Topic: Official Push Square Xbox Thread

@KratosMD @BAMozzy i think it looks nice myself but i do kind of agree that perhaps they should leave the UI alone for a bit and work on some of the other things it needs such as...

Youtube Streaming: i know MS owns Mixer but Youtube is probably the largest video sharing site in the world and it seems a bit dumb to not include it, especially when the competitor does (also since they removed the snap function Twitch is a little annoying to use, it could do with a fix)

Longer DVR recording times: 5 minutes isn't long enough in my opinion again the PS4 lets you record up to an hour of gameplay if you want too

Disc based BC games: i know we have OGXB games coming but it would be nice if we could put ANY OGXB or 360 discs in and play them instead of only games that are on the BC program that you have to download, i'm sure it wouldn't be hard for them to do

actually sounds like a good start for a discussion what would you like to see MS add to the XBXOX ONE in future updates?

I think the UI is improving in speed and functionality with each update. Personally, like @BAMozzy , I'm not interested in the streaming side of things I just want to load up and get straight on to my game, so anything that helps that is a bonus.

@FullbringIchigo As MS have put a lot of money into Mixer and looking to make that the competitor to youtube and twitch, it really needs to make that its primary streaming platform with as much simplicity and ease of use, as well as additional functionality to encourage people to use it - both in terms of streaming and watching. It needs a big user base to at least be competitive and maybe even offer 4k and HDR streaming/videos too. That could also help sell 4k and HDR games.

I don't know about the length of DVR recording but again the opportunity to upload 4k HDR - especially with the Xbox One X to sites like Youtube will benefit the sales of 4k HDR games. I know that some may not have a 4k HDR display and those that do and interested in gaming will probably have an 'X' anyway but its still something that could show the games to those who maybe on the fence.

The reason that the BC games are limited to the ones listed is because they are the ones that have been 'uploaded' to their online servers and wen you insert a disc, it downloads the game much like installing a XB1/PS4 disc to the Hard-drive and it also is compatible with the emulation software. Its not 'running' on the XB1 as such but on an inbuilt emulation programme and MS test and maybe even patch these games to ensure they run as expected. They also need permission from the 3rd Party devs/publishers too. Of course it would be great to have the entire library of Xbox games from all generations working on 'current' hardware but its not that simple with licences, permission etc. In theory at least, you would think it should be easy but with older games, especially those with licensed music or publishers/developers no longer around, it can be very difficult to get permission and some licenses may have expired too so they can no longer get permission to bring them forward. Like the current gen games, these also don't run from disc either but the 'licence' to play that you own is required. The fact you 'own' the licence - either on disc or digital is what enables you to play but the 'game' itself is always 'digital'.

I know it seems I am making excuses on behalf of MS but that's the information I have heard and the reason why some games will never come to BC.

Pre-ordered my Project Scorpio edition Xbox One X...

Looks like it will be quite a step up from a Pro judging by this Rise of the Tomb Raider Xbox X enhancements video...

@BAMozzy is there any difference apart from having Project Scorpio written on it?

@FullbringIchigo The console itself has a graduated 'dot' pattern on the top too - something the other doesn't and it also comes with the vertical stand. Other than that, there isn't a difference. Its a bit like the Day 1 XB1 version that wasn't any 'different' apart from the 'day 1 logo' and maybe a Day 1 emblem too...

You wouldn't expect the console to be 'significantly' different. At most a 'different' HDD size but nothing that would impact on how games run. Its just cosmetic differences but I was always going to pre-order as soon as I could. I believe Amazon and Game have sold out on their initial allocations. I hear some retail 'stores' have sold out there allocations too. Within an hour of Amazon pre-orders going live, it was sold out. If you are after the Project Scorpio edition, better get a pre-order in...

@BAMozzy no i'm not after one, happy with my XB1s, i don't need to rebuy a system i already have for prettier graphics, i was just wondering if it had any other cosmetic differences from a normal XB1X is all

i know inside it will be the same as a normal XB1X

@FullbringIchigo At the end of the day, you have to decide what is important to you. I bought a Pro despite owning a PS4 and that wasn't 'purely' visual reason. Its the same with the 'X' too - buying it not just for 'prettier' visuals but also for the benefits it brings to all games - even those not patched games. The fact that it 'should' improve those games with 'dynamic scaling' and unlocked frame rates - as well as improve loading times and can improve the visuals too - even if its not boosting the resolution - the built in 'Boost mode' is not a tokenistic 'boost' either so should play all my existing library of games better than the 'S' does.

Of course newer games will no doubt be using the 'X' to improve predominantly the visuals - not just 'resolution' but the actual 'visual' settings too - things like improved lighting, shadows etc above 'console' standards and will obviously have 4k assets too - 4k textures that even 1080p TV owners benefit from by super sampling. Maybe improve draw distances to avoid pop-in - not just objects but textures, shadows etc too.

I know much of that all adds up to 'prettier' but there is still the aspect of Frame Rates. As we have seen with the Pro, some games can offer 60fps modes of '30fps' games. I doubt we will see many 60fps modes for MP games but we could see a fair few in SP games. We could also see a few MP games run better on the 'enhanced' hardware - like BF1 on Pro that in MP runs ~15fps better - as well as look 'prettier' too. Games like Halo 5, although now getting a patch to 4k, would really benefit from the 'X' as they are dynamic scaling, unlocked frame rate games - like Doom as well which co-incidentally is also getting a patch. However, without the patch, The 'X' should run both of those at a 'locked 1080/60' instead of dropping the resolution down to prevent major frame rate drops - but they still drop below 60. Games like Project Cars (if you own that) just have unlocked frame rates so should run at a perfect 60fps - regardless of the weather or how many cars are on track and visible. Unless all your Xbox games run 'perfectly' at a locked resolution/frame rate, the 'X' will not offer too much more - better loading times and better Texture handling (higher quality Anisotropic Filtering built in) but as most have dynamic scaling, unlocked frame rates or both, its going to be working for you.

If people are happy to play at 1080p or less, with generally the lowest 'performance' - not just resolution, then the 'S' is adequate but for me, if I can buy a 'console' that improves on it, I will buy. Its no different from wanting the PS5 as soon as it launches or wanting the PS4/XB1 back in 2013. Most of the games releasing, I could play on my XB360/PS3 but bought the new consoles because it offered better visuals and/or performance. I didn't buy for the 1-2 exclusives in the first 6-12months that didn't get last gen copies because Sony/MS wanted to use these to tempt you to upgrade - I bought it for the 'best' versions - inc Visually. I bought these because 1080p looked a lot better than 720p and the 'promise' that these consoles would offer the best 'console' version(s) for the upcoming future. Since then, I have upgraded my TV to a 4k HDR TV and know how 'soft' 1080p looks let alone 900p (and under) and how much better even 1440p can look (TF2, Uncharted) but that still looks 'soft' compared to 4k (Checkerboard or Native). Ideally I would like a 'new' 4k generation console rather than an 'iterative' 4k version. That being said, I do appreciate that many games run better and I don't need to buy a 'new' library - my existing library remains playable. To a lesser degree, buying new games are like buying a 'next' gen version - better visually and may have Higher frame rates too as they are 'enhanced'.

@BAMozzy i also have to think about my finances i can't afford to drop that amount on a console that will play the same games my XB1s plays, i have a XB1s so that's good enough for me

yeah the games may be inferior to the XBX version but that doesn't bother me at all. i'm still playing the games and that's all that matters to me, as long as they work i'm happy

@FullbringIchigo Of course. Everyone is in a different position and £450 is a lot of money. It may currently play the same games but MS had mentioned VR which is something the 'base' models won't have - and that includes any VR media too.

The XBX though for me, should be the 'best' console to play games on. Whether that's exclusives or multi-platform, the console has significant resources to be the 'best' console to play games - and that's whether you have a 1080p TV or 4k. Whether those differences are so apparent on a 1080p screen compared to a Pro or even the base consoles, that may come down to individuals - some won't notice the low quality shadows anyway - although would notice if there was no shadows of course.

I prefer to play games at their 'best' and having more powerful hardware virtually guarantees that. As I said, if Sony were to release a PS5 this year, I would certainly be looking to buy and I also bought a PS4 Pro too. Buying an 'X' is no different and I am not 'bias' to any brand. Its all about having the best hardware to play games at their 'best' (on console) - especially as I am paying £40+ for a game. I don't want 'weak' hardware that struggles to run games at HD quality and with consistent, if not locked, frame rates. Both the Pro and X virtually guarantee no games I buy will be less than full HD and all the games I own can be 'boosted' even without a Patch to look, run and load better. As BF1 on the Pro shows, you can be at a disadvantage in MP too as that game runs better in MP on the Pro...

A 'fantastic' game can be ruined with a 'poor' frame rate but a good game can be 'great' with perfect or even 'double' (60fps) the frame rate, no distractions from 'pop-in' and, as I have a 4k TV, not so blurry visuals due to upscaling...

I do understand the 'X' isn't for everyone and the 'S' is more than adequate. £450 is a lot of money for something that doesn't have unique software - at least not yet. Even if I did have just a 1080p TV, I would be seriously considering an 'X' because I don't want 720-900p visuals or dynamic scaled visuals. I also want the 'best' frame rates I can - even the choice to play at 60fps (like Rise of the Tomb Raider, the Surge and Infamous) - the option to pick between high res/visuals or high frame rates. Its no different from some of the reasons I bought the Pro...

Anyway - each to their own...

Power is great and all but intill the start putting out some must have exclusives I'll pass. I have a PS4 Pro and a 4K HDR TV and that is good enough for me. I understand games will run better on the new X but I don't think it's $500 worth better.

@Splat As I said, each to their own.

Its not about MS's exclusives (or lack of big games I want to play). The X for me is more likely to be my 'go to' console for 'multi-platform releases. It doesn't bother me that much that of the upcoming Xbox exclusives, only Forza 7 has any appeal, I will be too busy playing Destiny 2, Evil Within 2, SW:BF2, Wolfenstein 2, AC: Origins, RDR2, Anthem, Metro: Exodus etc at 4k on the Xbox One X. My PS4 Pro is most likely to be used to play games like Uncharted: Lost Legacy, Spider-Man, Days Gone and Last of Us 2. I know I 'could' play all (but Forza 7) on my Pro too but I will rather have the 'best' versions I can. I can certainly see myself buying many more games on Xbox than on PS in the upcoming year(s) so its not like the Xbox doesn't have 'games'. Until Sony bring out the PS5, I can see myself buying a LOT more games on 'X' so the 'price' isn't an issue for me. I expect I will spend a lot more on games - Also my Xbox has the 'best' controller - the Elite - so it will be a 'pleasure' to play on my 'X' and well worth the money to me.

Whether any games would be $500 better, well that's down to the individual. From my perspective, it is worth it - not just because it enhances all my current games in some way or another and will enhance the majority of games I buy in the future too. I also have an 'S' so I don't need to buy the 'X' for the 4k HDR Bluray player and Atmos audio but bringing 4k HDR gaming with Atmos audio is why I am buying an 'X'. I own a number of the games due to be enhanced by the X - quite a few I haven't yet finished so getting to play these at 4k HDR is another reason to invest.

In my opinion, it has more to offer and a bigger reason to buy than the Pro. Its not as if the PS4 is 'struggling' to hit a full 1080p and the Pro versions tend to be nothing more than a 2x 'boost' in resolution. I know 4k is a 4x boost but most games are 1800p CB, 1440p or 4k CB and 4k CB is 2x 1080p - so a2x boost. the boost mode isn't 'great' a 32% overall boost from base PS4 - so if your game runs at 40fps, at best in boost mode, you could see 52fps - but only if the 'bottlenecks' are caused by both CPU and GPU limitations. Often you only see a 10-20% boost. The 'X' though looks like its 'boost' mode could be more than 100%. A game running at 40fps, would hit over 80fps so hitting 60 will be easy. As most PS4 games run at 1080p, owning a Pro with a 1080p TV is not always going to be noticeable. As most XB1 games release at 900p or under, the X will be significantly as it will super sample visuals down to 1080p. So regardless of what TV you own, the X will be noticeably better. You can't always see any difference with the Pro on a 1080p vs a base PS4 on that TV because both are running at 1080p - rarely any super sampling or obvious enhancements to visual settings. Comparing games like AC: Origins (which will probably be a 900p game on XB1) or SW:BF2 (probably a 720-900p game on XB1) will be obviously better on an 'X' regardless of what TV you have.

That $500 or $100 difference between the Pro and 'X' is buying a 4k HDR Bluray player, a whole PS4 better APU and RAM, Atmos and Game VRR too. The difference in specs virtually amounts to the specs of the PS4 so the X is like a PS4 Pro and PS4 combined. I am not trying to convince you, its your choice. $500 isn't cheap at all but when you look at what that extra $100 buys compared to a Pro, its a bargain. If you bought a Pro (for example) you couldn't spend $100 and buy the 'differences'.

I totally understand that finding $500 is not worth it if you are happy to play games on other devices - even if they are not the 'best' versions. As I said, each to their own but from my perspective, it has 'more' appeal than the Pro yet I bought a Pro too because I knew that I would still want to play Sony's exclusives at the highest possible standards. I am sure some games may make a case to buy on PS4 thanks to 'exclusivity' deals so its not going to sit and gather dust until the PS5 launches but I still think I will end up buying 'more' games for my X and clocking up thousands of hours so $500 for that is not too bad...

I got my order in yesterday morning and got myself a bargain deal on it too, saved £90 on the retail price thanks to a bit of internet searching.

Yup if the Xbox had some games I liked the look of coming out I'd certainly be interested. But as it stands, other than Cuphead, I can't see anything on the horizon that would make me want to buy a Xbox.

MS really need to sort that out.

VR gives me headaches anyway so that doesn't bother me

@FullbringIchigo It was the principal more than anything else. If/when VR games start to come, then there is a difference in the software. Is it too hard to think that in a few years, MS or more likely, a 3rd Party developer, may release a 'X' only game? If MS are doing away with 'Generations', then MS would surely phase out the lowest console and release 'upgraded' consoles every 3-5yrs. Its not that different from PC's where maybe the gtx770 is the lowest and the 'Scorpio' represents the gtx1070. In say 4yrs, the gtx770 is no longer good enough to run games, but the gtx1070 is still more than capable enough, but the gtx1470 is now out so the minimum required for ALL games is the gtx1070 but the gtx770 only gets a few releases - mostly indies because the latest AAA's are too complex. Cross that bridge when we get to it...

@BAMozzy perhaps but i might be able to afford one when that starts to happen but as of right now it's simple to much of an expense for something i don't need same as the Pro

i just hope it works for MS because lets be honest the XB1 has had a really tough time of things and if they ever decided to drop out that would be bad not only for developers but gamers too, the (somewhat friendly) competition between Sony and MS is what is driving the industry forward at the moment just like the old Sega & Nintendo one did in the 90's

@FullbringIchigo I know MS has had a 'tough' time because of the runaway success of the PS4. They weren't helped by their poor 2013 E3 but I do think they have had a unnecessarily tough time. People are criticising them for not having Exclusives but in the last year they have released ReCore, Gears 4, Forza Horizon 3 (to huge critical acclaim), Dead Rising 4, Halo Wars 2, Voodoo Vince, that Phantasy something game, as well as other Indie games. I know that the next year looks a bit light with mostly just Forza 7, Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, Crackdown 3 and PUBG but a number of these, as well as few older games like Halo 5, Sunset Overdrive, Quantum Break (I believe) as well as a few 3rd Party games like Witcher 3, Fallout 4, RE7, Doom, TF2 etc are all getting enhanced by the 'X'

The Project Scorpio edition Xbox, certainly in the UK at least, has sold out in most places (if not all). I have no doubt that it will do 'well' but I still can't see it catching up with PS4 in 'sales' BUT MS don't 'need' to. Its not as if their Xbox division is keeping MS afloat and the fact that the Xbox division has 'merged' with the Win10 division, they have a much larger potential install base. Whether the fact that games can now be bought from MS and played on Win10 PC's in a 'Xbox on PC' type way means that they effectively have ALL the Win10 PC gaming market as well as the Console market. The fact that most, if not all 'exclusives' will all be playable in the same' servers regardless of whether you play on PC or Console with the same 'party' and communication options will no doubt help.

Competition is always a good thing. The fact MS are 'fighting' back shows the brand is strong. As we know, games are taking longer to develop so there are going to be 'lean' years whilst games are being made. It maybe that this year, the games are not 'ready' but E3 could have some 'big' news. They don't have as many studio's as Sony either - another reason why we may get a few more 'lulls' in the releases. Overall though, the Xbox One hasn't been a total failure and the 'X' may well propel it forward even though I doubt they will get 'close' to PS4's sales

@KratosMD Sony certainly have been helped by the plethora of Japanese based studio's releasing all their PS4 games in quick succession. It hasn't always been so one-sided. It maybe that MS are currently going through a lull but the turnaround between releases has become much longer and so you are bound to get lulls. If it hadn't been for the Japanese Studio's releasing so many 'niche' titles all in such a small window, things would be 'similar'. Those Japanese games, whilst 'numerous' are not necessarily going to appeal to a western audience and for many, only brought up when the topic of exclusives on each platform arises.

I am NOT denying these games at all but its odd that so many mention them to win an argument yet judging by 'sales', these were very insignificant to the 'majority' of PS gamers. When a million out of 60+ million buy a game, its hardly going to persuade someone to buy into Sony - especially if their interest doesn't stretch to 'niche' titles. Don't get me wrong, I know that for many, these titles are what matters to them - more than the big AAA western blockbuster and I am only using 'niche' because I see a number of Sony fans also refer to these as niche - except when they want to win an 'argument' over Xbox. I am not denying that 'exclusives' are nice and Sony has the most varied and quantity but only a 'few' exclusives (at most) will sell to more than 1 in 5 people that own that specific console (unless its a Nintendo). Uncharted 4 is Sony's biggest selling exclusive and has sales figures of 1 in 6ish - meaning that over 80% of people with a PS4 didn't buy it. When you look at the likes of Infamous and Bloodborne - the next group of biggest sellers, the figure is more like 1 in 20 or 5%. I don't think Horizon:ZD is at 10% yet but its 'steadily' growing. Point is, that Exclusives are 'great' but the bulk of Console owners buy and play Multi-platform games a lot more. Maybe this is where MS are looking - building a Console that plays 'every' game better than any other Console and, as most of the games we buy are 'multi-platform', it means that if you own an 'X', the majority of the games you buy, could be the 'best' place to play. It may not 'compete' with the PS4 on 'exclusives' that people want to play but it can make the majority of your games better than any other console. In an average year, I buy around 2-4 'exclusives and around 8-12 multi-platform games. Assuming Sony has 3 Exclusives a year I want and Xbox only 1, my PS4 Pro is only getting 3 games a year whilst my XB1X will be getting 9 -13 games in the same year.

I do remember though, that the topic of 'power' but few 'exclusives' was once leveled at the PS4 too. When it launched, Killzone was the 'big' exclusive with Knack as an alternative and the promise that Infamous would be coming. The XB1 had Ryse, Forza 5, Dead Rising 3 with Titanfall (the CoD Killer) just around the corner - then followed that up with Forza Horizon 2, Sunset Overdrive etc. The Order was 'disappointing' and Uncharted 4 was still a way off. Its really been the last few years that Sony's studio's have finally started delivering games - inc ones that started life as a PS3 game. Back then though, a lot of people were 'happy' that the 'majority' of games they bought, looked and/or played better on the PS4. They were content to wait it out safe in the knowledge that Uncharted 4 would be coming soon and in the meantime happily playing the best 'versions' of multi-plat releases.

Sony have also been good at keeping the same big Western releases in peoples minds for years before release - especially at E3. In recent years, only Uncharted and Horizon:ZD have been 'released' from their 'big' E3 games. We are still waiting on games like Dreams, Wild, Days Gone, God of War, Detroit, Spider-Man, Last of Us 2, GT Sport - admittedly this hasn't quite been a year yet since its reveal but I bet it won't be out within 2yrs of its announcement. I know we have had releases, but Sony seem content to keep the 'long' term games in peoples minds so they believe the 'future' is solid. MS though, certainly more so in recent years since Phil Spencer came along, have dialled back reveling their 'long' term software products and 'focusing' more on the 'next' year - the games we can expect to arrive before their next E3 briefing. I know that MS also showed a few long-term 3rd Party projects too - like Anthem and Metro but generally most of E3 is 'short' term arrivals - projects that 'should' arrive in the next year. I know Crackdown 3 and Cuphead have been talked about for years but again goes back to the time before (or at) the time that Phil arrived. This means that Sony fanboys can cling onto the likes of Days Gone, God of War etc for 'years' if necessary to win arguments about the future. Xbox fans though, have a good idea of the next year ahead but unsure of the years beyond that. In a years time, we could still be discussing games like God of War, Days Gone etc as 'expected' releases but most of the games MS had at this years E3 will be out and we will be talking about the 'next' year - probably Forza Horizon 4, Halo 6, maybe a new Gears of War as well as any indie games, maybe VR (or AR) too by then and any 3rd Party games that MS may have 'partnered' with. Point is, with Sony we have a good idea of the next 2-3 yrs now. Only Sucker Punch of those that make more universal games are unknown. The Japanese studios may struggle to get a AAA game out in the next 18months after releasing their current projects recently but we have a good idea of the next 'few' years of Sony's exclusives yet we only know the upcoming year of MS games. We can predict a few - like Forza, Halo and Gears of course but beyond E3 2018, (unless we see delays to Crackdown and Sea of Thieves again) we have no 'confirmed' (just the inevitable predicted releases) indication of what to expect. Its this different approach though that can work both for and against you. Obviously the 'negatives' for MS is that people don't have a clear idea of what they can look forward to - beyond the immediate year. It also makes the long term future look 'bleak' because there is no 'concrete' evidence to suggest otherwise and the negatives for Sony is that their 'briefings' feel a bit 'deja vu'. Positives for Sony is that it looks like the 'future' is well catered to (although when the 'future' will arrive is frustrating) and for MS, their briefings offer more 'new' games (even if they are not all AAA) and a 'date' or at least a 'ballpark' date as to when we can actually play these games. Just to reiterate, the two have 'different' ideas on this but both have pros/cons.

I wouldn't want to pick between Sony or MS. I think Sony has 'more' Exclusives that appeal to me currently and have lost faith in 343 and bored of Halo, not particularly bothered by 'racing' sims and Gears 4 was a bit weak. Its campaign was OK but it's lost something the previous trilogy had. Enemies were also a bit 'bland' and only the second half seemed more 'Gears'. I am more likely to buy Gears 5 than Halo 6. I may pick up Forza 7 - just because. However compared to Days Gone and Spider-Man, Sony has my interest. the fact though that the X will be enhancing 'many' games I own, as well as many games I want, its a no brainer. The thought of playing all these games at their 'best' console version, is exciting. I never finished games like Sunset Overdrive and Fallout 4 and maybe a 4k (HDR) update may spur me on. I am looking forward to AC: Origins, Wolfenstein 2, Evil Within 2, SW:BF2, RDR2, Destiny 2, Anthem, maybe CoD:WW2, etc etc and all these will be 'enhanced'. I know I could play these on my Pro but, like the past 4yrs, the most likely console I will play these on will be the console that delivers the 'best' in most cases. Only 'friends' or 'exclusive bonuses' may persuade me to buy on the 'weakest' of the 2 platforms but generally, the Console with the 'best' performance (Frame rates first, visually 2nd) will determine which console I buy for.

If Sony were to release a PS5 in Nov that beats MS in every area (better CPU/GPU/RAM) - as well as the same (or better) features like 4k HDR Bluray player, Atmos Audio, Game VRR etc, I would still buy an Xbox X because of the benefits to my existing Xbox library but I would probably buy 'most' multi-platform releases on Sony's PS5. Its nothing personal at all. I have no brand loyalty and its purely about playing games at their 'best' possible on 'console' - and that includes ANY 'exclusive' even if they are few and far between on one console. I have owned at least 2 gaming devices going way back into the late 70's, early 80's. I have a 4k HDR TV so it makes sense to buy the 'X' and take advantage of its 'extra' resources over the Pro. I certainly won't be getting rid of my Pro (or my PS4, XB1 and XB1s) just because I pre-ordered an 'X' - the Pro for example is still going to get used and its still the best console to play Uncharted, Days Gone, Spider-Man etc. As far as I am concerned, Sony studio's now have to step it up to entice me to buy and play my Pro or, alternatively, Sony need to get on and release its PS5 to get me playing 'mostly' on Sony's system.

During the PS3/XB360 era, games were much closer in performance. The biggest reason to buy on PS3 for me was 'bonus' content but I did struggle more with racing games and online MP games - mostly because the controller was 'uncomfortable' for me and PSN wasn't as fast or stable. Playing CoD after playing it on Xbox, I noticed how much 'slower' and 'easier' it was (although some of that 'easiness' was because all the 'hardcore/try-hard' CoD gamers were on Xbox because of the 'exclusivity' deal.). I still couldn't pick Xbox over PS3 because of games like Uncharted, Killzone, Resistance etc.

This Gen, its been a bit easier to pick which platform to buy for. I admit I bought an XB1 because it worked out cheaper for me at the time than PS4 initially. This was even before MS removed Kinect but it still worked out cheaper - mainly because of the fact I still had a year of Gold left and no PS+ subscription (it wasn't necessary on PS3) and one of my Season Passes was carried over onto the XB1 saving me around £80 that I would have needed to get the same on PS4. It was this reason that I ended up with more multi-platform releases for XB1 - because I didn't get my PS4 until it was around 15months old - meaning I upgraded to a Pro within 2yrs of getting a PS4. I had moved so couldn't afford both. I have also had a 4K TV since 2014 so all my games have been 'upscaled' from 1080p (or less) to 4k and I also bought a number of games on both. I can certainly see the difference 900p to 1080p made - especially when these were upscaled to 2160p by my TV. There is no way I am 'happy' to play games on my 'S' when I know I could be playing them on my 'X' at a UHD resolution and 'any' console that improves and/or enhances my gaming experience is 'worth' it - especially by the amount the 'X' can. I could justify the 'Pro' - even though my PS4 was still less than 2yrs old, because it improved some of the games I had as well as enhance the upcoming games I wanted. I can still see where the 'Pro' falls down, textures that look a bit blurry compared to their surroundings, upscaling blurriness with 1440p and 1800p CB - as well as 'occasional' CB artefacts, some games offering 'tokenistic' support and a 'number' just offering a 1080p only enhancement. Look at the 'Tomb Raider' video I posted above and compare that to the DF video of the Pro version and then apply those 'differences' to the upcoming games and a number of your 'current' unfinished games, and the X makes perfect sense. Don't get me wrong, but the difference between a Pro and 'X' is much more significant than the difference between the XB1 and PS4. The PS4 obviously has a 'better' GPU and faster RAM bit its CPU is weaker than the XB1 CPU and both share the same RAM allocation for games - in fact so does the Pro. The Pro's GPU is literally two PS4 GPU's bolted together and clocked 11% higher - Half shuts down with most games and unless you use 'Boost' mode, its just a PS4. The CPU and RAM have been sped up a bit too but its literally a PS4 with an 'extra' PS4 GPU bolted in - not criticising and it makes 'sense' in an 'iterative' update - especially one that is only aimed at boosting resolution for the 4k era without being a 'full step up' as a 'new gen' system would be expected to deliver. As a result though, its not really built for the '4k era' as such. The lack of RAM means it can't handle 4k assets, the 2x boost in GPU means its unlikely to hit 4k often (and why we see 1440p, 1800-2160 CB resolutions as these are all within the 2x boost. 2160p CB is rendering 2x1080p and no doubt, any 'overheads' are used to improve the CB rendering - object tracking for example so it can pull the 'right' pixels forward. The 30% boost in CPU probably helps with the CB and upscaling but its also a reason why games are more 'pretty' these days because 'consoles' (and PC's too nowadays) are more GPU heavy rather than balanced. The last Gen though was more CPU heavy and the PS3's was certainly better than Xbox's but the 360 had the edge in GPU and RAM configuration.

I know the X is yet again GPU heavy - at least before considering any modification that MS used. They have talked about the 'X' being 'balanced' so the Mods must be quite extensive. We know Audio has been removed from the CPU pipeline and that DX12 is built in too - so the CPU can send most of the graphics render instruction to this area to communicate with the GPU freeing up resources to use on other tasks - like AI/NPC's, etc. We also know the RAM is significantly higher than the Pro's. Not only does it have a much higher bandwidth (50% faster), 9GB is allocated for gaming compared to just 5.5GB on the other consoles. Its why it can and will offer Higher quality assets - like textures for example. Where the Pro is like 2 PS4 GPUs bolted together, the 'X' is more like 3 PS4 GPU's bolted together - and clocked faster too (3 x 1.84tflops = 5.52tflops). Couple that with the 4k HDR Bluray, Atmos audio (in gaming too) and Game VRR - meaning games can target various different Frame Rates without going out of sync with your Display. The reason we have 30 or 60fps is because of the TV's and their refresh rate. At 60fps, the TV refreshes with each new frame making the game look and feel smooth. At 30fps, a TV will show the same frame twice and again making the game look and feel smooth. 40fps doesn't correspond with the TV's refresh rate making it look and feel more 'jerky' despite having a 'higher' frame rate than 30fps. Game VRR can alter the TV's refresh rate so it always refreshes with each new frame making the game look and feel sooth - 40 and 50fps would look and feel better than 30fps so Devs could target what ever frame rate they wanted. With HDMI 2.1, they 'could' target up to 2160/120fps - if hardware can run at that level...

Anyway, yet again I have waffled on. I have a Pro and pre-ordered the X for virtually identical reasons. Gaming is my 'hobby' and primary form of entertainment. Being 'disabled' and on 'meds', I can't exactly go to a Pub or even drive these days so I am not having the expense of a car and mobile phone, not spending money on 'alcohol', eating out, going to the cinema etc budgeted for the X. Both will bring me 'joy' (at least I hope so) and blow me away too. Next up for me is Uncharted: Lost Legacy in 1440/30 HDR on my Pro. Whether I cave and play Destiny 2, AC: Origins, Wolfenstein 2 and Evil Within before Nov 7th, I will have to see....

Not a bad month....