’m not sure I’d trust this being knocked around in a backpack without some protection. The hard carry case does a good job of protecting the xScreen, but it’s a $59.99 optional extra.

Speaking of the build quality, I’m also slightly nervous about the hinge on the xScreen. I haven’t pushed it all the way back to test, but it does feel a little flimsy, and I wouldn’t recommend this for small kids that might not handle it delicately enough not to damage it. It’s probably a non-issue for most, but if you plan to use the stand-mode orientation, then this is where the potential for damage seems high.

Despite some of the drawbacks of the xScreen, I’ve had hours of fun with this little display. UPspec Gaming has created something unique here for the Xbox Series S, and it’s in a neat little package that integrates really well. You’re really paying a high $249.99 price tag for that neat integration, particularly when there are so many good portable screens out there that will do just as good a job at half the price.

There’s nothing quite like the xScreen, though. It has made me wish I was a kid again, taking my Xbox everywhere with me and not having to worry about a TV to plug into or a good internet connection for Xbox Cloud Gaming. It’s an old-school idea, in a modern and well-executed package.

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^With approval of Citizens Pay Line of Credit at 0% APR and 24-month term. Subject to individual credit approval. Total payment amount from $599.76; taxes, shipping, and other charges are extra and may vary (estimated retail price with Xbox Series S console; prices will vary by console and retailer). See Citizens Pay Line of Credit Agreement at https://www.citizensbank.com/disclosures/XAA.aspx for full terms and conditions. Citizens Pay Line of Credit Account offered by Citizens Bank, N.A.

*Use with digital games only; console does not play physical discs. 120 FPS: Requires supported content and display; use on Xbox Series S as content becomes available. Xbox Game Pass: Game catalog varies over time (xbox.com/gamepass). Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and supported game; may require supported Bluetooth controller (all sold separately). Select regions and devices. Streaming limitations apply, server availability and wait times may vary. Requires internet, ISP fees apply. xbox.com/cloudgaming

† Dolby Vision Games is only available on Xbox Series X|S. Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision Media Steaming is available on Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X and Xbox Series X|S.

Microsoft’s attempts to make the Xbox Series X a gaming powerhouse have made it capable of putting even the finest AV systems through a serious work out. Provided, that is, you’ve set it up right – something that’s far more complicated than you might think.

For starters, there are multiple formats of high dynamic range support to consider, along with high frame rates, multiple object-based sound systems to pick through, all sorts of issues surrounding the different HDMI connections found on today’s TVs… and that’s before we even get to things such as colour bit depths and chroma sampling.

For many Xbox Series X owners, experiencing everything their new console has to offer may have to begin with a new TV. That’s because few of the TVs currently occupying our living rooms can handle two of the Xbox Series X’s most important next-gen features: 4K graphics at frame rates of up to 120Hz (aka 4K@120Hz), and variable refresh rates (VRR).

For most TVs, the biggest stumbling block is simply that their HDMIs can’t carry enough data to cope with 4K resolutions at 120 frames per second. To achieve 4K in high dynamic range at 120Hz with decent colour from the Xbox Series X you’ll need an HDMI port capable of handling 40Gbps of data – something that currently only a select few high-end TVs carry.

The vast majority of LG’s OLED TVs have been supporting this – across all four HDMIs, too – since 2019. Samsung got on board with high bandwidth HDMIs on its premium TVs in 2020, but generally with only one or two HDMIs.

Despite manufacturing the PS5, Sony only offered one single TV series in 2020 designed to support every next-gen gaming feature, the XH9005 range – but even that model (like the PS5 itself) is yet to receive a necessary update to deliver variable refresh rate support. The brand new (and brilliant) A90J also requires a firmware update before it will handle VRR.

Panasonic and Philips are only supporting 4K at 120Hz in VRR for the first time with their 2021 OLED and premium LCD TVs. In Panasonic’s case, multiple post-launch firmware upgrades will be required to bring all the features online, while Philips is yet to confirm whether it will need to take a similar approach.

It doesn’t help gamers on the look out for a next-gen gaming TV that the messy implementation of the latest 2.1 version of the HDMI connection has made it difficult to easily spot TVs that have all the features they need.

A TV can claim to have HDMI 2.1 features, for instance, without offering either 4K/120Hz or variable refresh rate support. So the onus really is on you to check that a TV you’re interested in specifically lists 4K at 120Hz and variable refresh rate support in its specifications. Of course, we can help here, as we"ve produced a list of the best gaming TVs you can currently buy, with details on which next-gen gaming features each supports.

One last thing to consider here is 8K. The Xbox Series X mentioned support for 8K-resolution games in its pre-launch hype, and it’s still supposedly on the cards. So if you want to futureproof your Series X experience, you could consider an 8K TV – if you can afford it; if the TV does a good job of upscaling 4K without increasing input lag, and if you’re willing to accept that the Series X’s promised 8K support might not ultimately amount to much.

Finally, if you don"t have a brand new, fully specced flagship TV, don"t despair. While the Xbox Series X"s next-gen gaming features are lovely, they"re really just the icing on an already exceptionally tasty cake. Most 4K HDR TVs will do a brilliant job with what the console pumps out, as long as you set it up correctly...

Most new TVs offer a Game mode which, when done correctly, is designed to reduce the time taken for your button presses to be turned into on-screen actions. Making this so-called input lag as low as possible is, of course, a big deal in gaming circles, where every millisecond can be the difference between in-game life or death.

Linked to this is the Xbox Series X’s ALLM (Automatic Low Latency Mode) feature. This enables a compatible TV to automatically detect when it’s receiving a game signal and switch into its fast-reacting Game mode. It switches back to a regular video mode when it detects the Series X has switched to streaming a TV show or movie.

If you consider yourself a seriously competitive gamer, you might also want to consider here that higher frame rates reduce TV response times – so there’s all the more reason to try and get a TV that supports them.

Even if a TV supports all of the Series X’s gaming features, not all of its HDMI connections may be able to handle the required amount of data. So make sure your Series X is connected to an HDMI that can – the correct input may say ‘Game’ or ‘4K/120’ next to it.

Strangely, TVs routinely don’t ship with their HDMI inputs set to their maximum data mode. Most will now automatically switch them to high bandwidth mode when a 4K HDR source is detected, but there are still a few models, especially budget TVs, that won’t. So it’s always worth tracking down the HDMI capability section of your TV menus to check that the HDMI port your Series X is connected has been set to Enhanced Mode. Confusingly, different brands use different names for their HDMI Enhanced settings.

It’s not just HDMI sockets that need to be able to handle high amounts of data to deliver the full Xbox Series X experience. The HDMI cable you use to connect the console to your TV needs to handle it too.

The safest way to ensure this is the case is to make sure you use the HDMI cable supplied with the Series X. This is capable of carrying the 40Gbps of data the Xbox Series X is capable of outputting.

If you"ve lost that cable or need a longer one, look for an HDMI cable(opens in new tab) that"s officially Ultra High Speed-certified. These have a special label on the box that can be scanned using a smartphone to confirm their certified status. We"ve recently been using a True HQ HDMI 2.1 cable(opens in new tab).

Currently, no soundbars we know of, including 2021 models, are equipped with HDMI 2.1 ports that would let them take in 4K 120Hz images from the Series X and pass the signals on to the TV.

The vast majority of AV receivers also lack support for high-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 loop-through. And, at the time of writing, even new receivers that claim to support 4K 120Hz loop-through are affected by a bug that prevents them passing Series X 4K 120Hz feeds through to your TV.

If you want to get sound from your Series X into your soundbar or external speaker system (and you should do this, if you can) while also maintaining 4K 120Hz graphics, then you’ll need to connect the Series X directly to your TV and then pass the sound out from the TV to the soundbar or AVR via your TV’s ARC (audio return channel) HDMI output. All premium TVs have one of these, and the relevant HDMI almost always has an ARC label next to it.

The Series X provides a handy screen that summarises all the graphics features that it detects your TV is capable of handling. Go to TV & Display Options, and select 4K TV Details.

In our experience, this screen tends to be reliable, so if it shows your TV isn’t capable of handling a feature that you think it should be able to, try and troubleshoot it using the previous set up points we’ve covered.

The Series X provides all manner of picture set up options you’ll need to familiarise yourself with if you want to get the optimum performance from the console. The situation is complicated by the way some games treat certain graphics features in different ways.

Let’s start with the HDR calibration screen. This is found under TV & Display Options, and generates three test screens you can use to adjust the Series X’s HDR output to suit the specific capabilities of your HDR TV. Some (though not all) HDR games, as well as the Series X’s SDR to HDR game conversion system, will draw on the settings established in the HDR Calibration menu when deciding their HDR output.

If you have a premium LG or Samsung TV with an HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) setting, you should activate this before running the Series X HDR Calibration routine. If you don’t, your TV will use so-called Dynamic Tone Mapping processing to try and get the maximum impact from the industry-standard HDR10 HDR images all Series X HDR games use at the time of writing, even though this processing is no longer needed because you have already calibrated your Series X to deliver the optimal results with your TV.

Some games prefer to use their own HDR calibration systems, rather than sticking with the one provided by the Series X. Examples of such titles would be Dirt 5 (although a recent update added the option to tie the game into the console’s HDR Calibration system) and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla.

Games that rely on their own HDR calibration systems will usually guide you through their options when you first play them, but it’s always worth checking a game’s graphics settings to check there isn’t a built-in HDR fine-tuning system you may have missed.

The next potentially confusing area concerns the console’s refresh rate options. Especially given how they can relate to the console’s resolution output. While some titles, such as Call Of Duty Black Ops: Cold War, use the frame rate/resolution settings you have set up in the main console TV & Display Options menu, others, most notably Dirt 5, require you to change these settings within the game’s own menus.

So, with COD: Cold War, if you want to play at 120Hz refresh rates you need to make sure that this option is selected on your console’s menus before booting the game. While with Dirt 5 you will need to enter the game’s graphics menus after booting the game and choose between the three frame rate/resolution options provided.

You may wonder why the console and various games offer refresh rate options at all. Why not just always have the console/game default to the highest refresh rates your TV can manage? The answer is that even with a console as powerful as the Xbox Series X there’s always a trade off between resolution, refresh rates and other aspects of a game’s graphics. For instance, if you opt to play COD: Cold War in 120Hz rather than 60Hz, you can no longer take advantage of the game’s fancy Ray Tracing capabilities. There’s also a noticeable drop in the general graphical detail when toggling from 60Hz to 120Hz.

It’s the same with Dirt 5. Toggling between its options elicits quite a pronounced shift, with there being a clear reduction in resolution as you shift to its 120Hz high frame rate option.

In short, you need to decide what’s more important to you; frame rate or graphical fidelity, and your priority might shift even as you switch between different modes in a single game. For instance, we prefer playing Cold War’s single-player campaign in 60Hz with Ray Tracing on as it looks flipping fabulous, but for online multiplayer we switch to 120Hz for the extra responsiveness.

The exact frame rate and resolution options available to you in the Series X menus will depend, of course, on the capability of your TV. If you have a model with a true HDMI 2.1 port capable of handling data rates of 40Gbps or more, then it should be able to handle 4K at 120Hz in HDR. If you have an older or cheaper TV that only offers 18Gbps HDMI 2.0 support, though, the much lower data rates will leave you faced with a stark choice between higher resolution and higher refresh rates.

The 4K TV Details screen is usually helpful in figuring out what your TV can do regarding resolution and refresh rate. It’s worth noting that some TVs with HDMI 2.0 ports can still support 120Hz, but only at a resolution of 1440p.

Perhaps the main take away from all of this is that if you’re serious about unlocking the full potential of your Series X, especially if you have a TV that doesn’t support 40Gbps over HDMI, you will likely need to revisit the TV & Display Options menus pretty regularly.

Starting with the Video Modes options, for people in the UK and Europe it’s worth just leaving the Allow 50Hz box ticked, even though almost all TVs these days support both 50Hz and 60Hz. Not least because some content will have been made in 50Hz, and so could suffer with stuttering if output at 60Hz.

"Allow 4K" tells the console that it can output native 4K sources, whether it’s games or video, at the full 4K resolution even if the console’s game resolution output has been set lower (to support 120Hz at 1440p, for example).

‘Allow 24Hz’ means movies or even high-end TV shows shot at 24 frames a second will play in their native frame rate, retaining their natural cinematic feel. Only if your TV suffers with excessive judder with 24p sources should you deselect this option on your Series X.

The only reason you might want to untick the "Allow HDR10" box is if you are using a budget TV or a low-brightness projector and HDR causes images to either look uncomfortably dark or be affected by poor black levels and backlight control.

Next is the "Auto HDR" option, which refers to the Series X’s ability to upconvert to HDR games that are only made in SDR. Whether you enable it or not is really down to personal taste. On the one hand, we tend to prefer to play games in the format in which they were made. On the other, the upconversion works surprisingly well and rarely looks incorrect. Feel free to experiment and draw your own conclusions.

The "Allow Auto Low Latency Mode" (ALLM) option concerns an HDMI 2.1 feature that lets compatible TVs know when your Series X is feeding them a games source and when it’s feeding them a video source, so that the TV can switch automatically between Game and video presets. If you are watching Netflix on your console, for example, the ALLM feature tells your TV to use your preferred video preset, such as Standard or Cinema, but if you start to play a game, your TV will automatically switch into its Game preset so that you get the most responsive experience.

So useful is this feature that you might wonder why the Series X provides the option to turn it off. But with all TVs, especially LCD models, achieving fast response times requires sacrifices to other image quality elements. So for games where fast response times aren’t so important, such as RPGs, you may prefer the way the graphics look outside of Game mode, using a regular video preset. You wouldn’t be able to make this choice if your console always forced your TV into Game mode whenever a game source was detected.

‘Allow Variable Refresh Rates’ is pretty self-explanatory, but given how successful gaming in variable refresh rates is on compatible TVs when it comes to removing stuttering and screen tearing with games that feature fluctuating refresh rates, you might wonder why the Series X lets you turn VRR off. Again, there are two reasons why it might not be for you.

First, it can cause issues while playing back game captures, which may be of concern to game streamers. Second, the AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology the Series X supports takes over far more of a compatible TV’s picture processing and features than you might expect, potentially decreasing picture quality in the process. Still, for most people, if the "Allow Variable Refresh Rates" option is available, you should enable it.

The ‘Allow Dolby Vision’ option is generally best left on if you have a TV capable of playing Dolby’s premium HDR format. After all, the way it adds extra scene by scene image information to help compatible TVs produce a more dynamic, accurate HDR picture can make a big difference to the viewing experience. And don’t forget that while Dolby Vision support is currently restricted to a limited number of streaming apps, it is also going to be added for gaming later this year.

The only reason for not ticking the Dolby Vision box if you have a Dolby Vision TV would be if you find, as a small number of users do, that Dolby Vision causes black level instability or reduced black levels. The Dolby Vision option is greyed out if your TV doesn’t support the format at all.

The final option on the Video Modes screen, ‘Allow YCC 4:2:2’, is aimed at TVs that don’t have the latest high bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports. If you have a screen with HDMI 2.0 ports capable of 4K at 60Hz rather than 4K at 120Hz, without the Allow YCC 4:2:2 feature ticked the console will output video or games at 4K 60Hz in a 10-bit colour depth with YCC 4:2:0 chroma sampling (essentially a colour compression system). If you tick ‘allow YCC 4:2:2’, though, the output changes to 12bit and YUV422.

This is because of the HDMI 2.0 maximum bandwidth of 18Gbps. If you wanted to play 4K at 60Hz with 10-bit colour depth and the best-quality 4:4:4 chroma sampling, that would require a data rate of more than 20Gbps – and that’s too much for HDMI 2.0.

In its default settings, the Series X drops the colour sampling when it detects an HDMI 2.0 port to a more compressed 4:2:0 signal with a colour depth of 10 bits. This increases the potential for fine colour shifts to appear as distracting bands rather than subtle blends. Select YCC 4:2:2 and the colour compression only drops to 4:2:2 and the colour depth goes up to a potentially blend-enhancing 12 bits – all while still fitting the signal into HDMI 2.0’s 18Gbps bandwidth.

So, if you have an HDMI 2.0 TV, why shouldn’t you turn YCC 4:2:2 on by default? The way the processing works in some TVs, especially budget models, can mean that they actually deliver better, less stripy pictures with 10-bit inputs than 12-bit inputs.

To find out whether the YCC 4:2:2 option works for you, load a game that outputs in 4K at 60Hz, or play a native 4K video clip that runs at 60Hz, and pay attention to areas such as blue skies or swirling mists – this is where colour striping related to bit depth and colour compression is most likely to appear. Toggle Allow 4:2:2 on and off and see if colour banding/striping becomes more or less obvious in either setting. Note that this feature isn’t an issue for 4K films or games with lower frame rates than 60Hz.

Switching our attention next to the Series X’s Video Fidelity & Overscan menu, there are two settings to be aware of: Colour Depth and Colour Space. The first of these is in some ways a continuation of the issues associated with the Allow 4:2:2 option, in that it allows you to further refine how much data is going out of the console and into your TV – as well as giving you another option to try should you find that HDR gaming is causing striping noise.

For most people with a TV with an HDMI 2.1 port, the 10-bit option will be perfectly fine – even if your TV actually only operates natively in 8 bits. Only if you notice significant banding with any standard dynamic range (HDR always defaults to 10-bit) content might it be worth toggling to 8-bit to see if this smooths things out.

The Series X’s 12-bit option seems pointless since the only way the console (which can only output 40Gbps of data) can support a 12-bit output is by reducing the quality of the chroma sampling. And with no TV currently supporting native 12-bit specification, we’d anticipate that you will likely get more benefit on today’s TVs from keeping chroma sampling high and bit-depth at 10 bits.

The Colour Space setting essentially allows you to either output all images from the console using the so-called RGB Limited colour space with values between 16 and 235 (the Series X’s Standard setting), or the full ‘PC RGB’ range of 0-255.

Many TVs can’t actually handle PC RGB ranges correctly, which is why the Standard setting is recommended. Also, since video works in the Limited RGB space, you could find that if you set the console to output in PC RGB mode, video sources will look too dark.

The Series X is exceptionally well served from an audio perspective. It supports both the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X ‘object based’ sound systems, as well as Microsoft’s own Windows Sonic spatial sound platform.

Object-based sound systems build a three-dimensional sonic space into which sounds are precisely projected/placed, rather than effects just seeming to come directly from the location of your speakers. This makes you feel much more like you’re right at the heart of the action.

The Dolby Atmos support for games on Xbox Series X can work on two levels: it can either be designed into a game’s code, for optimal results, or it can be added to non-Atmos game audio. Activating Atmos of any kind on the Series X requires you to download the Dolby Access app, from which you can choose to output the console’s audio to an external Dolby Atmos home theatre system for free, or you can access Dolby Atmos for Headphones by paying a one-off fee of £14 ($15).

This uses Dolby’s proprietary audio processing to deliver a Dolby Atmos soundstage, complete with height effects and precise placement of sounds from all around you, even if you’re only using standard stereo headphones.

The DTS sound options only work on a single level, using processing to convert non-DTS:X sources to DTS:X. There’s no support for DTS:X being designed into game soundtracks.

As with Dolby’s system, home theatre support for DTS:X is provided free with the DTS Sound Unbound app, but you have to pay £17 ($20) to unlock the DTS:X headphone function. As with the Dolby Atmos headphones version, DTS:X for Headphones also works with any headphones.

Both sound formats can have a remarkable impact on games, enhancing their atmosphere and immersiveness. They give you a clear performance edge, too, as you’re able to place approaching enemies even when they’re not visible in your field of view. If you’ve had a Call Of Duty player you were stalking suddenly spin round and shoot you as if they had some sixth sense, there"s a good chance it was actually a Dolby Atmos sound system.

We’ve tested many Dolby Atmos and DTS:X-capable soundbars and AV receivers that could massively enhance your gaming experience. Particular favourites of ours, though, are as follows.

When it comes to AV amps, the award-winning Denon AVC-X3700H or, if you need something more affordable, Sony STR-DN1080 are both outstanding options. On the soundbar front, it doesn’t get better than the Sennheiser Ambeo, but that"s an extremely pricey proposition. If that’s too expensive and you can live without DTS:X support, the Sonos Arc is a superb option.

If you mostly game with headphones on, there are some great headphone options to consider too. In fact, Microsoft recently launched its own Xbox Wireless headphones, which, while not quite as impressive with their directional information/effects placement as the Pulse 3D headphones Sony makes for the PS5, are a good option. They’re handsomely styled to match the Series X console, too.

Our favourite budget gaming headphones at the moment are the Xiberia V20Ds, which sound ridiculously clear and powerful for their exceptionally low asking price, and are comfortable enough to be worn for long gaming sessions without cramping your ears.

At the other end of the price spectrum, the wired Audio-Technica ATH-G1 provide a significantly more spacious, detailed sound, as well as a detachable mic.

As you’ll have noticed, there’s been a lot to get through. This is a testament to just how far living room gaming has come with the latest console generation. A well set up Xbox Series X is more than capable of rewarding your efforts and potential secondary kit investment with a level of gaming immersion and AV quality that has to be seen – and heard – to be believed.

If you’re the proud owner of a new Xbox Series X or Series S console, then it’s time to dig into those settings to make the most of it. We’ve got some handy tips to help you get started and some lesser-known features worth checking out.

Looking for ways to pad out your new system? Read our Best Gaming Headsets, Best Wireless Gaming Headsets, and Best Gifts for Xbox Owners guides for our top picks. If you got a Series S and are confused about the differences, here"s a breakdown.

Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-Year Subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you"d like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.

The redesigned Xbox app for Android or iOS is essential. If you haven’t set up your new Xbox yet, the app is the easiest way to do it. It also gives you access to your friends and chat, enables you to choose games and trigger downloads remotely, and offers access to screenshots and captured gameplay videos from your Xbox for easy sharing. Best of all, you can use Xbox Remote Play to stream games from your console to your phone or tablet (more on that later).

There’s no need to live with the default home screen when you can customize it. On the home screen, press the View button (the one on the left that looks like two windows) and you’ll bring up the Customize Home settings. You can set up your preferred order, choose colors, backgrounds, and even themes. In Theme & Motion, you can select light or dark themes, or have things change automatically based on the time of day.

An option you don’t want to miss is Customize the Guide, which allows you to choose the order of everything in the guide that pops up every time you press the Xbox button.

You can find any old games you own from your previous Xbox console by pressing the Xbox button and selecting My Games & Apps > Full Library > All Owned Games. While you can download any of these games, it will be much faster to transfer them from your old console. To do this, make sure your Xbox One and your new Series X or S are turned on and connected to the same Wi-Fi network. On your new Xbox, go to Settings > System > Backup and Transfer > Network Transfer, then check the option, select your old console, choose what you want to copy over, and then click Copy Selected to start the process.

To make the most of your new console’s capabilities, you should ensure your display is set up optimally. You can do this in Settings > General > TV & Display Options, where you’ll find everything from resolution settings to refresh rate to HDR calibration. Check 4K TV details to find out what your TV can do and make sure to run through the calibration process. If you don’t think you’re getting the full capability, then check your cable and the port you’re plugging into on your TV to make sure that both support HDMI 2.1 (only newer TV models have support for HDMI 2.1).

You can set up your controller preferences to dictate what each button should do, invert controls, or change the vibration intensity. To choose all of this and more, go to Settings > Devices & Connections and choose Accessories and Configure. You have the option of saving multiple profiles with different control schemes, so you can set a special layout for shooters and another for flight simulators, for example.

Maybe you have a special controller. Perhaps you’re phobic about the greasy hands of whoever you share the console with, or maybe you just want to save a few seconds with an automatic sign-in. Whatever your reason, you can link your controller to your profile, which means you can simply turn your controller on, and the Xbox will sign you in automatically. To do this, use the controller you want to link and go to Settings > Account > Sign-In, Security & Passkey and find the This Controller Signs In option.

While we’re on the topic of controllers, don"t forget you can use any old Xbox One controllers lying around with your new console. They"re easy to link. Hold down the small, circular button next to the USB port on your new console until the power button starts to flash, then hold down the small, circular button on the top of the Xbox One controller until the Xbox button starts to flash. When the flashing stops, they’re synced and ready to go.

Your Xbox Series X can double up as a 4K Blu-ray player, but it doesn’t have the necessary app installed by default. You can choose to download it from the Microsoft Store, but you’ll also be prompted to do so when you first insert a Blu-ray disc. If you have a decent home theater setup, then head into Settings > Devices & Connections > Blu-ray, and turn on Let My Receiver Decode Audio.

If you head into Settings > General > Power Mode & Startup, this is where you can decide how long you have to be inactive for the console to turn off (it defaults to one hour). You can also choose between Instant-On and Energy-Saving under Power mode. If you want to control your console remotely, turn it on with voice commands, and get into the action as quickly as possible, go for Instant-On. If you want to save power, then opt for the latter.Photograph: Microsoft

You can fine-tune your capture settings by going to Settings > Preferences > Capture & Share. Set the length of gameplay video to capture, the preferred quality, where they should be saved, and whether you want to upload clips to the cloud for easy access in the Xbox mobile app. You can also tap Button Mapping to decide exactly how the Share button works. While you can capture in 4K with HDR, remember that these video files will take up more space.

It’s easy to get lost in games for hours at a time, which can lead to aching joints, tired eyes, and full bladders. To make sure you come up for air periodically, you can set reminders to take breaks. Open up Settings > Preferences > Break Reminder. Every half hour might be a bit much, but you can choose in 30-minute intervals up to every two hours. You’ll get a pop-up notification to take a break on that schedule.

You can plug any USB 3.1 external hard drive into your new Xbox and use it to store games, screenshots, and videos. You can also buy a Microsoft-approved 1-terabyte Seagate Storage Expansion Card ($220), which purportedly matches the speed and performance of the Xbox"s internal solid-state drive (SSD).

Bring a smoother, more futuristic feel to your Xbox with voice commands. Open Settings > Devices & Connections > Digital Assistants. Tick Enable digital assistants then follow the relevant instructions to get started with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, whichever you p