(Pocket-lint) – We’re currently in the process of reviewing the Xbox Series X fully – which you’ll be able to read soon enough – but for the time being we’ve been able to unbox the model that’s arrived at Pocket-lint to give you our initial thoughts.

First up, it’s heavy. Very.

While nowhere near as big as its main rival, the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series X is still a hefty machine better suited to standing tall than lying flat in an AV cabinet.

It is possible to do that, with rubber feet along one side for exactly that purpose, but the heat grille on the machine is clearly at the top to help hot air dissipate – after all, heat rises.

Plus, as it is a rather chunky box, you will need roughly double the height in a cabinet if you want to house it that way. Imagine two Xbox One Xs on top of each other.

Still, it feels premium and superbly built, while the green circle on the top turns out to be clever edging on the grille’s holes rather than anything inside. It’s a nice touch.

On the rear, you get the normal ports and sockets – an Ethernet port, HDMI out, two USBs and power input for a figure of eight lead. There is also a storage expansion slot for the Seagate-made official 1TB card that will also be available at launch.

Remember, you can also use USB HDDs externally, to hold games, but they won’t benefit from faster loading, etc, so we advise you save that option for standard Xbox One games and leave the SSD for Xbox Series X versions.

The new Xbox Wireless Controller is nigh-on identical to the last, with just a new share button, redesigned D-Pad and textured grips underneath. Still, how do you make the best controller to date any better?

Writing by Rik Henderson.