Talking Point: Looking Back, How Useful Has Smart Delivery Been To You On Xbox?

I wish they'd let you choose. SSD space is extremely limited and sometimes I'd prefer to install and play the Xbox One version from a normal external HDD.

Never used it.

Another fantastic feature of the Series S|X just like Quick Resume.
Features that I appreciate and just take for granted now, and one the reasons why Xbox is my primary gaming platform 😁.

More than being useful is that this should be the norm, it turns my stomach every time some developer wants to charge you again for running a game with more resolution or framerate. On PC it's the equivalent of going to options and changing the visual settings, it's ridiculous that they charge for this on console!

@Sol4ris Another fantastic feature of the Series S|X just like Quick Resume.Features that I appreciate and just take for granted now, and one the reasons why Xbox is my primary gaming platform

Pretty much exactly this. I'd be lost without half the features I take for granted these days lol.

@Gabrie It is terrible that, like, most Koei Tecmo games don't support Smart Delivery and force you to buy both the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S versions separately (or you can buy the bundle). I'm looking at you, Atelier Yumia.

A little off topic: I like "smart delivery" but I like even more "play everywhere". I recently got a new laptop and I was surprised that it came with 3 months of PC game pass and that I had already some games from my xbox library... Very happy with it... planning to buy more games with play anywhere... I honestly like where xbox is going.

I also think that should be the norm

I like it but the star of the show for Xbox features has definitely been quick resume. It’s totally changed my approach to gaming and, whenever I play my PS5, I miss it dearly.

I don't think I ever used it.

Cool feature but would have still liked the option to choose which version of the game to install. I would rather be able to play indie and some AA games from my external hard drive where the S/X upgrades are negligible but they are taking up valuable SSD space instead.

It’s great knowing I won’t ever have to worry about buying the wrong version of a game, which is entirely possible on Switch 2 (where I had to triple check I was buying the correct version of Sonic x Shadow Generations).

its a smart idea !
haha
i always thought that the Xone version was on disc. And you had to download the series X version.
But with Tony hawk it seems the other way.

But what does it mean for the future as far as retro gaming.
can in the future i install the Xone versions on my old Xone in case my series X implodes.
but truthfully , Im redoing my entertainment room. so that i can have my consoles all set up. across the board.
My Xseries X sits in my secondary room. And will remain there as its connected to my router with Lan as the wifi on the series X is useless.

I will use my Xbox One Elite in my main room to play my Xbox games on my projector. So being able to install compatible games to my Xone is imperative.

@themightyant yes i had this problem with Assasins Creed Origins . it insisted on eating up my SSD storage. And it was a big chunk.

Smart Delivery is the reason I barely own any Xbox games this generation - PS5 games have current gen on disc whereas the Xbox version usually has just last gen.

I think its great - you get the version for the Hardware you play on - regardless of whether its Current/Last gen Consoles or PC (with Play Anywhere too).

You buy a Game, you get to play the best version for whatever Hardware you have - which is a benefit if you are considering upgrading to better hardware. You don't want to be locked out of Performance or Quality modes because you bought a XB1S/XSS and now upgraded to an X for the upgrades.

With Discs, the ONLY current Hardware you can buy a Disc for is the Series X - the Series S and PC are all-digital platforms - so only need the XSX version on it - or at least the licence and a download key.

If a game is properly optimised for that version, it should be the 'best' way to play on that hardware. I know some games may benefit from playing 'older' generation code on newer hardware to ensure a smoother, or even perfect 60fps mode - but thats because the devs haven't 'optimised' it as well as they could or believe the Visual Quality difference is more important.

But in general I'd still prefer to get the version meant for whatever Hardware I play on - Another reason I've been 'converted' to Digital purchases - or in the case of Back Compat, that it runs the 'best' version for the Hardware - Series X version if as powerful or more so, Series S maybe for Handhelds, unless they get powerful enough to run Series X versions if no newer/better versions exist...

The one thing about Smart Delivery that was iffy was when DLC was involved. Trying to install Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate (off the disc) on Series X nearly had me tearing my hair out. It would install the game fine, but the console would sometimes not clock that a lot of the heaps and heaps of DLC needed to be downloaded as their Series X versions, which resulted in them being incompatible with the base game and not show up in-game. I got it sorted eventually but it really was a ball-ache.

Was fine enough with the idea, I didn't really use it as I'm on Xbox One, have access to a Series X, I don't use it personally, but others do but not the disk games.

But I respect the feature, as I do like the idea. Offering more then just a put disk in back compat and offering upgrades as another option is nice to have. Or whatever digital and the option there.

It's like having a crossbuy experience and it's nice to have. Especially as other than Iconoclasts for PS4 to Vita I don't really have many crossbuy games at all. Helldivers 1 I just got lucky the code still worked and it triggers on Vita as available from my PS4 copy that happened to be the special edition for such a thing.

I appreciate the feature, but even then I haven't used a single PS4 to PS5 upgrade. Or Xbox One Smart Delivery, as I still use an Xbox One, I have a few 2020+ era Xbox One games but not many, I have more PS4 versions with PS5 upgrades on the box art mentioned. But I'm not using a PS5 at all, have access to it from people around me, not using it.

Others around me are and they buy the PS5 versions physical/digital instead of using the PS4 disk/digital upgrade license.

I can see why people don't but to me I just haven't upgraded it yet so I may use them in the future, but unless PS5/Xbox Series have compelling games I don't care to use them.

I even then only think I have Red Dead Redemption 360 in the Xbox One case as one of those back compat things that Smart delivery is similar to. Otherwise I have mostly OG Xbox or 360 games that are regular copies. Even then the way 360 DLC would work was weird for some games and seeing with the above commenter it seems Xbox One DLC also had issues. But then again I don't have many GOTY editions or DLC on disks either like Borderlands 1 or Fallout 3 for me, even if I got a GOTY copy alongside it might as well who really buys DLC disks? (Borderlands 1 had an Aussie DLC disk and a US copy game, still gave me the Aussie digital game but even still). Even then getting ReCore Def edition for free when I re added my disk copy to my console (still owned it physical of course never sold it) was cool.

I have used my PS4/Xbox One more then I have my PS3/360 in cross over gens.

But I still use all my old consoles/handhelds, and I was still using a PS3/360 about maybe 2 or more years into PS4/Xbox One gen, not the whole gen like this time around because games/consoles features don't interest me at all. Quick resume, cards, load times, haptics, VR2 and more are 'ok' but not that compelling and the RT/HDR/etc. are just graphics technologies I have no interest in, learning how they work, sure, but I'm a gameplay first type, so no, games have no compelled me with gameplay reasons to buy them.

I have used a PS5/Series X, but barely. But I barely used my Xbox One either, only on occasion more as I've had it as my own to use but even still.

It's one of those features that get no fanfare because when it's working properly (implemented), it just works, and you don't notice it. Like it's not like you go in and "use" it. It's just there for games to automatically play their best version on your hardware and that's great.

It's convenient, but I wanted the option to choose the Xbox One version.
There are many games I want to play on the Xbox One X version to save storage space. For example, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2.

Only "downside" is when you are achievement hunter. Because when you have Sony's approach, you can technically earn trophies for one game twice (one for PS5 and second for PS4 version) while on Xbox, Series X/S and One SKU are treated as one game. So only one achievement list.

Otherwise it's awesome.

It good and a huge bonus but since it's the technology the same version you don't get a second achievement stack. Other people have raised this issue but if there is a full series version you can only use the series version. Then you have games like Halo MCC which are right in the middle. Halo MCC only has the Xbox one version but it has a few Series enhancements which can only be used when the game is used on a SSD.

What kind of question is that? The point is that the advantages of Smart Delivery are transparent.

@themightyant This was my biggest issue. There were points when a game would update and I'd start finding copies of games on my external hdd and internal ssd. First World problems I know, but frustrating all the same

@RiverGenie If you use an XBOX Series console, you automatically are using it. Which is part of the point.

Smart Delivery, Smart Resume, Play Anywhere... They all have one thing in common. Namely the fact that they all just do their job, and at the user level, 90% of the time, you never actually see them in action, but you use them all constantly.

And that's the big thing about Microsoft's strategy for quite a few of their technologies, that you are using them from the moment you start playing... and never actually realise you are.