Do Xbox Console & Hardware Generations Even Matter Any Longer

In this episode, we discuss the possibility Xbox Console & Hardware Generations Even Matter Any Longer.

The Xbox has been an interesting creature since its initial announcement by Microsoft. While PC gaming has always been a strength of windows, the Xbox has reached an entirely different sort of audience. Microsoft developed many of the things gamers take for granted today such as online gameplay, digital delivery, and other features now common in consoles. One of their most popular features and services, Game Pass, allows you to play over 100 games digitally without needing to purchase them individually. For many, this has been a way to play more games than ever before at a reduced cost.

One interesting thing about Microsoft hardware is it is never really maintained any sort of resale value. Much of this is due to the fact that so much of the library is available on the generation that follows. With the Xbox Series S and Series X you can play much of the preceding library from all Xbox console generations, but an interesting thing now is that you can play that library not only on the newest generation hardware but for the most part also on the previous generation hardware!

Microsoft has not divided the library for Game Pass between console generations. As such, you can play the latest Halo game on the Xbox Series S or Series X just as you would on the Xbox One, One S, or One X. You do miss out on graphical fidelity on the Xbox One Series compared to the Xbox Series X, however, you will have a very similar graphical experience on the Xbox Series S to the Xbox One X. As such, if all you're looking to do is play the games, it could be argued that an Xbox One X is a better gaming option currently compared to the Xbox Series S.

One point of difference between the Xbox One series of consoles and the Xbox Series S and X is definitely the load times. That is a major benefit of the newer hardware, load times are drastically improved. Initially or going from scene to scene in a game, an Xbox Series X will definitely have a reduced load time compared to the previous generation.

Another feature Microsoft has developed over the years is Xbox on PC. This allows you to again play the vast majority of the library without needing to have the latest generation of hardware. With Xbox on PC, you can still access Game Pass, so you can get all these same great benefits and features. You also have a PC for other things such as school work, surfing the Web, or producing silly YouTube videos. While a $500 laptop or desktop computer won't have the same performance as an Xbox, you can spend more on a PC, and be able to upgrade it down the road more easily, and get similar if not improved performance.

At least as of right now, I don't know that the Xbox Series S makes a whole lot of sense to me. You can get the same or similar gaming experiences on an Xbox Series S as you can on an Xbox One. X, minus the load times. Plus on an Xbox One X you also get the added benefit of being able to play physical discs. While the Xbox Series S is a very small machine that doesn't take up a ton of space, the previous generation hardware might actually be a better option for many people. As I mentioned, let's say you find a used Xbox One X for $250 to $300. You save yourself at least $200 over an Xbox Series X which you can then invest in building your library.

As long as people are playing games and having fun, that's all that really matters. If there's a way that you can do so and not spend as much money, that is a great win in my book. I honestly think for many people going with an Xbox One X is a better option than a Series. S, and unless you have the latest and greatest 4K UHD television, perhaps even better than a Series X. At least this is what I keep coming back to you and why I have not invested in New Xbox hardware.

#Xbox #GamePass #XboxOnPC

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.

The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)