Runex2121

If you had asked me 2 months ago id have said it meant nothing.

The ally xbox x has changed that to a mist have.

Still some issues of course, primarily with the xbox store not having games at all, but I pretty much wont buy a title now unless its play anywhere since I dont really pc game, but i love my new handheld. Being able to carry over without any issues from the portable to the series x|s is a huge quality of life improvement. Almost on par with quick resuming multiple games.

@theduckofdeath Well then, I never noticed it lol. (It is below the notification bell for me)

Ive been going into the profile and navigating my way through menus, which is very tedious. Consider one problem solved.

Hmm, hopefully this only increases the feedback and improvements. Its definately nice on my ally xbox x, but there are still a lot of optimizations it can have, especially related to updates, that I can see. (And make a default button on the dashboard for xbox remote play....)

That said, in the month and change ive had it its become like second nature to use and by default, the xbox ally x has become my go to over the switch 2 and portal.

I thought it was pretty good and I typically dislike these types of shows.

While nothing was a must buy to me, there were several games that piqued my interest and a few more that were gamepass games. (Though my gpu will expire in feb and ive no plan to renew) added bonus is that all were play anywhere meaning i can play them on my xbox ally x and series x without double purchasing.

All in all, a solid b. A couple of announcements from an a

I am probably in the minority, but I really enjoy updates on any platform and with my xbox ally x I check daily all areas for updates to both the device and the games. (They make it a little complicated for updates on the platform, since you have to check steam for steam game updates, the library for MS game/app updates, Armory Crate for device and Asus updates, and windows update for windows updates. Even with auto update turned on, it sometimes wont trigger every update until you turn on the game)

The worst CoD to date, bar none. They should have just omitted the campaign altogether. Would have improved my outlook of the game.

The campaign is at best trash. I dont like mp, so Im sure that part is probably great.

I know fortnite is popular, but Ive never understood why. I dont get the loop. Fall on an island, kill people, repeat. Changing what I look like wont change that loop or bring me any joy whatsoever.

@Markatron84 They tried this, it failed because a lot of us only play the campaign and refused to buy a cod game without one, which dinged sales and revenue. Apparently enough that they havnt done it again since.

I tried to play the campaign via gamepass today. I say tried because it put me straight into matchmaking and I want nothing to do with mp so i exited out and promptly deleted the game.

Loving my xbox ally x, ive put more time on it in the month its been out than in the last year combined for my series x|s and ps5/ps5 pro.

Mostly to due to my play habits and availability. I love the big screen, but it really boils down to where I can actually play.

I do play my switch/switch 2 more overall.

Good article and I agree. Ive enjoyed mine so far, having put many hours into it.

Was a bumpy start with onboarding, then reonboarding when i upgraded to a 4tb ssd. But generally, been very solid once I got used to the ux.

Being able to play steam games, cloud games, ea games, play anywhere games, and remote play all at once is really nice. Ive been tapping into the steam games i bought vut never bothered with on the steamdeck and playing bf6(which runs well) and oblivion remaster(also runs well)

Cant wait to see how the ux evolves over time as well.

Im kinda happy to see this one sunset a bit. The campaign just didnt click with me and the mp was not as fun as halo 5s imo.

It wasnt a bad game by any means, but it ranks at the bottom of the haloverse to me.

Now they can focus on the new titles, which hopefully includes another halo game with pve embedded into the pvp. (Its been a while, so so I forget which halo had the bosses and enemies as part of mp, but I really enjoyed those fights)

This would be awesome for my ally xbox x.

Play xbox, ps5, and pc games all in the same place with a single purchase. (With some caveats)

Hopefully it applies retroactively to purchases.

@nomither6

Dead serious though. Halo 1 has a weak campaign compared to the others, primarily due to age. The levels are bloated and large, while also requiring a not so insignificant amount of backtracking. The dialogue is cheesy b camp at best, and generally speaking, outside of the core mechanics, which are also improved on in each sequal, there isnt a lot going for it.

I am really hopeful that they fix all the levels in the remake to adjust the flow. (and hopefully clean up the dialogue as well)

@Kezelpaso Infinites campaign was hot garbage. I wanted to see the continuance of the arc they started, not some live service looking garbage. It just felt off and to date is the only Halo SP I have not completed.

@nomither6

I think you got the order mixed up

Campaign: 3>2>Reach>ODST>4>5>Infinite>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>1
MP: 5>4>3>4>Infinite>1

@Neither_scene While not something with exclusives, if they could get it reasonably priced for families out there entering the market for gaming, it could be a hit.

Biggest concern I have with the current market is that with prices now starting at around $500 for a minimum entry point to game, for a large percentage of people it's just no longer viable.

Gaming is a hobby for all people, not just the rich. And while I am thankfully able to support the hobby without any issues, it would have been much more challenging in my youth. There is a large percentage of people out there who can only afford 1 console anyway, and with current trends, maybe not even one anymore.

Well, I expect the console to cost 2k so free online is expected to go along with the $50 a month gamepass sub.(future pricing)

Jokes aside, I do fully expect the console hybrid to cost 1200-1500. If nothing else, the ally x has taught is people will pay. (I did)

The problem is, gaming always needed affordability. If Sony, MS, and Nintendo are all essentially opting out of an affordable option, will someone else step in? The market is screaming for a $200-$250 console that plays bespoke games. (I guess the series s used to fill that role, but it was cross marketed with the x)

I dont mind it at all. I have never been one for console wars, so spreading the love across all platforms is a good thing. I buy all consoles, so now I can buy games for whichever platform I feel best suites that game.

I think it also forces platform makers to prioritize unique features in hardware and software to sell, which is pro consumer. (ie. Sony's controllers this time are amazing, but the PS5 lacks the multigame resume feature of the xbox which is huge for me)

@Coletrain They want 30% margins, I think mp may be 39.99 or 29.99 and have MTs like a live service game

@Coletrain pure speculation, but Im thinking they are going to release this as a full price title and then release halo:multiplayer evolved later as another full release title. Double dipping for the same game.

@Coletrain Id agree with the assessment of 5. Similar to the last gears game to be honest. Good game, not really a series feel though.

2 and 3 are excellent games to me as well. Really, just 1 was kinda meh.

I am cautiously optimistic. I found the first halo to be the worst halo in retrospect.

The levels were far too open and the amount of pointless backtracking was tedious. They got the gunplay right, but generally speaking, 2, 3, 4, and 5 were all much better games.

Infinite just never did it for me, i much preferred 4-5 to it. Really wish they'd finish that story arc to be honest.

If they have cleaned up the levels and reduced the backtracking, this one could be quite good.

@DNortonX Thats your definition, not mine or the platform holders. Also, the rog ally xbox x does indeed play every xbox game. You can remote play from your console. There is nothing saying that it has to be a native experience.

Personally I am now really enjoying my new handheld xbox.

They will have a winner on their hands if they just improve the starting user experience.

My guess is that the 3+ hours of initial setup is done already on the booth ones. People wont see the horrible setup process, just the games and outstanding hardware.

The promise is there and I also really want this to succeed, but msft has their work cutout on the os side.

The billion rpg maker kemco rpgs out there are hit and miss. I am a sucker for SNES era rpgs, but kemco always seems to get the balance wrong. Games are either too hard, or too easy. And you dont find out until like 3-4 hours in, which is frustrating.

Mine was delivered today, but ive only had an hour or so with it.

Only thing im a bit put off by at this time is a complete lack of any user onboarding sequence. It literally booted to a black screen with "setup" and "windows setup" as the options. No guidance on which to select so I chose windows setup. This put me through some updates, but once done, no real guidance on what to do to actually get started.

I fumbled around a bit and installed steam and updated the game bar, but it was far from intuitive.

I have a feeling though that itll be a great experience once setup though. The hardware feels great.

@FraserG Thanks. Im not a fan of tinkering if it goes too deep. The reason I sold my steamdeck was due to always having to dig into the desktop or advances settings to make things work correctly. (And many games were listed as compatible but wouldn't even boot)

Are the settings easy to adjust here or will I need to dig into text files to reconfigure things?

Excited for mine tomorrow. Already got my confirmation it shipped.

Sounds like its a perfect device for me as well. I cant discern the difference between 30 and 60fps, so prefer higher quality settings over performance.

Sounds like that is almost the default here without tinkering, which is great.

@Mastlander98 Many of us have no interest in a legion(or any other handhelds) for a variety of reasons. For me, I dont like the general design of a legion. I loved the grips on the portal and this one looks like its taking that same approach. I hated the steamdeck because it was too bulky and uncomfortable.

Im also a fan of the xbox button on the controller. Hall effect sticks dont mean a lot to me. Only console ive ever had drift was the switch and those sticks were notoriously bad. Even if these did drift, you can fix them with the right tools.

I only like campaigns in games like this and everything ive read makes me think the campaign is very low quality. I may play it if I get it free or under $15, but I cant see myself playing it anytime soon.

I see it as an xbox since i essentially have used my series consoles as streaming devices as it is. Either from the console to another screen or via gamepass xcloud on the console itself.

Now I can just play all the same games in the same way. Via streaming either from the cloud or my series x.

Throw in steam games and its really an xbox plus imo.

I have the xbox ally x coming next week, was a bit hesitant due to the price but I spent $700 on a ps pro and 200 more on a portal, so it balances out kinda. (Yes, im omitting the series x and series s costs, but i never play my pro on the tv, its a stream box. Which I guess is the same...so I just make poor financial decisions lol)

I really enjoyed the show and was bummed when it was cancelled. One can only hope netflix renews

I live ubi games, but they raised the price $10 a month. The fortnite thing is useless to me, so I feel like if we sub, were basically getting $5 worth of service for $10. Not a good deal.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner Id be laughing if they somehow decided itd be a good idea to "convert" gpu old to gpu time for those with current credit. .75 or something of that nature.

Note by laughing i mean in a non funny i cant believe it kind of way

Ugh, i caved and got 3 months for $54. I unsubbed last month because i never used it, but with my xbox ally x coming in a few weeks i wanted to keep it for a few months of testing and refuse to pay $30 a month

@Exerion76 excuse me, they have only hit bottom. They are obviously still looking for the rock.

So preroll ads and potential time limits.

At first i was thinking this was complete trash, but, if they decide to add some gamepass games to it or new release titles it could be a really cool way to try before you buy. I could not sub, but still try games i may be interested in.

Of course, none of that is mentioned, but i can dream right?

So, they converted the discount from real gain to their own point gain, which has the effect of diminishing the returns for the consumer.

They are really going scorched earth here on consumer benefits after the past few years of being "pro-consumer"

This usually only happens when platform holders get cocky with sales(see Sony a few times, nintendo a few times, etc..) Its rare to see it from the 3rd place team.

What is this unlimited thing? I dont recall cloud gaming being capped before. I have always had Ultimate, but I dont recall any messaging being about there being time limits or anything like that.

@BacklogBrad Id like a piecemeal option to be honest. I cancelled my sub last month after having never not been subbed to an xbox service since the OG live launched in the early 00s.

This update just reinforces my decision. I have 0 interest in EA play, UBI+, or especially fortnite. so why would I pay more for these inclusions?

@Neither_scene Thats what I thought was happening too. That they were eliminating pc tier since all tiers now include pc games too

@PsBoxSwitchOwner

Ive been a staunch supporter of gamepass and xblive before that since day 1. Ive always said it had great value associated with it.

Last month, when i let my sub lapse for the first time ever it was more because of my use of it as opposed to the value prop, as at $23 it was still a solid investment.

Now though, at $30 a month, or $360 a year I just dont see the value prop unless you have an immense amount of free time.

So I really dont think well see many defending this unless they are in that extremely small subset of high income and high free time.

@Gabrie Ahh, I see your argument now. I dont really align with it, but I understand it.

Personally I couldnt care less about achievements nor whose brand is on a device. I just want to play games when and how I want. So if i can play more games on the handheld easily, im good. (Ive been a multiplat gamer for 4 decades.)

@Gabrie But this unit aggregates stores, so does it really matter if games bypass?

I wound up getting the x, despite going in for the regular. Id rather regret the expense than future capability. Ive seem enough of ai to think its possible to do some crazy things with that neural chip. Doesnt mean they will, bit id rather be future proof than to have to buy another later. Haptics are a big selling point too, though not $400 worth

I was surprised to be honest that the x sold out faster than the ally. I originally intended on getting the lower model but skipped to the higher tier thinking that itd be easier to get.

While I preordered the x, it took bestbuy a few hours to process. The regular is apparently still open.

I cant imagine they made too many of these, guessing they made a lot more lower trims. Im also not entirely sold on a $400 difference, but time will tell. Atleast itll be futureproof, right?

@GeeEssEff Different devices altogether. Id never play games on my phone(and I always get the latest iphone as part of my phone package) Even with a backbone its at best a less than fun way to play a game.

I think the comparison made though holds true at a general level. You have a high end handheld gaming device and a high end phone, both are consumer electronics in the same price range.

The fact that the inferior steamdeck comes with a case is also a valid comparison, but it doesnt take away from the other comparison.

That said, am I happy im paying 1k for an ally xbox x and have to buy a case and screen protector still? Ofcourse not. Just as Im not happy when I buy a new phone and they changed the screen size by .001MM so that I need to buy a new case and screen protectors. When I bought my deck I was surprised by the case, when I sold it though(because it was terrible) the case was the only thing I was sad to see go.

Ive been in queue for 90 minutes at best buy, starting to think Ill miss this one and honestly ill probably be better off saving the money. 1k is crazy high.

I give this the same grade I gave the PS one yesterday. Its a solid Meh.

One stellar title, but far off. (Forza ofcourse), and a bunch of "not really my kind of games".

So not bad, but not good.