Xbox One X: thoughts on the reviews and 4K gaming in general

[gorfias]

The Xbox One X is now a thing in the USA. And the single biggest thing keeping me from wanting to get one: 4K Games are really big. I've heard of PS4 1080P games taking up to around 50 Gigs and that is rough. But Quantum Break, for instance, is 200 Gig. Over time, storage will continue to become cheaper. Or, I wonder, can I swap out multiple 4 TB hard drives? But that instant gratification you are looking for from a digital download? Sounds like a single game can take a day to download. Dunno. My 4K TV is not HDR so I'm missing out from the get go.

It is cool that the drive is UHD... but movies cost $30. Just as easy to steam them at 4K (that works OK as opposed to gaming).

I've also heard the menu works much faster and smoother, games load faster than the 1st Gen Xbox 1. And even without HDR, I'm thinking I would be able to notice a visual improvement.

Dunno. May just save up for the best PC rig I can to make good use of a 144 hz monitor.

Are you planning on getting the XB1X? Were you before you heard the reviews? Do you anticipate you will eventually get one?

 

[votemarvel]

The big problem Microsoft have in getting me to purchase a One X, or indeed not get rid of the One S I have, is that all the games I want for their console I can get for my PC. My One S is currently just a bluray player.

I'm actually considering selling my Microsoft console and heading over to Sony's camp and getting a PS4, simply because they have games I want to play but can't on my PC.

 

[Mcgeezaks]

I don't currently own a 4k TV so no, I kind of wished I would've waited 1.5-2 years because then I could've bought a 4k TV for the same price I bought my 1080p TV for. If I ever get the chance of getting a 4k TV then maybe, the gameshare between W10 and Xbox is a big plus.

 

[ghalleon0915]

General consensus seems to be that the machine is great, but whether to get one or not is a little more muddled. I've basically told friends this: if you have a 4k tv AND don't have an xbox AND want XBox exclusives then it's a no brainer. However, one thing that isn't mentioned too much by reviews is the price; at least for us Canadians it's $600+ tax which brings it closer to $700 so that's a pretty hefty investment.

I liken it to my purchase of the PS4 pro - I didn't have a ps4 at the time, and it had the games I like so I bought it. If I had the previous ps4 ( or hell, if the slim had come out sooner than like 2 months before the pro ) then I wouldn't have bought the Pro.

I do think Microsoft said that this was aimed more at the gaming enthusiasts/hardcore crowd so that kind of makes sense, I just wonder if this is going to be a regular thing of half-upgrades every 2-3 years or so. For my friends' sake I hope not. Or they can join me in pc land I suppose.

Edit - and yeah, one of the negatives about the console is the size of the games, or more precisely the updates/patches one has to download to take full advantage of the console. 1 TB seemed like a fair size to begin with, until you see some of the files to be downloaded. Ouch.

 

[gorfias]

I've also heard the menu works much faster and smoother, games load faster than the 1st Gen Xbox 1. And even without HDR, I'm thinking I would be able to notice a visual improvement.

Specifications

Spoiler: Xbox One X vs. Xbox One S

I've read hooking up an external drive improved speeds on the Xbox One S
Something to do with data transfer tech on the system losing out to usb 3.0 speed (informative Sata port post missing)
Gotta wonder if they addressed that with the Xbox One X

Drive in the Xbox One X is a Seagate ST1000LM035 1TB 128MB Cache SATA 5400 RPM 6.0Gb/s 2.5"
Drive in the Xbox One S was a Seagate ST2000LM003 2TB 32MB Cache SATA 5400 RPM 6.0Gb/s 2.5"

Dunno. May just save up for the best PC rig I can to make good use of a 144 hz monitor.

Do this

Are you planning on getting the XB1X? Were you before you heard the reviews? Do you anticipate you will eventually get one?

No. No. No.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Honestly, it seems like a pretty cool console that I would want...if I didn't already have a PC and if Microsoft had any IPs that I cared about that weren't also available on PC.

If you really want 4K gaming though and you don't have a PC capable of it you could do worse.

 

[sanquin]

For me the future of console gaming is the Switch. The switch has or will have a lot of games I can't buy for my PC. And it's portable with a pretty damn good battery life considering it's power. Sure it's a relatively weak device, but it's powerful enough to play what it has to play.

If I want games with the best graphics I get them for my PC, which is I believe more than twice as powerful as the Pro or One X. Or at least close to twice as powerful. Why would I need a console for that? Other than that I don't even have a 4k TV or monitor.

So I haven't even considered buying a Pro or One X for a single moment. I'm skipping this generation's XBox and Playstation entirely.

 

[laggyteabag]

The Xbox One X

The thing can be more powerful than the sun, but if there still isn't anything worth playing on it, then Im not going to care.

Frankly, if someone came up to me and asked if they should get a PS4 Pro or an Xbox One X, I would still probably say the PS4 Pro - or even the PS4 vanilla - because there are just straight up better games on that platform.

More pixels aren't going to suddenly fix all of the problems that the Xbox One faces as a platform.

4K Gaming

I own a PC with a 1080TI, and a 6600K, and I don't run games at 4K. Why? Because I much prefer playing at 1080P/144FPS. Im sure 4K would look great, but 144Hz is just the way to go, for me.

Of course, the perfect monitor for me would be a 4K/144Hz monitor, but only two have been announced, and both are looking to be over $1000+, and there is a lot of stuff that I could do with that kind of money. Not to mention that getting any modern game to run at 4K, and at a framerate resembling 144Hz is probably impossible with my current hardware, so that would just be a mostly pointless investment.

4K is a wet dream, but I currently prefer the alternatives.

 

[Hawki]

Xbox One X? You mean Xbox IX? But I thought it was the fourth Xbox console...

Then again, apparently I missed 359 Xbox consoles between the original Xbox and the 360, so what do I know?

 

[Yoshi178]

Chiguy sums up things about the Xbox One X nicely. i'll let him explain it.

 

[captainsavvy]

For my part, I have very little interest in 4K gaming; I game in my bedroom on a 32" tv, so 4K console gaming is largely useless to me.

I own a PS4 Pro, but that's only because I didn't already own the normal PS4 and it just made sense to get the more powerful of the two when I eventually bought one. It'll be the same if I ever buy an XBox One; I don't own one at all so it'd make sense for me to get the more powerful version.

The biggest reason I haven't bought an XB1 yet is simply that there are no XB1 exclusive games that I'm interested in compared to the sheer number of PS exclusives that I've wanted. That and most of them can be played on PC too.


In a perfect world, MS and Sony would be more focused on using the power of their consoles to get a consistent 60fps minimum at 1080p than reaching for 4K, but that's just my opinion.

 

[JemothSkarii]

Like many posts in this thread it will be echoing points, but Sony and the PC basically has my needs covered. Even then, even if Xbox One does get an exclusive I'd like, I have a perfectly good PC to run it on.
Microsoft really shot themselves in the foot there.
So as a consumer I have little need for an Xbox One, let alone a One X. Maybe if I had games from the 360 and the Xbox I could consider it, but I don't.

4K Gaming I view alongside VR; cool that we can do it, but ultimately very niche. 4K is arguably less useful than VR, that at least changes the experience quite a bit. 4K gets into the territory of diminishing returns regarding graphics, especially when you could use all that extra rendering power towards more functionality or mechanics Not clue whatsoever why they'd make such a push right now for that.

 

[gorfias]

if you have a 4k tv AND don't have an xbox AND want XBox exclusives then it's a no brainer. ...
Edit - and yeah, one of the negatives about the console is the size of the games, or more precisely the updates/patches one has to download to take full advantage of the console. 1 TB seemed like a fair size to begin with, until you see some of the files to be downloaded. Ouch.

I'm thinking good advice. I do have the original with a 3 TB USB 3.0 on it, hooked up to a 3d capable 1080P 55". I love the exclusives. Enough to drop $800 (unit price, external USB price, there was something else you'd likely want if you get one... don't recall). I wonder if PC VR stuff works with it? But for now... with those patches and download sizes? Think the tech might be too soon.

Do this [upgrade PC and get 144 hz monitor]

I'm bumming. I love new toys but all things considered, this seems the best play. Now, which monitor?


No, that would be crazy.

For me the future of console gaming is the Switch.

Tempting. I got the Zelda for the Wii U. This is likely on my radar though. It will be fun to see how well the system does in 2018. I'll definitely keep an eye out on games. They're unlikely to come to the Wii U going forward.

Chiguy sums up things about the Xbox One X nicely. i'll let him explain it.

Great video, thanks! Makes a lot of sense.

 

[stroopwafel]

Not really impressed. I would rush to buy a 4K TV and '4K console' in no time if the games were actually built with that resolution in mind rather than receiving a patch that upscales 1080P to 4K. The difference to me seem marginal at best. Developers are also strained for budget as it is so I see few AAA-publishers actually supporting such a console(espescially with a relatively low install base). M$ in particular really has that wait-and-see approach that they don't have to make any software themselves and just rely on third party support which, again, seems really meager. If you want to push this console onto consumers atleast show a few titles to be impressed by.

 

[Naldan]

No games, no buy.

Even though you get pretty good hardware for 500 Euros/Dollars. You can't get that with this kind of power on your own if you don't rely on pretty convenient deals.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Doesn't matter how powerful the console is if there's nothing to play on it. I got an xbox one s on sale last black Friday because I wanted a 4k blu ray player and for $50 more I got a game console, 3 games, and 2 controllers. I played some Forza on it but now even that I can get on my PC. Microsoft has been hopeless this gen when it comes to software.

 

[gorfias]

even if Xbox One does get an exclusive I'd like, I have a perfectly good PC to run it on....

4K Gaming I view alongside VR; cool that we can do it, but ultimately very niche.

I find the console gaming experience in my living room different enough that I do like having a console, particularly at the price. On a Black Friday, one can get a console for as little as $225 (Last year had PS4 original at that price). The OS for Windows 10 64 bit pro alone is over $100.

I do have an older PC on a 55" and use an Xbox 1 controller on it. Still not quite as good as just having an Xbox there.

VR: Until the price comes way down (a big "if") there is still a lot of cheap fun to be had on a good smart phone with $20 headset.

Doesn't matter how powerful the console is if there's nothing to play on it. I got an xbox one s on sale last black Friday because I wanted a 4k blu ray player and for $50 more I got a game console, 3 games, and 2 controllers. I played some Forza on it but now even that I can get on my PC. Microsoft has been hopeless this gen when it comes to software.

I'm reading this a lot. As I'm a lunatic with multiple systems throughout the house, I love being able to play Forza and Gears 4 on both a PC in my man cave and on my original Xbox One in another room. For me, it was a really great move (Hope Crackdown 3 is not a bomb! It is up next I think). But I can see how a normal person, having already made the choice to have a gaming class PC, would wonder why bother with a console.

 

[cathou]

i really wonder what is the penetration of 4K tv in homes rigth now. in canada, a 60 inches 4k tv start at around 1300$, i have a 4k tv decoder but beside a few sporting event, and a channel with an aquarium show 24/7, there's no tv offert for 4k. straming in 4k would be expensive because my bandwith limit is 400gb per month. add to that a 600$ console to get 4k games and movies, and i see that it's still out of my budget. i have a house to pay, a car to pay, my kids need food on the table... i'll stick with my 7 years old pc and my switch.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

*Spurts out alcoholic orphan juice*

200gig?? Fuck that noise. My interweb speed will not be amused. Seems like too many downsides overall for just optimisating your eyeball intake.

It is cool that the drive is UHD... but movies cost $30. Just as easy to steam them at 4K (that works OK as opposed to gaming).

Never thought it possible to steam films at all until now. Does it get all the blood off without compromising quality?

 

[gorfias]

*Spurts out alcoholic orphan juice*

200gig?? Fuck that noise. My interweb speed will not be amused. Seems like too many downsides overall for just optimisating your eyeball intake.

It is cool that the drive is UHD... but movies cost $30. Just as easy to steam them at 4K (that works OK as opposed to gaming).

Never thought it possible to steam films at all until now. Does it get all the blood off without compromising quality?

Errrr Stream. And the 4K stream works OK with my TV (65" Samsung Curve) using Netflix. You can see a difference between 1080P and 4K. Fun and worth doing when there's virtually no difference in effort and cost. But $30 for a UHDVD?

ITMT: The Xbox S supposedly can also play 4K DVDs if that is what you want to do. I hear it is glitchy. Dunno. Will look into it.