I jumped from PS3 to Series S, and the gaming value has been incredible for me (multiple years of cheap Gold tier to GPU conversion, rewards points for more free GPU), however even for a big Xbox fan like me it is clear Xbox console war is lost.
It is not just that Series X|S is being outsold heavily by PS5, but the Series S outsells Series X, which means even smaller share of true current gen console sales. Baldur's Gate 3 couldn't launch on Series S without dropping features. Black Myth Wukong, developer already said Series S is holding back xbox launch. So true AAA games can't easily launch on Xbox (optimization++ required) + all games going to be on PS5, so it's clear Xbox consoles sales will continue to dwindle... lack of sales, lack of content, lack of sales, lack of content... vicious circle.
My guess Microsoft is going to go back to its software roots, not caring whos hardware they sell games on...
Literally bought For the King 2 a month ago on Steam! Got tired of waiting for it to hit console... Anyhow, looking forward to playing on Xbox, at least I will still own it when it eventually drops off GPU...
I'm also loving it!! So many IPs have been ruined, heck I can't watch Indiana movies any more, scared to watch the latest one as I don't want to ruin my childhood memories. But certainly so far I am loving this game!
I do have the just for you offers, but Jedi fallen order & Jedi survivor didn't show up there. If I search for those games, I do see the just for you discounts. The games backlog is getting so huge... I have another 18 months of GPU, I should just make a point of playing them before I don't subscribe anymore, at some point I'm going to have to stop subscribing to GPU to try to tackle the games backlog...
Edit: When I do the search the discount says -85% (CAD$ 9.47) for Fallen Order Deluxe, if I click on buy the price changes to 90% off = $6.50 Just for you.... Jedi Survivor Deluxe shows as -65% (CAD $45.49), then when click on buy the price also changes to 90% off = CAD$13.00 Just for you. So maybe if you don't see the discount click through to buy. But... awfully tempting...
I really only play a few games, but try many out due to GPU (year end review says I played 112 games). I converted 2yrs of games with gold to GPU for $1, plus with rewards points I still have 1.5yrs of GPU. So I really can't complain about value!! Have been accumulating a games backlog on sales, so I probably won't add anymore to what I already have subscribed. Eventually I will need to tackle the backlog, but right now GPU doesn't give me any spare time to tackle it.
We might not agree with everything Phil does/says (although the puppet masters are probably really the ones in control...), but as an exec who actually uses his products, I got to give him credit for that!
For practical purposes we are definitely reaching diminishing returns, how many more pixels/refresh rate can our eye balls/brain handle?? I'm sure I don't have the vision requirements to be a pilot, having said that, I have both a Series S (basement) & Series X (main floor) and when I hop between them, I do not notice a difference between them. If they were side by side in the same room & I stop to pixel compare, yeah sure I would probably notice a difference, but for effective purposes I really don't care which console I use. We are definitely into diminishing returns for next console generations.
I can't imagine that I am really going to notice the difference in the next 'Largest Technical Leap', my eye balls are probably not good enough to notice the difference. Mainly I just need more storage for the games that are getting ever bigger.
I have so many great Xbox experiences, there is no way Sony/PS5 would have been a better choice for me. First off, I haven't played video games much since high school, too busy otherwise, university, career, raising family... When my kids were younger we had the Wii & PS3. Kids are now young adults. Bought my older daughter a PS5 as a birthday gift since that was what she wanted.
1) Best memory is my "Free" Xbox Series S, I got from a big Canadian drug store chain through loyalty points. But it took about 2 yrs after launch for enough availability for me to finally get the Series S. In a way I'm thankful PS5 was more popular & difficult to get "free" through loyalty points.
2) Not being much into gaming or having previous generation console, I lacked content to play. I knew of the Games with Gold stacking then conversion to Game Pass Ultimate for $1. I only did 2 years of Games with Gold conversion (hindsight I should have done 3 years, but wasn't sure I would be that into gaming), but that is definitely memory #2, as now I had lots of great gaming content for super cheap.
3) Game Pass Ultimate is next best memory as now I immediately had lots of content to play & could slowly build up my owned library of games when good sales came along.
4) After I'm hooked on Xbox gaming, I bought a used Xbox Series X, after the nonsense of ripoff used prices died down a bit.
5) Microsoft Reward Points, despite ongoing nerfing, I'm sure this is still way better than what I could earn by going Sony/PS5. I started with 2 years GPU (from Games with Gold Conversion), and two years later I still have another 1.5yrs of GPU, even though I only paid for another 3 months of GPU. All the rest were rewards points. I could add a few more years of GPU, but now saving points towards the next thing (Xbox handheld or next gen console).
Yeah, so I would say Series X/S generation has been VERY GOOD for me. It has been incredible value. Yes, some things don't meet expectations (eg. Redfall, Starfield for me, etc), but in terms of gaming value there is no way I would be better off in Sony/PS5 ecosystem.
What I don't understand is this gen launched in the pandemic. Basically if you made certain things you could sell all you wanted to make... home gym equipment, bicycles, kayaks, toilet paper... . To basically sell half of what PS5 did really says incompetence...
For like 2 years of the launch of PS5/XSX, plenty of people were willing to pay more than $700 from scalpers for a console. Plus I've seen the phones kids carry these days, $700 for a console is cheap, especially when it's not their money paying for it. $700 PS5 Pro is not for me but I'm sure Sony will sell plenty.
They only redeeming value for me was games with gold for 2yrs then doing the $1 ultimate trial to get 2yrs of game pass ultimate. After that it was just monthly complaining about how bad the games were.
Everyone has to personally determine if Game Pass is worth it to them or not. I don't like the price hikes either, but at the same time I feel like Game Pass is still incredible value.
At least for me nothing comes close in terms of value for entertainment. What else am I going to do for fun? Streaming services are trash with few good content. And going out into the real world for fun costs serious bucks worse inflation issues! Just going to my local amusement park one day admission = 2x GPU monthly price, parking = 1.5x GPU + a foot long hot dog/fries/drink = 1x GPU + gas. It's like I can go out for one day of fun in the real world or get half a year of GPU entertainment.
I could go on... going to a major league game, concert, theatre, going out for dinner + drinks, etc. To me GPU is cheap compared to alternatives.
Having both a Series X & S, quite frankly if I'm going to invest in more gaming hardware I want more of an upgrade than just more storage. At this point I'm holding out for next gen or going for gaming on a PC.
Series S for me, easiest way into current Gen during pandemic & supply shortages, plus was able to get it "free" with points. Then convert a couple years Games With Gold & with upgrade to Game Pass Ultimate for $1, then throw in earning Microsoft rewards points & this has got to be the absolute bargain for entertainment value. Lots of "fans" bashing Microsoft lately, but quite frankly at least for me, there is nothing Sony could have done to provide equivalent bang for my entertainment money.
I'm not sure why there is so much angst about Xbox moving away from a dedicated gaming platform/hardware. I'm old enough to remember that at one point I used to own dedicated devices such as cell phone, personal digital assistant/palm pilot, camera & GPS device...
Now the flagship cell phone got powerful enough it replaced multiple devices, people don't really question paying top dollar for a very useful device. If Xbox is going to be powerful "greatest leap in a generation", it better be essentially a PC because I doubt the market is going to be big enough for a powerful & expensive machine that only play games, it better have better utility. It better be a replacement for needing a PC. In my mind it is hard to imagine a flagship "console" that is only useful for playing games. The market is huge for Pro/ultra level phones because of the utility, a premium console experience will need greater utility than just gaming.
@Spiker_Kev For someone who has never seen Star Wars there is a very good case that neither Episode/Story Order or Release Order are the best way to view Star Wars. There are very good arguments that viewing in the Machete Order preserves plot twists, namely view in this order: 4, 5, 2, 3, 6. With episode 1 not necessary to view. Google search Machete Order will fully justify why to view in this order.
Honestly I just don't get the appeal of a dedicated gaming device. Just optimize the gaming experience on my phone, I don't want to carry multiple hardware devices stuffed into my pockets. Let me carry one device that rules them all...
You already carry your phone that killed you needing to have many other devices... I'm old enough to have had: -Gaming: GameBoy -Personal Digital Assistant: PalmPilot, Windows CE PocketPC -Music: Walkman, iPod -GPS -Digital Camera -Calculator -Flashlight Not to mention it can do phone things like placing a call I don't want to stuff my pockets when I'm on the go/"mobile".
Plus next gen Xbox, better be like my phone, one device to rule them all... With all that new supposed horsepower, it better do PC things & gaming things all in one box.
@Lup If you respect your intelligence completely agree with @Spider-Kev, do not watch Disney Sequels! Sure there is a point to plot twists & "subverting expectations", but at the same time don't insult our intelligence. Yes Star Wars is a made up universe, but at least be consistent in the universe & characters that were constructed. Watching Disney's sequels is like watching the last season of Game of Thrones, yes you will see some action, but if you have a brain you will feel insulted for the universe destruction & character destruction, nothing you watched previously means anything.
The only Disney "sequel" worth watching is Rogue One, and that is because Disney could not put in idiotic "plot twists" as that movie fits in between episode 3 & 4, so Rogue One needs to be consistent to that continuity.
Hate to say it but the rewards program was too generous... paying for my monthly Game Pass Ultimate subscription and I'm probably 1/3 of the way to covering my next gen Xbox console. Free GPU & consoles is not a good business model. I miss a good freebie like everyone else, but can't say I'm surprised with the nerfing.
@AlwaysPlaying I kinda feel like the reduction in points needed in Canada was a mistake, 34% reduction in points to redeem for a CAD$25 gift card is quite generous. I'm surprised Microsoft is that generous to us despite inflation, etc... Im building up points to pay for the next gen series X, otherwise I would redeem the points now
I'm new to Xbox this series, no game discs from earlier gen, also can't tell you the last time I bought a movie on physical format, for sure 5+ years ago, so I feel like the disc feature was wasted money. I would rather have had a cheaper digital only Series X, glad the choice is coming, but too late for me, not enough of a change to worth switching/upgrading.
With shrinking physical sales, makes sense to have option to be able to buy a digital only Series X.
I always thought it was weird how slow downloads were if a game was "running", I mean I get it if I was actually playing and the game was chewing up processor power, but even when i am not actively playing & was checking download progress the download speed was still slow, obviously lazy coding as opposed to we hit the hardware limits...
2nd complaint is how slow wireless downloads are vs wired. I find it hard to believe it's a hardware issue vs lazy coding. My old phone from 2018 can download 2x faster on my wireless network, same spot vs Series X. Series X tops out at 180 Mbps even if I move it next to the modem in the basement, if I download via ethernet max speed tops out at 800Mbps, then after 1-2 GB starts to throttle down, but still I find it hard to believe the Xbox hardware does not at least do 300+Mbps, it's got to be lazy software programming...
Definitely each to their own, but after the novelty wears off I just don't get the appeal of playing on a small screen. People already have to own a phone, a dedicated gaming device forces you to carry two devices. There is a reason the digital camera market segment sales fell off a cliff, people don't want to carry two devices if one device can do the job of two. I am sure Microsoft can sell some dedicated gaming handhelds just like you can buy a dedicated digital camera, but it feels so niche, better to expand cloud gaming and let me play on my phone when I'm on the go.
I am old enough to have owned a game boy, to me that made sense because we didn't have phones to game on back then, I already own a powerful handheld gaming device with a great screen & it's my phone.
If gaming on the go is really a big need I would rather have Microsoft go Nvidia GeForce Now, let me stream anything I own on my phone so I don't have to buy another device & also carry around a second device otherwise I'm going to have to also buy a purse 👜... My pockets are already bulging with keys, wallet, big phone, ear buds, & now I need to add a handheld gaming device & probably a charger as well? At this point I am definitely at purse stage, if that's the case I would rather bring a tablet instead & stream/game on a bigger screen.
Also if I'm at home a big screen wins hands down, sometimes the main TV/SeriesX is being used by someone else, but I would much rather stream game pass (narrower content, but still plenty to play) on my Samsung smart monitor than play anything I own on my phone or tablet connected to the basement Series S. A handheld gaming device I figure would replicate the phone/Series S experience and at least for me a bigger screen is a better experience.
So as I said beyond novelty, I just don't see the appeal in carrying a second device (largely redundant if streaming options expand) for on the go gaming & at home I would much rather have a smart monitor and game on that vs a small handheld device.
@Kieduss I'm surprised no one else said Microsoft Movies and TV app.
I'm slowly building my own streaming service one movie a week... At least for me I find Netflix has so much low quality content on it. If I want Ultra HD content, it's CAD$20.99/mo. Every Tuesday, there's a new selection of CAD$4.99 movies, many of the ones I'm interested in are UHD, plus there are other sales, which means I can buy one good movie a week (4 a month) for the same price as a Netflix UHD monthly fee and I'm owning way better content, eventually I'll slow down and save $ vs Netflix
I'm new to Xbox for this console generation, bought in with a Series S, then got hooked with Game Pass Ultimate content as I obviously had no content starting from nothing, then also bought Series X. It's pretty clear that if all the best content is going to be on PlayStation, then if I had to make the decision again it would be too buy a PlayStation. Also given that it obviously takes more work to port a game to Xbox as the S is a different machine, not like PS disc or disc less versions (as proven by difficulty with Baldur's Gate 3 port), throw in smaller & declining user base, then it's clear to see why they're is concern about a death spiral, less and less content to Xbox.
I tried to see the future, that maybe Phil envisions, do I really even need a console? I have a Samsung smart monitor, so decided to try playing my GPU on it, quite frankly, I was surprised as didn't think the monitor would have the horsepower to play well, but obviously you don't need much horsepower to stream a game.
If Microsoft decides to go the path of Nvidia GeForce Now, I don't know, maybe that is the future where you really don't need a console...?
After playing on my smart monitor, I feel like I should minimally sell my Series S, not out of anger, but it feels made obsolete by GPU streaming on the monitor, then just keep the series X for content I own not on GPU. Maybe the X will even be obsolete if Microsoft goes Nvidia GeForce Now clone.
@tho_mi Yes, correct on the reduced conversion rate. So another reason for not buying a brand new Xbox now, plus MS constantly nerfing down rewards points, which I'm sure will continue in the future. In my shoes now, I wouldn't buy into the xbox ecosystem now, but a year ago it was a great deal.
@Fiendish-Beaver Your post exactly sums up the situation no matter how MS spins it... Basically we all want great content, now it's obvious all the best content is going to be on the PS ecosystem, so likewise obviously don't buy Xbox hardware, which furthers the death spiral of less great content. I'm new to Xbox for this generation, I would be kinda mad about this developing situation if it were not for the brutally cheap/free Game Pass Ultimate, I bought 2 years of Gold (should have done 3...), upgraded to GPU 1:1, but over a year later I still have 2 years of GPU, thanks MS points! So I can't really complain, I may not have access to the best content, but I have access to the cheapest content. But yeah, my next console obviously won't be Xbox, unless MS is still giving away free GPU, which you can't count on, so death spiral continues...
I got my Series S free with points from Shoppers Drug Mart, large chain here in Canada. Looks like they are also moving to get rid of all physical disc products, all games discounted to CAD$19.99 (so like less than USD$15), including Starfield, etc. Not a surprising move...
@Kaloudz I went back to the Bing app on my S21 Ultra & I don't have the points for reading news & daily check in money bags, while it shows on my Pixel 8 Pro.
So it is weird that my account has different reward points available depending upon what device I use.
@Kaloudz regarding the points to read articles & Bing money bags I did not get them either, then upgraded my phone from a S21 Ultra to Pixel 8 Pro, I instantly got the read news article points & Bing daily checkin money bags on my pixel 8 Pro. Coincidence? I don't know, but I think this might also depend on what device you use??
My last console was a PS3, so I had some content catching up to do! Even with GPU I was surprised I bought 27 games in the last year. Since I'm catching up it's good that I can get some good older games on sale and not be paying full price. Diablo IV was what I consider to be the only fully priced game I bought, I should have waited... I will probably add Hogwarts legacy soon, then slow down on the purchases to play the backlog of accumulated games.
I'm not saying I don't want freebies, it's just MS rewards were insanely generous, yes, MS may benefit, but I highly doubt it makes business sense, which is why we're getting the nerfing of the points. If it made business sense it would not get nerfed, so we already have the answer from MS if it makes sense. They won't say it in so many words, but the actions they are taking is telling us what we don't want to hear.
For example, As @trev666 says they're is no question google search is better than Bing. Getting daily search points was not changing engagement to Bing. You just powered through to get the points & that is it.
I'm sorry I only discovered MS rewards, Apr of this year, when I saw posts of people saying MS going to pay for their Xbox series X. There is no question whoever dreamed up/started MS rewards points was waaay too generous. No business would be giving their products away for free, month after month with no purchase required, so I fully expect the chopping of rewards points to continue.
It seems MS has finally clued in with their divide by 10 in handing out rewards points. It's soon going to be pointless (see what I did there....) to actually try to collect points.
I for one bought a Series S last year, primarily because I couldn't easily find a PS5 or series X in stock to buy.
I had no idea what the X/S sales split was, but it doesn't surprise me the ratio being what it is, as buying an X was constrained by lack of availability for a long time.
If you have a series S, you might want to consider to beat the rush & sell before there is a flood on the market. Yeah I saw that 314GB to preinstall!! That is going to chew up a bunch of space!! Going to be needing the new 1TB Series S or a series X.
Comments 137
Re: Xbox Series X|S Sales Estimates Show Consoles Lagging Far Behind Last-Gen
I jumped from PS3 to Series S, and the gaming value has been incredible for me (multiple years of cheap Gold tier to GPU conversion, rewards points for more free GPU), however even for a big Xbox fan like me it is clear Xbox console war is lost.
It is not just that Series X|S is being outsold heavily by PS5, but the Series S outsells Series X, which means even smaller share of true current gen console sales. Baldur's Gate 3 couldn't launch on Series S without dropping features. Black Myth Wukong, developer already said Series S is holding back xbox launch. So true AAA games can't easily launch on Xbox (optimization++ required) + all games going to be on PS5, so it's clear Xbox consoles sales will continue to dwindle... lack of sales, lack of content, lack of sales, lack of content... vicious circle.
My guess Microsoft is going to go back to its software roots, not caring whos hardware they sell games on...
Re: Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (December 12)
Literally bought For the King 2 a month ago on Steam! Got tired of waiting for it to hit console... Anyhow, looking forward to playing on Xbox, at least I will still own it when it eventually drops off GPU...
Re: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Is Now Available On Xbox Game Pass (December 9)
I'm also loving it!! So many IPs have been ruined, heck I can't watch Indiana movies any more, scared to watch the latest one as I don't want to ruin my childhood memories. But certainly so far I am loving this game!
Re: Xbox Is Offering Incredible 'Just For You' Deals Right Now, 90% Off Multiple EA Games
I do have the just for you offers, but Jedi fallen order & Jedi survivor didn't show up there. If I search for those games, I do see the just for you discounts. The games backlog is getting so huge... I have another 18 months of GPU, I should just make a point of playing them before I don't subscribe anymore, at some point I'm going to have to stop subscribing to GPU to try to tackle the games backlog...
Edit: When I do the search the discount says -85% (CAD$ 9.47) for Fallen Order Deluxe, if I click on buy the price changes to 90% off = $6.50 Just for you.... Jedi Survivor Deluxe shows as -65% (CAD $45.49), then when click on buy the price also changes to 90% off = CAD$13.00 Just for you. So maybe if you don't see the discount click through to buy. But... awfully tempting...
Re: Talking Point: What Are Your Overall Thoughts On Xbox Game Pass In 2024?
I really only play a few games, but try many out due to GPU (year end review says I played 112 games). I converted 2yrs of games with gold to GPU for $1, plus with rewards points I still have 1.5yrs of GPU. So I really can't complain about value!! Have been accumulating a games backlog on sales, so I probably won't add anymore to what I already have subscribed. Eventually I will need to tackle the backlog, but right now GPU doesn't give me any spare time to tackle it.
Edit: did the 2yr gold conversion 2yrs ago
Re: Phil Spencer Shares His Xbox 'Year In Review', And He's Been Very Busy In 2024
I'm in the top 2%/1%/1%. I might just have to fire up solitaire on the PC & just leave it running in the background to crack 😁 the top 1%/1%/1%
Re: Phil Spencer Shares His Xbox 'Year In Review', And He's Been Very Busy In 2024
We might not agree with everything Phil does/says (although the puppet masters are probably really the ones in control...), but as an exec who actually uses his products, I got to give him credit for that!
Re: Xbox Fans Ponder What 'Largest Technical Leap' Means For The Series X Successor
For practical purposes we are definitely reaching diminishing returns, how many more pixels/refresh rate can our eye balls/brain handle?? I'm sure I don't have the vision requirements to be a pilot, having said that, I have both a Series S (basement) & Series X (main floor) and when I hop between them, I do not notice a difference between them. If they were side by side in the same room & I stop to pixel compare, yeah sure I would probably notice a difference, but for effective purposes I really don't care which console I use. We are definitely into diminishing returns for next console generations.
I can't imagine that I am really going to notice the difference in the next 'Largest Technical Leap', my eye balls are probably not good enough to notice the difference. Mainly I just need more storage for the games that are getting ever bigger.
Re: Talking Point: What's Your Favourite Memory Of The Xbox Series X|S Generation So Far?
I have so many great Xbox experiences, there is no way Sony/PS5 would have been a better choice for me. First off, I haven't played video games much since high school, too busy otherwise, university, career, raising family... When my kids were younger we had the Wii & PS3. Kids are now young adults. Bought my older daughter a PS5 as a birthday gift since that was what she wanted.
1) Best memory is my "Free" Xbox Series S, I got from a big Canadian drug store chain through loyalty points. But it took about 2 yrs after launch for enough availability for me to finally get the Series S. In a way I'm thankful PS5 was more popular & difficult to get "free" through loyalty points.
2) Not being much into gaming or having previous generation console, I lacked content to play. I knew of the Games with Gold stacking then conversion to Game Pass Ultimate for $1. I only did 2 years of Games with Gold conversion (hindsight I should have done 3 years, but wasn't sure I would be that into gaming), but that is definitely memory #2, as now I had lots of great gaming content for super cheap.
3) Game Pass Ultimate is next best memory as now I immediately had lots of content to play & could slowly build up my owned library of games when good sales came along.
4) After I'm hooked on Xbox gaming, I bought a used Xbox Series X, after the nonsense of ripoff used prices died down a bit.
5) Microsoft Reward Points, despite ongoing nerfing, I'm sure this is still way better than what I could earn by going Sony/PS5. I started with 2 years GPU (from Games with Gold Conversion), and two years later I still have another 1.5yrs of GPU, even though I only paid for another 3 months of GPU. All the rest were rewards points. I could add a few more years of GPU, but now saving points towards the next thing (Xbox handheld or next gen console).
Yeah, so I would say Series X/S generation has been VERY GOOD for me. It has been incredible value. Yes, some things don't meet expectations (eg. Redfall, Starfield for me, etc), but in terms of gaming value there is no way I would be better off in Sony/PS5 ecosystem.
Re: Xbox Series X|S Console Sales Estimated At Under Half Of PS5 In New Report
What I don't understand is this gen launched in the pandemic. Basically if you made certain things you could sell all you wanted to make... home gym equipment, bicycles, kayaks, toilet paper... . To basically sell half of what PS5 did really says incompetence...
Re: Talking Point: What's Your Favourite Xbox Game Of The Year So Far?
@AlwaysPlaying Same! I have a serious Brotato addiction! That game has saved me a fortune, no need to do anything else in my free time!
Re: Reaction: PS5 Pro's Extortionate Price Justifies Xbox's Lack Of A New Console
For like 2 years of the launch of PS5/XSX, plenty of people were willing to pay more than $700 from scalpers for a console. Plus I've seen the phones kids carry these days, $700 for a console is cheap, especially when it's not their money paying for it. $700 PS5 Pro is not for me but I'm sure Sony will sell plenty.
Re: Soapbox: 12 Months Later, I Definitely Still Miss Xbox Games With Gold
They only redeeming value for me was games with gold for 2yrs then doing the $1 ultimate trial to get 2yrs of game pass ultimate. After that it was just monthly complaining about how bad the games were.
Re: FTC Calls Out Xbox's New 'Degraded' Game Pass Tier & Price Increases
Everyone has to personally determine if Game Pass is worth it to them or not. I don't like the price hikes either, but at the same time I feel like Game Pass is still incredible value.
At least for me nothing comes close in terms of value for entertainment. What else am I going to do for fun? Streaming services are trash with few good content. And going out into the real world for fun costs serious bucks worse inflation issues! Just going to my local amusement park one day admission = 2x GPU monthly price, parking = 1.5x GPU + a foot long hot dog/fries/drink = 1x GPU + gas. It's like I can go out for one day of fun in the real world or get half a year of GPU entertainment.
I could go on... going to a major league game, concert, theatre, going out for dinner + drinks, etc. To me GPU is cheap compared to alternatives.
Re: Talking Point: Are You Interested In Any Of The New Xbox Series X|S Models?
Having both a Series X & S, quite frankly if I'm going to invest in more gaming hardware I want more of an upgrade than just more storage. At this point I'm holding out for next gen or going for gaming on a PC.
Re: Talking Point: What Convinced You To Pick Xbox In The First Place?
Series S for me, easiest way into current Gen during pandemic & supply shortages, plus was able to get it "free" with points. Then convert a couple years Games With Gold & with upgrade to Game Pass Ultimate for $1, then throw in earning Microsoft rewards points & this has got to be the absolute bargain for entertainment value. Lots of "fans" bashing Microsoft lately, but quite frankly at least for me, there is nothing Sony could have done to provide equivalent bang for my entertainment money.
Re: Talking Point: Is Sarah Bond Hinting At Eventually Moving Away From Xbox Hardware?
I'm not sure why there is so much angst about Xbox moving away from a dedicated gaming platform/hardware. I'm old enough to remember that at one point I used to own dedicated devices such as cell phone, personal digital assistant/palm pilot, camera & GPS device...
Now the flagship cell phone got powerful enough it replaced multiple devices, people don't really question paying top dollar for a very useful device. If Xbox is going to be powerful "greatest leap in a generation", it better be essentially a PC because I doubt the market is going to be big enough for a powerful & expensive machine that only play games, it better have better utility. It better be a replacement for needing a PC. In my mind it is hard to imagine a flagship "console" that is only useful for playing games. The market is huge for Pro/ultra level phones because of the utility, a premium console experience will need greater utility than just gaming.
Re: Star Wars Outlaws Rated In Multiple Regions As Ubisoft Seemingly Nears Xbox Release
@Spiker_Kev For someone who has never seen Star Wars there is a very good case that neither Episode/Story Order or Release Order are the best way to view Star Wars. There are very good arguments that viewing in the Machete Order preserves plot twists, namely view in this order:
4, 5, 2, 3, 6. With episode 1 not necessary to view.
Google search Machete Order will fully justify why to view in this order.
Re: Xbox Boss On Handheld Rumours: Hardware Team Considering Different 'Form Factors'
Honestly I just don't get the appeal of a dedicated gaming device. Just optimize the gaming experience on my phone, I don't want to carry multiple hardware devices stuffed into my pockets. Let me carry one device that rules them all...
You already carry your phone that killed you needing to have many other devices... I'm old enough to have had:
-Gaming: GameBoy
-Personal Digital Assistant: PalmPilot, Windows CE PocketPC
-Music: Walkman, iPod
-GPS
-Digital Camera
-Calculator
-Flashlight
Not to mention it can do phone things like placing a call
I don't want to stuff my pockets when I'm on the go/"mobile".
Plus next gen Xbox, better be like my phone, one device to rule them all... With all that new supposed horsepower, it better do PC things & gaming things all in one box.
Re: Star Wars Outlaws Rated In Multiple Regions As Ubisoft Seemingly Nears Xbox Release
@Lup If you respect your intelligence completely agree with @Spider-Kev, do not watch Disney Sequels! Sure there is a point to plot twists & "subverting expectations", but at the same time don't insult our intelligence. Yes Star Wars is a made up universe, but at least be consistent in the universe & characters that were constructed. Watching Disney's sequels is like watching the last season of Game of Thrones, yes you will see some action, but if you have a brain you will feel insulted for the universe destruction & character destruction, nothing you watched previously means anything.
The only Disney "sequel" worth watching is Rogue One, and that is because Disney could not put in idiotic "plot twists" as that movie fits in between episode 3 & 4, so Rogue One needs to be consistent to that continuity.
Re: Xbox Users Are 'Gutted' About The Latest Microsoft Rewards Nerf
Hate to say it but the rewards program was too generous... paying for my monthly Game Pass Ultimate subscription and I'm probably 1/3 of the way to covering my next gen Xbox console. Free GPU & consoles is not a good business model. I miss a good freebie like everyone else, but can't say I'm surprised with the nerfing.
Re: Xbox Fans Are Noticing Subtle Price Changes For Microsoft Rewards
@AlwaysPlaying I kinda feel like the reduction in points needed in Canada was a mistake, 34% reduction in points to redeem for a CAD$25 gift card is quite generous. I'm surprised Microsoft is that generous to us despite inflation, etc... Im building up points to pay for the next gen series X, otherwise I would redeem the points now
Re: Rumour: Xbox To Release White, All-Digital Series X This Summer
I'm new to Xbox this series, no game discs from earlier gen, also can't tell you the last time I bought a movie on physical format, for sure 5+ years ago, so I feel like the disc feature was wasted money. I would rather have had a cheaper digital only Series X, glad the choice is coming, but too late for me, not enough of a change to worth switching/upgrading.
With shrinking physical sales, makes sense to have option to be able to buy a digital only Series X.
Re: New Xbox Update Makes More Improvements To Installation Speeds
I always thought it was weird how slow downloads were if a game was "running", I mean I get it if I was actually playing and the game was chewing up processor power, but even when i am not actively playing & was checking download progress the download speed was still slow, obviously lazy coding as opposed to we hit the hardware limits...
2nd complaint is how slow wireless downloads are vs wired. I find it hard to believe it's a hardware issue vs lazy coding. My old phone from 2018 can download 2x faster on my wireless network, same spot vs Series X. Series X tops out at 180 Mbps even if I move it next to the modem in the basement, if I download via ethernet max speed tops out at 800Mbps, then after 1-2 GB starts to throttle down, but still I find it hard to believe the Xbox hardware does not at least do 300+Mbps, it's got to be lazy software programming...
Re: Random: Phil Spencer Has Been 'Liking' Tweets About Xbox And Handhelds
Definitely each to their own, but after the novelty wears off I just don't get the appeal of playing on a small screen. People already have to own a phone, a dedicated gaming device forces you to carry two devices. There is a reason the digital camera market segment sales fell off a cliff, people don't want to carry two devices if one device can do the job of two. I am sure Microsoft can sell some dedicated gaming handhelds just like you can buy a dedicated digital camera, but it feels so niche, better to expand cloud gaming and let me play on my phone when I'm on the go.
I am old enough to have owned a game boy, to me that made sense because we didn't have phones to game on back then, I already own a powerful handheld gaming device with a great screen & it's my phone.
If gaming on the go is really a big need I would rather have Microsoft go Nvidia GeForce Now, let me stream anything I own on my phone so I don't have to buy another device & also carry around a second device otherwise I'm going to have to also buy a purse 👜... My pockets are already bulging with keys, wallet, big phone, ear buds, & now I need to add a handheld gaming device & probably a charger as well? At this point I am definitely at purse stage, if that's the case I would rather bring a tablet instead & stream/game on a bigger screen.
Also if I'm at home a big screen wins hands down, sometimes the main TV/SeriesX is being used by someone else, but I would much rather stream game pass (narrower content, but still plenty to play) on my Samsung smart monitor than play anything I own on my phone or tablet connected to the basement Series S. A handheld gaming device I figure would replicate the phone/Series S experience and at least for me a bigger screen is a better experience.
So as I said beyond novelty, I just don't see the appeal in carrying a second device (largely redundant if streaming options expand) for on the go gaming & at home I would much rather have a smart monitor and game on that vs a small handheld device.
Re: Talking Point: Which Apps Do You Use The Most On Your Xbox?
@Kieduss I'm surprised no one else said Microsoft Movies and TV app.
I'm slowly building my own streaming service one movie a week... At least for me I find Netflix has so much low quality content on it. If I want Ultra HD content, it's CAD$20.99/mo. Every Tuesday, there's a new selection of CAD$4.99 movies, many of the ones I'm interested in are UHD, plus there are other sales, which means I can buy one good movie a week (4 a month) for the same price as a Netflix UHD monthly fee and I'm owning way better content, eventually I'll slow down and save $ vs Netflix
Re: 'Xbox No Longer Making Consoles' Begins Trending As Panic Continues
I'm new to Xbox for this console generation, bought in with a Series S, then got hooked with Game Pass Ultimate content as I obviously had no content starting from nothing, then also bought Series X. It's pretty clear that if all the best content is going to be on PlayStation, then if I had to make the decision again it would be too buy a PlayStation. Also given that it obviously takes more work to port a game to Xbox as the S is a different machine, not like PS disc or disc less versions (as proven by difficulty with Baldur's Gate 3 port), throw in smaller & declining user base, then it's clear to see why they're is concern about a death spiral, less and less content to Xbox.
I tried to see the future, that maybe Phil envisions, do I really even need a console? I have a Samsung smart monitor, so decided to try playing my GPU on it, quite frankly, I was surprised as didn't think the monitor would have the horsepower to play well, but obviously you don't need much horsepower to stream a game.
If Microsoft decides to go the path of Nvidia GeForce Now, I don't know, maybe that is the future where you really don't need a console...?
After playing on my smart monitor, I feel like I should minimally sell my Series S, not out of anger, but it feels made obsolete by GPU streaming on the monitor, then just keep the series X for content I own not on GPU. Maybe the X will even be obsolete if Microsoft goes Nvidia GeForce Now clone.
Re: Phil Spencer Addresses Xbox Speculation Ahead Of 'Business Update Event'
@tho_mi Yes, correct on the reduced conversion rate. So another reason for not buying a brand new Xbox now, plus MS constantly nerfing down rewards points, which I'm sure will continue in the future. In my shoes now, I wouldn't buy into the xbox ecosystem now, but a year ago it was a great deal.
Re: Phil Spencer Addresses Xbox Speculation Ahead Of 'Business Update Event'
@Fiendish-Beaver
Your post exactly sums up the situation no matter how MS spins it... Basically we all want great content, now it's obvious all the best content is going to be on the PS ecosystem, so likewise obviously don't buy Xbox hardware, which furthers the death spiral of less great content. I'm new to Xbox for this generation, I would be kinda mad about this developing situation if it were not for the brutally cheap/free Game Pass Ultimate, I bought 2 years of Gold (should have done 3...), upgraded to GPU 1:1, but over a year later I still have 2 years of GPU, thanks MS points! So I can't really complain, I may not have access to the best content, but I have access to the cheapest content. But yeah, my next console obviously won't be Xbox, unless MS is still giving away free GPU, which you can't count on, so death spiral continues...
Re: Starfield Discs Could Be Removed From Sale At US Retail Giant Soon
I got my Series S free with points from Shoppers Drug Mart, large chain here in Canada. Looks like they are also moving to get rid of all physical disc products, all games discounted to CAD$19.99 (so like less than USD$15), including Starfield, etc. Not a surprising move...
Re: Xbox Adds New 'Weekly Console Bonus' For Some Microsoft Rewards Users
@Kaloudz I went back to the Bing app on my S21 Ultra & I don't have the points for reading news & daily check in money bags, while it shows on my Pixel 8 Pro.
So it is weird that my account has different reward points available depending upon what device I use.
Re: Xbox Adds New 'Weekly Console Bonus' For Some Microsoft Rewards Users
@Kaloudz regarding the points to read articles & Bing money bags I did not get them either, then upgraded my phone from a S21 Ultra to Pixel 8 Pro, I instantly got the read news article points & Bing daily checkin money bags on my pixel 8 Pro. Coincidence? I don't know, but I think this might also depend on what device you use??
Re: Poll: How Many Xbox Games Have You Actually Bought In 2023?
My last console was a PS3, so I had some content catching up to do! Even with GPU I was surprised I bought 27 games in the last year. Since I'm catching up it's good that I can get some good older games on sale and not be paying full price. Diablo IV was what I consider to be the only fully priced game I bought, I should have waited... I will probably add Hogwarts legacy soon, then slow down on the purchases to play the backlog of accumulated games.
Re: Microsoft Rewards Hosting 'End Of Year Sale' On Xbox Game Pass (In Some Regions)
I'm not saying I don't want freebies, it's just MS rewards were insanely generous, yes, MS may benefit, but I highly doubt it makes business sense, which is why we're getting the nerfing of the points. If it made business sense it would not get nerfed, so we already have the answer from MS if it makes sense. They won't say it in so many words, but the actions they are taking is telling us what we don't want to hear.
For example, As @trev666 says they're is no question google search is better than Bing. Getting daily search points was not changing engagement to Bing. You just powered through to get the points & that is it.
Re: Microsoft Rewards Hosting 'End Of Year Sale' On Xbox Game Pass (In Some Regions)
I'm sorry I only discovered MS rewards, Apr of this year, when I saw posts of people saying MS going to pay for their Xbox series X. There is no question whoever dreamed up/started MS rewards points was waaay too generous. No business would be giving their products away for free, month after month with no purchase required, so I fully expect the chopping of rewards points to continue.
It seems MS has finally clued in with their divide by 10 in handing out rewards points. It's soon going to be pointless (see what I did there....) to actually try to collect points.
Re: As Of Last April, Xbox Series S Accounted For 75% Of Microsoft's Current-Gen Console Sales
I for one bought a Series S last year, primarily because I couldn't easily find a PS5 or series X in stock to buy.
I had no idea what the X/S sales split was, but it doesn't surprise me the ratio being what it is, as buying an X was constrained by lack of availability for a long time.
Re: Starfield's Xbox File Size Is 125GB, According To Microsoft Store Page
If you have a series S, you might want to consider to beat the rush & sell before there is a flood on the market. Yeah I saw that 314GB to preinstall!! That is going to chew up a bunch of space!! Going to be needing the new 1TB Series S or a series X.