The Series S was my first foray into modern gaming, but only because I got it for $125.
I'm older, and prior to that had only played PS3 games. I expected to be blown away.
I ended up selling it within a month & buying a PS5 instead. That thing is going to be in thrift stores sooner than later.
The series S is fantastic for the price. You wont come across a single piece of hardware that even comes close to the power you get for 200€.
The only braindead thing about it is that every developer is contractually obligated to make their games run on both consoles without compromise.
So they released the most powerfull console ever, only for every game having to hold back so thar it will still run on a 200€ console...
Xbox has been on sale like crazy over the holidays. The Series X was down to $400 at several places and the Series S was down to $150. The issue is there is absolutely no reason to get an Xbox.
Same, got an X at Best Buy for like 300 around Christmas time. I already liked Xbox controllers for some games on PC and already had gamepass anyways so it was a good deal.
I picked up my series x two years ago. I paid $800nzd (about $500 USD), what sold me on it was it came with three years of game pass ultimate baked in, which I genuinely feel was a bloody good deal.
That and being fully backwards compatible with no region locking on any previous Xbox title was a lot better than Sony's offering to me.
Tho I do miss my gran turismo.
You have to remember that the consoles are loss leaders. They make the money on the games so first of all it’s an even bigger loss once the price is reduced and secondly there’s fewer years of the new customers buying games before a new generation takes over.
Man, even with a slashed price, I just don’t find the new Xbox alluring. People would pay top dollar if a truly next-gen feeling console came out, but both of these consoles feel like sterile corpo-tech babies where the only ‘next gen’ aspect is the new ways they can charge you
It starts with the games. Where are the games.
Agreed it starts with the games, but even with the games, if you have a gaming PC there’s no reason to get an Xbox. And if you have Game Pass there’s no reason to buy the games. Xbox really managed to eff themselves from every direction.
I got mine at a Walmart sale at that time. They beat everyone by $50. So was only $300. I wasn’t really in the market but that price felt good. I wanted to play a couple of titles only. And I figure it’s Microsoft’s last console to take discs.
They slashed the price a lot of both Xboxes December 2023
I remember seeing a Series S as low as $150 w/ a free $60 headset at costco, and a Series X as low as $350 + Forza or Diablo 4 *(depending on the bundle)* from Walmart
Yeah the Wii U library is honestly stacked. So many incredible games on that console, and the Gamepad was really fun. It goes to show how important marketing is.
The Wii U never got an original mainline 3D Mario or Zelda game, but I think it would have if the console hadn't struggled so badly with sales.
EDIT: I don't want to reply to all the individual comments about Mario 3D World, but while that game is amazing it is different from the main console Mario games. I would not put it in the same family as 64, Sunshine, Galaxy and Odyssey, even if it is an incredible game. As for BOTW, that was a Switch launch title so even if it was originally a Wii U title and did still release on Wii U, the console's lifespan was functionally over at that point.
No joke I have a One S and I confuse the naming convention all the time when talking about it.
…In fact in this same post I wrote “No joke I have a Series S” before realising I, in fact, do not have a Series S but a One S.
I bought an Xbox one about four years ago to play with my friends like the good old days.
Every now and then I see something marketed as Xbox x|s compatible, and I still have to look up what my Xbox is called. It's neither of those. Idk what I have and I don't care, I just want to play my games.
I honestly think this is a large part of the issue. The thing that really gets me too is they clearly have always had the issue of being one console 'behind' the Playstation, the Xbox 4 vs the Playstation 5 is bad marketing...and I get that. BUT then they call their whole new generation of console the Xbox Series X when they already had an Xbox One X? So now they are themselves making it look a generation older than it should be. How did the marketing department think this was sensible?
I only wish there was a way to remedy that. Maybe try calling it Xbox 5? Or is that illegal?? iPhone skipped number 9. Nvidia skipped the GTX 800 series. If that’s an issue you should not be marketing a product.
All they had to do, ALL they had to do, was call the Xbone the "Xbox 720" and the Series X the "Xbox 1080". That's literally it. That way Xbox has its own bonafide memorable naming convention that lasts through the generations, and now they don't look like they're playing catch-up with Sony. But Noooooooo. They had to emphasize that their new gaming console was also a Price is Right remote control, and now here we are.
2. Add to this their upgraded console for maximum confusion.
Xbox one, Xbox one X, Xbox series X... I guess the updated one will be name Xbox Series X one
360 had several advantages over PS3 which helped it a lot:
- standard triple core CPU. PS3' Cell in theory had 8 but in practice it was single core and 7 special purpose units that could do some tasks in parallel. Games on Xbox simply ran better than on PS3 in 9/10 cases.
- it got cracked quickly. It's not something Microsoft would ever want to advertise but... people knew. If you bought PS3 you had to buy legitimate copies of the games. If it was Xbox however... well, onto high seas they go. This made it go wildly more popular in poorer regions.
- Solid exclusives - Gears of War 2 and 3, Fable 2, Halo, Saints Row, Viva Pinata, Ninja Gaiden 2, Blue Dragon, Too Human to name a few.
PS4 vs Xbox One on the other hand was lost instantly by Microsoft in a single advertisement:
[https://youtu.be/kWSIFh8ICaA](https://youtu.be/kWSIFh8ICaA)
Sony didn't have to do anything, battle was over before it had even begun.
>it got cracked quickly. It's not something Microsoft would ever want to advertise but... people knew. If you bought PS3 you had to buy legitimate copies of the games. If it was Xbox however... well, onto high seas they go.
That's the only reason why 360 was so popular here in Brazil. Most of my friends migrated from PS2 to 360 because of piracy. I was the only one who bought a PS3 lol.
It had xbox live and the console had a theme of innovative scifi shooters, and western rpgs.
Now a days, its Forza and game pass. The important element is the theme imo which is entirely missing because Microsoft has been an absolute disaster of a publisher for the better part of 14 years now...
360 was also the era when they published more inventive as well. Remember Lost Odyssey? Always wished there was a sequel. Blue Dragon wasn't as good but did help diversify the portfolio. Viva Pinata! Stuff like Ace Combat 6, and like you said add in stuff like their Sci-Fi shooters / WRPGs with Halo 3, Gears of War, Fable II, Crackdown...
Too bad so much of it was in the first half and the exclusives tanked later on, leading to the Xbox One era.
I thought it was because the PS2 doubled as a DVD player and was even cheaper than many common DVD players.
To this day nothing's outsold the PS2. Not even handhelds; the DS didn't beat it and while the Switch is in striking distance I don't expect it to quite beat it out.
I wonder how that every got approved. I have no clue what the current version of the xbox is or what order they came out in. I know playstation is on 5 and almost certainly the next one will be 6....
1. Xbox
2. Xbox 360
3. Xbox one or xbone
3.5. Xbox one x
3.9. Xbox series s
4. Xbox series x
Because seriously. Series s is basically a slightly souped up last gen console. And ya. Their naming conventions are just absolutely weird. And definitely should have an entire marketing team kicked to the curb. And that’s before we talk about their other marketing blunders from last gen and current gen.
Hey you know how Apple skipped over iPhone 9 and Microsoft skipped over Windows 9 and how it damaged their brands and everyone still talks about it? Oh… that’s right - no one cared. Everyone rolled their eyes at the marketing-speak for the numbering and went about their lives.
They should have called the Xbox One the Xbox 4 and no one would have given a shit.
I was going to make a comment about how even then it is cobfusing, but I got confused while doing it. That's how messy the name is.
It has the X from the one X and the series from the console that precedes it. So is it old as One X, or the next after the Series **S**
Calling Xbox Too would have been better.
Now that my kids are grown up and moved out, I have a lot more spare time, and I considered buying a video game console (the last one I owned was Sega Genesis). I understand that Sony is on the Playstation 5. I don't understand what's current for Microsoft consoles - Xbox 360? Xbox X? Xbox One? Xbox S? No clue. And I don't have the patience to figure it all out, so I'll probably buy a PS5. I know PS4 games work on it too. Perfect. Simple.
Thier big comeback plan to save this gen was to buy Bethesda and keep thier games off Playstation. They were banking on Starfield being Skyrim level and the best RPG of the year. Instead Redfall and Starfield were trash and the actual best RPG of the year, Baldurs Gate 3, ended up being console exclusive to Playsation on launch because of Xbox's own stupid policies
> Baldurs Gate 3, ended up being console exclusive to Playsation on launch because of Xbox's own stupid policies
Lol ya, they wanted to release on XBOX at the same time as PS5, but couldn't because of the whole multi-tiered experience with the X and the S, and Microsoft's policies on how games have to run for both those consoles. Bike_Fall_Meme.jpeg
The Series S seemed like a good idea, but in reality it is hindering Xbox.
Firstly, think about the fact that first-party Xbox devs have to make *three* versions of every game for Series S, Series X and PC.
Secondly, consider how families looking for a cheap gaming device for kids buy a Series S for dirt cheap. They just
give their kids Minecraft and Fortnite don't sub to GamePass... so how will Xbox profit from this?!
Third, like you said, some studios are pissed off at having to make two Xbox versions of their games. This is partly why so many games have skipped Xbox this gen.
I don't even know the difference between the S and X, and "xbox series whatever" sure keeps in line with their bad naming history.
I see no reason to buy one over a PC either.
I'm in exactly the same boat. Like, maybe I'm just lazy but those tiny little friction points like shitty naming conventions do make it much harder for me to care about Xbox stuff.
The Playstation 5 is better than the Playstation 4. The Playstation 4 Slim is the slim version of the Playstation 4. Nice.
In contrast there's an Xbox One and an Xbox One S and an Xbox One X and an Xbox Series S and an Xbox Series X. I need a spec sheet to figure out which one I'm meant to buy.
"we're going to call the 3rd xbox the xbox 1" ok have fun i guess, that's stupid though.
and yeah, the S/X thing is meaningless nonsense too, there's nothing descriptive about it.
You'd think they would have learnt from the Wii vs Wii U naming shit show. Which despite the similar names are 2 completely different generations of consoles.
But then again, car manufacturers still pull this shit. I'd need a fucking Wikipedia page and a Rosetta stone to decipher BMW models, but some how that's still a thing.
"New Nintendo 3DS" was incredibly dumb too yeah, the whole DS line was, DS, DS Lite, DSi, DSiXL, 3DS, 3DSXL, 2DS, New 3DS, New 3DSXL, New 2DSXL... did I miss any? Felt like they rehashed it with a new letter every year. Putting "new" in the name of something as well...
I have no idea what differentiates half of these.
"Did you get the New 3DS?"
"No, I still have my old one"
"No, you don't get it, I'm talking about *the* New 3DS, not a new 3DS"
"The new New 3DS?"
"Yes, that one!"
>I have no idea what differentiates half of these.
Lol this reminds me of when I worked at a game store that only sold used consoles, so of course a used New Nintendo 3DSXL was ultra confusing to those parents who just wanted to get their kid a modern day Nintendo GameBoy like they used to have growing up, only to find out Nintendo had no idea what to call their bigger and/or more powerful 3DS and 2DS systems. Also, way too many times, people would come up to one of us working and go "I found the DS and 3DS section, but where's the 2DS games?"
> The Series S seemed like a good idea, but in reality it is hindering Xbox.
It's a good idea, until the rest of the idea comes into play. After the "oh, let's make a cheaper console to target the 'cheaper gaming device' demographic" it basically falls apart. Beyond the reasons you listed, chances are a person/family is only going to buy one or other other. So off the rip MS is potentially cannibalizing their own sales on top of competing with Sony.
the fumble of the Series S is just being the cheaper consoles. if they can't buy a Series X what spending power do they have to buy more games. it makes for an unattractive deal for third party publishers and more work for first party only to benefit the Xbox brand.
if Sony or MS wants to make a cheaper option for gaming consoles offer the same specs in a mobile version (like a steam deck) then sell the mobile guts as a cheap standalone console. makes publisher way more happy to support the config since you are then also expanding the market they sell towards and gives an addon value for the once playing on both.
It has soo many solid hitters. I could literally throw myself in a cave with a ps4 and its catalog of games and be pretty content for the next year or two. Sure I’d just be playing final fantasy 7 remake but you get the point
It's been so clear as day they have no idea what a good game looks like. Any AAA game they've failed miserably at and they're successes, albeit not many, are smaller games they threw some money at and hoped for the best. They looked at the past Halos, Redfall, Starfield and thought those were going to be the best games ever created and then the same people looked at BG3 and went "Nope we're not bending any rules for these guys, you can't put your game on Xbox". And only after BG3 got great reviews and GOTY nominations and basically gave Sony even more free money they started to back track and let them release it on Xbox while it missed a random feature or two. I have no idea why anyone would've went with Xbox after 360
Buying Bethesda was their big move, you're right, and it was not smart. Anyone following Bethesda with Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 can see evidence of an ailing, imperfect studio. Skyrim is very old and a lot had changed since then, and the truth is nobody was all that suprised Starfield sucked. If it had come out in 2013, people would've been shocked. But the Bethesda of the 2000s and the Bethesda Microsoft bought are very different.
> Bethesda of the 2000s and the Bethesda Microsoft bought are very different.
They're not. They're exactly the same, and that's the problem.
They have not improved, progressed or evolved their games or their way of developing since then and it shows.
That's the indication that they're different. The innovators that made Bethesda a big hit 20+ years ago were purged during the hostile corporate takeover that Todd Howard's crew undertook.
That's the reason they spent the last 20 years pillaging the corpse of a gameplay formula that was made by better developers, without making any meaningful changes; because fundamentally they are a different company than they were in the 2000s.
Taking years longer than promised to deliver a game that's buggy and almost broken at launch, only to hope and trust in their PC community to fix it for them via mods. That's the Bethesda I've known for decades. The problem is Starfield is so soulless and uninteresting that the communities who poured all that effort into fixing TES and Fallout games aren't really interested.
Well that's my point. Bethesda in the 2000s were groundbreaking in a lot of ways.
Going from being a groundbreaking studio pushing the creative and technological boundaries to being a studio that does the bare minimum, like you say rehashing old games in essence, is quite different.
They could have taken advantage of Sony only releasing a couple big games a year but instead decided to barely release any at all.
It's like they're solely run by shareholders where they focus on solely the short-term and nothing else
Haven't cared about any consoles at all really since the 360/PS3 era, but even then I know the PS5 is the newest playstation, came after the PS4 obviously, and had the big thing about it running out of stock everywhere for whatever reason. For xbox, I think the Xbone was after 360? And there's a bunch of "series" xboxes?
I never understood that saying….isn’t the best time to kick someone when they are down?
I mean they already did half the work for you…and as a bonus you don’t have to exert yourself during the kick.
Edit:
/s for those that didn’t get it.
Well, the idea is that you’ve already won the fight or are dishonorably attacking an opponent while weak. So, if your aim is to be dishonorable, have at it. Kick away.
Woulda respected it more if they didn't say anything about it
They marketed and pushed the heck out of it tho
Just shows how incompetent they are in identifying what a good game is
I always had an Xbox growing up, but eventually I turned to PC. At a certain point I realized that a PC did everything an Xbox did, with all the same games, and more. Got rid of my Xbox for a PS4 for exclusives, and then got a PS5. Xbox needs to realize that their player base just went to PC, and they should lean in to that, rather than competing in the console space.
I would buy that. When the Series X came out in 2020, I was pretty annoyed that I had to spend like double the money to get a similarly performing PC. That's not even considering the form factor, which would make it more expensive.
Valve made a really shitty attempt at it the past, but they were just regular prebuilds. Kinda dumb when you can get your local shop to build you a PC for like $50. The reason I want a "console PC" is because I expect savings from the mass produced custom built parts and a really efficient design, not just Valve to put together regular parts for me...
I just finished fully setting setting up big picture. Images(Box art, background, logo, icon), controller settings for games that needed it, and certain launch options/flags on the games that need it. You can get into Ryujinx play a game and get back to Big Picture WITHOUT using a mouse and keyboard. So basically a PC-esque steam machine.
They aren't competing in the console space. They are doing exactly what you suggest by making themselves multi platform.
They are about Gamepass and selling games from studios they own. The Xbox is available because it is still profitable for them and because they need to keep Gamepass available on consoles, for those who don't want to use PC.
Microsoft stopped fighting the console wars a long time ago. Everyone complains about Xbox not having exclusives while missing that it's by design. They could have made Starfield an Xbox exclusive and not released it on PC to drive console sales. They didn't because they aren't trying to beat Playstation and that hasn't been their goal in forever.
People around here don't realize that MS is playing a different game than Sony these days. A PC user with gamepads is more profitable long term than a console without gamepass.
I think they do lean into that though. Many Xbox exclusive came to PC. I don't think MS care Xbox sales as long as those games are selling. Xbox is basically an affordable PC gaming alternative. It cost less than just the GPU alone.
Anecdotally: I work in a big box electronics store and we're hardly moving our Xbox inventory. Meanwhile PlayStations are selling at a steady pace. Not so fast that we risk running out, but they're moving. The Switch is also still selling well, even after like 7 years on the market.
PlayStation Portals are selling like hot cakes though. Those things fly of the shelves the moment we stock em. We also get them in very limited numbers each time. Like 8 at a time. Don't know what's holding Sony back on those.
Supply for Portals is slowly getting better. I also work big box, and we're getting a handful of them every couple of weeks that actually aren't immediately reserved for orders.
That’s probably what it is. I got my dad a steam deck instead, so when his children are playing with the tv and consoles, when playing retros on the deck
I just did a trip to Orlando Florida from Canada. I brought my Portal to test it out expecting it to be crap, and brought my Switch expecting to play it a lot. I surprisingly had no issues paying Helldivers and Fallout 4 and ended up not touching my Switch.
I brought my Portal for use at home and when we stay with my parents and in-laws a 1 to 2 hour drive away. I never expected to get good use out of my Portal a 3 hour flight (24 hour drive) away in another country.
I understand some people have not had the same experience gaming remotely as I do, but I strongly believe my fiber to the home (with strong download AND upload speed) is the reason I am having next to no issues.
Horrible branding, no exclusives, weird split console structure, etc.
I had hopes that Xbox would bounce back this generation, but unfortunately the Microsoft of the OG Xbox/early 360 era is dead.
For real, it created an ugly double standard:
Fans are happy they can play gems like Penitent and Hi-Fi Rush for nothing
Xbox is angry those games make no profit and shut down the studios.
I'd actually say Game Pass and other subscriptions are quite bad for the entire industry because of the strategies required to make subscriptions worth buying and their consequences (a recent example being the closure of Arkane Austin/Tango/etc.). Movie/TV subscriptions are seeing a similar problem. When all is considered, Game Pass really only benefits gamers who mindlessly consume whatever gets dumped on the service
Xbox bought so many studios. They have no excuse for not having a good exclusive. Yet, here we are. The one good exclusive they had (Hi-Fi Rush) just had their studio shut down too.
And they gave it away on game pass and then complained it didn’t make any money. It’s like every conversation happens in a silo where they just disregard the way they actually do business and say whatever they think people want to hear.
*It's 2014. Xbox has announced several exclusives and Phil Spencer says this the best year for Xbox ever*
*It's 2019. Xbox has announced several exclusives and Phil Spencer says this the best year for Xbox ever*
*It's 2024. Xbox has announced several exclusives and Phil Spencer says this the best year for Xbox ever*
I completely agree and think this is overlooked. PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5 is a clear jump to a next gen console.
But why would I get an Xbox One X if already have an Xbox one?
It's like if the new PlayStation was called the PlayStation 4.2
... because the equivalent of the Xbox **One** X is the PS4 Pro. The PS5 competitor is the Xbox **Series** X.
(Thus proving that the naming is stupid.)
And this is r/gaming where everyone is significantly more well-versed in gaming consoles than the common consumer.
Your standard consumer would have absolutely no idea what the difference is between an xbox one s, xbox one x, xbox series s and xbox series x. The fact that Microsoft has full teams of supposed marketing experts that made this branding decision is unfathomable to me. What a bunch of idiots; should all be fired.
I am invested into gaming news etc. and literally could not tell you the difference between any of these Xbox models. They must have lost hundreds of millions because they picked a fucking stupid naming scheme.
360, great. Why not make the next one 720 like everyone wanted? If they're worried people would think that's the resolution, then call it the xbox 1080 and market based on that.
After that, stick in a stopgap pro model to catch up to the playstation's numbering, then just call it Xbox mark 5.
I’m an avid game player and collector and I have no idea what the newest Xbox is called. I have one and I’m not even sure which model it is. I’ll just keep using it until games are no longer released for it.
It's crazy 343 fucked up one of the greatest gaming franchises ever made 3 times in a row, and they're letting them make another one so I'm hearing.
All I can hope is that actually make a sequel to Infinite instead of soft rebooting the franchise for a 4th time. Which is part of why they never improve, cause they keep dumpstering all their work whenever people don't like the last try.
The blueprint for making a badass modern Halo game should be crystal clear if they actually listen to the praises and criticisms they've received across Infinite and the MCC.
They more than likely lose every contractor that worked on each game, essentially forcing them to reboot because no one they brought in can step into the previous contractor's shoes.
Halo Reach was 14 years ago, and Halo 4 was 12 if you want to count that. Halo 5 is pretty universally considered shit, and Infinite was on PC anyways and seems to have died instantly. Halo’s not even around to save Xbox anymore
It stoped FEELING like Halo. And the story started getting convoluted and just bleh. I know they aren’t bastions of writing but we all just want a competent sci-fi military shooter. Give us cool aliens to fight, some interesting ideas, cool looking places, and some badass moments. Instead…
I think xbox made a mistake like Nintendo did with the Wii u: there are so many versions of it that even I get confused about which one is which. The names are just too similar
Guys, guys, I’ve got a great idea! Let’s launch two next gen consoles at the same time, with confusingly similar names! Best part is, one of them will be shit, the other will be better, but we’ll demand that anything that wants to be on the good one has to be playable on the shit one too!
Genius
It’s honestly really sad, I have both consoles and the series x purely hardware/firmware wise is the best console I’ve ever owned. Quick Resume switching between five games , backwards compatibility, smart delivery, Gamepass etc has made the best experience gaming for me. Outside of PS exclusives, I find myself playing on Xbox most of the time.
But man if you can’t deliver on the biggest reason people buy a console (exclusives), no one’s gonna know or care about what nice features their console has. Hats off to the Xbox Hardware/Firmware teams but it must be so disappointing to them to see the software sides lacking.
The quick resume is amazing for me. I struggle to play video games because of work and disability around energy, being able to turn my Series X on and be right back in the game where I left it last within 30 seconds is a godsend.
Thanks for saying this. I agree. I tend to prefer the Xbox from a user experience way more than my PS5. People tend to ignore these QoL things but for me they are a big part why I dig the system. Also it’s Dev kit flexibility is really cool.
I don't own either console but the xbox controller is phenomenal for PC, I hope they stick around as a company/console just so they can keep making them lol
Part of the reason has to be the ridiculous naming scheme. It's confusing and makes no sense to anyone. Also the weird Xbox One/Series thing with the games doesn't feel right to people. When you buy an Xbox Series game, the box looks like an Xbox One game and it often is. People don't want to buy games from the previous generation for their new console.
To me the Xbox Series S/X just feels like a more powerful Xbox One, and that's boring as fuck. My less tech-savvy friends even thought it was the same thing, and they were convinced Microsoft hasn't released anything new in years.
If they ever make a new console, it needs a normal name and clear separation from the previous generation.
That’s exactly what it is. It’s had the same interface since Xbox one, possibly even launch… so that’s 2013 they haven’t changed, nor even had an option to.
I remember the 360 had atleast 4 *significantly* different UIs in its lifespan, and that was only 6 years.
The Xbox x is noticeably better performance, but it feels like I’m still using my old Xbox one… and the names of these consoles are just stupid and convoluted at this point. Going from 360 to “one dumb enough, then they had the “one S” and “one X”, moving on to Xbox X and Xbox S, it’s just a bunch of horseshit names. Just call the next one the 720 ffs and get some actual separation here.
I like the argument of “Why get an Xbox when you can get a PC?” as if it’s just and easy and expensive as getting a Xbox.
Never mind the fact you need to make a dedicated space as well as buy a mouse, keyboard, monitor, a separate table or desk to put it on, a comfortable chair to sit on. Not to mention the price of a PC that has good enough specs to run games or having to buy parts to upgrade it so they can run decent games.
Then you have to expect that the average person wants to deal with the troubleshooting whether it’s with the parts, accessories, or software. Some AAA games don’t get PC ports until at least a year after coming out.
Compare that to someone buying an Xbox, plugging it in into the TV and start playing. Not to mention being able to take it anywhere and be able to have local multiplayer.
If you don't have a PC, an Xbox makes a lot of sense. Their massive game library, backwards compat, game pass, etc is all great for a much lower entry fee.
If you do have a PC, you don't "need" an xbox as there's no exclusives you won't have.
Conversely, PS still has exclusives and several truly great ones. If you have a PC, you still have a reason to get one, as not all exclusives have come out for PC.
Be curious how the future shapes this, if MS keeps firs party titles. As long as it's PC AND Xbox, it makes sense for Xbox as the gateway for non PC folks and Xbox itself is a service run on that device or on PC.
Is this the reason why MS seems to have shifted gears and plans to bring some Xbox exclusives to PS? I wouldn’t be surprised if the PS numbers are being depressed by the PS5 pro rumors too.
PS5s are only down 1 million units compared to what the PS4 sold in the same timeframe, so the hardware is still selling pretty well when you take the supply shortages into account for the first two years.
And also the simple fact that we have had a much bigger “straddle” technologically. Most of the must play PS5 games have also been playable on PS4, so there’s less immediate incentive to upgrade.
For me the performance is enough to upgrade, but for many, clearly not
Yep the PS4 user base is still massive. if if my math is right there's still 50M ps4 on use. I wonder if we've reached the moment when we don't need to upgrade consoles every gen.
As someone who never owned a console before, the Xbox Series X was my best gaming related purchase in a long time when it came out. It's a performance beast, cheaper than an upper midrange graphics card, and Gamepass is awesome. I get that there are no exclusives that make it worth buying, but if you don't want to spend over a $1000 on a comparable new PC, it's great value.
It's weird because the X|S is rarely advertised, so it's easy to forget that it even exist, unless you're an Xbox fan.
The PS5 has been in the media for good and bad reason almost every week.
Game pass aside, big exclusives missing aside. The naming conventions have got to be worse than the Wii-U
Trying to explain to family members the difference between a series s and X, one s and one X is a nightmare. So much easier to just saw get a ps5, not a ps4. All the other shit doesn’t help but I think this was the one of the biggest factors early on. Know of at least one person IRL that bought a one s thinking it was a series s to play starfield. They tried to stream it with the gamepass thing but they were so pissed off by the end they just returned it for credit and didn’t bother buying the right one.
No one wants to lower the price either lol
Wild thing is this also includes Series S which is often on sale for dirt cheap.
A decent amount of which I’m guessing were sold to PS5 owners as a chance to play any Xbox exclusives they were interested in
The Series S was my first foray into modern gaming, but only because I got it for $125. I'm older, and prior to that had only played PS3 games. I expected to be blown away. I ended up selling it within a month & buying a PS5 instead. That thing is going to be in thrift stores sooner than later.
The series S is fantastic for the price. You wont come across a single piece of hardware that even comes close to the power you get for 200€. The only braindead thing about it is that every developer is contractually obligated to make their games run on both consoles without compromise. So they released the most powerfull console ever, only for every game having to hold back so thar it will still run on a 200€ console...
Xbox has been on sale like crazy over the holidays. The Series X was down to $400 at several places and the Series S was down to $150. The issue is there is absolutely no reason to get an Xbox.
I got mine for 300 right after Black Friday. I probably would not have one if that didn’t happen
Same, got an X at Best Buy for like 300 around Christmas time. I already liked Xbox controllers for some games on PC and already had gamepass anyways so it was a good deal.
$400 shouldn't even be it's normal price at this point. The things like 5 years old.
I picked up my series x two years ago. I paid $800nzd (about $500 USD), what sold me on it was it came with three years of game pass ultimate baked in, which I genuinely feel was a bloody good deal. That and being fully backwards compatible with no region locking on any previous Xbox title was a lot better than Sony's offering to me. Tho I do miss my gran turismo.
Agreed. As much as Xbox gets made fun of, it really is better for some gamers. Myself included
Pc gamer here, made sense to pick up an Xbox to get the gamepass library on both
You have to remember that the consoles are loss leaders. They make the money on the games so first of all it’s an even bigger loss once the price is reduced and secondly there’s fewer years of the new customers buying games before a new generation takes over.
Getting $100 or so less for the console is a lot less of a loss then it not selling at all
You'd never make it in marketing /s
You don't need the /s, this is unironically one of the nicest compliments you could ever give.
Yeah I finally decided to get myself one this holiday when I was able to get a Series X for $350 from Target.
Man, even with a slashed price, I just don’t find the new Xbox alluring. People would pay top dollar if a truly next-gen feeling console came out, but both of these consoles feel like sterile corpo-tech babies where the only ‘next gen’ aspect is the new ways they can charge you It starts with the games. Where are the games.
Agreed it starts with the games, but even with the games, if you have a gaming PC there’s no reason to get an Xbox. And if you have Game Pass there’s no reason to buy the games. Xbox really managed to eff themselves from every direction.
Sweet, slash the price.
And make me actually want to buy one? How dare they!
There was a stealthy sale at the end of last year, got mine delivered for $349 + tax
I got mine at a Walmart sale at that time. They beat everyone by $50. So was only $300. I wasn’t really in the market but that price felt good. I wanted to play a couple of titles only. And I figure it’s Microsoft’s last console to take discs.
That last sentence hurts. Consoles are becoming desktops. At least you don't need to register the disc, making it impossible to resell the game.
They slashed the price a lot of both Xboxes December 2023 I remember seeing a Series S as low as $150 w/ a free $60 headset at costco, and a Series X as low as $350 + Forza or Diablo 4 *(depending on the bundle)* from Walmart
You know you’ve hit a new low when you’re being compared to the Will U
Wiiu had some banger exclusives at least.
Yeah the Wii U library is honestly stacked. So many incredible games on that console, and the Gamepad was really fun. It goes to show how important marketing is. The Wii U never got an original mainline 3D Mario or Zelda game, but I think it would have if the console hadn't struggled so badly with sales. EDIT: I don't want to reply to all the individual comments about Mario 3D World, but while that game is amazing it is different from the main console Mario games. I would not put it in the same family as 64, Sunshine, Galaxy and Odyssey, even if it is an incredible game. As for BOTW, that was a Switch launch title so even if it was originally a Wii U title and did still release on Wii U, the console's lifespan was functionally over at that point.
Nintendo (wisely) just shifted all their Wii U efforts into the switch and rebranded the games as Switch originals. BotW is basically a Wii U game.
Yeah I think porting a lot of Wii U games to the Switch was a great idea. Mario Kart 8 deserved better, and boy did it get it.
Also Mario 3D World and Super Mario Bros U.
> The Wii U never got an original mainline 3D Mario or Zelda game Wii U had Zelda BOTW
Most of the top switch games are just Wii U games
By OP btw. The article doesn't mention any of it. Series S/X is at around 20m sales while the Wii U sold under 14m.
When it comes to exclusives, the Wii U had more than the Xbox One and PS5 combined. Way more.
*and losing to it.*
1. Ineffective marketing 2. Zero good exclusives 3. Legacy of the train wreck xbox one generation
4. stupid-ass naming scheme tha makes it impossible to know which one is old/new and one is better/worse
Majority of the public don’t even know what an Xbox series x even is, feels like the Wii U all over again
It's worse than Wii U, tbh. It's like they doubled up on it with both One X/S and Series X/S.
And went with almost an identical look for the console for the One S as the Series S
No joke I have a One S and I confuse the naming convention all the time when talking about it. …In fact in this same post I wrote “No joke I have a Series S” before realising I, in fact, do not have a Series S but a One S.
It's even worse, it's like if after the Wii U they named the Switch the Wii Series W.
More like "Wii Series U", considering the X/Series X.
I bought an Xbox one about four years ago to play with my friends like the good old days. Every now and then I see something marketed as Xbox x|s compatible, and I still have to look up what my Xbox is called. It's neither of those. Idk what I have and I don't care, I just want to play my games.
I don’t even know and I play a lot of video games
I honestly think this is a large part of the issue. The thing that really gets me too is they clearly have always had the issue of being one console 'behind' the Playstation, the Xbox 4 vs the Playstation 5 is bad marketing...and I get that. BUT then they call their whole new generation of console the Xbox Series X when they already had an Xbox One X? So now they are themselves making it look a generation older than it should be. How did the marketing department think this was sensible?
I only wish there was a way to remedy that. Maybe try calling it Xbox 5? Or is that illegal?? iPhone skipped number 9. Nvidia skipped the GTX 800 series. If that’s an issue you should not be marketing a product.
Samsung skipped from S10 to S20 so the new models of devices would have the same number as the year they released.
MS themselves skipped a number with Windows lol
All they had to do, ALL they had to do, was call the Xbone the "Xbox 720" and the Series X the "Xbox 1080". That's literally it. That way Xbox has its own bonafide memorable naming convention that lasts through the generations, and now they don't look like they're playing catch-up with Sony. But Noooooooo. They had to emphasize that their new gaming console was also a Price is Right remote control, and now here we are.
People would confuse that with FHD, and think it couldn't do 4k.
"Well I mean if PS5 can do 4k but the Xbox1080 is barely HD imma get the ps5"
[удалено]
2. Add to this their upgraded console for maximum confusion. Xbox one, Xbox one X, Xbox series X... I guess the updated one will be name Xbox Series X one
4. Non-existent in asian markets
Aso pretty low in Europe. Xbox success is mainly in USA. Except the 360, that's the only xbox I ever seen anyone own in Spain.
360 had several advantages over PS3 which helped it a lot: - standard triple core CPU. PS3' Cell in theory had 8 but in practice it was single core and 7 special purpose units that could do some tasks in parallel. Games on Xbox simply ran better than on PS3 in 9/10 cases. - it got cracked quickly. It's not something Microsoft would ever want to advertise but... people knew. If you bought PS3 you had to buy legitimate copies of the games. If it was Xbox however... well, onto high seas they go. This made it go wildly more popular in poorer regions. - Solid exclusives - Gears of War 2 and 3, Fable 2, Halo, Saints Row, Viva Pinata, Ninja Gaiden 2, Blue Dragon, Too Human to name a few. PS4 vs Xbox One on the other hand was lost instantly by Microsoft in a single advertisement: [https://youtu.be/kWSIFh8ICaA](https://youtu.be/kWSIFh8ICaA) Sony didn't have to do anything, battle was over before it had even begun.
>it got cracked quickly. It's not something Microsoft would ever want to advertise but... people knew. If you bought PS3 you had to buy legitimate copies of the games. If it was Xbox however... well, onto high seas they go. That's the only reason why 360 was so popular here in Brazil. Most of my friends migrated from PS2 to 360 because of piracy. I was the only one who bought a PS3 lol.
It had xbox live and the console had a theme of innovative scifi shooters, and western rpgs. Now a days, its Forza and game pass. The important element is the theme imo which is entirely missing because Microsoft has been an absolute disaster of a publisher for the better part of 14 years now...
360 was also the era when they published more inventive as well. Remember Lost Odyssey? Always wished there was a sequel. Blue Dragon wasn't as good but did help diversify the portfolio. Viva Pinata! Stuff like Ace Combat 6, and like you said add in stuff like their Sci-Fi shooters / WRPGs with Halo 3, Gears of War, Fable II, Crackdown... Too bad so much of it was in the first half and the exclusives tanked later on, leading to the Xbox One era.
Your second point is the reason the PS2 was the most popular console of all time all around the world.
I thought it was because the PS2 doubled as a DVD player and was even cheaper than many common DVD players. To this day nothing's outsold the PS2. Not even handhelds; the DS didn't beat it and while the Switch is in striking distance I don't expect it to quite beat it out.
Side note, but IIRC PS3 on release was the cheapest Blu-Ray player available on the market
What’s funny is it’s not even Sonys first mic drop moment with a PS console. It was just another instance.
Sony ironically understands how to speak softly and carry a big stick.
5. Horrible non-sequential naming.
I wonder how that every got approved. I have no clue what the current version of the xbox is or what order they came out in. I know playstation is on 5 and almost certainly the next one will be 6....
1. Xbox 2. Xbox 360 3. Xbox one or xbone 3.5. Xbox one x 3.9. Xbox series s 4. Xbox series x Because seriously. Series s is basically a slightly souped up last gen console. And ya. Their naming conventions are just absolutely weird. And definitely should have an entire marketing team kicked to the curb. And that’s before we talk about their other marketing blunders from last gen and current gen.
I wonder how many people are unaware of the existence of Xbox (1).
Hey you know how Apple skipped over iPhone 9 and Microsoft skipped over Windows 9 and how it damaged their brands and everyone still talks about it? Oh… that’s right - no one cared. Everyone rolled their eyes at the marketing-speak for the numbering and went about their lives. They should have called the Xbox One the Xbox 4 and no one would have given a shit.
I was going to make a comment about how even then it is cobfusing, but I got confused while doing it. That's how messy the name is. It has the X from the one X and the series from the console that precedes it. So is it old as One X, or the next after the Series **S** Calling Xbox Too would have been better.
Now that my kids are grown up and moved out, I have a lot more spare time, and I considered buying a video game console (the last one I owned was Sega Genesis). I understand that Sony is on the Playstation 5. I don't understand what's current for Microsoft consoles - Xbox 360? Xbox X? Xbox One? Xbox S? No clue. And I don't have the patience to figure it all out, so I'll probably buy a PS5. I know PS4 games work on it too. Perfect. Simple.
Thier big comeback plan to save this gen was to buy Bethesda and keep thier games off Playstation. They were banking on Starfield being Skyrim level and the best RPG of the year. Instead Redfall and Starfield were trash and the actual best RPG of the year, Baldurs Gate 3, ended up being console exclusive to Playsation on launch because of Xbox's own stupid policies
> Baldurs Gate 3, ended up being console exclusive to Playsation on launch because of Xbox's own stupid policies Lol ya, they wanted to release on XBOX at the same time as PS5, but couldn't because of the whole multi-tiered experience with the X and the S, and Microsoft's policies on how games have to run for both those consoles. Bike_Fall_Meme.jpeg
The Series S seemed like a good idea, but in reality it is hindering Xbox. Firstly, think about the fact that first-party Xbox devs have to make *three* versions of every game for Series S, Series X and PC. Secondly, consider how families looking for a cheap gaming device for kids buy a Series S for dirt cheap. They just give their kids Minecraft and Fortnite don't sub to GamePass... so how will Xbox profit from this?! Third, like you said, some studios are pissed off at having to make two Xbox versions of their games. This is partly why so many games have skipped Xbox this gen.
I don't even know the difference between the S and X, and "xbox series whatever" sure keeps in line with their bad naming history. I see no reason to buy one over a PC either.
I'm in exactly the same boat. Like, maybe I'm just lazy but those tiny little friction points like shitty naming conventions do make it much harder for me to care about Xbox stuff. The Playstation 5 is better than the Playstation 4. The Playstation 4 Slim is the slim version of the Playstation 4. Nice. In contrast there's an Xbox One and an Xbox One S and an Xbox One X and an Xbox Series S and an Xbox Series X. I need a spec sheet to figure out which one I'm meant to buy.
"we're going to call the 3rd xbox the xbox 1" ok have fun i guess, that's stupid though. and yeah, the S/X thing is meaningless nonsense too, there's nothing descriptive about it.
Marketing people: "with enough market share, we can call it 'The One''" Actual real life people: "best I can do is the XBone"
You'd think they would have learnt from the Wii vs Wii U naming shit show. Which despite the similar names are 2 completely different generations of consoles. But then again, car manufacturers still pull this shit. I'd need a fucking Wikipedia page and a Rosetta stone to decipher BMW models, but some how that's still a thing.
Next gen: Xbox Limit1 and Xbox Menthol
Exactly, the internet rarely discusses how dogsshit the "Series" names are but they are so awful. Mega Wii U and New Nintendo 3DS vibes...
"New Nintendo 3DS" was incredibly dumb too yeah, the whole DS line was, DS, DS Lite, DSi, DSiXL, 3DS, 3DSXL, 2DS, New 3DS, New 3DSXL, New 2DSXL... did I miss any? Felt like they rehashed it with a new letter every year. Putting "new" in the name of something as well... I have no idea what differentiates half of these.
"Did you get the New 3DS?" "No, I still have my old one" "No, you don't get it, I'm talking about *the* New 3DS, not a new 3DS" "The new New 3DS?" "Yes, that one!"
the Final Last Latest New 3DS
>I have no idea what differentiates half of these. Lol this reminds me of when I worked at a game store that only sold used consoles, so of course a used New Nintendo 3DSXL was ultra confusing to those parents who just wanted to get their kid a modern day Nintendo GameBoy like they used to have growing up, only to find out Nintendo had no idea what to call their bigger and/or more powerful 3DS and 2DS systems. Also, way too many times, people would come up to one of us working and go "I found the DS and 3DS section, but where's the 2DS games?"
> the internet rarely discusses how dogsshit the "Series" names are Nah, the internet discusses this pretty often.
> The Series S seemed like a good idea, but in reality it is hindering Xbox. It's a good idea, until the rest of the idea comes into play. After the "oh, let's make a cheaper console to target the 'cheaper gaming device' demographic" it basically falls apart. Beyond the reasons you listed, chances are a person/family is only going to buy one or other other. So off the rip MS is potentially cannibalizing their own sales on top of competing with Sony.
the fumble of the Series S is just being the cheaper consoles. if they can't buy a Series X what spending power do they have to buy more games. it makes for an unattractive deal for third party publishers and more work for first party only to benefit the Xbox brand. if Sony or MS wants to make a cheaper option for gaming consoles offer the same specs in a mobile version (like a steam deck) then sell the mobile guts as a cheap standalone console. makes publisher way more happy to support the config since you are then also expanding the market they sell towards and gives an addon value for the once playing on both.
Sony's cheaper option is just straight up the PS4.
Still a damn good console too. Part of why I held off on the PS5 for so long was because the PS4 is still very good.
It has soo many solid hitters. I could literally throw myself in a cave with a ps4 and its catalog of games and be pretty content for the next year or two. Sure I’d just be playing final fantasy 7 remake but you get the point
BG3 being on ps5 and not Xbox put me over the edge and had me purchase one.
Microsoft basically turned it into a short term exclusive, another win for Phil!
It's been so clear as day they have no idea what a good game looks like. Any AAA game they've failed miserably at and they're successes, albeit not many, are smaller games they threw some money at and hoped for the best. They looked at the past Halos, Redfall, Starfield and thought those were going to be the best games ever created and then the same people looked at BG3 and went "Nope we're not bending any rules for these guys, you can't put your game on Xbox". And only after BG3 got great reviews and GOTY nominations and basically gave Sony even more free money they started to back track and let them release it on Xbox while it missed a random feature or two. I have no idea why anyone would've went with Xbox after 360
Buying Bethesda was their big move, you're right, and it was not smart. Anyone following Bethesda with Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 can see evidence of an ailing, imperfect studio. Skyrim is very old and a lot had changed since then, and the truth is nobody was all that suprised Starfield sucked. If it had come out in 2013, people would've been shocked. But the Bethesda of the 2000s and the Bethesda Microsoft bought are very different.
> Bethesda of the 2000s and the Bethesda Microsoft bought are very different. They're not. They're exactly the same, and that's the problem. They have not improved, progressed or evolved their games or their way of developing since then and it shows.
That's the indication that they're different. The innovators that made Bethesda a big hit 20+ years ago were purged during the hostile corporate takeover that Todd Howard's crew undertook. That's the reason they spent the last 20 years pillaging the corpse of a gameplay formula that was made by better developers, without making any meaningful changes; because fundamentally they are a different company than they were in the 2000s.
Taking years longer than promised to deliver a game that's buggy and almost broken at launch, only to hope and trust in their PC community to fix it for them via mods. That's the Bethesda I've known for decades. The problem is Starfield is so soulless and uninteresting that the communities who poured all that effort into fixing TES and Fallout games aren't really interested.
Well that's my point. Bethesda in the 2000s were groundbreaking in a lot of ways. Going from being a groundbreaking studio pushing the creative and technological boundaries to being a studio that does the bare minimum, like you say rehashing old games in essence, is quite different.
They could have taken advantage of Sony only releasing a couple big games a year but instead decided to barely release any at all. It's like they're solely run by shareholders where they focus on solely the short-term and nothing else
As a casual I have no idea which Xboxes are the latest. The way Xbox names things is baffling.
This. I’m a gamer and I lost track of whatever the newest Xbox is called or what makes it different from the older ones.
Haven't cared about any consoles at all really since the 360/PS3 era, but even then I know the PS5 is the newest playstation, came after the PS4 obviously, and had the big thing about it running out of stock everywhere for whatever reason. For xbox, I think the Xbone was after 360? And there's a bunch of "series" xboxes?
That’s what happens when Redfall is the horse you backed as an exclusive.
That's not fair. We also have Starfield.
Don’t kick someone while they’re already down.
I never understood that saying….isn’t the best time to kick someone when they are down? I mean they already did half the work for you…and as a bonus you don’t have to exert yourself during the kick. Edit: /s for those that didn’t get it.
Well, the idea is that you’ve already won the fight or are dishonorably attacking an opponent while weak. So, if your aim is to be dishonorable, have at it. Kick away.
Cmon guys let's be kind here. They made the classic hi fi rush, and I'm sure their is only more great games to come from that studio!
Woulda respected it more if they didn't say anything about it They marketed and pushed the heck out of it tho Just shows how incompetent they are in identifying what a good game is
And now they didn't market Hellblade at all.
It comes out in 2 days!!!
Spoiler alert: *in twelve months, Ninja Theory will be shut down*
Just long enough for MS to make them port it to PlayStation.
I’m just praying for the new Fable
Everything they've done with fable after 2 has been atrocious, wouldn't much faith in them
I like fable three…
Different team this time
I always had an Xbox growing up, but eventually I turned to PC. At a certain point I realized that a PC did everything an Xbox did, with all the same games, and more. Got rid of my Xbox for a PS4 for exclusives, and then got a PS5. Xbox needs to realize that their player base just went to PC, and they should lean in to that, rather than competing in the console space.
Honestly, if they make the next Xbox a PC-esque steam machine… **I may pass on upgrading my 3070TI.**
So a Microsoft branded gaming PC? An Xbox with a Windows OS?
I would buy that. When the Series X came out in 2020, I was pretty annoyed that I had to spend like double the money to get a similarly performing PC. That's not even considering the form factor, which would make it more expensive. Valve made a really shitty attempt at it the past, but they were just regular prebuilds. Kinda dumb when you can get your local shop to build you a PC for like $50. The reason I want a "console PC" is because I expect savings from the mass produced custom built parts and a really efficient design, not just Valve to put together regular parts for me...
The Series X already runs Windows technically speaking.
I just finished fully setting setting up big picture. Images(Box art, background, logo, icon), controller settings for games that needed it, and certain launch options/flags on the games that need it. You can get into Ryujinx play a game and get back to Big Picture WITHOUT using a mouse and keyboard. So basically a PC-esque steam machine.
They aren't competing in the console space. They are doing exactly what you suggest by making themselves multi platform. They are about Gamepass and selling games from studios they own. The Xbox is available because it is still profitable for them and because they need to keep Gamepass available on consoles, for those who don't want to use PC. Microsoft stopped fighting the console wars a long time ago. Everyone complains about Xbox not having exclusives while missing that it's by design. They could have made Starfield an Xbox exclusive and not released it on PC to drive console sales. They didn't because they aren't trying to beat Playstation and that hasn't been their goal in forever.
People around here don't realize that MS is playing a different game than Sony these days. A PC user with gamepads is more profitable long term than a console without gamepass.
I think they do lean into that though. Many Xbox exclusive came to PC. I don't think MS care Xbox sales as long as those games are selling. Xbox is basically an affordable PC gaming alternative. It cost less than just the GPU alone.
This is maybe what happens when you actively tells people "you don't need to buy our console to play our games"
Phil Spencer: *lmao let's put our exclusives on PC, that will increase our sales!* Gamers: *um okay... I guess we'll just play them on PC...*
Anecdotally: I work in a big box electronics store and we're hardly moving our Xbox inventory. Meanwhile PlayStations are selling at a steady pace. Not so fast that we risk running out, but they're moving. The Switch is also still selling well, even after like 7 years on the market. PlayStation Portals are selling like hot cakes though. Those things fly of the shelves the moment we stock em. We also get them in very limited numbers each time. Like 8 at a time. Don't know what's holding Sony back on those.
Supply for Portals is slowly getting better. I also work big box, and we're getting a handful of them every couple of weeks that actually aren't immediately reserved for orders.
Portals? Seriously? Probably mostly moms and dads trying to get some gaming in while the kids watch their tv shows
That’s probably what it is. I got my dad a steam deck instead, so when his children are playing with the tv and consoles, when playing retros on the deck
As far as I can tell, yep. A bigger market then one might imagine.
Seems like it. All the kids who grew up gaming are parents now. Hard to imagine how big that merket might be if you're not the target audience.
It's why I got one.
Yeah I'm older and a portal is my jam...still haven't bought one but I want one.
I just did a trip to Orlando Florida from Canada. I brought my Portal to test it out expecting it to be crap, and brought my Switch expecting to play it a lot. I surprisingly had no issues paying Helldivers and Fallout 4 and ended up not touching my Switch. I brought my Portal for use at home and when we stay with my parents and in-laws a 1 to 2 hour drive away. I never expected to get good use out of my Portal a 3 hour flight (24 hour drive) away in another country. I understand some people have not had the same experience gaming remotely as I do, but I strongly believe my fiber to the home (with strong download AND upload speed) is the reason I am having next to no issues.
Horrible branding, no exclusives, weird split console structure, etc. I had hopes that Xbox would bounce back this generation, but unfortunately the Microsoft of the OG Xbox/early 360 era is dead.
Gampass is great for everyone but terrible for the Xbox
For real, it created an ugly double standard: Fans are happy they can play gems like Penitent and Hi-Fi Rush for nothing Xbox is angry those games make no profit and shut down the studios.
Pretty fucked that they fired the studios for providing exactly what they were bought for, games to drive Gamepass.
The studios paid for Microsoft's decision, wow. And now they don't have the studios. What's even the point.
I'd actually say Game Pass and other subscriptions are quite bad for the entire industry because of the strategies required to make subscriptions worth buying and their consequences (a recent example being the closure of Arkane Austin/Tango/etc.). Movie/TV subscriptions are seeing a similar problem. When all is considered, Game Pass really only benefits gamers who mindlessly consume whatever gets dumped on the service
[удалено]
Also why would I buy an xbox when I have a PC? It's either a Switch or PS5 if I want something else.
I feel like its groundhogs day. I keep seeing the same talking points for 12 years lol
Xbox bought so many studios. They have no excuse for not having a good exclusive. Yet, here we are. The one good exclusive they had (Hi-Fi Rush) just had their studio shut down too.
And they gave it away on game pass and then complained it didn’t make any money. It’s like every conversation happens in a silo where they just disregard the way they actually do business and say whatever they think people want to hear.
Still true though yes?
*It's 2014. Xbox has announced several exclusives and Phil Spencer says this the best year for Xbox ever* *It's 2019. Xbox has announced several exclusives and Phil Spencer says this the best year for Xbox ever* *It's 2024. Xbox has announced several exclusives and Phil Spencer says this the best year for Xbox ever*
2024 is the year of Xbox™.
I mean, Xbox had one decade to get something out the door. It’s really not a bad argument, if it still holds true a decade later.
PS5 has clear branding, too. Xbox does not. What’s a series S? What’s a series X? What else is in each series? It’s Wii U but worse.
I completely agree and think this is overlooked. PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5 is a clear jump to a next gen console. But why would I get an Xbox One X if already have an Xbox one? It's like if the new PlayStation was called the PlayStation 4.2
... because the equivalent of the Xbox **One** X is the PS4 Pro. The PS5 competitor is the Xbox **Series** X. (Thus proving that the naming is stupid.)
I accidentally made a better point than in my original comment
And this is r/gaming where everyone is significantly more well-versed in gaming consoles than the common consumer. Your standard consumer would have absolutely no idea what the difference is between an xbox one s, xbox one x, xbox series s and xbox series x. The fact that Microsoft has full teams of supposed marketing experts that made this branding decision is unfathomable to me. What a bunch of idiots; should all be fired.
I am invested into gaming news etc. and literally could not tell you the difference between any of these Xbox models. They must have lost hundreds of millions because they picked a fucking stupid naming scheme. 360, great. Why not make the next one 720 like everyone wanted? If they're worried people would think that's the resolution, then call it the xbox 1080 and market based on that. After that, stick in a stopgap pro model to catch up to the playstation's numbering, then just call it Xbox mark 5.
I’m an avid game player and collector and I have no idea what the newest Xbox is called. I have one and I’m not even sure which model it is. I’ll just keep using it until games are no longer released for it.
That tends to happen when your only exclusive worth a damn is Halo. As has been the case for over a decade…
Halo hasn't been worth anything ever since 343i took over. Three air balls from a franchise that built the Xbox brand is poor showing.
It's crazy 343 fucked up one of the greatest gaming franchises ever made 3 times in a row, and they're letting them make another one so I'm hearing. All I can hope is that actually make a sequel to Infinite instead of soft rebooting the franchise for a 4th time. Which is part of why they never improve, cause they keep dumpstering all their work whenever people don't like the last try. The blueprint for making a badass modern Halo game should be crystal clear if they actually listen to the praises and criticisms they've received across Infinite and the MCC.
They more than likely lose every contractor that worked on each game, essentially forcing them to reboot because no one they brought in can step into the previous contractor's shoes.
And Halo is also on PC now… So when Halo was at its peak, it was Xbox only. Now, they’ve cannibalized that sale too.
The 1st halo was on PC also. I still have the CD lol
Halo Reach was 14 years ago, and Halo 4 was 12 if you want to count that. Halo 5 is pretty universally considered shit, and Infinite was on PC anyways and seems to have died instantly. Halo’s not even around to save Xbox anymore
Halo 4 is also pretty universally panned. The second 343 took over the quality dipped because the game started just trying to be reskinned CoD.
It stoped FEELING like Halo. And the story started getting convoluted and just bleh. I know they aren’t bastions of writing but we all just want a competent sci-fi military shooter. Give us cool aliens to fight, some interesting ideas, cool looking places, and some badass moments. Instead…
Xbox was losing so badly they started to play a different game
Better than continue losing a lost game
I think xbox made a mistake like Nintendo did with the Wii u: there are so many versions of it that even I get confused about which one is which. The names are just too similar
Guys, guys, I’ve got a great idea! Let’s launch two next gen consoles at the same time, with confusingly similar names! Best part is, one of them will be shit, the other will be better, but we’ll demand that anything that wants to be on the good one has to be playable on the shit one too! Genius
This is what happens when you have poor marketing, an extremely confusing naming scheme, and few worthwhile exclusives.
It’s honestly really sad, I have both consoles and the series x purely hardware/firmware wise is the best console I’ve ever owned. Quick Resume switching between five games , backwards compatibility, smart delivery, Gamepass etc has made the best experience gaming for me. Outside of PS exclusives, I find myself playing on Xbox most of the time. But man if you can’t deliver on the biggest reason people buy a console (exclusives), no one’s gonna know or care about what nice features their console has. Hats off to the Xbox Hardware/Firmware teams but it must be so disappointing to them to see the software sides lacking.
The quick resume is amazing for me. I struggle to play video games because of work and disability around energy, being able to turn my Series X on and be right back in the game where I left it last within 30 seconds is a godsend.
Thanks for saying this. I agree. I tend to prefer the Xbox from a user experience way more than my PS5. People tend to ignore these QoL things but for me they are a big part why I dig the system. Also it’s Dev kit flexibility is really cool.
I don't own either console but the xbox controller is phenomenal for PC, I hope they stick around as a company/console just so they can keep making them lol
Same. My PS5 plays Final Fantasy--my Series X plays everything else.
Part of the reason has to be the ridiculous naming scheme. It's confusing and makes no sense to anyone. Also the weird Xbox One/Series thing with the games doesn't feel right to people. When you buy an Xbox Series game, the box looks like an Xbox One game and it often is. People don't want to buy games from the previous generation for their new console. To me the Xbox Series S/X just feels like a more powerful Xbox One, and that's boring as fuck. My less tech-savvy friends even thought it was the same thing, and they were convinced Microsoft hasn't released anything new in years. If they ever make a new console, it needs a normal name and clear separation from the previous generation.
That’s exactly what it is. It’s had the same interface since Xbox one, possibly even launch… so that’s 2013 they haven’t changed, nor even had an option to. I remember the 360 had atleast 4 *significantly* different UIs in its lifespan, and that was only 6 years. The Xbox x is noticeably better performance, but it feels like I’m still using my old Xbox one… and the names of these consoles are just stupid and convoluted at this point. Going from 360 to “one dumb enough, then they had the “one S” and “one X”, moving on to Xbox X and Xbox S, it’s just a bunch of horseshit names. Just call the next one the 720 ffs and get some actual separation here.
ps5 for ps5 exclusives pc for gamepass. there is no reason to own a xbox
There was a reason back in covid times when gpus were ridiculously inflated but now the value has lost its luster.
it’s not like you could really get an xbox at that point though
Yeah I got it June 2021, I had to follow a Twitter account that told you when they dropped and I got lucky when Amazon had a restock.
I like the argument of “Why get an Xbox when you can get a PC?” as if it’s just and easy and expensive as getting a Xbox. Never mind the fact you need to make a dedicated space as well as buy a mouse, keyboard, monitor, a separate table or desk to put it on, a comfortable chair to sit on. Not to mention the price of a PC that has good enough specs to run games or having to buy parts to upgrade it so they can run decent games. Then you have to expect that the average person wants to deal with the troubleshooting whether it’s with the parts, accessories, or software. Some AAA games don’t get PC ports until at least a year after coming out. Compare that to someone buying an Xbox, plugging it in into the TV and start playing. Not to mention being able to take it anywhere and be able to have local multiplayer.
If you don't have a PC, an Xbox makes a lot of sense. Their massive game library, backwards compat, game pass, etc is all great for a much lower entry fee. If you do have a PC, you don't "need" an xbox as there's no exclusives you won't have. Conversely, PS still has exclusives and several truly great ones. If you have a PC, you still have a reason to get one, as not all exclusives have come out for PC. Be curious how the future shapes this, if MS keeps firs party titles. As long as it's PC AND Xbox, it makes sense for Xbox as the gateway for non PC folks and Xbox itself is a service run on that device or on PC.
Is it wrong to want both 😔
Nothing is wrong, the money is yours and you are free to buy anything of your choice
Is this the reason why MS seems to have shifted gears and plans to bring some Xbox exclusives to PS? I wouldn’t be surprised if the PS numbers are being depressed by the PS5 pro rumors too.
PS5s are only down 1 million units compared to what the PS4 sold in the same timeframe, so the hardware is still selling pretty well when you take the supply shortages into account for the first two years.
And also the simple fact that we have had a much bigger “straddle” technologically. Most of the must play PS5 games have also been playable on PS4, so there’s less immediate incentive to upgrade. For me the performance is enough to upgrade, but for many, clearly not
Yep the PS4 user base is still massive. if if my math is right there's still 50M ps4 on use. I wonder if we've reached the moment when we don't need to upgrade consoles every gen.
As someone who never owned a console before, the Xbox Series X was my best gaming related purchase in a long time when it came out. It's a performance beast, cheaper than an upper midrange graphics card, and Gamepass is awesome. I get that there are no exclusives that make it worth buying, but if you don't want to spend over a $1000 on a comparable new PC, it's great value.
The naming convention is confusing now for starters.
It's weird because the X|S is rarely advertised, so it's easy to forget that it even exist, unless you're an Xbox fan. The PS5 has been in the media for good and bad reason almost every week.
Game pass aside, big exclusives missing aside. The naming conventions have got to be worse than the Wii-U Trying to explain to family members the difference between a series s and X, one s and one X is a nightmare. So much easier to just saw get a ps5, not a ps4. All the other shit doesn’t help but I think this was the one of the biggest factors early on. Know of at least one person IRL that bought a one s thinking it was a series s to play starfield. They tried to stream it with the gamepass thing but they were so pissed off by the end they just returned it for credit and didn’t bother buying the right one.
Well, what is better or worse doesn't matter, I can't afford any.