I’ve been using Microsoft’s new Xbox Series X for 2 weeks. These are my 11 biggest takeaways thus far.

First, the good stuff: The console itself is subtle and attractive.

Though I wish I had a bit more space for heat to escape out of the console’s vent at the top, the Xbox Series X console easily fits into the extremely common Ikea bookshelf I use as a TV stand/media center. It looks like a piece of modern electronics, and stands out far less than the Nintendo Switch sitting nearby. 

2. It’s also very, very fast.

Menus are snappy, and jumping from game to streaming app to game is a breeze. When you need to load a game or an app, they tend to load very fast.

If you’re at all familiar with the operating system on the Xbox One, you’ll be immediately familiar with the next-gen Xbox OS — it’s more or less identical, but significantly faster. Jumping from the Home screen to the Xbox Store to a game is a near-instant process. It feels more like switching between apps on a smartphone than switching between software on a game console.

3. Game load times are reduced dramatically.

Game loads on the Series X are very fast. And load times within games — say, if you’re killed by demons in “DOOM Eternal” or get beat up by some jerk in “Yakuza: Like a Dragon” — are even faster. 

Not since game consoles switched to wireless controllers have I felt such a major change. Load times still exist, but they’re minimized to such a point as to render loading screens comical.

4. A new feature, Quick Resume, is a game changer

Think of Quick Resume kind of like a game save, but one that doesn’t need to be loaded: You turn on the console, select the game you want to play, and jump back in right where you last were. This works for several games at once, and includes games from previous generations as well as new games made for next-gen consoles.

5. Taking screenshots and video is blessedly simple with the capture button on the new Xbox controller.

The PlayStation 4’s controller set a precedent with its “Share” button: an input dedicated to capturing screenshots and video of gameplay.

Nintendo added the same functionality to its Switch console when it launched in March 2017, and now Microsoft has copied the functionality with the next-gen Xbox gamepad. And it’s a good thing for users, as there’s finally a very easy way to snag an instant screenshot, or to save the last few minutes of video. 

6. The new gamepad is the best Xbox gamepad yet.

It looks almost exactly like the Xbox One controller — so much that, without taking a moment, it’s easy to get them confused. The controllers feel very similar as well, at least initially. All the buttons are in the same places, and the only visual difference is with the d-pad.

But actually using the gamepad is where the differences become apparent: A subtly-textured grip has been added around back, as well as to each trigger. The triggers land to a satisfying (and thankfully quiet) rubber thud. The menu buttons in the center are clickier than ever, and a new dedicated screenshot button has been added.

It’s a lot of little details that add up to an evolutionary step forward for the Xbox gamepad: It feels familiar, and comfortable, and surprisingly new.

7. Being able to play generations of Xbox games on one console is excellent.

Do I need access to games that I bought all the way back on the Xbox 360? Maybe not, but it sure is nice seeing those games in my digital library nearly 10 years later.

This isn’t Series X specific, as Microsoft has been pushing this vision across Xbox for years at this point, but it continues to be a smart precedent: Having access to an ongoing game library, regardless of platform, is an enticing vision of the future of gaming.

Not only does the Series X (and Series S) do this, but it automatically upgrades the visuals and performance of most games. As a result, even games I’m playing from years ago look better than ever. 

8. Now for the Not So Good Stuff: Navigating the operating system is still cumbersome.

One of the best aspects of using the Xbox Series X is how fast it is. It’s easy to jump through menus, jump into games, or quickly load a streaming app. 

The speed helps to reduce the frustration of the confusing operating system layout, but it doesn’t fix the inherent problem: It’s confusing!

If you want to access the console’s settings, for instance, you have to know to dig through several submenus to find them. 

If you’ve never used an Xbox One, you’ll likely find the next-gen Xbox user interface to be very confusing. If you do have an Xbox One, you’ll find some of the same frustrations you’ve run into there. 

9. Though screenshots are much faster and easier to capture, they’re just as difficult to access.

With the addition a new, dedicated screenshot button on the Xbox gamepad, and the seismic increase in overall speed, taking screenshots and recording gameplay footage has never been faster or easier.

It’s night and day comparatively with even the most powerful current generation console, the Xbox One X, which is great.

Unfortunately, moving those screenshots from the console to the web — through any means other than directly posting to social media — is as difficult as ever. You could send them to your Microsoft OneDrive account, where they show up in an obscure, unusable file format — who wants to do that? 

10. The Xbox Series X is genuinely large, and requires considerations.

I said it before, but it bears repeating: I like the look of the Xbox Series X. It’s a sleek device that easily fits in with my other electronics, despite towering over even my largest speakers. 

But even in the relatively large Ikea bookshelf I have, which easily houses several other game consoles, the Series X doesn’t really have enough space. Frankly, I don’t feel comfortable leaving its top fan so close to a wall, and I wouldn’t suggest you do as much either. My plan is to buy a new TV stand, primarily due to the next-gen consoles being so large, specifically so I can provide adequate ventilation for these larger-than-usual game systems.

This isn’t a major issue by any means, but it’s something to consider before bringing home your console. 

11. Quick Resume is very helpful, but not always clear in how it operates.

As previously noted, Quick Resume keeps several of your most recent games and apps running, accessible from wherever you left off. It’s an evolution of a function that only worked for one game at a time on the Xbox One. And it can be amazing!

Quick Resume works for several games at once, and includes games from previous generations as well as new games made for next-gen consoles. The rules of how this functionality works, however, can be mysterious. There’s no “Available for Quick Resume” menu to show you the currently running games, but there’s no warning if you’re about to shut down a game that’s suspended to load a new one. It’s the kind of stuff that Microsoft figured out ages ago on Windows, but still seemingly can’t get right on a home game console.

These issues are outliers, no doubt, but they are issues nonetheless. Thankfully, every one of them — save for the size of the console, of course — could be addressed in software updates to the console in the years to come.

Of note: The Xbox Series X console I’ve been using was provided by Microsoft, and it’s running non-final software. It has received several software updates in the past two weeks, and is likely to receive more updates between now and the November 10 launch.

Got a tip? Contact Business Insider senior correspondent Ben Gilbert via email (bgilbert@businessinsider.com), or Twitter DM (@realbengilbert). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by email only, please.