Microsoft has revealed the packaging for the Xbox Series S and Series X, and they’re genuinely the best boxes for games consoles that I think I’ve ever seen. These boxes aren’t anything special, but they’re also not awful. I don’t know about you, but if anything, I’ve been put off by the packaging of games consoles all my life. They’re generally either too simple, or packed with so many ads that I can’t really stand to look at them. These new boxes for the next-gen Xbox consoles though, they’re something else entirely.
The official Xbox Series X|S packaging is looking hot! pic.twitter.com/Us7c91kv3h
— Klobrille (@klobrille) September 14, 2020
Let’s start with the Xbox Series X. That box has been designed specifically around the console inside of it. You can see the top of the Series X, with all of those holes, and it spreads across the front, disappearing at the sides. Those sides look to have simple specifications on them, leaving the really wordy parts for the back, where they belong. The simplicity of that design is just so much more pleasing to the eye than anything that’s come out in the last ten years.
Moving onto the Xbox Series S, we can see a box that looks like it should really be for a hi-fi speaker. This doesn’t look like a console, but the box still catches your eye. I think that’s what Microsoft was going for all along with the entire design philosophy of this cheaper next-gen entry. They want it to look appealing, slick, but also like it could disappear in your lounge between a smart speaker and a book. The box contains the entire console, showing off how small it is, which is in line with making it seem much cheaper. You also see the controller there, which is another bonus for anyone who doesn’t know that all consoles come with a controller. On the side you can see the two together, which is just a brilliant selling point for anyone basing their purchase purely on the box.
It’s a shame that, due to the coronavirus, no one is going to be basing their purchase on these boxes for a good long while. Most purchases will be made online, and those will probably be people who know they want a new Xbox already.
I love these box designs. I think they’re the best that the industry has ever seen. If more companies could make their hardware look this good, then I guarantee that everyone who has the money would own a console.