22nd December 2019, 10:54 PM
Well, some of that depends on how often they release new, higher-power models, doesn't it? Like, they clearly will not every year. The Xbox One X was released two years ago now, four year after the original Xbox One, and the next one will release late next year. If Microsoft starts releasing new enhanced models every three or four years, I think that would be fine. I can't imagine that they would think people would be willing to buy a new $500-plus console every year, so they won't go the Apple route I'm sure.
Anyway, the rumors are all about the other (to release sometime after the one they announced recently) other model of next Xbox not being a second more powerful one, but instead a less powerful, streaming-focused box.
But you are right, with the route MS is taking, things like 'how will this game run on my box' definitely become relevant in a way they have not on consoles in the past. It's a much more PC-like approach, and certainly loses a lot of that console simplicity. Like, for how long will their next-gen games also run on the original Xbox One? That's a far less powerful system! But for now MS is talking about how their games will run on the Xbox One as well. Performance will have to be a lot worse, but they'll run... until they phase out last-gen support. I wonder if they will put anything on the cases making it clear which platform each game supports... I don't know if they WILL, I'm not entirely expecting it, but I hope they do.
I definitely agree that MS is going for one Apple-like thing, though, an Apple-like naming scheme of confusing product names that don't make it clear in what order the things go! And yes that definitely annoys me. Like, I get it -- I'm sure MS has studies proving that calling it "Xbox 4" would be a big negative for them versus the "PlayStation 5", since 4 is a smaller number than 5 so obviously the 5 one is better, right? People are dumb. But even so, trying to act like "Xbox" is a fine name for your new console, as if it's a term like "PC" that can be applied to all Xbox system regardless of if they are compatible with eachother or not... I don't know that that is a good approach, in the console space clearly delineating what is your platform and what is not is important, and I hope that doesn't change just because MS thinks otherwise.
As for the value of consoles, I have written about that in the not too distant past and yeah, they definitely have less value than they used to. There are a couple of reasons to still care about consoles, however:
1) Good portability, the niche Nintendo has gone for
2) To have a thing easy to output 4K to to your 4K TV - unless you have an easy way to hook your computer up to a 4K TV, if you one (I don't yet, but am definitely thinking about it for next year), it's far, far easier to just use a console than to try to figure out how to get a gaming desktop PC in one room to output in 4K to a TV in a different room...
3) For the moment at least, way more physical media - physical-disc PC games are almost entirely dead, but not console. This is definitely a reason I buy Xbox games over PC sometimes even if the PC version is mostly better.
4) For Sony and Nintendo consoles, the exclusive games. Or for Microsoft ones, cross-compatible games - it's nice when one purchase gets you both a PC (usually Windows Store, but oh well) and Xbox version for one, if for convenience, screens, etc. having a console as well as PC makes sense.
5) Having something which can run all of the Xbox One games I already own, but better, has value. Plus you get free better, 4K-enhanced versions of some original Xbox and X360 games, and you can play all of those Games with Gold titles (which you cannot use on a PC!) as well.
Between all of that I think there is probably still enough reason for me to keep getting Microsoft consoles. Part of that is inertia - that I have their consoles already, have lots of games from GwG for the X1, etc - but even if they are weaker reasons than consoles had in the past for their value versus a PC they are at least something.
Anyway, the rumors are all about the other (to release sometime after the one they announced recently) other model of next Xbox not being a second more powerful one, but instead a less powerful, streaming-focused box.
But you are right, with the route MS is taking, things like 'how will this game run on my box' definitely become relevant in a way they have not on consoles in the past. It's a much more PC-like approach, and certainly loses a lot of that console simplicity. Like, for how long will their next-gen games also run on the original Xbox One? That's a far less powerful system! But for now MS is talking about how their games will run on the Xbox One as well. Performance will have to be a lot worse, but they'll run... until they phase out last-gen support. I wonder if they will put anything on the cases making it clear which platform each game supports... I don't know if they WILL, I'm not entirely expecting it, but I hope they do.
I definitely agree that MS is going for one Apple-like thing, though, an Apple-like naming scheme of confusing product names that don't make it clear in what order the things go! And yes that definitely annoys me. Like, I get it -- I'm sure MS has studies proving that calling it "Xbox 4" would be a big negative for them versus the "PlayStation 5", since 4 is a smaller number than 5 so obviously the 5 one is better, right? People are dumb. But even so, trying to act like "Xbox" is a fine name for your new console, as if it's a term like "PC" that can be applied to all Xbox system regardless of if they are compatible with eachother or not... I don't know that that is a good approach, in the console space clearly delineating what is your platform and what is not is important, and I hope that doesn't change just because MS thinks otherwise.
As for the value of consoles, I have written about that in the not too distant past and yeah, they definitely have less value than they used to. There are a couple of reasons to still care about consoles, however:
1) Good portability, the niche Nintendo has gone for
2) To have a thing easy to output 4K to to your 4K TV - unless you have an easy way to hook your computer up to a 4K TV, if you one (I don't yet, but am definitely thinking about it for next year), it's far, far easier to just use a console than to try to figure out how to get a gaming desktop PC in one room to output in 4K to a TV in a different room...
3) For the moment at least, way more physical media - physical-disc PC games are almost entirely dead, but not console. This is definitely a reason I buy Xbox games over PC sometimes even if the PC version is mostly better.
4) For Sony and Nintendo consoles, the exclusive games. Or for Microsoft ones, cross-compatible games - it's nice when one purchase gets you both a PC (usually Windows Store, but oh well) and Xbox version for one, if for convenience, screens, etc. having a console as well as PC makes sense.
5) Having something which can run all of the Xbox One games I already own, but better, has value. Plus you get free better, 4K-enhanced versions of some original Xbox and X360 games, and you can play all of those Games with Gold titles (which you cannot use on a PC!) as well.
Between all of that I think there is probably still enough reason for me to keep getting Microsoft consoles. Part of that is inertia - that I have their consoles already, have lots of games from GwG for the X1, etc - but even if they are weaker reasons than consoles had in the past for their value versus a PC they are at least something.