Although I’m not already shopping to buy a next-generation console, I’d probably like a faster PS5 or Xbox Series X or later. And, having noticed the July 23 occasion of Microsoft with its large number of promising games, now I know what console I need to buy, and it’s not the Xbox Series X.
This is not because Microsoft has not introduced smart games. On the contrary, I’m incredibly excited about Avowed, Obsidian’s amazing new role-playing game, and Psychonauts 2 has deliciously rare looks. I’m coming and going from the Halo and Fable franchises, but the two new installments look promising, and I see myself selling them one day.
However, as I watched the video of the event, I thought, “I’d like to play this,” and I went on without delay “I’ve got everything I want to play this.” That’s because I already have a gaming PC and an Xbox One. Microsoft’s commitment to backing up those platforms will make it less difficult than ever for others like me to dive into the Xbox Series X library without having to buy an Xbox Series X.
I deserve to start the rest of this article by saying that for someone who works on a generation site, I can be a little ludita. I have a tendency to drop my device on the ground, perform a minor maintenance series for years that just break and buy new devices. I had my last computer for 8 years; My workplace is 10 and counts. I don’t buy new consoles until the newest generation stops supporting the games I want.
As such, I got excited a few months ago when Microsoft committed to releasing all xbox X games for PC as well. In addition, those games will also be on Xbox One, at least for the foreseeable future. This means that each and every game I mentioned earlier, I already have the mandatory hardware to play.
Will Avowed look just as right on my existing PC or consoles as it does on Xbox Series X? Probably not. My desktop is old enough, as stated, and my Xbox One S cannot support 4K resolutions or 60 ip symbol frequencies. Loading times will be longer, textures will be explained less, and overall gameplay will be less fluid. And yet, when I think of all my favorite games of the latest generation, what I do not forget are the moving stories, the avant-garde gameplay and the artistic sets. I don’t forget to think, “I wish this game was prettier and loaded faster.”
Certainly, there is a danger in this kind of thinking. After all, if we were completely satisfied with existing technology, all the time, there would be no incentive for the graphs or symbols to become more fluid. But the Xbox Series X will charge a lot of dollars. I can spend those piles of dollars on the promising new games from Microsoft, or I can spend them on a third formula to back them up. The selection doesn’t seem too difficult.
Another thing I like about Microsoft, however, is that I probably wouldn’t rate myself any more if I changed my mind. Let’s say I’m absolutely in favor of next-generation games on existing generation platforms. I think of games like Dragon Quest: Inquisition, which was technically available on Xbox 360 and PS3, but only in a sterile and timid form. Sooner or later, a game will arrive, whether it’s particularly better on Xbox Series X or almost impossible to play on Xbox One.
When that day comes, I may have to dig into my wallet and disburse an Xbox Series X. But at least I’m going to run to the ground. Thanks to Microsoft’s Smart Delivery system, any Xbox One game you purchase will automatically give me the right to an Xbox Series X update. My backup knowledge will also be transferred, so my frustrating first hours with a game will not have been in vain. Having to buy a new console with the logo is expensive, however, having to pay tens of dollars to upgrade your game library would only be an insult to an injury. Losing your knowledge of backing up in the most sensitive of that carries an insult to the insult.
Microsoft’s most recent live stream didn’t make me need an Xbox Series X at all. In past generations of consoles, this can seem like a huge problem. But now I’m delighted to be able to play the games I need with the hardware I already have, and if I upgrade in the future, all my games and my progress will come with me.
This fits perfectly with Microsoft’s strategy of creating a continuous ecosystem other than a single console generation. And if the plan works, in the coming years, enthusiasts might start to wonder why Sony and Nintendo have been so stingy with cross-platform compatibility.
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