Xbox One X still has an HDMI-in port for your cable box

The Xbox One X, which is “the world’s most powerful console,” will have support for all of the same media features as the original Xbox One, which was “the all-in-one games and entertainment system.”

Microsoft may have a new tagline for its latest console, but you can still plug a cable box into the Xbox One X. The company shared some extra images for the system, which is due out November 7 for $500, and these shots reveal the input and output ports on the back of the box. Like with Xbox One and Xbox One S, the X features two HDMI ports. One is an HDMI-in that enables you to feed your cable-box signal into the system. The other is the HDMI output that sends the Xbox’s video and audio to your television.

Checkout all of the ports in the screen below:

Above: Xbox One X has all the same ports as the original or Xbox One S.

Image Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft first introduced the HDMI-in as a way to add a smart layer of Xbox interactivity to your television programming. But the company introduced this feature in 2013 as Netflix, Hulu, and other services were convincing consumers to drop traditional cable subscriptions.

Fans have also pointed to the HDMI-in as an example of how Microsoft cared more about movies and television than video games when the Xbox One launched. But it’s a feature that I’ve always defended because I find it useful. Combined with the IR blaster on my Xbox One S or Kinect, I can use my voice to pause, play, and mute my cable TV. I also like that jumping from ESPN to a game or Netflix and back again is super easy without the need to switch inputs on my display and audio equipment.

At the same time, this is probably not a sign that Microsoft still cares about creating the “all-in-one games and entertainment system.” Instead, the company likely figured it couldn’t get away with selling a $500 Xbox One X that has fewer features than a $250 Xbox One S.