Comments 754

Re: Talking Point: Would You Be Interested In A Digital-Only Xbox Series X?

JetmanUK

I have a Series S and Series X and I buy my games digitally, so the only reason of get a discless XSX is if I became dissatisfied with my XSS. Can't see that happening, I am currently very happy with it.

I actually think I'd be more likely to buy a standard XSX as a replacement as even though I buy games digitally I do play the occasional DVD or Blu-ray and that would be handy in the room that the XSS currently lives in.... Or maybe I should just dust off and set up the One X next to it for that purpose. 🤷🏻🤣

Re: Reaction: Red Dead Redemption PS4 Port Highlights How Amazing Xbox Backwards Compatibility Is

JetmanUK

Back compat on Xbox is amazing and really help with game preservation too.
I play old games all the time.

The only ones who don't like back compat are Rockstar, they can't take advantage and do a swift cash grab port to the Xbox! Don't worry, they will fleece some Sony and Nintendo fans and get their bags of cash. If they could revoke their games back compat they would!

Also, anyone remember what a state the old GTAs were in on the recent (ish) compilation? They might even release a mess of a port this time too, Sony and Nintendo fans beware!

Re: Remedy Dev Reckons There's 'Nothing Surprising' About Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox Series S Debacle

JetmanUK

Suggested solution - How about two player split screen on XSS and four player split screen on the XSX?

Games on the S are allowed to have lower resolution, lower graphic settings and textures, and even half the frame rate, why not half the split screen players? It then still offers split screen play.

This is if it is 4 player on XSX, I have seen comments that it is only 2 player.

Either way, as we have seen with Switch games, you can chop and chop and make a just about acceptable game. If it's 1440p 60fps on XSX then make it 720p (or even a Switch style 540p!) and 30fps. Use dynamic resolution and reconstruction. Cut the textures right back. Disable shadow or lighting features. Remove animations. Maybe make the viewable play area in a smaller window. Perhaps restrict the distance the two players can roam from each other (biggest difference right there, huge memory saver especially). Lower AA, motion blur, AO. So many cuts made all round to try.
All of the above would make a huge difference to CPU, GPU and memory requirements. No reason this game can't ship, Microsofts team will help them ship the game, I don't doubt this at all.

Re: Saints Row Update 1.5 Now Live Ahead Of Final Expansion Coming To Xbox Next Week

JetmanUK

Credit to them for their excellent support of this game. It's such a shame that it launched with lots of issues (like many other games), plus the tonal changes which put off many long standing fans of the series.

I actually picked this up on a sale a while back and have not even started it yet, I think I'll wait until after the final patch. I think I'll be in for a real treat.

Re: Hands On With Antstream Arcade: Xbox's Massive New Retro Gaming Collection

JetmanUK

@Krambo42 No worries.
It really is very informative, check it out everyone!

I am really backing this big time, I just think it's a great service. Like I've said elsewhere on this site I have played around with the PC verison quite a bit, Android too, it's a really promising service and I like their plans for the future too.

To have such a service on Xbox is a huge thing, well done to MS for allowing it on their platform.

I know what I will be doing tomorrow.

Re: Hands On With Antstream Arcade: Xbox's Massive New Retro Gaming Collection

JetmanUK

I preordered this, very excited for the launch tomorrow.

Having played around with it on PC I know how smooth and responsive the games feel, I would say they offer the best cloud gaming experience I have ever tried, so I have no fears at all (I am assuming that the XBOX client is as good as the PC one of course, we will see).

Highly recommended from me.

Speccy game time! Uridium Spectrum and C64 too!

Re: Xbox 360 Call Of Duty Titles See Huge Player Spikes Following Server Update

JetmanUK

@Lightweight I think I have a rather heavy handed way of fixing this. Would somehow pulling the plug on Xbox Live for the 360 hardware work? Two gens back now, would anyone care if the 360 had no online? (Ok, would any large number care?)
Only Xbox one and Xbox series consoles playing the games in back compat mode, surely they could not be hacked then?
I must admit I don't know how the hacks are done so maybe this over the top idea is not viable anyway. 🤔🤷🏻

Re: Xbox Games With Gold For July 2023 Announced

JetmanUK

Anyone else here getting the glitch where you can't claim the GWG games? If you have it you also can't get the deals with gold offers either.

It seems to be affecting those who upgraded from Gold to Gamepass recently and has been reported online. I had to get support to add The Vale to my library.

Re: Starfield Will Run At 4K / 30FPS On Xbox Series X, 1440p / 30FPS On Series S

JetmanUK

I've Not read the other comments, sorry guys, too many and I am supposed to be working!

My thoughts:

1) I am OK with this, they are making out like this is a locked 30FPS, OK locked 30 evenly paced with good motion blur, absolutely fine.

2) However, if indeed the frame rate has gone above 30FPS during testing then how about a 120hz 40fps mode?

3) How about a mode that relies on VRR with perhaps a lowered resolution? Achieving 40 – 60FPS, but more towards the top of this range. This may play well too.

Point 2 and 3 could be added post launch, and I feel they just might be.

Overall as in point 1 above, its fine, but particularly that 120hz mode, well it should be a standard in all 30fps games now really.

Re: Game Pass Shooter 'Shadow Warrior 3' Now Supports 60FPS On Xbox Series S

JetmanUK

The number of games which receive a 60fps Series S patch a while after launch is very encouraging, with a little dedication it truly can run games very well... the downside is that the damage reputation wise is often done already.

To counter this Xbox should ALWAYS tweet/advertise such updates to ensure that S owners/prospective S owners can feel assured about the performance of games on their chosen platform.

I have both an X and an S and I mostly feel the experience is absolutely fine on the S, it’s a lovely little machine, these patches just need to come faster.

Re: Review: Hyperkin Xenon Controller - An Amazing 360 Throwback For Xbox One, Series X|S

JetmanUK

I did want this, and will still probably buy it, but they really needed to skip authenticity and put a better d pad on it. The 360 controller was great, maybe revolutionary even, but the dpad was always awful. I remember getting my console on launch night, excitedly setting it up in the early hours... and initially thinking that my controller was faulty, that's how bad it was to get accurate movement, thankfully most games used the analogue pad, but yeah, it was terrible.

Re: Talking Point: Are You Still Playing Forza Horizon 5 In 2023?

JetmanUK

Having played all the FH games I still think the best by far is FH3. I didn't gel with 4 that well and 5 even less, although I want to try again.

It may just be series fatigue, I've been saying this since FH4... Give them a rest MS or you will kill the franchise. They rested Motorsport, now rest Horizon.
Make a Project Gotham Inbetween if you have to have a car game released, just don't kill the another IP with too many games.

Re: Poll: How Many Of 2023's Xbox Games With Gold Have You Played So Far?

JetmanUK

I have every single Games with Gold offering since it started back in 2013. I always claim them, why wouldn't you? You could see a YouTube video of one that catches your eye, or maybe you get into a genre that you weren't into previously and suddenly that game you never would have played is now great fun.

However... To date I have only played a handful.

Re: Talking Point: Do You Buy Less Third-Party Titles Because Of Xbox Game Pass?

JetmanUK

I think Gamepass is great, one of the best things in modern gaming, but probably just not for me. Let me explain.

I don't get a lot of time to play these days and also have more disposable income than when I was younger. This means I am more likely to buy a game when I want it, usually on a sale, as I like a deal. Subscribing to a service at £10.99 per month and not using it feels like a bad deal.

I am saying all this as a current and long time Gamepass subscriber, I did not jump in on the service straight away as I knew it was not for me. I just dabbled with cheap sub deals. Then the crazy deals started.

All this has come to mind as I note that my loooong subscription deal is coming to an end in a few days, I can see that on my account I was last billed £1... back in June 2019!

What a deal I have had, and what a service it has been, and no doubt will continue to be. I highly recommend it to anyone, give it a try, it's just in my current point in life it's not for me. If a deal comes up though, well...

In the meantime I bought a code for 12 months of XBL which I will activate on the expiration of my Gamepass sub, it seems I can't add it before as it converts to Gamepass.

Re: The New 'Pinball FX' Arrives On Xbox Consoles Later This Month

JetmanUK

@GarbonZoni Cool, I don't know how many I have on Pinball Arcade, I just remember that when the Williams tables were being removed I bought them all, there was no sale so I spent a stupid amount on them. 😬🤣 Don't regret it though, I really like how Farsight have recreated the tables.

Have you tried Zaccaria Pinball? That's pretty good too, some of the tables are very primitive, but it's a good addition to your collection if you like the Pinball Arcade and Stern Arcade style games.

Re: The New 'Pinball FX' Arrives On Xbox Consoles Later This Month

JetmanUK

@Would_you_kindly Unless I'm miss remembering, it's late here, they issued a cart and then issued the code version as they changed the tables included. I'm not at home so I cant check which tables are included in my cart. We could compare.

Perhaps it was an import from another country? Not sure.

Re: The New 'Pinball FX' Arrives On Xbox Consoles Later This Month

JetmanUK

@Would_you_kindly This isn't correct. What happened was Farsight Studios released a spin off of The Pinball Arcade game called Stern Pinball. As the title sounds it was specifically for Stern tables only.

You can still buy tables in The Pinball Arcade, yeah they lost most of their top quality ones when the Williams license was lost, but you can buy Stern and Gottlieb tables in it. They seem to be running both games side my side.

Theres a nice physical version of Stern Pinball on the Switch, well worth picking up. 👍🏻

Re: The New 'Pinball FX' Arrives On Xbox Consoles Later This Month

JetmanUK

@Tasuki The Pinball Arcade? I loved their game too. Sadly they lost the rights to most of thier big name classic tables, to Zen, so they started to be remade in Pinball FX. It's a shame really.

I own the tables I wanted in it so I am ok, but no new purchases of those tables can be made now. Licensing issues, they plague gaming.

Re: The New 'Pinball FX' Arrives On Xbox Consoles Later This Month

JetmanUK

I've enjoyed all the Pinball FX/Zen Pinball games, across multiple formats. Like everyone else I do find it frustrating to keep buying the same tables, but then lots of people buy FIFA every year. 🤣

Joking aside, it's a little frustrating. The good thing about Xbox is that you can play Pinball FX 1-3 on your Series or One generation console so if you have amassed a large library of tables you can still play them.

I personally will have a look and see how much the tables are, I suspect outside of sales I won't be buying into this version.

Re: The 'Worst Xbox Game Of 2022' Is Shutting Its Servers This May

JetmanUK

I am really disappointed to hear this as I did play it quite a lot and felt that it offered something different in the console shooter space.

It had improved greatly, from where it was at its dodgy launch, it just could not get past the reputation that it had gained, it was no way the worst game, not at all.

I also can't believe that the single player is going away too! I haven't finished the whole thing, and with my life being busy right now I don't think I will get to, so single player content that I paid for is going down the drain. I doubt I would support this developer again.
I feel that I should be refunded for the single player, they can keep the spend I made in multiplayer, I don't mind, but a single player campaign disappearing? That is just wrong, MS should step in here with refunds.

Re: These 18 Games Could Be Permanently Delisted On Xbox Next Week

JetmanUK

I had a a spending spree yesterday, picking up a few of these games and all DLC for any that I own. I feel it would be frustrating to go back and play a game and not be able to play the dlc if I had really been enjoying it.

Let's not forget that MS have done so much for game preservation in the console space, way more than their competitors. Also, I don't believe that this is their choice, it is a most likely licensing issues with each game, it's a publisher driven thing, again I can't really criticise them for that either, sometimes business is business, as disappointed as we all are that's the harsh reality.

Amongst others I picked up both Left 4 Dead games and their DLC, I didn't play them back in the day. Am I in for a treat? I didn't really enjoy Back 4 Blood when I tried it with a couple of friends. Hoping they are more fun.