Talking Point: Do You Feel You've Had Value For Money With Your Xbox Series X|S?

Absolutely!

Love my Series X and its features, like Quick Resume and BC with some games from the OG Xbox and X360. And, even though is not related perse with the console and it has more to do with the ecosystem, I really love the Play Anywhere program and the ability to play between console and PC.

I said it before, i will say it again owning a series console is the greatest value for money a consumer can find at the moment. Yes xbox's first party games are coming to other consoles too but this doesn't change the fact that series owners can play these games day one for free with gamepass ultimate while on ps5 or switch they have to pay full price. Especially if you consider that xbox's first party studios are on fire puting out high quality games at a constant pace this raises the value of the series consoles even more, i really don't get it why people don't understand this. Microsoft's confusing messaging is to blame for this. Lastly, like you said in your article there are lots of games on xbox that are not available to other consoles yet and they have been on the market for a long time.

Series X is just great and such a shame MS decided mid gen they dont want to push consoles anymore.
I owned ps5 PRO and sold it as SX felt like a better machine. Got another SX white for second floor.

SS on the other hand was cool for maybe cross-gen era until 2023 or so. We can clearly see it struggles now, I cant recommend it especially after price hike its not cheap anymore.

Unfortunately after price hike and multiplatform push I stopped recommending SX either to my friends anymore. Its definitely a great console for people who have it already and stacked their GP. I personally will stay on series for as long as its supported but I have a lot of doubts for next gen and xbox consoles specifically.
This gen I entered without a doubt and got SX on release. Next gen I want MS to actually prove that their console worth it.

Absolutely!
You can't really beat the value that the Series S + Game Pass combo delivers.

Even though PC has been my go-to since before this gen released, I feel like owning both series x and s has been well worth it.

I plan to continue pairing the future xbox consoles with pc. Having gamepass ultimate makes them a perfect pairing. It still blows my mind how seamless it is to pick up from the same save on my consoles, desktop, handheld, cloud, etc. Transferring a save on 2 Playstation or 2 Nintendo devices feels like outdated tech compared to xbox.

@Jordan1278 its great console for specific audience that dont want PS games, likes subscription and interested mostly in Ms games to start with.
Thats definitely not an average gamer and xbox console just dont have anything that would be considered systemseller whether a game or a feature.
They only offer value proposition which you need to know how to utilize properly and such.

I personally adore GP and stacked mine till 2027. But as I become older and I have less time to play, I just dont need that many games. Moreover, GP will also be getting price hikes and probably Ms will stop all these loopholes like core conversion.

Had my Series X since Day1 and had Thousands of hours worth of gaming time on it - worth it to me!

Absolutely the series x is the best console
Mainly because of form factor and quick resume and the controller
And of course game pass ultimate.

First two years of PS5 it was my most played console in hours out of all three consoles.

The third year switch was first then series x second then PS5 third

The fourth year Xbox first, switch second, PS5 third.

This year so far 2025
Xbox first easy.
Now we have the switch 2 next month, so the rest of the year will be interesting.

All from hours played data we get from the end of year data.

My point Xbox has grown over the years since release in the right direction games wise the PS5 has not.

Yes. I love the console itself and quick resume and smart delivery have been amazing.

There are some "howevers".

That's very much at the Day One UK RRP. It's not as easy to recommend it with the 2025 price.

I'm not confident I would have made the same choice knowing what we now know.

Hard to say. I probably have a different use-case than most here, as Xbox is mostly a backwards-compatibility machine with a small sprinkling of exclusives that I sometimes feel strangely obligated to get. I was lucky to get my current console for $80 after trade credit from GameStop, but its trade-in value is now more than I paid altogether so it's tempting to ditch it (for about the 6th time).

Series S would be perfect for my purpose except for its lack of disc drive.

Yes, I've gotten my money's worth out of Xbox Series X.

It's the 2nd best console I've ever owned (after PS2) as not only a bit of hardware, but something where the barrier to entry of game prices is insanely low, and the performance is incredible.

Just makes you sad to look at Microsoft imploding at a console level to open up the play anywhere strat, when they got so sooo much right with the series x

Just because of gamepass alone I have. I’ve played around 50 games this gen which has saved a ton of money. Console (X) I’ve had no issues with, love quick resume. Just wish the controller was better. Really prefer my PS5 controller.

Series X is the best console. Period. I've enjoyed gaming more this gen than any other. Gamepass, quick resume, controller, functionality, and some really great games. I could end here and never get a new console and be just as happy. Gaming for almost 40 yrs now.

I'm far from rich (budget for games consoles at £25 a month, does the job over 5 or 6 years) but Loved the Series X so much i bought the Galaxy one for the 2tb sdd, as a hoarder i like keeping games on my machine and am using the original as an emulation machine 🤣

Yeah, the combination of Microsoft Rewards and the Gold to Game Pass Ultimate conversion offer has made the XSX a very good value purchase I think. I have 3 years of Ultimate pre-paid until March 2026, at the cost of £3/month. I’m currently sitting on £110 worth of Rewards points despite the downgrades over the past year, so it can still make a noticeable difference even if it’s not as generous as it once was. I also really like that Xbox digital games are often sold by various third party retailers.

Budget console with an affordable subscription that consistently delivers amazing games at no extra cost - third and first party alike? Absolutely. This year alone so far has been outstanding.

Gamepass makes it great value n plenty to play then IV got the games I buy mainly indies/mvs too much to play tbh so deffo got my monies worth 🤣😎

Absolutely. My Series S is amazing, and it cost me just a little more than my PS4.
But I have access to last generation games, retrocompatibility and Game Pass. Couldn't be happier.

Hell no and I feel even more stupid creating a huge library to now be forced to buy a gaming pc or jump ship to PlayStation… which I will just buy off steam if I go the pc route

Absolutely. When I bought my Series X, I already had a PS5 and a Switch.
I bought it because of Halo and some exclusives.
In the end, it turned into my main system and having more XBox vibes again than with the Xbox One.

Well, I like mine. Don't really care about much beyond that to be honest.

Game pass has made both machines worth it

I waited too long (very patiently) to buy Xbox Series X without a disk drive and with adequate ssd capacity (lets say 2 TB) which never offered until my game pass ultimate subscription expired (which is around 3,5 years later).
So... Despite that I was very determined to buy Xbox Series X (again without disk drive which I was never gonna need and use) but, during the years my patience consumed.
I'll consider to buy next gen flagship xbox if it offers good value.
Fingers crossed.
Note: Despite that I never had any Xbox Series X, I always loved it. I wish, disk drive (that I'll never gonna use) and ssd with inadequate space were never pushed. Whole value and the deal is murdered upon arrival (unfortunately).

I bought a series x in 2021 and out of my PS5, Steamdeck, Switch and PC it is my least used by a significant margin. The last 6 months has seen an increase in activity thanks to gamepass finally finding some consistency but if I could go back in time I wouldn’t buy it again.

I love the Series X it has been a great console, always runs smooth and never any issues. Getting excited they're finally starting to bring games like ready or not and Delta force to the console. Just wisj8ng we were able to play games through steam on xbox.

Worth every, single, penny.

I’ve owned all the Xboxes and my Series X has been the least used, by a very, very long way. Nothing wrong with the console, it’s been the content. By the time Microsoft sorted themselves out I’d already moved on to PC. It will probably just gather dust now, unloved and never used.

It’s the best console I’ve ever owned. Slowly stopped playing my switch and laptop. Took four years to get me back to pc gaming. Most of my friends that talk on mic are on xbox.

It's my first Xbox (series X). I was drawn to Game Pass. I don't regret it at all. I have been very happy indeed.

@HarmanSmith Right! Great hardware and great service and ecosystem that goes backward (for free) and forward with Play Anywhere and Cloud. Excellent hardware and controller, indeed, except those unpredictable Elite controllers I have had some durability issues with, despite them being excellent otherwise. I'm looking forward to the next console and next controller.

Honestly, I play my Xbox a lot more than my PS5. I love the offset analog sticks.

Yep had my moneys worth and some.

I play my Series X more than my Switch and PS5 so I said yes.

Yup, I use it pretty often. Mostly for fighting games and I play the heck out Disney Dreamlight Valley on the X.

I came back to Xbox with a Series S because my PS4 Pro was soo loud. The XSS was whisper quiet and I had built a good digital library from the 360 Games w/ Gold, so that kept me busy for the most part.
Once I had enough MS points, I traded up to the XSX solely for the disc drive and a little extra power.
I regret nothing. I love my Xbox. More than happy to leave my PS library behind. The back compatibility is so good & anything the XSX can't run, still have a 360 at the ready.
I also really like the Play Anywhere feature.

I do hope MS continues to make consoles, but I doubt they will.

I actually think series x has been my most played console outside of handheld ones. The ps5 probably gets used the least tbh.

@OldGamer999 @Kaloudz @Banjo- Consider i play my Series X everyday and the other consoles just sometime. I think that say’s all thats needed for my console purchase, but i want to add that much of my excitement with Xbox comes from chatting and learning from you guys and see you all excited as well about Xbox games and news. We thick as thieves over here. This site alongside yall have made the Xbox that much more fun for me. We all love to see the good news and try and be positive when things aren’t going right. There is 0% chance i don’t buy the next Xbox as i know i will get my money’s worth.

@HonestHick Back at you!

@MaseSco and if they don’t where will you go? As gamepass won’t be coming to PS so it’s PC I’m guessing?

Just sold my Xbox Series X recently.

I tried to want to like it, I've been a fan of Xbox since the Original Xbox, but the games haven't been as interesting too me this generation, and the push for all digital has basically made it impossible for me to get into playing games (live in very rural area, like 8mb download speed tops).

Basically, I feel like modern gaming is not for me, especially where I live and with the internet available to me.

I thought it was a great deal because I bought it on launch day and it's an excellent piece of hardware to play game pass

If the next generation consoles are available at the current price, I may not buy one!

Mine goes straight into developer mode where it’s used as a 4k Dreamcast. This is not what I bought it for but what can you do.

Most certainly, yes. Xbox Series S has so many good features that I never felt I needed to go to their competitor's side.

1. It was the most affordable next gen console when I bought it.

2. Very welcome features like FPS Boost and Quick Resume. Besides, it is a very silent console, which is great.

3. It's a powerhouse machine for emulation, especially for PS2, Game Cube and Wii consoles. Most of the time their games run great on it.

4. Microsoft Rewards program alone has allowed me to get several games without having to pay with my own money.

5. Game Pass is a nice support to play games that you wouldn't buy otherwise.

There are probably other things that make me love my Series S that I am forgetting to talk about, but these are some of the reasons why I don't think about leaving Microsoft's side anytime soon.

I got a Series S to replace an XBOX One S, no bells and whistles, just the console, and I haven't looked back.
It will run XBOX Series exclusives with no problems, it will run retro games... even from other publishers... equally well, and it's small, light and practically silent.

Literally, it's a mug's game to choose between getting an XBOX One X and an XBOX Series S. With the XBOX One X, you still will find several of the biggest titles refusing to run, while the Series S has nothing on the current XBOX storefront that has compatibility issues with it. And it will fit into most media setups.
And with the XBOX Series X vs the S? The Series X would be a good substitute for a breeze block, it costs a lot more and there's no exclusives between the two. Again, Mug's game.

@HonestHick how’s the plan to get a pc coming along?

@nomither6 been getting a few of the smaller things for it. The 5080 is near impossible to find and still jacked high in price, I’d like to slowly build it as Gears of War E-Day is the game i will want it finished by. Tho of course i will be keeping my Xbox of course and Switch 2. PS games would just be PC at that point. I rarely play much on PS5 as you know i dislike their controllers since the dawn of time HAHA

By the way no one rips the Dual Sense on Push Square better than you. You call it a fatty and all sorts of stuff. I laugh every time. HAHA

Along with GPU and Microsoft rewards, I dare say my series X is the best value I’ve ever had in gaming.

Definitely worth the money as i paid nothing for it used Microsoft rewards points so it was free!!!!

A free series X and 42 free games cant moan at that thank you rewards

Even with only 25 Series X discs and about 15 digital purchased Series games, I think it's been worth my purchase.
Also playing plenty of Xbox and 360 games enhanced really made it worth the original asking price.

Great console, I’ve loved mine (XSX) I just wish it was cheaper to expand the ssd.

Xbox Series X (with Game Pass) is the best console I’ve ever owned and I go back over 45 years to the Atari VCS and the ‘TV games’ before that. It’s fast, quiet, totally reliable and still going strong. Living alone in lockdown, winter 20-21, it was practically a life saver in terms of keeping me sane and occupied.

@PlatinumMikey yeah, I'll stay with PC. I've built a solid library over the last 15 years with MS/Steam so I've no reason to get a PS console.

The Xbox PC app is OK though, needs a bit of work but I think MS is getting there with it.

My decision hasn't even been influenced by GamePass. I haven't had it for 2 years at this point? It's something I don't need a this point, my backlog is a good substitute 😂

@HonestHick
By far you guys n girls and Pure Xbox across all three sites is simply the best community.
Thank you all.

@MaseSco sad times for Xbox ain’t it. People who want consoles and not PC must be gutted at the way it’s gone man. Tragic

@PlatinumMikey yeah, it really is. PC is getting really expensive, I don't think I would build one now. Thankfully I built mine literally just before the pandemic when prices were really good. It's been crazy since then.

For those sticking with console, I hope MS makes one more because the way PS consoles are evolving the 6 will be the size of a TV 🤣

Bought both series s/x I love both consoles the series s is now my daughter's she gets great use out of it and I love my series x so powerful the games just look amazing to my eyes both great machines worth every penny of the price I got them for!!

@MaseSco Well hopefully not the PRO is lot smaller than base PS5 somehow. Hopefully that continues into next gen as the base is an absolute beast but still a lot smaller than a desktop

@OldGamer999 Can't argue with that I love this site and the community here chatting about games with you lads and the odd debate aswell long may the site continue 🏆🙌

I can criticize Microsoft all day long, but I'm pretty happy with my Series S. I preordered it back in 2020.
If only it had disk drive, but, oh well... Physical collecting on Xbox is pointless anyway.
QuickResume is a good feature WHEN it works. Most of the time it's a hit or miss. I'd like to turn it off completely as it simply breaks many games that I've played. Even Xbox games can't use it right (Halo Infinite, for example).
Other than that it's a great console, and I have never thought that Xbox Series X would be better.

@Ricky-Spanish
Back at ya Spanish.

I have, and bounce between, all 3 of the consoles but for the past few years have used series S as my primary system. This is because of gamepass, rewards, and I think it has my favorite of the 3 controllers in terms of comfort for long sessions. Worth it for me

@PlatinumMikey haha I forgot the PS5 Pro existed!

@chesheer When I used quick resume on my series s I found it effected the performance of the machine so I never used it after that and I don't use it on my series x either because of that!!
With the SSD drive most games load up super fast anyways ✌️

@chesheer If you ask me, Quick Resume is the best new feature of the whole generation, but I'd like to share something with you guys that have problems with it, assuming you are not trying to use it for Xbox & Xbox 360 backwards compatible games.

Sometimes, I move my Series X around the house, and I've realised that if the WiFi signal is weak, it will give me a few problems with Game Pass titles, as the console checks if it's online or offline and if I'm currently subscribed, even when it's defined as my "Home console". In my experience, it's better to have a good internet signal (strong WiFi or Ethernet) or set the console to Offline and "Home console" if not. That said, when the internet connection is fine, I never have issues with Quick Resume and launching Game Pass titles.

Most importantly, we should use Quick Resume as a time-saver and not turn the Xbox off before the game has been saved, just in case.

100% had moneys worth. paid full price and haven't regretted it for even a second since I bought it a few years ago. Unbelievable console

@MaseSco it’s an great console mate. You should try one 👊 also don’t forget it’s the big one next year 🔥 who knows when that will come to PC

My memory is a little hazy these days, @FraserG, but aren't - backwards compatibility, FPS Boost, Quick Resume, Smart Delivery, and Xbox Game Pass also available on the Xbox One...?

Hm... Yes? But after switching to maining a PS5 Pro I very much feel that Sony is far and away the better option for most people. With the continued march towards releasing everything on PlayStation anyway, it's hard to justify telling someone to go out and spend money on the Xbox ecosystem.

@Secryt

"it's hard to justify telling someone to go out and spend money on the Xbox ecosystem"

You mean apart from saving a shed-load of money if you have an unhealthy gaming addiction and like to play LOTS of games, not just 3-4 per year like a lot of Playstation gamers do.

In answer to the question at the top of the page, my answer is unequivocally yes, in a large part for the reason I just stated.

@PlatinumMikey my PS5 friends keep telling me to get one. I've literally no physical space for one, but Xbox/PC have me covered. There's no exclusives I want to play on PS. I only want to play Spiderman, Horizon & Uncharted - all on Steam.
As for the big one next year, Xbox should have me covered - or PC but V took ages to release last time.

@Secryt "Sony is far and away the better option for most people."

For you and other Sony fans, yes. Other people will look at Sony's store prices, with no third-party codes and their future being digital like the future of Xbox, and included content in subscriptions, with no new first-party games on Sony's subscriptions, and think that Xbox is a much better option: console and PC, free cloud saves, cross-buy, Cloud gaming, subscriptions with first-party content on day one, free and enhanced backwards compatibility, etc. Besides that, Sony's games on PC disables the "exclusives machine" argument.

@Banjo- if that was the case why aren’t Xbox selling more consoles . Gamepass subs are stalemate just like PS plus. Everyone who want then has already got them

@MaseSco I mean in terms of perf its easily going be the best place to play it. As for not releasing on PC it’s because of the PC pirating scene. So they release games on consoles way before to actually make money before the pirates start

I got mine when Flight Simulator landed and I didn't have a gaming PC. 24 months of GPU included was enough in itself to make it excellent value. I've only subscribed to GP for a few months here and there since when games I want to play come to the service and now I have a gaming PC I'm not on the Series X as frequently but it's an excellent console and I have a great library thanks to backward compatibility and crossbuy purchases on PC. If these large acquisitions had happened sooner this generation then I think Xbox would have been far more competitive in the hardware space. It'll be a shame if this is the last mainstream Xbox console cycle, less competition is never a good thing. Gamers have it better than ever nonetheless.

@Banjo- I guess if enjoying Sony’s first party games makes me a fan, then yes? But I’ve been with Xbox for years and as a casual player, pretty proud of my 70k gamerscore.

As a point of fact - PS Plus or whatever they call it does have first party games, though just not day one.

I think what you listed is true… but it’s becoming more of a specific case. I still maintain that PS is a better suggestion in general to most people. At the end of the day you're still getting more game options on PS.

@Ricky-Spanish @Banjo- @Fiendish-Beaver @OldGamer999 @themightyant @HonestHick @somnambulance @Kaloudz @BAMozzy @nomither6

When I think of the great community here I usually zero in on your comments as they are almost always positive and optimistic no matter what is going on in the industry. And it's just good to have a proper discourse geek out around a hobby we all love that can provide much needed comfort and escapism.

@Banjo- I agree with you Xbox and gamepass has great value so why would someone who has a Xbox and gamepass go to playstation??
People look at stats like the playstation sells so so well and gamepass subs don't go up and assume that means playstation must be miles better when in fact it's not sales don't mean a thing unless you are actually profiting from it yourself why care about them they don't effect any gaming experience you might play!
And at the same time people probably don't want to move from playstation to Xbox because of there digital library they have built up apart from Sony getting the odd Microsoft made game there are no differences because there are tons of great games on both!
People make out like the Xbox is some sort of inferior machine because playstation sells more it's sad!
And achievements are much better than trophies haha

@16BitHero Thanks dude 🙌 we do have a great core community on here great place to come discuss and sometimes argue over games and the gaming industry and have the odd laugh✌️👍

@Secryt Actually in the past 3-4 yrs, I'd argue that the best suggestion to the 'majority' would be a Series S as its the cheapest option for Hardware based gaming and of course a Game Pass Subscription as some of the biggest Releases are on Game Pass 'Day 1' as well as a decent Library of games,

Most gamers are NOT 'fanboys' or wealthy with enough disposible income to buy 4k 120Hz VRR HDR displaysand a 'premium' priced Console - let alone going to pay $70+ to play games 'day 1'. Games like Call of Duty, Fallout, Elder Scrolls, Doom, Halo, Forza, Indiana Jones etc etc are all on Xbox, all in Game Pass - regardless of whether they release on PS too or not. Sony in recent years haven't released much at all - nothing much 'new' - just remasters and it seems that Microsoft will release more games on Playstation than Sony will.

Unless I know the person and can give them an 'tailored' recommendation to them personally, I'd recommend Xbox as it represents the better value and as Owner of some of the biggest IP's in Gaming, the Xbox will be the lead Platform for Development...

Not at all, it's probably my least played console ever and definitely my last Xbox.

@16BitHero @OldGamer999 @HonestHick Thanks!

@Ricky-Spanish On top of that, hardware sales are not that important when both Microsoft and Sony need to publish games on PC. The software sales and subscriptions are important; hardware units, not so much. Basically, it's what you said, the power of the PS brand and fan base is strong. That doesn't mean that it's the best option for most people, even less this generation when most gamers are choosing PC and only Nintendo keeps their exclusives within a walled garden.

@Banjo-
I just don’t get all the people when it comes to series x and the great value of game pass ultimate.
Something didn’t go right along the way as that combination should fly off the shelves.

Anyway may it continue into next generation and don’t forget to tell Xbox, next generation Xbox must have quick resume. 😊

No doubt at all. Also the people saying not worth it are legit haters or Pony’s that signed up to hate. I got mine day 1 and it’s been amazing. I use it for more than just gaming. But gaming part about it 10/10. Media use 10/10. It being on my shelf looking good 10/10.

@OldGamer999 most people simply dont know what GP is. Anecdotal experience but every time I talked to non-gaming friends or casual gamers who have ps4 still or smth like that - they have no idea what GP is. People think its same as ps plus, I even laughed as one guy thought its a season pass in COD.
And even if you explain to them, they dont want another sub! They just want to play xyz hype game and whatever.

MS never understood since xbox one era - consoles is about games! Where was Indiana Jones Bundle SX? Or cod bo6?
I got into PS5 because of the spider man 2 bundle as I wanted to play the game (good game but defo nothing crazy, yet I got into PS system).

Yes some retailers sell SX+3 month of GPU but people (who dont follow gaming) just dont get it! Both indy and bo6 will be there, but unless you sell an actual bundle with a game - it doesn’t click with people.

Then the marketing - one of my friends eants to play ps5 to play gta. I told him its also coming to xbox S/X and he was surprised because he thought its exclusive because the trailer was on ps5.

Sony and Nintendo understand its about games. Not tech, not ecosystem. Games.

But the biggest problem is not even exclusives coming to PS, its the messaging for “this is an xbox” and “you dont need an xbox”. Pair it with stock shortage and price increase and here we are. Sales are dead now. Really curious to see how big of a decline gonna be this quarter.

@OldGamer999 next gen I am not getting xbox unless its a full xbox pc hybrid.
GP is great when you stacked it years ago for nothing.
After inevitable price hike, I am
Sure they finally nerf the core conversion and for $25/m or so I am done with it.
Even with the packed year like this one, I would probably buy doom or expedition on release. Everything else is uncooked and it kinda a blow to day 1 narrative. Good examples are stalker 2, oblivion and even avowed working icky on SX.

I have come to conclusion the best is to play 1-3yr old games and just buy on sale. Sure buying something hype day 1 like GTA but mostly not much point. And obviously less time to play as we get older.

@Millionski
Totally agree Xbox never knew really the series consoles and game pass how to PR and advertise it and focus on games with it.

To me now they definitely have the games and studios, but have taken a different route.

I would have love now a good console war with Sony and Xbox like in the xbox360 days.

Even if it kept the very complacent Sony at their best, which they are definitely not nowadays and the same goes for Nintendo, they are getting very complacent and money grabbing as well.

Series X owner. For me not really gotten ROI. Xbox for me functions as the go to for multiplats that don’t end up on Nintendo as I prefer the controllers over Sony (Sony is exclusives only or JRPG that runs horribly on switch). Gamepass has been a nice rental service but the majority of the games I buy after playing on gamepass are bought on switch. The few xbox games that I’d been looking forward to (Avowed) I have bounced off so I have been playing series (age of, starfield) that I will eventually get on PC. Yakuza on Series x was going to help migrate me further off of PS (one of the reasons I buy PlayStation systems and I am done with that series now) but it seems those are going to the switch family so I am grateful I only played on gamepass while I waited on sales. Looking at the series x, I have a lot of double dips where a game eventually made it to the switch family. But less exclusive xbox games. As such I have decided this is my last xbox. I may buy a second series x as a backup (my xbone disc drive died so I am paranoid) but I will ride out this gen and I am done. My PS5 library looks worse, so I realized I can get the games I want by playing PC/Switch Family. Especially since I am waiting on TES6 before I build a new PC.

The series x did what I wanted it to…which was replace my xbone, and give me a non sony landing ground for multiplats and gamepass was good at first to allow me to try/rent games. But I am realizing my money and time are better spent in other ways. I hope the brand flourishes given that Microsoft is now the largest game publisher, but I will be playing their games on either PC or Switch family.

So starting with Switch 2 in June, I am a one console woman. Going all digital with this console as well.

@Millionski I played Avowed for 100 hours on Series X at launch and it performed perfectly in performance mode.

Xbox Series has been outstanding value!!! Nothing comes close!!! Sure Xbox Series are now obviously the betamax and losing market share to the VHS is going to accelerate, but that does not change the fact that owning both a Series S (got free with retail chain store points as PS5 too popular & impossible to get) & Series X (bought used) has been incredible value:
-Years of games with Gold conversion to Game Pass Ultimate
-Easier than ever rewards points farming that still earns a free GPU monthly subscription each month for minimal effort. I am basically done collecting daily rewards points during breakfast even if I am busy as you don't even need to play games anymore (eg. previously you actually needed to earn achievements by playing games, now you just launch the game)... Launch game on console, launch on PC & let them sit till rewards pops & do the searches while I eat breakfast...

@Banjo- @OldGamer999 have you seen playstations latest earnings call bro. They don’t need to publish anything on pc really. PS4/5 is making an absolute killing and PC is a tiny fraction of it. It’s Xbox that needs multi platform clearly ala PS5 releases

@PlatinumMikey
PS is earning well and good for them.
Don’t make them the truly amazing AAA campaign making gaming studio company they used to be in my favourite PS4 era and also the start of the PS5 era.
But they do love a remaster 🤣🤣🤣

@Banjo- The thing is, there are many games that have huge problems with QuickResume.
For example, Borderlands 3 doesn't support it all no matter what. It always loads anew. And it also constantly crashes on Series S. That's on developers, but still.
Halo Infinite just won't reconnect to network after Quick Resume. Or it takes so long that you'd better kill it and run again.
Some Ubisoft titles with constant network connection like Breakpoint or Division 2 throw tantrums and 5 times out of 10 spam with constant error not being able to reconnect to servers. It's faster to kill them and reload again, because SSD is so fast.
As you mentioned, backwards compatible games sometimes have problems with, and you never know for sure.
Also, there are mentions about some achievements in certain games breaking due to Quick Resume.
Again, it may happen you never have problems with it, but there are cases when this feature breaks something. And I think that for one of the selling points of the console this is unacceptable. It should not work MOST of the time. At least you should have the opportunity to turn it off completely. But that's just me.

@chesheer It seems the the experience may vary. For me, it works fine, Halo Infinite included, but I haven't played the others you mentioned much. I know that some old games have issues with Quick Resume. If the developers do it right, even service games should work, because the Forza Horizon games work.

For sure, got the series X on release, now the PS5 Pro on release. It's taken a little back seat, but Oblivion on GP currently

I love the console, the fact that I can access my now over 400 digital Og Xbox, 360, X1, and SX games on one device and in many cases runs the games better than ever before is great, I know PC could do this for a long time but it's nice get this experience on a device that cost less than a low end graphics cadd, I also have very little time to game these days and play lots of games rather than focus on 1 so quick resume might be my favorite console feature of all time.

@OldGamer999 bro give rhem a break they’ve been at it for 25 years. Just having a year off 😂😂😂 where has Xbox been the last 15 years 😆

@HonestHick right on, right on 😂 looking forward to your first impressions, and the upcoming gears!

Series X and S have been the best XB hardware I have bought to date. No issues at all. And MS seems to have figured out how to consistently deliver new games and content so things just continue to get better.

A far cry from what I call the dark years of Xbox One.

Absolutely love my series x. That with gamepass and backwards compatibility has made it probably my most played console this gen. The PS5 is great, but this gen they just haven’t had the games like last gen. So I’ve done a lot more gaming on my Xbox this time around. Quick resume is perfect and gamepass is worth every penny.

@nomither6 Yeah once i buy the 5080 it will be mainly putting it together and ready to go. But i am ok with taking my time as my Series X gets turned on just about every night. I wish i got to see their next gen plans before hand but that is unlikely.

Fatty Dual sense hurts my fingers so bad, Really hope Sony redesigns it for PS6.

Voted yes, very worth it, my 2 series x and 1 series s.

It's not a factor in if I buy the next Xbox, assuming there is one, or back to PC.

@PlatinumMikey
From a gamer point of view I think MS has taken a lot of risks to move consoles forward. At the end of the day XB Live was seen to push MP gaming, cloud based profiles were first on console with XB, XB 360 broke a ton of new ground in games, Kinect ended up failing but it was an enjoyable experience (they just shouldn't have thought it was for every game), among other experiences and models they have tried to varying degrees of success. You can't fault MS for trying new approaches, things, and models.

I do think XB One was an identity finding generation. They tried for an identity with Kinect and it was a brutal failure, combined with a bunch of studios under performing ended up being part of what I call the dark ages of XB.

But, I think they are on track now. They bought a ton of publishers and studios that are delivering game after game and ongoing games that keep getting new content. They still have some work to do on quality but they are again getting award nominations, and I really think that both Series X and S were great hardware as a high ticket item and a low ticket alternative. And most of all the gaming part of MS is becoming very profitable ensuring its long term existence.

People talk about if there is new gaming hardware and I don't see this as an IF. MS is in PC hardware and Microsoft isn't even considered a top 10 manufacturer of PCs. Microsoft is in the hardware business to set a standard for the industry. They don't hold a lot of stock in hardware sales. They want people to buy their software and services. That is where they make their money. Not hardware.

Sony and Nintendo are tied to hardware sales more than MS because they don't do as much multi-platform stuff. But, I see that changing. If MS ships a XB Console that has no difference from a PC, then Sony is in trouble because if my XB can run Steam I can play the Sony exclusives when they come to PC. Nintendo will be eventually forced to PC as well especially if their hardware doesn't do as good as Switch. So, in the end it consoles won't be about hardware anymore, they will be more about the services they provide. In that realm I think MS GamePass services are the leader in the industry.

I have owned my Series X since 2020 and I think I have recouped the cost every single year thanks to Game Pass. The games I have played this year on GP cost $430 and I spent $96 on GP for the year so I am up $334 on the year already.

It was a good buy. But As it puts all its games multiplatform, my next will combo will be a switch 2 and a playstation 6.

@NeoRatt well that’s the most possible positive spin you could put on the situation I guess 😆

Xbox is costing me a small fortune at this time as after 15 years on PlayStation (I still have my ps5) I came back to xbox and have begun almost replicating my ps library on xbox as its my main system now and I'm working my way through the new doom via gamepass (the limited edition doom controller is amazing) cyberpunk 2077 and starwars outlaws on my xbox. I think I have purchased 70 games since I got my xbox last year so I am very happy with xbox. The cloud gaming works as well which I was surprised about.

Not really. Nothing of this generation has been "worth the money." And I bought my Series S and Series X consoles years ago back before Trump became president again, tanking the economy and causing Microsoft and everyone else to raise all their prices.

Sony has long been a rip-off, and while the original Switch couldn't be considered because it is practically antique at this point and nowhere near close to what could be considered anywhere close to the "current" generation, Nintendo really came out and blew away all the competition with the reveal of the Switch 2 in terms of thoroughly ripping their customers off.

From this point on, I don't think anything will even be "worth it" from now on. Might as well consider getting a mini PC for my main TV and install RecalBox or Batocera on it; I do not like the direction modern gaming is going at all. And that includes everything from hardware/software prices to game design of modern games themselves.

For as much use as it has gotten (not by me but family members) it's been fine I guess. A mix of odd use like Xbox One and gaps just are big of no use.

Other then quick resume, impulse triggers of Xbox One or the blu-ray/CD apps/other music apps that aren't Spotify yeah Xbox is pretty eh besides those for me. So a 3/10 because a fair use of things for a console store that Windows 10/11 isn't as exciting to use.

Otherwise..... yeah I refuse to use one at all and even then I use my Xbox One on occasion still too so eh.

Worth the purchase. Lol. I haven't bought a single Series X game at all. I will keep to that. I haven't Gamepass accessed a single game myself, while family have. I find the console very boring.

PS5 is just as boring and again family use theirs, I have no interest in one because the games suck, ones I'd like are probably design I know I'll find awkward of racing game AI or boring modes or like many platformers, shooters, and more boring. Many AAs I liked flopped and can access physical whenever as family bought them. Ratchet sucked. Space Marine 2 was typical repeat the 1st one a little different, ok game, but a bit pathetic. Not into the 'recreate the magic' approach, yeah no.

Switch I use on occasion to a bit more over time. Probably used my Switch, Wii U and Vita more than my Xbox One. Barely used Xbox Series unless it's to help a family member playing a Gamepass game. So really, not at all or none.

I am fine on Xbox One with odd playing back compat, odd app use and basically when I feel like it because it's so who cares of use. It's my 3rd console in terms of ones I care to use besides a Switch 1/PS4 or retro systems varying in there. So a 3rd or more likely sometimes a 10th or more.

I hate the Xbox OS/UI so much why would i want to use it let alone the games/apps and more.

Quick Resume is cool but I don't do digital on Xbox so while cool I have no use for it, still respect the feature though that's the only praise I ever will have for the console is it's software gimmick. It's not Wii U or others hardware exciting (even if Wii U didn't do the potential I wish it could but still better). Even if remote play/Smartglass (Xbox 360/One) had that it isn't the same and remote play on Xbox I've never used but it's probably ok.

Impulse triggers are still cool...... Yeah Xbox is pretty forgettable or unexciting. OG/360 era games (big or niche to collect for) and UI any day.

Hell yes. With a bullet.

Xbox Series X is the highest quality console I've ever used in my life. We've got value, power, performance, aesthetics, the GOAT controller, and so many quality-of-life features, like back compat, smart delivery and quick resume. Most of the greatest games of all-time can be played on a singular console, and usually in the best quality possible.

Do I have problems with modern Xbox? Absolutely. I wish they cared about exclusives, I wish they cared about physical games, etc. But so what if Xbox first party games are coming to other consoles? We still get them first, better, AND on Gamepass.

Yeah, I'm satisfied with this generation.