Overpriced
Even though it had leaked just hours before the conference, hearts collectively sunk when Phil Spencer made official Xbox One X’s $500 price tag. That’s a lot of money to spend on a console that, despites Spencer’s assurances to the contrary, will likely necessitate upgrading to a 4K television to get the best out of. At $100 more than its competition, it’s hard to imagine the price point is sharp enough to attract a wider audience and regain much ground back on Sony.
The big question now is who the Xbox One X is actually designed for. $500 has slightly confused its mandate; part premium device, part gamble to restore parity between Microsoft and Sony. On the one hand, it is pitched to those who value performance and are willing to pay for it, on the other, it aims to attract a large audience by touting the most capable place to play video games. But its exuberant price doesn’t facilitate both objectives. The Xbox One X now feels caught up between the two, in limbo between a premium device and a generational leap that has come before its technology is affordable enough to make it viable. Remember the last console that launched at $500? It didn’t go so well for the PS3, and that was a generational leap with exclusive, purpose built content.
The $500 price isn’t actually far off low-end gaming PC’s of comparable specifications, and much more powerful ones can be built for not a lot more. So what is the advantage for current Xbox One owners? Surely it would make more sense to buy a gaming PC?
Then there is the extent to which it isolates new console buyers, especially those not technically minded. Will parents really opt to purchase Xbox One X over the standard model? Does PS4 Pro not represent better value, boasting similar 4K HDR features (even if it isn’t “true” 4K)? Sure, current games are said to look and run better on Xbox One X, but they do on PS4 Pro too, and for $100 less.
Will third parties prioritize 4K 60fps gaming on Xbox One X? Does Crackdown 3 actually run significantly better on the new console? Until we have a better idea of how games will take advantage of the Xbox One X’s power, the new console might only be worth the money to those who don’t already own vanilla Xbox One or PS4.
Lack Of Notable Microsoft Exclusives At Launch
Wooing tech-savvy gamers on the merit of the Xbox One X’s impressive hardware wasn’t difficult – the console is an absolutely beast. Convincing the wider market of its value, however, was always going to require more meat than just resolution figures and CPU speeds.
Unfortunately, that isn’t what was showcased at the conference. The Xbox One X might well be a beast, but it’s without any meaningful content, it’s missing its teeth. Where were the head turning AAA exclusives for launch day? Where is the immediate content to convince the market that the Xbox One X is absolutely and without question, the future of gaming is on the Xbox One X? Microsoft needed a home run with respect to its games lineup, and though there were 42 games shown, precious few were of any consequence and truly exclusive.
Crackdown 3 was the most notable mention. Having gone AWOL after E3 2015, releasing on the X’s launch day is a boon more along the lines of what we wanted to see. But here’s the problem: that was it. Remember how initially reserved gamers were to pay $400 for Nintendo Switch to play Zelda? Well, they surely aren’t going to like the idea of paying $500 to play Crackdown 3.
Other games, such as Sea of Thieves and State of Decay, have far-flung or unconfirmed release dates, too. And as important as it was for Microsoft to roadmap content to potential buyers, the Xbox One X needed immediate content to make it a must-own on November 7th.
Most Exciting Content Third Party And Available On PS4
Microsoft really was desperate to hammer home that its console has plenty of upcoming content. “Exclusive” was bellowed out by the raspy-voiced announcer and then confusingly subtitled “console launch exclusive” which, as it transpires, doesn’t actually mean exclusive at all. Decoding the marketing babble, the third party content labeled so are actually timed exclusives that will certainly launch on PS4.
Quite why Microsoft bothers to try and squeeze the timed exclusive thing past the journalists and hardcore gamers watching E3 press conferences is slightly flummoxing, but nobody was likely fooled for long. The key takeaway was that the biggest game drops at the presser – Anthem, Assassin’s Creed, and Metro – are all third party and available on PS4. They are also, of course, available on Sony’s own iterative upgrade, PS4 Pro, which can also play the games in better resolution. Not to mention, PS4’s own library of unique content also makes it a superior option for those looking for the largest possible total catalog of games.
Indeed, the 42 games, of which 22 were dubbed “exclusives” actually translate to just 7 true exclusives:
- Forza 7
- State of Decay 2
- Sea of Thieves
- Super Lucky’s Tale
- Cuphead
- Crackdown 3
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Of course, when we say “true” exclusives, we mean you can play them on a gaming PC, too.
The Xbox One S Is Far Better Value
Of course, the Xbox One X’s reveal comes right off the back of news that the Xbox One S has just enjoyed a $50 price cut. At just $200 for a limited time and $250 thereafter, it is half the price of its big brother, plays every single upcoming game, and is able to run HDR and 4K streaming. Of course, the X is a significantly more powerful machine, but at that enormous price difference, you would have to ask yourself whether it is $250 more powerful.
In comparison, the PS4 and its bigger brother, Pro, are priced much closer together. For just $100 more than the redesigned slim model, gamers get a significant power increase on Pro, which itself is $100 cheaper than the Xbox One X. A $100 price differential between models within the same family has meant the PS4 Pro is an affordable option for those wanting to upgrade, either by choice or to replace a damaged unit. A whopping double-the-price between Xbox consoles isn’t quite so reasonable and makes similar scenarios a far more difficult choice.
Ultimately, looking at each console option objectively; if you’re a newcomer to the console scene, the Xbox One S represents far better value for money. Those who already owned an Xbox One/S might be better advised spending money on a PS4 or Nintendo Switch, which both offer unique content.
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