Did Microsoft Sell Me On The Xbox One X?

Sony's own reveal of the PS4 Pro did them no favors. It was clunky and a load of mush-mouth talk that didn't offer us any reasons to spend 400 dollars on a new console when most have only had their existing PS4's for 3 years. Especially if you did not have a 4K TV, it was doubly useless.

I bought one anyway.

Why? Well, I have a 4K TV, love video games, love being in debt and have the mentality (as do a lot of tech people) that I want the new stuff. Because it's...well, new. And I have enjoyed my PS4 Pro. It looks beautiful, especially with games like Uncharted 4 and Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Seriously, Horizon will melt your eyes in 4K.

So why was I not convinced by Microsoft to buy and Xbox One X during their conference at E3 this year? You would think I would since I am the target audience. A fat guy who plays a lot of games, wants the newest stuff and is willing to throw money into a giant industry that regularly treats its fans like cattle and makes them feel underappreciated.

1. PS4 Pro

The obvious answer is I already own a console that is capable of 4K gaming. I have been playing games in 4K for months and know the joys of it. If you don't have a PS4 Pro, this may make you want an Xbox One X. But for me, I am fine with my lovely little 4K PS4. Also, Microsoft putting a 4K Blu-Ray player in the Xbox One S has now come to hurt them. The one thing my PS4 Pro lacks is that. But I have a One S so there is no need for another 4K Blu-Ray player. If Microsoft had waited and made the player an X-clusive (sorry, not sorry) it would be another selling point for the system.

2. The price

All this was missing was Phil Spencer going full Ken Kutaragi and saying if people want an Xbox One X they will get a second job to pay for it. It is more powerful than the PS4 Pro. Good job, but when you have NO FIRST PARTY SUPPORT it doesn't matter. Every third party game will be made along the same lines for the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. No super duper graphic pack for Xbox (really? Minecraft in 4K). And Microsoft is charging $100 more because it is more powerful. Have all the teraflops you want, I would like to have some exclusives to play and save that 100 bucks. It would have been better for Microsoft to take the loss and priced the X at $399 just to get in more homes. See, Sony may have tripped up on the PS4 Pro announcement, but you know what I do know is coming? Games that I can only play on PS4, which leads to...

3. The games

Microsoft didn't do themselves any favors with their games lineup for the Xbox One X. Yeah, Forza looks like car porn and was the biggest non-surprise you could possibly come up with in E3 predictions, but beyond that? Crackdown looked...ok...actually kind of disappointing. Super Lucky's Tale? To steal a line from Negan, what the actual fuckity fuck? Almost every game shown will release on the PS4 with Pro enhancement and some companies like CD Projekt RED have announced a 4K update for The Witcher 3 on both Xbox and PS4. EA tried during their shit on the table show Saturday, but do I really give a single fuck about how realistic fabric looks on Madden? That is not something I will ever...ever pay attention to.


4. Do more

Now this could change before the release of the console on November 7th, but all I can go on is the information we have now. A $500 premium console with little to no exclusives at launch, or the near future after, and you want me to toss that kind of scratch at you why? Promises in the video game industry are a dime a dozen and even then they will sell you expensive DLC on the cheap dozen you bought. How about packaging the console with an Elite controller? It is your elite console and you are selling it to a supposed elite group of gamers. Make us feel that way and give us the best controller you make. Hell, even like a special achievement or avatar for X owners...something that shouldn't cost you anything, damn. Make us feel wanted, Microsoft. Don't take us to an expensive dinner, make us watch you eat steak while we wait on food that is never coming, then expect us to ask you to come up for coffee.

Was that analogy too much? I don't know. Fuck it.

This is the rub. I want to want an Xbox One X. Show me reasons to get it Microsoft. Help me, help you. And with that 20 year old dated movie reference I will go and watch more E3.