Xbox Series X gets very hot but it’s not a bad thing

Xbox Series X is a month away but some members of the press have already gone hands-on with it. While their impressions have been glowingly positive, one thing has stuck out to many: how hot it gets.

A lot of misinformation has been going around about the Xbox Series X and its heat “problem”. The heat you feel generated by the Xbox Series X is a result of proper ventilation. It’s not overheating, it’s releasing and managing the heat in a way that’s actually very healthy for the console. Some have also noted that it’s toasty enough to keep you warm in the winter time, which is not a negative.

The Xbox Series X sucks up heat all the way from the bottom via its fan/ventilation at the top of the console. So long as you aren’t covering that with anything (especially large objects), you shouldn’t have any issues. If you want a better breakdown of how it all works, we highly recommend checking out this video from Spawn Wave.

Giant Beastcast’s Jeff Bakalar noted how hot the external SSD gets while removing it from the console. This is a result of the SSD being directly connected to the console’s motherboard, so it’s going to run as hot as the whole Xbox Series X (thanks, Jack!). It’s only going to burn you if you touch the metal piece of the drive after pulling it out. Simply hold it by its plastic coverings at the top and you’ll be totally fine.

Think of it like pulling a sheet of cookies out of the oven. You wear gloves to protect yourself from the hot tray, the plastic covering is the glove in this analogy.

People have also spread an error image around suggesting the console is overheating. This image isn’t for the Xbox Series X but rather the Xbox One. The console is doing its job and it’s doing it quietly, which is quite impressive.

The Xbox Series X releases on November 10th, 2020. A cheaper next-gen Xbox called Series S will release the same day for $299.99.