A few years ago when I was building my first PC, I asked a friend of mine who had built multiple computers for help. There came a point when I was trying to choose between two video cards. Bother were good, but my friend recommended that I buy the one that was $100 more expensive.
When I studied the card’s stats and compared them to games I wanted to play, I realized that I didn’t need the card my friend had recommended to play any of the games I intended to play. So, I asked him, “Isn’t this card overkill?”
He replied, “It is, but it sure is nice to have it.”
Right now, Microsoft is hoping that there are a lot of gamers out there who think the same way that my friend does.
When you build a gaming device, whether it be a gaming console or a personal computer, you can’t just build a device that can do everything you need your gaming device to do right now. You have to invest a little more to future proof it. Otherwise, you’ll spend more money in the long run.
The trick is to find that power sweet spot. You want to try to predict what kind of power you’ll need two or three years down the line in order to still optimally run the games and media you want to run. It’s a tricky process, and that’s why many hardcore PC gamers tend to opt for overkill or otherwise just budget to buy new individual parts in the years to come.
The mistake Microsoft made when designing the Xbox One X is that they thought overkill would be a selling point. So, they designed the most powerful gaming console ever imagined. To be fair, they did design the most powerful gaming console ever made and “The most powerful gaming console ever made” looks good on t-shirts and in advertisements.
Where “The most powerful gaming console ever made” doesn’t look so good is when it comes time to check out. When it comes time to pull out that credit card, sticker shock becomes a very real issue. Historically speaking, the most expensive video game console in a particular race is typically the one that fails on the mass market.
Microsoft is countering this argument by stating that the Xbox One X isn’t meant to appeal to the mass market. It’s meant to appeal to people like my friend who think less about practicality and cost and think more about how great it would be to have something that is simply the best.
Here’s the problem: people like my friend also know they can justify overkill when purchasing PC parts by saying that they are making a future proof purchase. The Xbox One X is not a future proof purchase. Video game consoles never are. Sony realized this and made the 4K PS4 Pro a mid-level upgrade between the PS4 and whatever is next. Microsoft is treating the Xbox One X like the next big thing when the market they are trying to appeal to know it is not.
No, as it stands, the Xbox One X is simply overkill.
I agree right there… Sony was first famous for the great TV’s and Home Stereo products… NOw they only sell crapy home products being the PS4 Pro one of them. HDR unlocked by software? why didn’t you do that since launch. You had to wait until Xbox slap PS in the face to release this? now that Sony accepts the Xbox One X is better they announce PS5 which we won’t be able to get until 2019?
So yes … Sony is a CRAPY Company therefore everyone that defends them are crapy too.
POW!
The other issue with such an expensive device is that PlayStation has more exclusive games. However when buying an actual gaming PC, any performance that is considered overkill today, may be necessary tomorrow, as software slowly demandsore and more hardware performance. On the other hand, you could always wait until more powerful parts decline in price when they are necessary.
First, I own the Ps4 pro and the Xbox s. I will purchase the x on 11.7. I for one hope that the x is a huge success. It will force the ps5 to release in 2019 and Sony will have to blow away the x (no skimping on parts) Competition is always great for consumers. At the end of the day I want to play the best games at 60 fps with all options maxed. Yes I have a PC too, but I prefer playing online with my peers who don’t have a pc
Well I feel it was MS that acted crapy at the launch of XBOX one and now it is Sony. Every day we have people commenting on one side or the other. Either criticizing Xbox One X or the PS4 PRO. The reality is that none of them is going to play all games at 4K. Then how is Xbox One X an overkill? The Xbone was a total crap at launch because of their policies at that time. Which is the main reason why it performed bad. But they have come a long way since then. The Xbox world is a value for money proposition today. Agreed they have less exclusives but for someone like me who wanted to play the Xbox exclusives, (since I never had an Xbox) it is pretty nice. Tomorrow they may come out with exclusives too. I own both the consoles and I like both.
$400 vs 500
This is xflop one all over again!!! Or Maybe WORSE (no Remedy, 0 exclusives, Nintendo Switch…)
PS4+Switch = RIP xbox
true native 4k gaming something the ps4 crap pro can never do…lmao and $499 is a steal for 4k gaming. a pc to do k4/60 would cost over $2k.
God of War 4 blows xxbonexx out of the water
Horizon Zero Dawn has the best open world graphics…
Xbone X = epic fail
$500, no exclusives, 30 fps (Destiny 2), checkerboard (AC).. UNACCEPTABLE
You are an idiot… PS4 Pro does checkerboard you moron! and console exclusives mean that you CANT play these games on any other CONSOLE except XBOX.. Fanboys are so damm stupid
you are an idiot just like over half of the ps4 community is..thats one reason why ill never own a play stations because of idiots like you.the other reason is sony is a crapy company.