Xbox Series X|S Catch-All

Yeah, this is starting to look like Microsoft has decided to win this with their cash advantage. They are making it more and more expensive for Sony to try and maintain parity.

Microsoft is hitting all the right notes. Not everyone has figured it out yet, but you are starting to see a shift in mindshare. I mean, the biggest criticisms are that S and X are too complicated for customers to figure out and the S looks like a speaker.

At this point, I won't be surprised if a HoloLens or a Samsung VR device to drop for Series X this holiday.

merphle wrote:
Top_Shelf wrote:

ETA: Looks like the sub model will include EA Play. This deal just keeps getting better and better.

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/09/...

The expansion of Xbox All Access to 12 countries, offering you a next generation Xbox and 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate starting at $24.99 a month, with no upfront costs.

EA Play Comes to Xbox Game Pass at no additional cost.

It looks like EA Play will be coming to Game Pass, regardless of whether you buy a new console; it's just an intrinsic part of Game Pass. That's a hell of a deal.

So if Game Pass Ultimate includes both Xbox and PC, I wonder if the included EA Play will also include PC titles?

Edit: Wow, yes it does include PC.

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/09/...

ClockworkHouse wrote:
MaxShrek wrote:

So retail stores will sell it for $299.99us with the $25/month included for (checks math) 1 year? Or, umm... I hate math.

The current Xbox All Access plans include the console plus 24 months of Game Pass Ultimate, paid off over a 24 month period. 24 months of Game Pass Ultimate is about $360, plus the $300 cost of the console, would be just slightly more per month ($27) than the $25/month for 24 months they're looking to charge.

I find it confusing still.

When I go to the store on launch day I will pay? 300 and get a 24 month code for GPU (Game Pass Ultimate)?

That makes sense but then you say (and I read other places) "paid off over a 24 month period" So does that mean I actually only pay $12.50 on the day I leave the store and $12.50 each month for 24 months?

I am probably missing something.

NVM

Watching this video explained it to me.

PaladinTom wrote:

So if Game Pass Ultimate includes both Xbox and PC, I wonder if the included EA Play will also include PC titles?

Yep.

This means Ultimate members can enjoy EA Play on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, and Windows 10 PCs, and Xbox Game Pass for PC members get EA Play on Windows 10.
farley3k wrote:

I find it confusing still.

When I go to the store on launch day I will pay? 300 and get a 24 month code for GPU (Game Pass Ultimate)?

That makes sense but then you say (and I read other places) "paid off over a 24 month period" So does that mean I actually only pay $12.50 on the day I leave the store and $12.50 each month for 24 months?

It's like buying a cell phone from your carrier that you don't pay for in full. You apply for a line of credit, walk out with a fancy piece of tech, and you're on the hook to pay it off in monthly installments.

I did the Xbox All Access thing with my Xbox One X, and it was incredibly easy. I didn't do it in-store but did it through their website, and I paid nothing upfront to have the console and membership codes sent to me. Microsoft doesn't do the financing directly (or didn't at the time) so I ended up with a line of credit through Dell with a 0% APR to pay off the console and codes within 24 months.

It was a great setup for my budget, and I'd gladly do it again with the Series X|S. I'm really happy they're expanding that program for the new consoles.

Yeah it seems like a good option. I am strongly considering it.

Now I just need to decide between Series S and Series X. For an extra $10 a month I get 4k (if I ever want it) a but more horsepower and a disk drive.

For me part of the hobby is buying physical games, getting used games, etc. I like browsing the isle at the local store.

Tough choice.

I considered doing it for the One when they started the upgrade offer similar to what Apple does. It seems like a no brainer. I’ll probably do it this time.

I'll go X just because of the backwards compatibility for old disc games; I really don't play old games very much, but I do just often enough it's a desirable feature. I got Left 4 Dead in my head recently and threw the disc in and played some solo, just going through the old levels (it's still such a great game). I did that last year with the original Destroy All Humans. It's just one of those things I'll use just enough that it will help conveniently justify the purchase of the better console in my head wait did I just say that out loud.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

I would love to have had a live cam set up in a Sony boardroom when that $299 price for the S was announced; Sony doesn't have the revenue stream that anything Microsoft does is going to provide Microsoft, so they're not going to be able to cut their margins quite so close on hardware.

FTFY.. lets face it pretty much everything Microsoft touches makes tons of money these days... Only Apple has a higher valuation than Microsoft.

Jayhawker wrote:

Microsoft is hitting all the right notes. Not everyone has figured it out yet, but you are starting to see a shift in mindshare. I mean, the biggest criticisms are that S and X are too complicated for customers to figure out and the S looks like a speaker.

Let's not get too far out ahead of things here. They're leading the hype train because Sony is still haggling internally over pricing a console at $599 again. Microsoft is indeed hitting the right notes, but they're also hoping that continual leveraging of their portfolio will fill in the gaps until their acquired studios get more of their games out. Sony very much still has the zeitgeist of continually putting out big selling titles.

Another random thought regarding the low price of the S and the financing option; a few people in this thread have said they're going to sell their X1s and buy a new console, and, well, I bet loads of people want to do that. I think we're going to see a lot of people upgrading to a new console thanks to that easy financing, and the used market is going to become glutted with current-gen boxes, which will wind up going relatively cheaply due to supply and demand, meaning a whole bunch of people who currently don't have an Xbox will have a low-cost way to buy one. Those people are going to very likely wind up with GamePass subscriptions, so, thinking long-term, if I'm Microsoft, I'm far more willing to take losses on my console sales up-front because there's yet another way to make more money with GamePass being sold to all those people picking up used consoles.

Wow Microsoft is going for the jugular this gen. I was waffling a little bit between PS5 and Xbox but this ecosystem is too good to pass up. And at this price, I could justify a Series X for me and a Series S for the kids although honestly I’ll just pass down the X1X and with family sharing, we can play Gamepass together. This is crazy consumer friendly.

Now if they’d just add wireless VR so I don’t have to give money to Facebook....

ClockworkHouse wrote:
farley3k wrote:

I find it confusing still.

When I go to the store on launch day I will pay? 300 and get a 24 month code for GPU (Game Pass Ultimate)?

That makes sense but then you say (and I read other places) "paid off over a 24 month period" So does that mean I actually only pay $12.50 on the day I leave the store and $12.50 each month for 24 months?

It's like buying a cell phone from your carrier that you don't pay for in full. You apply for a line of credit, walk out with a fancy piece of tech, and you're on the hook to pay it off in monthly installments.

I did the Xbox All Access thing with my Xbox One X, and it was incredibly easy. I didn't do it in-store but did it through their website, and I paid nothing upfront to have the console and membership codes sent to me. Microsoft doesn't do the financing directly (or didn't at the time) so I ended up with a line of credit through Dell with a 0% APR to pay off the console and codes within 24 months.

It was a great setup for my budget, and I'd gladly do it again with the Series X|S. I'm really happy they're expanding that program for the new consoles.

The original All Access program used Dell Financial Services as the lender. This time they are using Citizens Bank's Citizens One program. I used it to get my Xbox One X back when the optical drive in my launch Xbox One was giving me problems (which was really just an excuse to get the One X as I rarely used the optical drive).

I am thinking I might go with the All Access deal myself for an Xbox Series X and then use the money I have been saving to get a new 4K gaming TV.

Does the financed version have a better warranty? If I buy the system outright they usually have a 90 day to 1 year warranty but if I am financing I am on the hook for 2 years so do they cover broken hardware that whole time?

farley3k wrote:

Does the financed version have a better warranty? If I buy the system outright they usually have a 90 day to 1 year warranty but if I am financing I am on the hook for 2 years so do they cover broken hardware that whole time?

From the FAQ: With Xbox All Access, you own the console and 24-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership outright upon purchase. The Microsoft Limited Warranty covers the Xbox console for one year (90 days for the controller and accessories), irrespective of the length of your financing term.

Thanks.

That makes me pause on the financing option since if it died after year I would still be on the hook to pay for a broken console for another year...

Docjoe wrote:

Wow Microsoft is going for the jugular this gen. I was waffling a little bit between PS5 and Xbox but this ecosystem is too good to pass up. And at this price, I could justify a Series X for me and a Series S for the kids although honestly I’ll just pass down the X1X and with family sharing, we can play Gamepass together. This is crazy consumer friendly.

Now if they’d just add wireless VR so I don’t have to give money to Facebook....

Yeah, the S seems like such a good deal that I almost wish I needed one, but I'll be doing the same as you.

Ditto on the VR. I have no idea why they aren't adding VR support when Sony had it last generation. I'd love to try Star Wars Squadrons in VR on my Xbox.

I don't think Microsoft is going to go for VR because VR has never risen above a niche product with a limited potential customer base, and they'll just sit back and wait for the technology to be adopted in a more widespread manner before bothering with it.

I feel like I should include a Mean Girls gif here; stop trying to make VR happen. It's not going to happen. Most people don't want to wear an annoying headset to game, and, until there's a better approach for this, VR's never going to be a big deal.

garion333 wrote:
Jayhawker wrote:

Microsoft is hitting all the right notes. Not everyone has figured it out yet, but you are starting to see a shift in mindshare. I mean, the biggest criticisms are that S and X are too complicated for customers to figure out and the S looks like a speaker.

Let's not get too far out ahead of things here. They're leading the hype train because Sony is still haggling internally over pricing a console at $599 again. Microsoft is indeed hitting the right notes, but they're also hoping that continual leveraging of their portfolio will fill in the gaps until their acquired studios get more of their games out. Sony very much still has the zeitgeist of continually putting out big selling titles.

The biggest selling titles are typically 3rd party cross platform titles and Nintendo. Sony gets an over abundance of hype for their first party titles that makes it seem like they are the biggest games ever. They certainly sell well and make studios and Sony money but they typically aren’t making that big a difference.

https://venturebeat.com/2020/01/16/2...

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

I don't think Microsoft is going to go for VR because VR has never risen above a niche product with a limited potential customer base, and they'll just sit back and wait for the technology to be adopted in a more widespread manner before bothering with it.

I feel like I should include a Mean Girls gif here; stop trying to make VR happen. It's not going to happen. Most people don't want to wear an annoying headset to game, and, until there's a better approach for this, VR's never going to be a big deal.

I feel that way about 3d in movies.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

I don't think Microsoft is going to go for VR because VR has never risen above a niche product with a limited potential customer base, and they'll just sit back and wait for the technology to be adopted in a more widespread manner before bothering with it.

I feel like I should include a Mean Girls gif here; stop trying to make VR happen. It's not going to happen. Most people don't want to wear an annoying headset to game, and, until there's a better approach for this, VR's never going to be a big deal.

My Oculus Quest begs to differ...

I think VR is going to happen. It might be more for entertainment and communication than gaming, but who knows? When I bought a PC last year, the main thing I wanted to do was to be able to play Half Life: Alyx is the chance presented itself.

It is still not something I am spending money on, but I keep following it. I think it is still progressing, but I will admit that I am also ready to hop on its dying carcass and play some VR stuff cheap if it does go down.

farley3k wrote:

Thanks.

That makes me pause on the financing option since if it died after year I would still be on the hook to pay for a broken console for another year...

Sure, but that's no different from paying full price up front and having your console die one year and one day later.

Docjoe wrote:
MilkmanDanimal wrote:

I don't think Microsoft is going to go for VR because VR has never risen above a niche product with a limited potential customer base, and they'll just sit back and wait for the technology to be adopted in a more widespread manner before bothering with it.

I feel like I should include a Mean Girls gif here; stop trying to make VR happen. It's not going to happen. Most people don't want to wear an annoying headset to game, and, until there's a better approach for this, VR's never going to be a big deal.

My Oculus Quest begs to differ...

Facebook Likes This.

Docjoe wrote:
MilkmanDanimal wrote:

I don't think Microsoft is going to go for VR because VR has never risen above a niche product with a limited potential customer base, and they'll just sit back and wait for the technology to be adopted in a more widespread manner before bothering with it.

I feel like I should include a Mean Girls gif here; stop trying to make VR happen. It's not going to happen. Most people don't want to wear an annoying headset to game, and, until there's a better approach for this, VR's never going to be a big deal.

My Oculus Quest begs to differ...

You and the other 400,000 people who bought them will be very excited to play . . . help me out here. When we look at the top-selling games lists, exactly how many of those have VR support? I just googled a couple of Best VR Games lists, and, even as someone who has been a pretty obsessive game for more than 40 years, I recognize maybe half of them, and a number of others are just rehashes of old games with VR support. Oh, look, it's the 97th version of Skyrim, now with VR. Hey, Doom 2016. Minecraft!

VR continues to be little more than an endless series of tech demos surrounded by big-name older titles that add in support to existing games in order to do lesser work and still be able to sell a new copy. I love tech, I love toys, I love games, and I'm not putting a stupid headset on to play because I don't want to bother with it, and I kind of feel like I'm part of the ideal target market here.

VR is IN THE PROCESS of happening, right now. Install base is climbing, software sales are ramping up, tech is maturing and getting cheaper (hi there DocJoe's Quest!).

Just because YOU think you don't want to wear a headset doesn't mean that there isn't a robust industry serving a satisfied and expanding customer-base. Moreover, I'd be interested to know how many of the naysayers have tried it - as Staygold said on this week's call, it's difficult to grok how transformative a technology it is without first hand experience.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

VR continues to be little more than an endless series of tech demos surrounded by big-name older titles that add in support to existing games in order to do lesser work and still be able to sell a new copy.

Sorry, Dan, you're just plain wrong here.

I have a robust and full featured VR library of games that run the gamut from tech demo to deep, grognard, multi-hour experiences. To be fair, many of them are indies with indie-level amounts of polish, but that applies to the non-VR games market too. There's plenty of trash out there regardless of how many TVs you have strapped to your face.

I'll also say that what you call "slapping VR onto an old title" is ignoring how a VR do-over changes a game. Skyrim VR is the exact same game, but the mode of interaction changes how it feels so much it's a different experience. "Game changer" is literally accurate, in this case. And sim racing? While I completely grant you that's a niche, it's a very stable niche that isn't going anywhere, and in which VR is a performance-enhancing drug, to some degree. The increased sense of presence leads to better lap times.

It's cool if you're not interested in jumping in, but you're misrepresenting the current state of the market.

I've used it, it was great and utterly compelling, and it's just not worth the bother to me, and, yes, I think I'm pretty standard at that, and the above example of 3D movies is a good one; nobody wants to wear stupid glasses to watch a movie.

VR has been in the process of happening right now for years, and it's eternally just about to happen. It's like a Star Citizen you put on your face.

Ok guys sorry for the VR derail! Let’s agree that VR hasn’t fully arrived yet, it is not and may not ever be many people’s cup of tea but there are still many of us clinging to the dream.

I am somewhere in between the two of y'all on VR. I was considering getting a Quest before the required Facebook integration news went live. At the same time it seems like something that still needs another generation or two to be ready for prime time. Right now we really seem to go one of two ways: Quest and other low-end gadgets that are neat toys and then the high end things that are so expensive and require setups that are so expensive that they are just not feasible for a wider audience. I guess you can also get the older stuff used on ebay for sort of a middle tier experience. Beat Saber seems to be the killer app so far and just watching videos of that game make my shoulder ache

TheGameguru wrote:
garion333 wrote:
Jayhawker wrote:

Microsoft is hitting all the right notes. Not everyone has figured it out yet, but you are starting to see a shift in mindshare. I mean, the biggest criticisms are that S and X are too complicated for customers to figure out and the S looks like a speaker.

Let's not get too far out ahead of things here. They're leading the hype train because Sony is still haggling internally over pricing a console at $599 again. Microsoft is indeed hitting the right notes, but they're also hoping that continual leveraging of their portfolio will fill in the gaps until their acquired studios get more of their games out. Sony very much still has the zeitgeist of continually putting out big selling titles.

The biggest selling titles are typically 3rd party cross platform titles and Nintendo. Sony gets an over abundance of hype for their first party titles that makes it seem like they are the biggest games ever. They certainly sell well and make studios and Sony money but they typically aren’t making that big a difference.

https://venturebeat.com/2020/01/16/2...

Sure, it's why I chose my words carefully. It doesn't matter that they don't sell as much as GTAV (still!) or Mario but that they get their games in people's minds. That's something Microsoft obviously failed with this gen. Well, in-house games in general.

This is what I mean. When was the last time Microsoft had a huge launch that sucked all the air out of the interwebs? Halo Infinite's recent trailer is probably the closest thing I can remember for years.