Topic: Official Push Square Xbox Thread

@JGRockford Exactly this...

The fact that the console has a very similar brain (CPU) but a less capable Artist (GPU) does mean that its the 'Graphics' that will be scaled down. There is a reason that once you get below a certain graphical threshold, you don't gain anything in terms of frame rates, that's because of the CPU and if you have essentially the same CPU, you can run the same games with the same AI, NPC counts, physics, hit detection, draw calls etc. 1080p is 1/4 the size of 4k and 4k is about 2.2x the size of 1440p so the Series S at about 1/3 the graphical processing power is somewhere in that ballpark area as far as resolution scaling - although may need a few settings reduced to hit 1440p. As far as the reduction in RAM, its not using 4k/Hi Res Textures either so doesn't need the RAM. To put it in context, the PS4 Pro has just 5.5GB RAM at 216GB/s for gaming. I don't know exactly what the Series S has allocated for gaming BUT it has 8GB RAM at 224GB/s.

When you look at Yakuza, a game that is very heavy on resources, it runs at 1080/30 on Pro (not perfectly) and on Series S, it runs at 1440/30 - it also has a 60fps option - unlike the Current gen.

The Series S is for those not interested in the highest level of Graphical fidelity and has the same feature set, same data throughput and very similar CPU. Of course its a bit more work for a developer as they are not able to just set the output to say 1440p and that's it. They have to also scale down textures (often they do this anyway for objects at distance) and of course tweak the settings to get the performance they want as just dropping the resolution down may not be enough to get the same consistent frame rates.

Its not for me at all but the point is, the PS5 and Series X are both targetting 4k and as such need much more powerful GPU's to achieve that resolution. Textures too need to be higher resolution to match and that means bigger files sizes (per texture) and therefore need more RAM and higher Bandwidth to get them where they need to be.

We will no doubt see how well its holding up in a few years or so but generally, you can see that the Console was designed to run the same games, just at a lower graphical standard and so doesn't need the GPU/RAM the other consoles have. I must admit, I do wonder if it will affect MS's decision to bring Minecraft DXR, a fully path traced game to console if it ran at 1080/30 on Series X - but time will tell. That was a 'tech demo' but I do wonder if it would run on Series S (720p maybe with fewer bounces?) and if not, will that affect MS's decision to release??

Oof, with the news that Star Wars Jedi is coming to EA Play, that means it’s coming to Game Pass as well. That’s a big, big game to play as part of your subscription. Considering my only real gripes with the game were technical, if I was getting an Xbox Series X then I’d definitely replay it as it would be a classic with a bit of technical polish.

Lots of xbox promotion going on from 6pm gmt tonight live streamed including a holographic display of series X in London.

Just picked up my Series X and extra Robot White controller. Still at bloody work though. 3 hours to go.

First time I've ever bought a console without a physical game. Haha.

@SoulChimera

I get mine delivered sometimes today by Amazon

Some nice additions to Gamepass including Planet Coaster and EA Access

@blacklivesmatter Just about to set up mine now. I am going to need a new entertainment unit for this and the PS5. They are big! And a lot heavier than I was expecting.

Feels very premium though.

EDIT: Up and running. I will say one thing. The cables are short as duck. I haven’t been able to set it up properly in my unit as the HDMI cable won’t reach my wall mounted TV. Going to leave it all messy until the PS5 arrives. Looks like a trip to IKEA is definitely happening.

Yeah I was suprised at the weight of the console. Setup was so easy using the app it was like a dream. Now the long wait to download all the games I had on the previous console. Destiny 2 just about finished Fan is so quiet as well but i have not played any demanding games yet. My only concern is that I will need to keep it covered when not in use as where the fan is will be like a magnet for dust.

So people are faking the Xbox Series X smoking using a vape. Could this be... FUD??

@nessisonett It is the ultimate fake news lol. The thing is people not clued up will fall for it and will probably end up not getting a series x for little Bobby at Christmas.

this ***** is taking console wars to a whole new level

I can see legit PS elitist trolls using those videos to declare their console isn't prone to hardware failures lol

@TheFrenchiestFry The thing is, both consoles will probably have faults. First runs always do. It’s just the height of pettiness.

@nessisonett I've already heard of one being reported in regards to PS5s shutting down abruptly even when put in rest mode, but apparently it's the result of router interference specifically regarding the Google Nest and its WiFi tech and Sony already stated they're looking into that

I haven't heard much in the way of Xbox hardware faults and hopefully it's a similar story with PS5

@TheFrenchiestFry There’s always issues. The only console I’ve gotten at launch was Wii and that’s one of the most stable consoles I’ve ever had, not a single fault over the 10 years I used it. I’m still going back and forth over PS5 but it’s mostly FOMO since you lot will all have one over the next few months! I just think I’ll hopefully be able to hold out for a revision that sorts the inevitable bugs and issues.

@nessisonett @TheFrenchiestFry My launch PS4, 3DS (that's been dropped more than I care to admit), and Wii U have all been fine. Only 3DS issue is the battery is terrible now, but that's it. Wii U also didn't played enough to die I'll also admit. But my launch PS4 has been used for countless hours and is fine. Plenty of time with it preparing for lift off with the fan too.
Honestly, launch PS4 seems to be pretty reliable.

I've actually never gotten a console at launch but I've gotten initial versions of systems before such as the PS4 and Switch during 2015 and 2017 respectively.

My Switch specifically already has a minor scratch near the top of the screen likely due to the dock scratching it when inserted, as this was apparently super common for launch window Switches.

@Jaz007 My 3DS was great but the battery died and then the charger port fell out the wee hole bit which was rather annoying. I muddled through just using the dock thing for a few months and then upgraded to a New 3DS XL with the Majora’s Mask bundle. Nintendo probably have the best build quality up until the Switch, which I personally just find feels exceedingly cheap. The Joy-Cons in particular are disgraceful, not since the red ring days of Xbox 360 have I seen these levels of hardware failures on a mass scale.

@nessisonett It's weird. The Switch feels premium and cheap at the same time. Like the console has heft to it and feels substantial, and the Joy-Con feel particularly delicate as does the screen which is especially nice, but then there's stuff like the flap for the Game Card slot similar to the Vita 2000 and the extremely flimsy kick stand which are distractingly poor

@TheFrenchiestFry Especially considering the Pro Controller is probably the most premium feeling controller I’ve ever used. It’s nice to see that this gen will have 3 consoles with properly premium controllers though, although the Switch’s one is optional. The Xbox controller looks like it has some pretty nice improvements to bring it closer to the Elite one from this gen and the DualSense is truly revolutionary. I love my DualShock 4 but there’s something quite mass-market about it that I can’t quite put my finger on.

@nessisonett I think the thing with the DualShock 4 is that while it's an excellent controller, it has a few of those design quirks left over from previous gen controllers that feel slightly dated. It might be that they didn't want to iterate too hard on the established design but they also didn't want to be criticized for sticking to the same basic template after like 3 straight generations of essentially the same exact controller

Pro Controller would be my favorite controller of the generation if it had a headphone jack and if the d-pad didn't feel so mushy to me. Especially as a fighting game player sometimes I feel I have to jam my thumb into a specfic direction and even then it's still a 50/50 chance of whether or not inputs will actually register.