Topic: General Xbox Series X|S Thread

@NEStalgia I guess that the last four years were spent on arguing with each other about how a game should be, instead of developing it, and on obsessively recreating Nintendo characters that they were not paid for while being funded by Microsoft.

@Banjo- With these images, Nintendo should sue them for IP damages.

@NEStalgia I'm absolutely sure that they're considering it, they're kind of obsessed with fan art.

@Banjo- The Initiative is what happens when you throw 100 million dollars at a DeviantArt account

@NEStalgia And that's sad because I thought that The Initiative could be a AAA dream team. I always say that big groups of people need hierarchy to avoid chaos and inefficiency. In this case, they also need... programmers?

I'm planning on buying a Series X next week. It's apparently available in my local store for normal retail pricing and I've just been wanting to buy a new system for quite some time now. For people who have read my posts over at Push Square, I've also expressed interest in buying a PS5. But there are just less reasons for me to buy a PS5 compared to Series X. For starters, PS5 costs €800 where I live, while Series X is €570, which is a significant difference. Second, a lot of PS exclusives are still coming out on PS4 and games like Horizon Forbidden West apparently run really well on base PS4.

The primary mistake I did last generation was buying both a base PS4 and Xbox One at the same time. This meant that I had no reason to upgrade to one of the revised consoles because I already had both. This time I'm thinking about buying a Series X now and then wait for the inevitable PS5 Pro. That way when Series X becomes "outdated", I can start buying my games on PS5 Pro. Not to mention that more PS exclusives will be PS5 only from next year on. So for me it makes more sense to buy Xbox now and wait with PS5 instead of having two "outdated" consoles in the future.

I've also not been playing on Xbox as much in recent months (which you can probably tell since I haven't been as active on the Pure Xbox forums as I've been on the Push Square forums). So I need a reason to play more on Xbox and a new console, which would be my primary console, would definitely change that. That way I can use my PS4 and Switch for exclusives while I can use Series X for everything else. For example, I can finally play Cyberpunk 2077 properly if I have a current-gen system. Not to mention that I'll have access to current-gen exclusives like the upcoming Callisto Protocol and Resident Evil 4 Remake. Xbox has also been getting more Japanese games, like Soul Hackers 2, which is very beneficial for me as I love Japanese games. And of course, there's Game Pass, which I would be more incentivised to use if I had a new Xbox.

Then there are also features on Series X that would motivate me to play more on Xbox. For starters, there's Quick Resume. Being able to switch between multiple titles would motivate me to play more games at the same time. Second, having a functional rest mode on Series X as opposed to the one on my base Xbox One, which makes the system noisy and breaks achievements in certain games, would also motivate me to play more on Xbox. I play a lot of games on PS4 because I love rest mode. If I can utilise a proper rest mode on Xbox then I could be playing so many more games on there as well. Then there's also the extensive backwards compatibility and I have bought tons of digital original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles that I haven't played yet. Being able to play them on Series X with rest mode and quick resume, and maybe even some technical improvements, would be great.

My new Xbox One controller is also slightly broken. I dropped it literally once on the floor and now the right bumper doesn't work all the time. My previous Xbox One controller didn't work either after a while. So if I buy a Series X, I can at least get a new controller with the system as well (and hopefully I don't break it).

So yeah, I just wanted to write down my thoughts for why I'm getting a Series X. I just want a new console to play on and a Series X makes more sense now than PS5. While I don't have a 4K TV, I can at least experience shorter load times and better frame rate with games on Series X. And that's good enough for me. I'm just sick of having to do research in order to find out if games run well on my outdated systems. With a current-gen system, I can leave all that behind for the time being.

And of course, having a Series X would incentivise me to be more active here lol.

I think you're going to really like the Series X... I was a big 360 fan a long time ago (but I skipped the One and PS4... just went strictly Nintendo)... then came back to Xbox in May this year when I came across a Series X in a store... and am I ever glad I did... I've been playing games that have looked the same for decades now (I don't PC game)... and I went 360 > Wii U > Switch... and I've had a good time gaming... but, I haven't seen any advancement since 2005... and now I'm at 4K on the X and the games are just great! You will be very happy with your purchase.

@TheLastKamikaze Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case yet haha. I've actually not played anything major on Series X since I got it on Monday. It's just not as appealing as I thought it would be. Granted, I did have an Xbox One so the Series X doesn't feel that different from the One.

I've bought Cyberpunk 2077 and Far Cry 6 so hopefully I can have some fun playing those games soon.

I admit as time has gone on, I've felt more regret from buying the Series X. It feels like my most played XB1 game will probably stop getting support in the near future (like Spring 2023), the 1st party library for Xbox mostly hasn't been particularly interesting in recent years, MCC is getting microtransactions and Switch is drowning in games (including getting several 3rd party games I had considered buying on Xbox like the Portal games, Nier Automata and Persona 5 Royal so I'll get them on Switch instead).

Hopefully Deathloop does release soon after the 1 year PS5 timed exclusivity is over, that's my most anticipated Series X game currently outside of FH5 DLC.

I do have to say that the Series X controller having a complete matte finish, even on the triggers now, makes it feel so much better to hold. I hated how glossy the original Xbox One controller was. They fixed it slightly with the V2 Xbox One controller but the triggers were still glossy. At least now every part of the controller has a matte finish, which is great.

Hey guys, it's my first time here on the Pure Xbox forums. Thing is, since the PS2 era I always had Sony consoles. Where I live really no one has an Xbox, but I'm thinking of buying one.
I don't have a current-gen console, just a PS3 and a PS4 (no PC), so I'm thinking of getting a Series S.
Why the Series S? Well, it's just cheaper.
In my country, a Series S is half the price of a PS5.
Would you guys say it's worth it? Are there any things to have in mind? I just want to have access to current-gen games when they stop releasing for PS4. I've been doing a little research on Gamepass and it's awesome. I would be able to play some old games I never had the chance like the Gears of War and Fable series.
Any tip/warning/anything for someone who never had an Xbox console?
Thanks in advance!

@Lup as someone that also lives in the land of PlayStation rule, I algo bought a Xbox for the first time (series X). The systems are great experience and gamepass is a great deal. Just bear in mind your disk space won't go a long way and the memory expansion is quite expensive (right now I opted for a 1Tb HDD where I put any game that is not series enhanced but I have both very close to full capacity)

@Lup The series S is a pretty awesome console. The only real downside to it, is its disk space, just like Balta said above me. Effectively it has like 265GB of space which you can freely use. That means you are limited to space. If you keep the installed games to a minimum and delete games when you're done you should be fine.

Gamepass for me personally is pretty amazing. But it is kinda depending on what you like to play if it is for you or not. Gamepass won't give you acces to the newest AAA games. The games that will be added will mostly be AA games and indies and here a there an AAA that is a bit older. IF you're fine with that? Then yes, gamepass is for you and you can get a lot of fun out of it.

The layout of the home screen will be totally different for you and might take a while getting used to. But you can change how things look on there, there is actually a lot you can mix around with in the Ux/ui department

The biggest thing you are going to enjoy on Xbox is the Quick resume feature. Just being able to leave a game open when closing the console or having multiple games open at once is such a huge deal. I never have to be afraid of forgetting to save before i turn off, since i start my xbox, i start the game and im right where i left off. Thats the bigges thing im missing when i play on my PS5 (i have both) haha.

@Balta666 @Lavalera

Thanks a lot for your answers!

Yeah the disk space doesn't sound even close to ideal, but I'm fine with that. I mean, I know I'm getting the less expensive console, some sacrifices have to be made.
I think Gamepass will be great for me because there's really a lot to choose from.
That Quick Resume thing it's pretty amazing. Sounds like something you can't live wlthout once you try it.
Something that's maybe a little silly: I feel like I'm never going to memorize the button layout for like quick-time events. I'm too used to Sony controllers!

@Lup yeah I had the same issue as I was playing a lot of Switch when I bought the system. From PS to Xbox at least the default accept button (A and cross) are in the same position

@Lup The Series S is a fantastic little system and offers superb 'bang for buck' gaming. Obviously you have a smaller GPU and less RAM as well as a bit less storage, also no Disc drive but for the price, you are still getting a LOT in that little box. Considering it comes with a Controller and HDMI 2.1 compatible HDMI cables in the box too, you are getting a lot in that little box.

If you have a 1080p display (or even a 1440p monitor), the Series S is perhaps a better fit than the Series X as the extra resolution won't make much (if any) noticeable difference. You also only get XB1S Back Compat versions (not XB1X) but with a HD screen, that's not too bad but you also won't get 60fps modes that XB1X versions have.

With Game Pass too, you have access to hundreds of games from the past 20+ yrs of Xbox gaming and access to brand new releases day and date every month. It might be a bit more like a 'Library' where you can 'borrow' games for as long as you remain a member and that Library has the title, but when it leaves, you do get the opportunity to purchase it permanently and with a 20% discount too. There is never any obligation to purchase 'anything'. The devs will get some money from just being on Game Pass, but to maximise their earnings, they have to convince you to purchase content.

Its a bit like a Mall where 'every' game is a separate store. The shop window may get you in the front door (of which there is no entry fee), but if you don't like what you see, feel etc inside that store, you won't spend money. If you enjoy being in that store, you are more likely to buy something and/or keep returning. All those stores/games are competing for your attention, no obligation to 'purchase' anything, and if if you enjoy the 'experience' in a store/game, you are more likely to return and spend time and money.

As others have said, there isn't much storage on a Series S (or X/PS5 for that matter) but you can buy expansion cards to run Series S versions of games, or you can add a USB storage (SSD/HDD) for Older games and/or 'storing' (not playing) Series games - they have to run from internal SSD or Expansion slot SSD. The expansion slot is a bit like those old 'memory' cards that can be swapped out quickly and easily so you could have multiple cards and just swap them out to play different games.

As for 'next-gen' games, the Series S will get the same multi-platform releases as the PS5 (and Series X of course) but obviously won't have the same Visual clarity so you shouldn't miss out.

I know @mousieone and I talked about this a while back, but has anyone noticed any problems specifically with some games, Quick Resume, and Remote Play?

At first I thought it was a general issue with Remote Play, but then I realized, the whole time I was playing AI Somnium, Quick Resume always worked on my XSS. Sometimes it would fail to start up right away, I'd go into "remote control this console" and try to start it a few times, and then after a minute or two it would start up and work fine. Then I went back to yakuza 0, And found once again that every other day or so I go to remote play, and it just won't start up. I go into remote control console and try to turn it on a few times, and it won't start up. Eventually I have to go physically turn the console on (light glows, for remote power on the light does not glow), and then it works. Though the quick resume session is usually lost and it starts from scratch again.

Somehow game-specific (or BC vs native XSXS?) quick resume issues prevent remote power up from working at all. Is it just me, or anyone else notice this? IDK how many people here use remote play so not many may notice.

@NEStalgia I don’t think Ai Somnium is native. But I don’t think Yakima 0 is 100% compatible with Quick Resume. I’ve noticed that a lot of games aren’t or they are only half/half. Tales compatibility with it got better over time for instance.

@mousieone Tales got better? I didn't remember them patching anything. I played in Feb or so and I remember every time it goes in quick resume the next speech comic book style cutscene that pops up would cause it to hardlock every time.

Yakuza 0 is definitely bad with QR, it crashes as often as it doesn't. But the big thing is how it seems to prevent remote startup from working at all. I thought remote play itself was just flaky on the consoles, but it seems like it's actually Yakuza 0 or games that fail QR prevent it from starting up, so if you leave the wrong game running, odds are remote play is down until you reboot or at least manually start the console.