xScreen Review

It finally arrived! After seeing the Kickstarter campaign for UPspec Gaming’s xScreen randomly browsing the internet one day, I was 100% interested, invested and intrigued.

So what is the xScreen? Well, it turns your Series S into a laptop-like design which can run any Xbox game through it. It technically makes your Series S into a small and easy portable device. All you need is one power outlet as the screen is powered through your Xbox power cable.

With the xScreen, no console modification is required but you are recommended to do some pre-setup beforehand. This is to enable energy-saving mode and enable HDMI-CEC features, which are both explained in the little manual that comes with the screen. Also enabling the HDMI-CEC feature allows that when the screen is closed, a command is sent to the Xbox Series S to shutdown the console. This will the protect not only the screen but also the Xbox.

It was something I thought, “Oh my god, this will be brilliant!” but then again, I didn’t even own an Xbox Series S at the time, just the Series X. But that wasn’t going to stop me at all. I backed the Kickstarter project back when it launched before even owning a Series S.

Fun fact, I actually only brought my Series S a couple of weeks ago and hadn’t even unboxed it until the xScreen came! So when it arrived this week it was a fun double unboxing for me.

I love multi-boxing games so the xScreen gives me an alternative to having to either lug another tv/monitor downstairs and making the living room look a mess or, even worse, keep on changing the channel between consoles! Plus I am now travelling more with work, which makes the xScreen perfect for me.

Anyway, it’s here and finally in my hands and, boy oh boy, was I in for a treat! First, I must applaud UPspec Gaming for the packaging. It is beautifully put together and the box it comes in is sturdy and secure. I also invested in a carry case for storage, but also as I wanted to support them more. The carry case is custom designed to hold the screen attached to the Series S. It also has enough space to hold your controller along with power cables. 

On initial feel, the xScreen is lightweight but sturdy. There are latches that you use to secure it to the console and these are changeable. As I was an early backer I also was supplied with a green one which looks good, but I still prefer the original white ones as it makes it fit seamlessly with the rest of the console. You connect the screen via both HDMI and 1 USB port on the back, which obviously aligns perfectly.

The screen size is 11.6 inches and sized to fit perfectly to the Xbox Series S when closed. With 1080p and 60hz, most games look fantastic on it. If you do notice that your screen is only 720p when you start you can change it in the Xbox console settings to 1080p (it suggests in the manual to check). Not only is it just a screen, but it also has built in speakers so you don’t always need to wear headphones. Of course, you can connect your Bluetooth headphones to the Xbox directly if you prefer that. I can’t fault the sound quality. It’s actually got some pretty damn good built in speakers and everything was clear with no lag at all. Lip syncs matched. I even tested it with watching some Brooklyn Nine Nine on Netflix and again, audio was crisp, clear and no lag at all. I also tested it with Xbox Cloud gaming and again no lag, no screen tearing, nothing. It worked perfectly and was crisp, clear and tidy.

When the screen is attached you only have access to the pass-through power and storage expansion slot on the back of the console, so you will only have access to 1 USB port on the front of the console if you do need to plug anything else in. You will not be able to use an ethernet slot, but with it being a portable device it’s all about wireless these days! I mean, even laptops are dropping ethernet ports so it doesn’t feel like an annoyance. If anything, it makes the back of the screen look that much slicker.

It also has a feature where with a click of a button you can add a crosshair overlay to the middle of your screen. This helps when playing your classic first-person shooter / battle royale to help hip fire. I tested this with Apex Legends and found it did help a bit, but I am already used to not always aiming down sight straight away in a gun fight. For anyone who struggles with hip-firing this will definitely help. You can pick from a variety of different crosshairs styles and colours.

There’s one little, tiny issue I could say I have with it, and it’s so minor, but the xScreen is a slightly different shade of white to my console. Maybe it’s because my console is brand spanking new but it’s a lovely clear white whilst the X-Screen is a little darker shade of white.

For the cost of the screen I believe it is great value for money. Of course, I was an early backer so I did get it at a bit of a discounted rate however at the moment on their website it is roughly $250USD which works out at about £184. I personally think for the use it gets and what you will use it for great value to make life on the go so much easier.

Conclusion

The xScreen by UPspec Gaming completely shattered my expectations. It’s a brilliant piece of kit and I will definitely be using it way more often than I thought I would when I backed it. It will make travelling with work more fun and when the main TV is in use I can still game! For anyone on the fence and curious I would recommend picking it up!

Hardware purchased for review.