Games Inbox: What’s the point of Xbox?

The Monday letters page discusses the fallout from Indiana Jones And The Great Circle on PS5, as one reader saves up to buy an Xbox Series X.

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No point
Some good Reader’s Features over the weekend, as usual. I felt Mulkey summarised all the problems with Xbox very well, without seeming like a fanboy or glad that they’re doing badly. As he said – as everyone has said for months, if not years – Microsoft is bringing these problems on itself. Things like announcing the PlayStation 5 version of Indiana Jones And The Great Circle early are unforced errors that any sensible person, let along a multi-million dollar exec, should not be making.

For me, as it was for many others, Gamescom marked the end of the Xbox brand as anything other than a publisher. There is no way on earth I’d ever buy another console they make, and I’ve never been interested in Game Pass.

Fans talk about how they’re making more money now, but ‘they’ are not making anything, Activision is. Nothing Xbox has done has had any effect on Call Of Duty sales one way or the other, it’s just now the money flows upwards to an even bigger company.

I hate to say it but I struggle to see what the point of Xbox is anymore. They don’t make consoles, they still don’t have any top quality games coming out on a regular basis, and Game Pass is essentially a failure. Nothing has worked out and it’s only the fact that Microsoft is so rich that has allowed them to survive this long. If I were them, I really would just sell Xbox off and wash my hands of it.
Columbo

Bucking the trend
RE: All this talk of readers not buying a (future) Xbox console. I’m actually in the process of getting an Xbox Series X and have saved up £375, so I’m about halfway there.

I’m specifically looking forward to Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown and hope it reviews well (on this site).

I don’t buy consoles for one game though, so will also get RoboCop: Rogue City and GTA 6, so will have a lot to get through over these three games.

I already have an Xbox One and will want to transfer my Forza Horizon 4 and 5 data to it.
LeighDappa

GC: It’s interesting that none of those are Xbox exclusives or on Game Pass, except for the Forza games you already own.

Lagging behind
RE: Jonathan. Whilst I can’t ever bring myself to disagree with someone enjoying a game, as who am I to say what you feel is not right? It’s your experience after all.

However, I can’t accept what you are saying about the technical aspects of Black Myth: Wukong. It’s frankly a bit of a disaster currently on PlayStation 5.

Image quality is poor thanks to the heavy upscaling resulting in both huge amounts of noise and aliasing on the image, with a more than healthy dose of ghosting.

The only mode where frame rate is semi-stable is the performance mode, and the other two are very erratic and have bad frame pacing.

There’s also frame generation being used, which is known for introducing input lag and isn’t really meant to help prop up low frame rates as low as those modes exhibit.

So bad frame pacing and frame generation equals heavy init lag.
Kiran

GC: What’s init lag? Input lag?

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All the reasons
I’ll see how the gen pans out, with how extensive Sony’s and Xbox’s multiplatform plans are, but like the weekend feature I think PC and Switch 2 will be my future hardware choices.

I actually really like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and hold no strong discontent to either company’s handling of the gen, just lots of head scratching mostly. But PC has reached a critical mass of reasons to go there and paired with a Switch 2 should cover every game I’d be interested in.

Regarding PC, it’s Sony and Xbox releasing on it that’s tipped the balance but the other reason for choosing it are:

Hardware available to guarantee 60fps, if you have the money.

By far the best device for indies. The timed indie console exclusive is quite common now. They’re all day one on PC as well as it having excellent indie games that are still to show up on consoles like Pizza Tower, Hyper Demon, and Turbo Overkill.

Mods like Fallout: London, good VR options, mouse and keyboard option, plus the sort of strategy games they suit, emulation, and legacy gaming and Game Pass being on PC.
Simundo

GC: It should be pointed out that PC-only indie games aren’t exclusives in the traditional sense. It’s just that small developers often only have the time and money to support one format at first, and the PC is the obvious choice given there’s no licensing fee to publish it, as there is on consoles.

Tech failure
Last month I sent in my faulty Xbox Series X to the Tech Centre via my local CeX store. It has been returned to me, but somehow they have managed to add scratches and scuff marks to my Xbox (which was in perfect condition originally). I’ve taken photos beforehand, because I was worried this might happen. Not only has this has now devalued the resale value of my Xbox Series X it also looks unsightly upon closer inspection.

To make matters worse they also couldn’t find a fault with my Xbox Series X at all. My Xbox Series X ceases to turn on via the controller if you leave it for a few days in-between turning it on. This morning, I have gone to turn my Xbox Series X on and, just like last month, it is completely dead again, even pressing the power button on the unit itself does nothing.

I am at loss as what to do now. I do not have any local repair centres near me, and I could not contact the person on YouTube who was recommended to me.

Unfortunately, Microsoft want £290 to do any repair, but I consider this for too much when I just need a new power supply.
Chaosphere

Management issues
I look at Valve and see a similarity with what Xbox could become. Valve make most of their income from the Steam storefront, yet still produce the Steam Deck, which is a relatively niche product. Whether Xbox fans like it or not, Microsoft will make huge profits with a multiformat strategy (way ahead of Nintendo and Sony). Is it a short-sighted vision? Possibly.

Although I feel there will be at least one more generation of Xbox consoles, their strategy doesn’t solely rely upon the metric of console sales.

I’m not condoning the Xbox strategy. Far from it. A more competitive industry benefits us all. I would suggest that if the next Xbox is a more open platform, and includes access to storefronts like Steam, it could provide incentives for customers. We are so used to exclusives selling hardware, it’s hard to imagine a different strategy working. But if they can create compelling hardware, along with a handheld that differentiates from its competitors, it could potentially revive Xbox.

I recall after the Wii U failed, gamers thought Nintendo were done. I would suggest a change of leadership may help. Phil Spencer has done some good things for Xbox, but like Gareth Southgate during the summer, his time is up. At least the former England manager had the decency to step down.
Si

Proven success
Sounds to me Phil Spencer has realised that Xbox is a business and not a toy, that’s why he’s bringing Xbox games to other platforms. No company has got unlimited cash, even though it might look like that, and him bringing Xbox titles to PlayStation is a good move in my eyes.

I’ve read Sea Of Thieves has sold a million copies on PlayStation 5 alone. That’s some serious cash at £60 a pop. I’ve got a feeling a lot more games are going to be coming to other platforms and I can’t blame him. For me, he should have done this a long time ago.
David

Good show
I think Gamescom was a pretty decent event, looking at the gaming reveals and what to expect in the near future. I did enjoy the opening show with Geoff Keighley. Most importantly, though, when you get through all the razzmatazz, there was some very decent games indeed.

A game called Lost Ember, which I have never experienced before, and is apparently a remaster, looks very endearing indeed. Fairwell North is another interesting Ōkami colouring-in type of game and is looking quite special.

So chuffed Little Nightmares 3 was revealed a little more, as this is one of my favourite series of games. I feel that we could have another hit here too. Unknown 9: Awakening could be interesting, and it does state action adventure and does show scenarios which I like from Uncharted, in locations of interest for me.

I would love Enotria: the Last Song to turn out well. I have seen this being played on Twitch and the hard Soulsborne-like manner of it appeals to me. Of special note was the Italian folk music, which I love, and as a big fan of this exciting style of sound it’s something which adds even more to the game.

I hope Indiana Jones And The Great Circle will be a decent game and now also the Starfield: Shattered Space DLC, which I have always been a fan of and enjoyed my time in the game’s universe. I know it’s had its critics, but it seems Bethesda have not given up on it with the recent update and now the new, intriguing story-driven DLC gameplay. It sounds exciting and epic.

Overall, a fine time and some very promising games to come, with a nice mix of indie and triple-A types.
Alucard

Inbox also-rans
I noted you were delayed from Gamescom. What was your overall feeling you came away with, except exhaustion. Were you filled with hope in such dark times for gaming?
TWO MACKS

GC: Up until the 18 hour delay in getting home our feelings were mostly positive, yes. We should be able to start getting the articles up from tomorrow.

I’m so gutted it was Borderlands that was at Gamescom after all, and not Tomb Raider. I think the chances of seeing it this year are now much worse.
Pinky

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The small print
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