Banjo-

@nomither6 They are very good, often compared to Apple's best in tech reviews.

@Fenbops I understand what you mean, but selling less hardware doesn't mean than it's not viable. It's not Dreamcast. They earn billions yearly via software and subscriptions sold on Xbox consoles. The OS of Xbox is the same as the OS on all PCs around the world. Moreover, Microsoft makes hardware besides consoles: laptops, tablets, desktop computers and even smartphones. There is zero reason for them to drop hardware. Consoles might evolve into something different, but it will be the same scenario for Sony and Nintendo, because the market will be shaped by the habits of the consumers. If anything, Microsoft is in a better position, because they share the OS and sales between consoles and PCs and already have the publishers and infrastructure.

@Fenbops It's a transition to a multiplatform strategy. Sony is doing it reluctantly. If Switch was another Wii U in financial terms, Nintendo would have started it. For the reasons I posted, I believe that Xbox hardware is safe. Phil just confirmed it, once again.

"We’ll definitely do more consoles in the future, and other devices."

Regarding exclusives, Indiana Jones is being advertised on TV as an Xbox/PC release and that's cool to see and a big Game Pass seller, but I think that we have reached a point where console exclusives only make sense if they're cheap to make and sell millions, like Nintendo's. Microsoft, Square Enix and Sony have admitted that.

Xbox still has a ton of exclusives and Game Pass is an exclusive itself, since it's not available on PS and Nintendo. It's interesting how handheld PCs have blurred the lines. Consoles may become "devices", but isn't Xbox One a Windows device? At the end of the day, Xbox is doing better than ever, it's just that this transition leaves some players confused and nostalgic. Let me tell them, I don't believe for a second that the future of Xbox is Candy Crush and Cloud gaming, that's just part of the equation.

Some more highlights:

Tomb Raider Definitive Survivor Trilogy (70%)
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection (67%)
Doom + Doom II (60%)
Sonic Superstars (70%)
Quake II (60%)
Hogwarts Legacy + Quidditch Champions Deluxe bundle (60%)
Immortals Fenyx Rising (80%)
Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition (this is the Series X|S version, 60%)
Trials of Mana (remake, 60%)
Death Stranding Director's Cut (50%, 7 days left)

@Coletrain Even Phil Spencer admitted the existence of the Xbox tax and that it's pointless to fight it. It's even worse because the opposite also happens. How many Sony and Nintendo games are "the best videogame ever made"? That sentence has lost its meaning completely. 🤣

@Coletrain The problem with scores is that at least 30% of the score depends on the publisher's name and not on the game itself.

It's not that they are focusing on mobile games. What mobile games? They own Candy Crush, but that doesn't mean that they're focusing on mobile games now. They are focusing on the multiplatform approach, but that doesn't mean the end of consoles, because that would kill a huge amount of their business and subscriptions, not to mention alienate their fans and set all the flammable posters worldwide on fire. I don't know why some people are so obsessed with Microsoft dropping hardware. It won't happen unless the console market cease to exist and that includes Sony and Nintendo. Then, we'll see what's next.

Consoles are just part of Xbox since Xbox One. Now it's getting much bigger, but it's good news for Microsoft and for us. Sony is reluctantly going this way, too.

I'm really happy about all Square Enix games coming to Xbox and I'm buying them all.

@Coletrain Ha ha, yes, some articles attract that kind of users and end up having 300 comments, most of them by Xbox haters. Right, PC is the most flexible. I only have the PS4 as a Sony machine, but I realised that what I liked the most was available elsewhere.

Just 6.8% of PS5 sales are first-party. PS is the popular, casual console, except in Japan, funny enough, where it's becoming as popular as Xbox. Uncharted is fine, better as film than as game though and the only thing I remember now is the good voice acting and a few frustrating and poorly designed sections. I never liked The Last of Us in spite of liking horror, awful stealth sections and the most overrated Sony IP in my opinion, Horizon Zero Dawn is as beautiful as boring, Spider-Man is a cinematic one-time experience, God of War is fine if you like linear action...

On Xbox, there are many more first-party games I'm interested in and the flexibility, controller and ecosystem makes it the best place for the third-party library, so I naturally built up a huge collection after only being interested in Rare's games. It's the most consumer-friendly and the most flexible of the three. 😊

I just hope that there is a smooth 60fps mode on Series X (and S).

Crash or Spyro may be a Christmas present. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fuelled has a Christmas circuit.

I can confirm that the brute power of Series X is enough to smooth the performance of Panzer Dragoon Remake wonderfully.

@Coletrain I also got the Pixel Remaster Collection on Xbox at launch! I pre-order digital games that I want to support specially. I have hundreds of games on Xbox and not that I expected that at first. According to Microsoft, the attach rate and activity are high on Xbox and I think it's because it's a great ecosystem with the best of console and the best of PC, including cross-play, cross-buy and free cross-save. Not as many consoles sold but dedicated players buying games and playing on Game Pass. That's better for the business than selling twice as many consoles and most people only buying two or three third-party games.

Regarding the Game Pass topic, even huge games like Persona 5 Royal, I did not have to rush them. Most third-party games stay on the service for one year and even if I spent a few months just playing one of them, it would still be much cheaper than buying them at launch, e.g., Persona 3 Reload + DLC (£$€100). But still, I buy Game Pass games. The only difference is that I don't have to.

I have played and bought games that I thought that I wouldn't like thanks to Game Pass. I believe Xbox when they say that Game Pass is beneficial to their whole business, because it boost the popularity and visibility of games. For instance, 52% of active Xbox players and 34% of active PS5 players in USA played Call of Duty Black Ops 6 at launch. Both were all-time highs for Call of Duty, but it's also breaking records on PC. Many users are playing it on Game Pass, but also bought the Vault Edition Upgrade. Many of them subscribed to Game Pass just to play the game and while perhaps not all of them will stay subscribed, some will buy the game and DLC if they unsubscribe. Game Pass and Play Anywhere is a win-win for players and for Xbox.

PS: Another user just posted elsewhere: "I use Game Pass to try before I buy and if I like something on Game Pass there's a 99% chance I'll buy it. It's also been great for me to find obscure indie games that I would never have even thought of playing or buying. I currently own over 800 games for my Series X and a huge amount of those purchases are because I got to play them first."

@Coletrain @Fiendish-Beaver Agreed! Developers make billions on Xbox besides Game Pass deals, as confirmed by Microsoft's yearly reports. I don't understand this obsession with "nobody buys Xbox games", "developers don't sell anything on Xbox" and "Xbox players only play on Game Pass". Some lies are spread across the internet and some people end up believing them as if they were facts, like some things that were rumours and once they were officially denied, they are unable to acknowledge that part of the story and still repeat the first (fake) part ad nauseum.

Nobody expects all third-party games on Game Pass. The thing I do and I recommend is playing third-party games first on Game Pass if they are available, because third-party games always leave the service. I have prioritised the Persona games, for instance.

@Balaam_ I haven't seen any Xbox fan here saying that this is a Fedex simulator and now being excited about it because it's on Xbox. There is only one comment I read with "Fedex", and that person is... consistent (bighead), never changes his mind.

@Ilyn I have a fancy TV, indeed (LG OLED G4).😁

Hey! Story-wise, you are not missing much if you skip Tactica. To be honest, I felt that the story was a tad boring. As my first game of this genre, it took me a long while getting used to the gameplay, but I enjoyed it eventually. I beat it, but I still haven't beaten the first Mario+Rabbids and have never played Xcom. I need to beat that Mario+Rabbids game, not sure what I quitted so quickly.

I also started with Persona 5 Royal on Xbox, then 4 Golden, then Persona 5 Tactica and finally Persona 3 and the DLC as soon as each was available. The DLC starts slow, you may feel that it's just putting more battles at you with nothing new to tell, which was worse in my case because I had beaten the game months before and the battle addiction was over. I guess this is what many players felt, but then the DLC starts giving more context, story elements and motivation to the player. Since you keep your personas but restart your characters, you can learn different skills this second time. I was surprised how long I played the DLC and how fast it felt, because levelling up seems faster. So I was disappointed in the beginning, but hooked after a few hours. I recommend it 100% as a freebie on Xbox.

PS: I loved Soul Hackers 2, especially because of the soundtrack and the story. I still think about it.

@Ilyn What I enjoyed about MGSV is how realistic it feels, not just the graphics but the gameplay. I beat that game, including the last, repeated, super difficult last missions, in spite of the final loop and the pointless end... I see that Death Stranding is a divisive game, but at this price and enhanced for Series X is a no-brainer.

@Tatoun It sounds like at times relaxing, at times intense and overwhelming.

@16BitHero That sounds good! I like subtle horror.

@16BitHero I have also played MGSV and although the graphics and gameplay are great, the story doesn't make any sense. How would you compare Death Stranding with other games?

@Savage_Joe Thanks. The poster updated that information already.

@kelomaniack I agree. Notice that Marathon, a new IP developed and owned by Sony, will be released for PS5, Windows and Xbox at launch.

@K1LLEGAL What's the matter with him now? 😂

@Godot25 @K1LLEGAL OK, so then the sequel also comes to Xbox, no doubt now.

EDIT: It's optimised for Series X|S, so another reason to get it on Xbox.

@Godot25 That's what I thought, that the original game was published by Sony and that it was a shared project between Sony and Kojima. If Sony funded the development, owns the IP and provided the engine, it's wild like @K1LLEGAL said, that they are letting this go to Xbox after Jim Ryan's antics around the world during the acquisition of ABK. That said, the new CEO said that the future of Sony is "multiplatform", PC and mobile, at the very least. It's similar to Square Enix, that also got a new CEO and more recently stated that they were going fully multiplatform.

@K1LLEGAL Yeah, I almost regret my first comment here seeing the notifications bubble going up, but if I remove it, the thread won't make sense LOL. Anyway, I didn't play the PS4 version, so I might consider this for my Series X.

@K1LLEGAL @UnusedBabyWipes Right, I meant the original version. Not that it matters much, more important is that Sony owns the IP and engine, according to the first poster.

@chesheer Was not the original version published by Sony? Not that it matters much, but I think you're wrong. The PC port was the one published by 505 Games.

@Godot25 Not only that, but it was published by Sony. Interesting. I guess that Sony is just following Microsoft's steps and becoming multiplatform, slowly.

Removing Sega Mega Drive Classics can only mean that another compilation is coming. The other titles will probably be replaced by remastered versions. I got everything I wanted just in case, including Jet Set Radio that was delisted because of the licenced soundtrack.

I could not be happier with Series X: FPS Boost, enhanced and free backwards compatibility and Quick Resume are my favourite gaming features ever! I only wish there was more FPS Boost support, Activision games for instance, and the return of Banjo and Kazooie. 😁

The exclusive Digital Foundry video about how Series X was engineered is a mandatory watch. Best thing since Xbox One X.

Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage, Shinobi and Virtua Fighter, on top of back to form 2D and 3D Sonic games... Sega fans can't complain!

@Stamnoso I have played all the Persona games that have been available on Xbox! I would recommend all of them, "Tactica" not so much unless you are fan of that particular genre (battlefield tactics), but start with Persona 3 and the DLC if you have Game Pass because it's all included. The DLC is included as a Game Pass Ultimate perk.

@The-Chosen-one It wouldn't mean that Xbox is leaving the console market because it wouldn't make sense and they have stated that they won't. If they release a handheld, it would be another option to play the same games you'd play on the home console. A hybrid device with enough power inside the dock could also be a possibility. One of the existing handhelds has an option for extra power when docked.

Regarding your question about the current handhelds, check this:

https://www.purexbox.com/forums/px_other_gaming/gaming_handhelds

@HonestHick Right! Microsoft has the OS, the cloud saves since Xbox 360 that still work and the biggest cloud infrastructure, so they head for an Xbox multiplatform future. I have no doubt about it. It will be their key to consolidate their gaming business (even more LOL). What they started with Xbox One, Play Anywhere, and continued with Xbox Cloud. PC, console, hybrid console, mobile devices and TVs. Native gaming and cloud gaming.

An Xbox handheld will be both exciting and extremely popular. A kind of evolution of Series S, now that the mobile specifications can be boosted significantly.

@mac_da_man Your conclusion is childish and wrong. I have been watching DF's videos for many years, and I know exactly what I'm saying. Your prejudices are also wrong, because I got a PS4 before an Xbox One when I noticed that most Xbox One games were 900p. I also used to compare Wii U, Xbox 360 and PS3 games back in the day. So, doubly wrong. Or thrice, because the outcome is not bad for Series X, performance is almost the same as PS5 and he does not even analyse the resolution -dynamic in this case- like the other DF members, Series X being the platform on which I'm playing it. I guess it's just so easy for you to say nonsense like that about other users for no reason, instead of saying something, you know, meaningful.

@PapaGlitch The opposite here. I came late to Xbox (Xbox One) and loved Gears of War, except 5. Halo is more serious, more boring in a sense, someone above said "flat", but I enjoyed the first entries and Infinite. Fallout is one I haven't even played yet. My favourite Forza Horizon is 3, perhaps because it's the first one I played. Okay, I ticked the three mandatory checkboxes now and I would choose Gears of War as the best. 😁

@MjJmediablogger Although I understand your view, I think that Xbox will always have a console, as long as there is a console market, because it makes sense financially. Xboxes are basically Windows PCs. The console market is evolving. I'm sure that the handheld PCs are pressuring Nintendo's overpriced and underpowered offerings and that Microsoft has realised that they need to go there, too. Sony is following Microsoft's steps slowly, although with many drawbacks: late ports, upgrade fees, no free cloud saves, no cross-platform saves... The fact that Sony created service and mobile studios and games is telling, although they haven't found success there yet. The future is multiplatform for Microsoft and Sony and a mystery for Nintendo (based on Wii U and Switch).

It plays and looks great on Series X and it's included in Game Pass Ultimate. The problem with PS5 Pro is that it makes any alternative look better, PC included because of the console price and PS Plus for online. Besides, if you already have a PS4 or a PS5, you probably need a separate disc drive for the games. PS4 Pro sold 88% less than PS4, and not only PS4 Pro was the same price as PS4 earlier, but it was actually almost worth it for 4K displays. How much will the new Pro sell? I am starting to believe that PS5 Pro is just a marketing tool for Sony and they only care about PS6.

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 has the best shooter campaign since Goldeneye 007, it actually reminded me a bit of it.

All Thomas Morgan's videos tend to favour PS. The PS5 version has almost the same frame rate drops. He almost rules the Xbox One X version out! I haven't found any issues on Series X in 120fps mode, although I use VRR as well. The Xbox One version is decent enough looking at the video, although not ideal. He also gives too much importance to the checkpoint saving interruptions.

@Gamer83 That's the great thing about Game Pass. I would add that you are playing the final version, because sometimes demos are different. It's also a joy not feeling forced to beat games that you are not enjoying for some reason, in my case, Wolfenstein Young Blood before Call of Duty Black Ops 6 was released.

@Henchdog Same. I checked 2D and 3D stages today and it's running flawlessly like before.

@NEStalgia Try it. There is a training course and you're saving $70. 😜

@HonestHick Yep, no problems with my Xbox One, Xbox One X and Series X either. My PS4, on the other hand... 🤣

The Switch version is the worst by far, as expected: not just half the frame rate but there are quality and frame pacing issues galore. What is shocking is that, according to John, the flawless Series X version of the original Sonic Generations is no longer flawless.

There are stutters and skips in both the gameplay and the audio.

I will need to check that out. What the heck happened?

@robe Another easy option is select the game tile, press Menu button, select Manage game and tick and untick whatever you want, then Save changes. That will keep, erase and install your choice.

For instance, BO6 Campaign (56.5 GB) and BO6 Multiplayer (43.3GB).

@HonestHick Oh, I remember telling you PS5 Pro is not worth it when it was revealed! 😁 It's a minimal GPU upgrade that will be vastly underused, and by the time next consoles come, it will be a very expensive paperweight. I'm curious about the noise and heat levels because Sony is not very good engineering consoles in that sense. It's like they take off-the-shelf components and then overclock them for the Pro model. Since Xbox One X, it's fascinating how incredibly well Microsoft engineer the Xbox consoles.