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[Hawking Radiation]

After this latest acquisition of Zenimax and with the added value of GamePass, could Xbox be a more compelling proposition going into this new generation?

I have long thought about this over and over the last few weeks and while I own a PS4 Pro and have over 100+ games already invested in the system, I am also maybe keen on a change of scenery but also took time to weigh up the pros and cons of the potential transition.

1) I lose my PS games library and Network of PS friends
2) I also lose my PS+ Subscription as mine only runs out in middle of 2021

Next gen will be expensive and I don't see myself spending so much money as this will probably be my last console purchase. As I have pointed out before in another thread, Photography has become a serious hobby and i'm looking to invest heavily into that. This is where GamePass comes in. I don't need to spend ridiculous amounts of money to enjoy gaming while on the side I can still invest in my camera gear. The potential Bethesda games coming to GamePass will just be a bonus.

I'm frequently checking EB Games NZ and while there are still Series S consoles available to pre-order. If there had been a Series X option currently available, I honestly think I would consider it. The last Xbox console I owned was a 360 (actually 2 of them, the fat and slim ones) and I loved my time with Xbox during that era. Maybe I'll head back to the platform. This is the only time since then that I have considered Xbox.

So for those who have had a chance to think this through. Has Xbox made a case for itself all things considered?

 

[Jadsey]

No

 

[T-Cake]

I think "could be" actually "is"...

I was PS4 throughout last gen but my PS5 purchase is delayed until well into next year. Xbox Series X with all those Game Pass games is just too much of a value to ignore.

 

[Three]

Not for me, I'm not into GaaS type games like Grounded or Fortnite. I don't buy games new. I buy them in PSN/Steam sales. It would actually be more expensive for me to pay £100-120 a yearfor gamepass for games that I may not even be interested in, don't own or may rotate out of the service. There are months where I don't actually play anything. I have a huge backlog of games I own and I will buy the good games coming out on PS5 and PC in the sales.

 

[Coulomb_Barrier]

Maybe in 2-3 years when these big games come out. (if they're all console exclusive) Looking at it now, the launch line-up is very poor and there's not much within the first year either comparatively.

The negative sticking point with me is having everything release day and date on PC, gives many people no reason to own one.

 

[Self]

So for those who have had a chance to think this through. Has Xbox made a case for itself all things considered?

I ordered a Series S for gamepass while PS5 will be my main console.
If I don't like what's on offer on gamepass I will just quit the subscription service for a while. Just like I do with Netflix. I think that's a great combination.

 

[MH3M3D]

More compelling yes, more than PlayStation no. They have a long road ahead before rivaling Sony. They messed up an entire gen, its gonna take a while to win people back. Sony wont let that happen of course, they will have their own stuff to announce to keep their base.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

I ordered a Series S for gamepass while PS5 will be my main console.
If I don't like what's on offer on gamepass I will just quit the subscription service for a while. Just like I do with Netflix. I think that's a great combination.

This is my thinking as well and I think it's because of this new hobby of photography (which i enjoy very much) needs quite a bit of investment. For a subscription service like GamePass it makes sense in my case. Sure i could get a PS5 but then I will have to get all new games for it which will be priced $10 more. The games all add up when you buy them individually and with GamePass I get to enjoy both hobbies of photography and gaming.

It's taken me this long to realise that in my case it makes sense to go Xbox. I've always thought of carrying over my PS4 games to PS5 but never considered the long term costs of next gen.

 

[AV]

If I didn't have a PC I'd buy both in a heartbeat.

 

[Spaceman292]

Not for me, I'm not into GaaS type games like Grounded or Fortnite. I don't buy games new. I buy them in PSN/Steam sales. It would actually be more expensive for me to pay £100-120 a yearfor gamepass for games that I may not even be interested in, don't own or may rotate out of the service. There are months where I don't actually play anything. I have a huge backlog of games I own and I will buy the good games coming out on PS5 and PC in the sales.

Agreed. Why do people talk about gamepass like it's a bounty of free games for life? It's still expensive.

 

[The Shift]

..thoughts

Dedicating more time to your interests is always a good thing. Having that investment in the Playstation ecosystem is valuable but that doesn't evaporate if you get a Series S/X as you still have your PS4 and friends within that system.

Is there really an urgent reason to get either next gen console for you? If not why not take a pause and see what titles interest you on either platform over the next 12-18 months?

In my case I am more interested in investing most of my budget into a new gaming PC and gaming laptop. My gaming time is very limited and consoles generally don't harbour the genres I enjoy the most. I do have nearly 500 games I have purchased on xbox (all digital licences) so that would be a partial benefit in purchasing a Series X but I can just keep my One X for that and as another Gamepass node.

Do what makes most sense for you

 

[Self]

Sure i could get a PS5 but then I will have to get all new games for it which will be priced $10 more

I rarely buy games at full price + gaming without Sony titles is not a sensible option.

Quitting a subscription service within periods it has nothing valuable to offer is easy. I use PSPlus maybe for 3 months and Netflix for about 6 months a year. Gamepass will depend on the output of exclusives. Maybe 3 months a year as well.

 

[hemo memo]

No

Very informative.

 

[Kokoloko85]

Id rather not miss out on these delicious games.

1st year:

Demon Souls
Ratchet and Clank
Returnal
Spider Man : MM
Gran Turismo 7
Horizon 2
Final Fantasy 16
God of War Ragnarok

 

[Schmick]

After this latest acquisition of Zenimax and with the added value of GamePass, could Xbox be a more compelling proposition going into this new generation?

I have long thought about this over and over the last few weeks and while I own a PS4 Pro and have over 100+ games already invested in the system, I am also maybe keen on a change of scenery but also took time to weigh up the pros and cons of the potential transition.

1) I lose my PS games library and Network of PS friends
2) I also lose my PS+ Subscription as mine only runs out in middle of 2021

Next gen will be expensive and I don't see myself spending so much money as this will probably be my last console purchase. As I have pointed out before in another thread, Photography has become a serious hobby and i'm looking to invest heavily into that. This is where GamePass comes in. I don't need to spend ridiculous amounts of money to enjoy gaming while on the side I can still invest in my camera gear. The potential Bethesda games coming to GamePass will just be a bonus.

I'm frequently checking EB Games NZ and while there are still Series S consoles available to pre-order. If there had been a Series X option currently available, I honestly think I would consider it. The last Xbox console I owned was a 360 (actually 2 of them, the fat and slim ones) and I loved my time with Xbox during that era. Maybe I'll head back to the platform. This is the only time since then that I have considered Xbox.

So for those who have had a chance to think this through. Has Xbox made a case for itself all things considered?

Can't you keep your PS4 Pro? Would like nice with an Xbox.

 

[Rolla]

It's an interesting theory but it still comes down to the games. Sure, the core are discussing this acquisition but the potential momentum will only be a factor when XBOX starts delivering on actual great games.

I haven't seen the mindshare change one iota here in Europe since the announcement. Obviously that's just my perspective, but I'm confident in that assessment based on the continuing conversation here.

 

[captainraincoat]

 

[BlueXImpulse]

No

Close it up.

 

[massivekettle]

Id rather not miss out on these delicious games.

1st year:

Demon Souls
Ratchet and Clank
Returnal
Spider Man : MM
Gran Turismo 7
Horizon 2
Final Fantasy 16
God of War Ragnarok

Horizon and Spider-Man are both coming to PS4, as we now know.

As for GT7, I'll believe it when I see it. It's Polyphony we're talking about. This game ain't out until late 2022 at the earliest.

 

[Captain Ashley]

I'm am adult, Xbox community isn't for me and I like the social part of gaming a lot.

 

[Zok310]

My next gen investment:

PS5
NS Lite
3090 PC with Gamepass

 

[Hawking Radiation]

Can't you keep your PS4 Pro? Would like nice with an Xbox.

If I'm getting Xbox Series S or X, I am definitely keeping my PS4 Pro. I won't be using it that much if the multiplat games I own are on GamePass.

Id rather not miss out on these delicious games.

1st year:

Demon Souls
Ratchet and Clank
Returnal
Spider Man : MM
Gran Turismo 7
Horizon 2
Final Fantasy 16
God of War Ragnarok

All really good solid games but my long term thinking is of spending less on gaming. Also don't game as much nowadays and when I do I have limited time in doing so.

 

[Redlight]

Not for me, I'm not into GaaS type games like Grounded or Fortnite. I don't buy games new. I buy them in PSN/Steam sales. It would actually be more expensive for me to pay £100-120 a yearfor gamepass for games that I may not even be interested in, don't own or may rotate out of the service. There are months where I don't actually play anything. I have a huge backlog of games I own and I will buy the good games coming out on PS5 and PC in the sales.

I get what you're saying but it's possible to jump in and out of Gamepass on a month by month basis. You don't need to subscribe for the whole year, you can sub for a month when it suits you and then bail.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Imagine going into next-gen without an eye on which company will have a VR solution.

 

[Redlight]

Maybe in 2-3 years when these big games come out. (if they're all console exclusive) Looking at it now, the launch line-up is very poor and there's not much within the first year either comparatively.

The negative sticking point with me is having everything release day and date on PC, gives many people no reason to own one.

Nearly everything for Playstation is also day and date with PC. It's really only the first-party exclusives that aren't and it's not like there's twelve of those a year.

 

[PuppetMaster]

I have a beefy PC.

I only need a PS5 + PC to be fully covered for all next gen games. Its simple as that.

 

[Hendrick's]

It feels bad buying games now. Game Pass has completely spoiled me and changed my perspective. Xbox is hands down the best value in gaming.

 

[Solid Bra]

No, PS5 is my choice of console, all the games i like is on playstation, all kind of jrpg + sony first party studios, And i have a high end PC, no need for xbox.

 

[YoodlePro]

If I'm getting Xbox Series S or X, I am definitely keeping my PS4 Pro. I won't be using it that much if the multiplat games I own are on GamePass.


All really good solid games but my long term thinking is of spending less on gaming. Also don't game as much nowadays and when I do I have limited time in doing so.

I mean, I have limited gaming time on my hands. Which is exactly why game pass is such a bad deal for me now.

I don't have time to play 1000 games. I only have time to play one game maybe across a period of months.

So I'd much rather a highly rated game from Sony/Nintend like GoT or Zelda rather than having "free" access to another shooter-bang-bro-mountain dew game

 

[Hawking Radiation]

I have a beefy PC.

I only need a PS5 + PC to be fully covered for all next gen games. Its simple as that.

I wish I had a good gaming PC so that I could just do the GamePass sub and get PS5. But in my case a PC is a costly investment. If i want to game, I'd at least like to do so at 4K and good framerates.

I mean, I have limited gaming time on my hands. Which is exactly why game pass is such a bad deal for me now.

I don't have time to play 1000 games. I only have time to play one game maybe across a period of months.

So I'd much rather a highly rated game from Sony/Nintend like GoT or Zelda rather than having "free" access to another shooter-bang-bro-mountain dew game

A valid point and I see the angle you're coming from. In my case I would have choice when it comes to a subscription type service.
I very rarely buy movies anymore. I just hop on Netflix and search for any movies in genre's that I like and run it. If one day I no longer want to access the content, i'll just stop or cancel my sub.

 

[Bryank75]

As said above, Xbox has a very different demographic.... much younger, kids and teens who game there because of game pass and not being able or their parents not wanting to pay for full price games.

Playing online is painful dealing with obnoxious people, while PSN is mostly quiet.

The games situation is night and day and Bethesda are in a state, I don't know why people suddenly think they are good now.... go to youtube and you can find hundreds of videos ripping them to shreds for the poor quality of their games and anti-consumer moves they have consistently made.

If you don't have enough to play on PlayStation between free games from PS+ and f2p games like Genshin Impact or Apex legends or Warframe...... subscriptions such as PSNow which is only 60 a year VS the more expensive Game Pass and PSNOw had 700 games vs 100 on GP.


Then consider PlayStation exclusives mentioned above and what is coming in the future, for me...I look at the XBox lineup and there is not 1 game I am excited for....not a single one. They all look like things I've played before, the same skyrim like aesthetics regurgitated over and over again, the same sci-fi shooter crap over and over.
If xbox studios had any imagination, things might be different.... but all their output is uninspired and dull.

 

[Dontuseducks]

Id rather not miss out on these delicious games.

1st year:

Demon Souls
Ratchet and Clank
Returnal
Spider Man : MM
Gran Turismo 7
Horizon 2
Final Fantasy 16
God of War Ragnarok

I really don't believe God of War Ragnarok to be coming out in 2021, unless it is like MM or Lost Legacy.

 

[Spaceman292]

Nearly everything for Playstation is also day and date with PC. It's really only the first-party exclusives that aren't and it's not like there's twelve of those a year.

Twelve first party exclusives a year is a lot. Imagine getting twelve Bloodbornes a year.

 

[Kokoloko85]

Horizon and Spider-Man are both coming to PS4, as we now know.

As for GT7, I'll believe it when I see it. It's Polyphony we're talking about. This game ain't out until late 2022 at the earliest.

There still exclusive games for Playstation.
GT 7 is coming out in the next year

 

[Kokoloko85]

I really don't believe God of War Ragnarok to be coming out in 2021, unless it is like MM or Lost Legacy.

Im just going by what they said.
More games than anyone else is set to release next year

 

[Desudzer10]

Main thing PS had over Xbox to me was Dragon Quest, it's my all time favorite series, but i just randomly came across news DQ11 definitive edition is coming to Xbox One Dec. 4th. So yeah, it's a bit more compelling, but I'll have both consoles anyways.

 

[Gloggins]

Very possible.

Best thing to do is get both and stock up on a few years of Gamepass before an inevitable price hike.

 

[Kokoloko85]

It feels bad buying games now. Game Pass has completely spoiled me and changed my perspective. Xbox is hands down the best value in gaming.

Your missing out on some great games you can own lol

 

[IbelieveInGenerations]

Im fine with my PS5 as of now and I neither have money nor time for two consoles.

One feeds me with enough good games and thats the PS5.

 

[Coulomb_Barrier]

I have a beefy PC.

I only need a PS5 + PC to be fully covered for all next gen games. Its simple as that.

Yep, the smart option.

 

[Cyber_hunter026]

Only games I ever played from Bethesda. were fallout 3, fallout:NV, the elder scrolls: skyrim, and fallout 4. other than fallout new Vegas which i enjoyed the most. Fallout 4 was a buggy glitch filled mess, played a little of fallout 76 and deleted it. Yeah I'm good without them.

 

[JawaSaysUtinni]

I think we need just need to take a break.

There’s been a lot of Xbox news crammed into one week. A lot of exciting deals and prospects for the future of gaming and Gamepass. Yes, it is tempting when you think that the PR for Sony has been negative for the last week about upgrades and game prices etc.

Nevertheless, we still have the whole of October for more news. I’m not convinced we have seen everything, you would think Sony would space things out so we don’t have a drought of information leading up to console launch.

I think you will get incredible value from either console this generation. I wouldn’t overthink it. I, personally, will be watching to see what Microsoft achieves with Gamepass and indeed with Bethesda and their 1st party studios. It’s one thing to make some purchases, it’s another to foster their new purchase into amazing games.

Also, it’ll be interesting to see how their relationship with 3rd party studios continues on Gamepass. Will they stay? Are they seeing the benefit? All these questions. I am comfortable jumping into the Gamepass party later.

But either way, I’m still happy with my PS5 preorder. It was difficult times during the PS3 era but it was still fun.

 

[Night.Ninja]

They way some of you make out like owning both consoles is illegal

 

[NEbeast]

I've been pondering it, I'm sticking with ps5 for now though. I need to see MS prove their new games are worth playing, their are major pitfalls to a subscription service, I don't want to buy into a platform and be stick with mediocre games. I know Sony will deliver.

 

[Self]

...I look at the XBox lineup and there is not 1 game I am excited for....not a single one.

C'mon, that's a really silly thing to say. Xbox games where never on par with Sony or Nintendo games, that's for sure, but mate... With 10 fucking bucks you have a huge library to choose from. Never thought about playing Alan Wake, Gears, Halo, Forza, Rare Replay, future bethesda games or other games included? Honestly, that's a no brainer. You can end the subscription when ever you want.

If you still have an axe to grind... ok.

 

[CeeJay]

Id rather not miss out on these delicious games.

1st year:

Demon Souls
Ratchet and Clank
Returnal
Spider Man : MM
Gran Turismo 7
Horizon 2
Final Fantasy 16
God of War Ragnarok

I am not necessarily singling you out but this is just an example for a point i want to make.

Anyone who is limiting themselves to just PS5, Xbox or PC and just the big AAA games such as the ones that you see on the list here are really missing out on so much that gaming has to offer. I've played a lot of AAA games and i've played a lot of games outside of that AAA sphere over the years. Although I have enjoyed a lot of the AAA games i've played, the vast majority have a certain feel about them, they feel safe. Although they look amazing the actual gameplay is rarely as amazing and they have a feeling as though every part of them has been worked on by hundreds of people and the outcome is the average of all that input. There are one or two AAAs that buck that trend but that's the general feels i get from them. Not to say that there is anything wrong with that if that is what you want from your games. For me I want to play games that do something new, that explore fresh new ideas and are not just a fresh skin on age old gameplay loops and mechanics. Let's face facts here, AAA games cost a hell of a lot of money to make and as such they want to be sure that they are going to appeal to as wide an audience as possible and look as amazing as possible to stand out from the crowd. They are not as prepared to take risks as you will find in lower budget games.

If we look at lower budget games, there are way too many coming out to ever play all of them and the majority of them are boring and derivative of the big AAA games that they are trying to copy but, there are a surprising amount that are really excellent games in their own right doing something different to any other games out there. But, how do you figure out which of these games are going to appeal to you and your own tastes? How do you figure out which games are worth buying and which aren't?

This is where a service like Gamepass comes into it's own. It allows you to explore a lot of different games without having to invest a lot of money to see if it appeals to you. If you download and play a game for 5 minutes to realise it's not for you then you've not lost anything other than a little bit of time, delete it and try another. Download a dozen games and skim through them quickly, you might find something that really interests you. Try games in genres that you wouldn't normally go anywhere near or that you have never played before because you think you may not like them. There may be some AAA games that are on there which have passed you by, you can try those as well.

On Gamepass I have found loads of smaller games or games that have come out without the AAA marketing budget that i've really enjoyed playing. I've had some fresh, memorable experiences that would have otherwise passed me by. Ive come to the conclusion over the years that generally AAA games are far from the best games out there and the ones that win all the awards each year are maybe good but cannot be taken as gospel that they are the greatest. Gaming is also really subjective and a game that one person finds amazing will be something that someone else hates.

If you do not try a lot of games and just stick to the critically acclaimed blockbusters then you are missing out on games you would love. Gamepass allows you to try out lots of games. And with the addition of Xcloud you don't even need to download them to try them. Use Xcloud to try even more games then download the ones you thin you might like to invest more time into. It's like with movies, books, art or music, if you don't experience lots of them and explore then how do you really know what is good and what is derivative?

 

[LeftThumbstick]

C'mon, that's a really silly thing to say. Xbox games where never on par with Sony or Nintendo games, that's for sure, but mate... With 10 fucking bucks you have a huge library to choose from. Never thought about playing Alan Wake, Gears, Halo, Forza, Rare Replay, future bethesda games or other games included? Honestly, that's a no brainer. You can end the subscription when ever you want.

If you still have an axe to grind... ok.

He does. If you’ve been around NeoGAF for any amount of time, you will notice Bryan here is a hardcore PlayStation fanboy.

i’d say if you aren’t interested in a single Xbox game you’re either lying or just not much of a gamer to begin with.

That said, Xbox now has 23 in-house studies while Sony has only 15. For anyone to say Xbox isn’t a threat or could gain a lot of traction are facetious idiots.

 

[Bryank75]

C'mon, that's a really silly thing to say. Xbox games where never on par with Sony or Nintendo games, that's for sure, but mate... With 10 fucking bucks you have a huge library to choose from. Never thought about playing Alan Wake, Gears, Halo, Forza, Rare Replay, future bethesda games or other games included? Honestly, that's a no brainer. You can end the subscription when ever you want.

If you still have an axe to grind... ok.

I'd only have any little bit of interest in Alan Wake...the rest are boring, what is interesting about any of those?
As I said Sci-fi men with guns and more sword and shield games.

There was a picture of Master Chief and Doom Guy side by side and people reacting like 'Wow, so amazing' all it highlighted to me is how redundant most of the Bethesda acquisition was for Xbox....doubling up on what they already had for the most part.

 

[The_Mike]

Bethesda games have become irrelevant during the last few days. Didn't you get the memo OP?

 

[Bryank75]

Bethesda games have become irrelevant during the last few days. Didn't you get the memo OP?

You got that backward....suddenly they became great when MS announced they were going to buy them.