Why Xbox One X is worth $499 — and why it might not be

Xbox One X's price has finally been revealed, giving us an idea of how much you'll have to spend to pick up this beastly, six-teraflop game console.

Internet reactions have thus far been mixed, with many outlets and prominent commentators long decrying any version of Xbox One X that would cost more than $399.

Of course, we now know that Xbox One X starts at $499, which puts it in line with the disastrous launch of the original Xbox One back in 2013. Is Microsoft making the same mistakes again? The short answer: no. Times have changed, and One X is catering to a vastly different audience than the original Xbox One.

Here's why Xbox One X's $499 price is just fine, along with a few reasons why it may prove to be too expensive after all.

Microsoft unveils Xbox One X, releasing November 7

Why Xbox One X is worth $500

1. You get a true 4K experience

With Xbox One X, you will get a genuine 4K experience. You get a 4K Blu-ray player, and you get a 4K game DVR and streaming device. You get 4K media playback across Netflix and other services. And ultimately, you get true 4K "AAA," top-tier modern games.

If you think One X is too expensive, buy something else.

Obtaining 4K at 60 frames per second (4K60) in a game like Star Wars Battlefront II would be simply impossible for any Windows PC build, and the GPU alone would cost more than $499. Unless you're planning to omit features like an optical drive, and even the PC case itself, you're not even going to approach $499. And even then, you'd probably end up getting fewer features than One X.

One X represents true value for people who want to game and get the most out of their 4K TVs.

2. Xbox is alive and well

Contrary to the "market share this, and market share that" narrative, Xbox is actually doing very well. Xbox Live engagement is on the rise. All of those extra Xbox Live users, whether they're on Windows 10 PCs, Xbox, or even Android or iOS in games like Age of Empires: Castle Siege, they're all spending money on Microsoft digital goods and services.

This is the only metric Microsoft is interested in, and One X is designed to serve the hardcore users of the tens of millions already deeply invested in the Xbox ecosystem. A healthy business is only going to lead to better games and services for Xbox owners, who already see tons of free content and feature updates on a near-monthly basis.

3. The average Xbox gamer can afford it

As per our leaked Xbox Live demographics, more than 40 percent of Xbox One owners fall within the $50,000 to $100,000 annual income range. If you're buying a 65-inch OLED 4K HDR TV for Xbox One X, you're probably not concerned about the $500 price point.

We live in a world of profitable micro-economies, and few hardware makers have learned this as well as Microsoft. Redmond's Surface lineup represents some of the most prestigious PCs available, and despite similar hardware from Dell, HP and other OEMs that often sport higher specs but are cheaper, people still buy Surfaces because they value the brand and experience.

This isn't even really a fair comparison because while a lot of the Surface brand's value versus its competition is probably subjective, Xbox One X empirically represents high value with its features and specs versus its competition. There will be people out there tweeting that One X is too expensive as they type away on their $800 iPhones.

4. This time no one will be left behind

When Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One at $499, it was a big problem. So why won't the same be true for One X? Simply put, this time, nobody will be left behind.

Xbox One X is fully backward and forwards compatible with the entire Xbox One library.

If Xbox One X was a generational leap with exclusive games, at $499 many dedicated Xbox fans would be left out of the party. This time, that isn't the case.

Xbox One X is fully backward and forwards compatible with the entire Xbox One library. Whether it's backward compatible Xbox 360 games, expensive Xbox One accessories you purchased, or your hundreds of games, they'll all work on Xbox One X. Some will work even better on Xbox One X.

If you're an Xbox fan without the funds, you can simply wait for a price drop. You won't miss out on any of the games, because they'll just work on One X when you eventually decide to upgrade.

5. Xbox One S price cut

If you are concerned about the overall market share of Xbox affecting the quality of its ecosystem, you needn't worry, because the Xbox One S just got an aggressive price cut to $249.

At $249, the Xbox One S is the perfect console for anyone who wants to get into 4K in the future. Let's be completely honest – 4K is the future. It's not as if humanity is going to collectively agree that 1080p is enough.

The Xbox One S will drive market share, which is what Microsoft said all along, with Xbox One X spearheading the push into the 4K future.

These are all good reasons to pony up for $500 for the new Xbox. However, there are some potential concerns with this price point that you should be aware of.

Why Xbox One X might not be worth $500

1. Media backlash

The biggest issue with the $499 price point is the inevitable media backlash. Gaming research analyst Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities already famously said that if One X costs more than $399 it will be dead on arrival. It seems like much of the gaming media agrees.

Other influential figures across YouTube and social media will probably jump on the backlash bandwagon, too, and it could serve to hinder any Xbox marketing efforts that demonstrate Xbox One X's value and quality. Ultimately, none of this should matter to the Xbox customer, because it's all just fanboy console war fodder. If you think Xbox One X is too expensive, buy something else. That's what we do with phones and PCs. Now that consoles are no longer generational stop-gaps, why should they be different?

However, the perception that market share is to blame for the Xbox One missing out on certain games could be cause for some to worry that Microsoft isn't competitive enough. Time will tell if Microsoft can continue to create a compelling ecosystem out of Xbox without aggressively chasing Sony's market share.

2. How many games will actually use Xbox One X's power?

It's a common talking point in the industry that AAA game development costs are spiraling out of control. With consoles and PCs getting increasingly powerful, even the biggest companies are struggling to justify the risk factor involved with bigger costs.

With the PlayStation (PS4) Pro sporting a large headstart on Xbox One X, you have to wonder whether One X versions of the same games will just be ports that don't utilize the additional power provided by the new console.

Microsoft will have to demonstrate that Xbox One X will have a decent size lineup of 4K games that make picking up the console a better option than Sony's offering.

3. Is it still too early for 4K?

While 4K gaming is undoubtedly the future, I'm not sure whether 4K alone is compelling enough of a reason to persuade people to choose Xbox over PlayStation.

I'm sure Microsoft has data that contradicts what I'm about to say, but when it comes to choosing a console (and an ecosystem) I'd always choose the one with the most compelling exclusive games, rather than the one with games that have the best graphics.

If you don't think Xbox One X represents good value, don't buy it.

Sony's focus on quality exclusive titles such as Persona 5, Nioh, Nier Automata, Horizon Zero Dawn, and the upcoming The Last of Us 2 and God of War, makes PlayStation incredibly enticing, to the point where I'd forego native 4K on multiplatform titles.

I don't really_have_ to choose between PC, Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch, but for those who prefer to stick to one ecosystem, Microsoft could still have something to prove when it comes to exclusive titles, particularly because the company seems to be targeting the core 25- to 35-year-old gamers.

Only time will tell

Ultimately, it's too early to say whether Microsoft's pricing strategy for Xbox One X will pay off or not, despite what the so-called "experts" will tell you.

If you don't think Xbox One X represents good value, don't buy it. If you think PS4 Pro is a better option, that's perfectly fine. If you think you'd rather put the money towards a 4K60 gaming PC, that is also a great option, because the bulk of 4K gaming content is always going to be on PC first.

However, if you want a sleek and sexy video game console that powers your existing Xbox library, provides simple and easy 4K media solutions to your TV, with 4K game capture and the best-looking games possible for $499 – Xbox One X is the best (and only) option.

Let us know what you think of Xbox One X's price in the comments.

Jez Corden a Managing Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his Xbox Two podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!

116 Comments

I won't be an early adopter at that price.
If you own an Xbox One you've adopted. They are two tier releasing -- one for casuals, one for hardcore.
Waiting to put 2 on pre-order!!!
Why it's worth it: 4k capable hardware is expensive. Why it's not: 4k is basically worthless if you're sitting more than 2 or 3 feet from your display. I really don't think you can cite "because most people can afford it" as a reason it's worth the money.
Lol you can definitely tell the difference between won and 4k even that close from the screen. Especially being super sampled on a 1080p screen
... I don't even know where to start, so I won't bother.
Maybe by seeing an optician?
Size vs distance is a major factor on getting a 4K tv. It's the limit of the human eye, it's not just someone someone dreamed up, there is LOT of fact to it. If you want to read more about the FACTS http://referencehometheater.com/2013/commentary/4k-calculator/ For Example, 5 feet away, you would need about a 70" TV to see the benifit of 4K. From a longer distance, you could see a little better color but, the detail fads away. This is even worse as you get older. As a 15 year old can see a lot better than a 35 year old. There is a lot of factors here but, getting the full 4K, could mean sitting 5' away from a 65-70" TV to be able to fully see the detail. You want to sit 7-10 feet away ? Plan in spending $10K on a 120" TV (projector would fit better)
I am sorry, but the article you linked is psedo science at best and is simply not true. While there may be some 'facts' present the conclusion is complete nonsense. Read some of the comments for links to why the article is completely false.
Dave, your cluless, do some homework on the subject. Go head, sit 7' from a 40" 4K tv....waste your money. This was just one site, google or big it, there are limits to the human eye and this is what they are refering to. It's not " psedo science " as you call it. I work in A/V, Trust me when I say it, I know what I am talking about. You very uneducated about this subject and really cluless, Why not doing some research before passing BS on a KNOWN issue with 4K or even 8k tvs.
You should look up tables showing optimal distance for 4k and screen size. http://www.rtings.com/tv/learn/4k-ultra-hd-uhd-vs-1080p-full-hd-tvs-and-...
If you sit 2-3 feet or more from a display, there is a certain size screen you have to buy. The difference is noticeable. If you can't see it, it's not for you. You should stick with 480 or 720p.
That chart actually shows my point... If you sit 10 feet from your TV, it has to be 70 inches or larger to benefit from buying UHD... You may have a TV that large, but I don't think most people do... And if they can afford a giant TV, they can probably also afford a giant room to put it in, taking them further from it and reducing the resolution they need. I assume the 480P comment was just you being an arse Haha.
Well I don't know about charts, however: I have a 55' 4K, HDR Samsung. I sit about 9-10 feet away and I can tell a major difference in clarity, vibrancy of colors and smoothness of picture compared to my previous Samsung 1080p set. This applies to both TV and games. As far as I'm concerned $499 is about right for a console with these features.
What an inane argument... It's likely that the common sizes of TV's are in the 50-65 inch grouping, at that size one needs to sit no more than six to eight feet from the TV for 4k to be worthwhile. 4k is also worthwhile if you are purchasing equipment that you don't want to be obsolete immediately. So, go ahead, pick some other random distance for an absurd argument.
Well said, because the 3-4 foot argument he was making had to be for a 27-32 inch TV.
Actually it was 2-3 feet, and it was more related to a monitor, where 4k is actually useful. These things scale, i do understand that, I don't know if you do and it's actually part of my point... The bigger your TV, the further you generally sit from it.. Does anyone really sit closer than six feet from a 42 inch TV?
It's not inane at all, 10 feet isn't an arbitrary number I picked, it's roughly the distance I and most people I know sit from the TV (though I'll grant you it's anecdotal). While I disagree about common TV sizes (I'd say common sizes are still about 10 inches less at the moment than you, again anecdotal) I would actually agree that if you're buying a TV today you should probably go 4k just because there isn't really any more value in 1080p these days... But if you're buying 4k because you think it'll be an amazing leap in picture quality, chances are you're kidding yourself. All that aside, I thought we were talking about the xBOnex?
I game on a 115" screen, 2 One X's please...nuff said.
hdr atmos and wcg are not worthless and you only get those in 4k tvs (except atmos that is audio)
This isn't directed specifically at you leviathan18. Since your comment seemed to be the end of 4k TV talk. I just wanted to say one thing...IT DOESNT MATTER YOU THINK ABOUT 4K TVS! <edited by mod>EITHER BUY THE XBOX ONE X OR NOT! 😀 In other news, 46 year old decides to buy a Xbox One X for his birthday next year. Wait for it...YES! I still play, when I have time. Since there aren't any new games being made for the 360 anymore, it's time for an upgrade. I might as well get the newest system, despite the One S being reduced in price.
If you are going to be, let's say 3 feet away from a 40" screen, you can see the difference between a 4K and a 1080p easily. This is not a mobile phone which is smaller sized display at a short distance.
You are such a dumbass. You can totally tell the difference. I PC game from my couch just like my Xbox and you can DEFINITELY tell the difference between a 4k and 1080p game
The price point for the X's hardware is manageable and going to pre-order. I bailed on consoles (and gaming for that matter) after the 360 was released and just started to gain an interest back in October. Pretty excited!
You're going to be coming back to ports of games already one Xbox one and windows/pc. Why not just stick to pc if that's where you're at?
We've been able to make due with the PC's we currently have, but the list of games we can play is limited without upgrading. I've been considering another PC but for $500, the price is right for a gaming machine.
I see
Lets not argue about the price - I think its decent. - if you think not, by the One S. X and S aint too far apart in the alphabet
Excellent comment.. Especially the final part!
agree. If $499 is too much, go with the S, but stop complaining if you walk around with the latest iphone....
I will buy it as many fans here, but I'm truely worried about the price. With this price I'm afraid the market share will be an issue, and without enough market share, game developers will consider whether it's worth to make their game really utilize the power of Xbox One X, or just make them on par with PS4S, or even just original Xbox One. That's what happened to Xbox One with Kinect, high price, low market share, almost no games.
From day one this was marketed as a premium box. If it's too much, there is now a $200 Xbox One S for everyone. I'm not sure why the gaming world thinks there should only be one product. Every other product in the world has multiple price points with varying levels of service or performance. Holy smokes.
They will already be utilizing the power of 4K gaming PCs. PS4 has nothing to do with it.
No, I'm definitely looking into the One X, because I've been wanting to play 4K for a long time already, but not willing to plump down thousands of dollars on a gaming PC for this to happen. Seeing the power and optimisations on One X for only $500 is massive in my world. I can spend the extra money getting a new 4K TV instead.
Agreed. My comment however was meaning that game developers are already making 4K games because of PCs. They'll continue to do this even if there's a low market share of Xbox One X consoles. It's no longer just a console race -- everyone benefits.
It's not that cut and dry bro. They still have to then bring those 4k assets into the game, separate them from the standard textures for x1x consumption, implement them where and when appropriate, etc. There's always work to be done tailoring for one platform over another..
It's in Microsoft's best interest to make that as automatic as possible. And Microsoft's not dumb.
They key word being possible. And having used Microsoft development tools almost exclusively for about a decade, I can tell you...i can tell you not to bet on that happening..
Have you used any of their gaming development tools?
Yes but not in a hot minute..
They've made some pretty impressive progress in the last hot minute or two.
Mullen - I guess I would have to say that "high" price point is totally subjective. I personally think $499 is an excellent price for a console with these specifications. Hell if you own an iphone 7 you've probably paid 650-750 without pause. What high level piece of electronics can you buy (of any sort) for under 500 dollars? Seriously? Why do people pay top dollar for other equipment but expect consoles to be given to them for next to nothing. The video card alone on my PC cost me over 400 dollars and it's not even top end. (geforce 1070). Unless I am making my argument to a bunch of 16 years holding summer jobs, I don't understand why $499 for this console is considered high priced.
^this
" 4k is basically worthless if you're sitting more than 2 or 3 feet from your display." Hah hah hah hah hah...man, that is the most ridiculous statement I've rea all day.
Read my post above... Well by the spec sheet, if your TV is 40", you should be sitting 2-3 feet away to see the advanage of 4K... Your statement is very uneducated. Read a little and you will understand.. http://referencehometheater.com/2013/commentary/4k-calculator/ So, if you sit 5-7 feet away, you need a 70" tv to see a difference. DO some homework because he is right....in a way.
Doesn't the table say up to 9 feet for 70" TV? Anyway, I sit ca 4 m from my 55" 4k OLED TV. This gives, by far, the best experience I've had with movies - 4k Netflix series look much better than FullHD on my old TV (which was 46"). Of course, my "4k experience" may be a combination of 4k, HDR (which the X also supports), OLED, and other things. Will I buy the XBOX ONE X? I doubt it... I'm not into gaming.
I still think a price tag of 450€ would be much better. Because, let's face it, if you're going to play 4K games, 499€ for a miserable 1TB of storage is a terrible deal. 1TB of storage will NOT be enough for a library of digital games in 4K. And if you're burning 499€ on a console because it does 4K, you ARE interested in 4K gaming. Now, if you're more like me and you much prefer games on physical discs, then it won't be much of a problem. Ultimately though, unlike what fanboy-writers want to believe, consumers will want a bang for their buck. And the One S is much more that console than the One X. As such, yeah, I think the One X at 499€ is pretty dead on arrival. Or rather, it won't shake the console market at all. Most consumers will continue to prefer the PlayStation or the One S and only die-hard Microsoft fans will go for the One X. Is that a problem for Microsoft? Probably. But then again I'm pretty sure by Christmas time we'll see a bunch of discounts and deals that will make the One X a much more appealing offer for the general consumer. And no, just because someone has the money to buy it and owns 4K TVs etc it does NOT mean a 499€ price tag isn't a problem. Because not everyone is careless with their money ;)
But....the whole point is this is for the diehard fans...dont u get it?? So ur arguent doesn hold ANY water...as u have mixed up usual fans with ardent fans and diehard fans! Come on!
I suggest you read what I wrote again. But pay attention this time ;)
Oh, my apologies. When you said the One X was dead on arrival, I realized you had no idea what you were talking about so I discounted your entire post.
You can buy external storage if you have a large library. They are not going to lower their price too much because you want to store 25 games on your harddrive.
well said, nuff said.
lol...He needs to stick with the S....This is definitely not the thread for all the broke gamers...lol
The One X has been marketed as a premium box from the moment Phil Spencer first uttered the words Project Scorpio. It has never been geared towards the general consumer. There is the now a US$200 Xbox One S for that. There's room in the market for a premium box, just as there is room in the market for a premium [insert every other premium product in the world that sells well].
Which is why I wrote paragraph 3.
Microsoft is looking for pc players who just don't want to build a cheap 4k pc which will still cost them no less then $800 so I think that the Xbox one x is priced perfectly.
Plus it will make for a more fair gaming experience (less internet speed) being that they are all equally spec'd unlike most PC gaming environments.
cant wait, my HTC Vive/1070/i5 will look to collect dust now...oh well..
Yeah, I know what you mean, lucky for me, I use my PC more for photo/video editing than gaming. So I'll still get some use out of my 1070/i7.
Obviously its a much higher price than a controller but look at the Xbox One Elite controller doomed to fail by media and other outlets I bet Micheal Patcher said it was DOA if it were more than $5. It was hard to keep on shleves for a year. I work retail trust me they sell like crazy even still.
For the specs you are getting, $499 is cheap. It's yet another loss leader in the console business. I'm not complaining because I plan on buying one, but for anyone saying it's too expensive for what it is doesn't understand what it is. I can understand if you can't afford it, $500 is still $500. But given the performance it isn't expensive at all.
It's a fair price for the hardware but it's not a compelling price compared to what Sony is offering right now with the PS4 Pro which is $150 less, has basically the same features and has a better games. If anything, It's MS who is clueless with this offerings. This is DOA.
That's interesting. I didn't realize the PS4 Pro could play 4K/60 fps and 1080p VR. And if I'm not mistaken, the PS4PRO doesn't have a 4K UHD Blu-Ray player. Then there's the ecosystem like game backward compatibility and such.
Not sure why suddenly UHD Blu ray became a major selling feature of One X but if that suits your justification for them to sell it at $500 then by all means go for it. The only 4K/60fps game I saw from MS during the conference was Forza which is a racing game, of course it should be 60fps. Apart from Metro and Anthem (which will also be availabe for PS), MS did not show any compelling games to justify people into buying One X IMO. Ever heard of PSVR? Agree on BC, Sony should work on that too.
The cheapest 4K UHD Bluray player I just found was 200€, so saving this might be a good reason to buy one.
And I'm not sure where did you pull up that "1080p VR but One X will not support it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ https://www.wsj.com/articles/microsofts-xbox-one-x-console-wont-support-...
Yes and hell yes. Consider it pre ordered.
2 please!!!
Hmmm. The pipo in the world never cease to amaze me...
Day one for me....i hope these crybabies complaining over $100 difference never get one..... Don't need a bunch whiners on the system
yep, can someone start a thread for all the broke ass gamers?? (BAG)
I don't get the comparison to a much less capable console years ago, when $499 was worth more in inflation adjusted dollars. This is a premium console in 2017. It will be too expensive for some, but that doesn't mean it's overpriced. If you can't afford it, that's why the One S is still available.
While I do have to disagree with 1 statement in the article ( Obtaining 4K at 60 frames per second (4K60) in a game like Star Wars Battlefront II would be simply impossible for any Windows PC build ) Everything else seems fine. I expected $400-500, and did buy the original xbox one at launch for $500, so I see no issue grabbing one. Also, for the peoson that said " 4k is basically worthless if you're sitting more than 2 or 3 feet from your display." I guess you have never seen high-bandwidth, native 4k on a properly calibrated 4k screen. even with my craptastic eyes, I can see the difference. it's not like the difference between 900p and 1080p. And no, 4K on netflix or Amazon is NOT the same as 4k on UHD, unless the UHD maker did a lazy upscale job.
Sure a PC build can reach 4k/60. But not at the $500 mark. It would cost a lot more. That's the point you missed.
DOA.
coming from a BAG...(Broke Ass Gamer)
Damn you MS, my son and I want one each... Better start shovelling up the overtime at work. Looking like £449.99 here. Not cheap, but what a machine.
Pass, doesn't do enough to improve gaming for me to justify buying one.
I agree with all of you. You all bring up great points about the price of the console. To me, I think the price point is fine. When it come down to it, with all the hardware that is packed into the console, it is still a better option to PS4 Pro. Now granted, the price might put buyers off for sometime and they will probably go with Xbox One S, which is still a good option with all the games that will still play the current resolutions and detail. But, when gamers see it on the screen at the stores and try it out as it runs smoothly on 4K TV, they will buy it. But like you all said, the price will be the sticking point.
£449 is fine by me. It's what I expected all along. I haven't queued for a midnight purchase since windows 98 (I know, but I was young and naive) but I'll be queuing to collect my pre-order on the 6th.
The price is fair, given the specs, but they would've been wise to not have waited till E3 to announce it. You could tell Phil knew it when he said it on stage it was going to disappoint people. The only time you should save a pricing announcement for the biggest stage of the year is when the price is considerably lower than people's expectations. Honestly, they should've disclosed the price along with the Digital Foundry piece.
I agree the price is fine, but I still say the letdown is the exclusive content. Just not enough in the way of compelling software. I can get the biggest titles I saw--Shadow of War and Anthem--on PC or my PS4 Pro, for example. Forza's trying to carry the banner with the seventh of its highly derivative releases, which hurts for me. That VR was missing didn't help. Having Sea of Thieves and State of Decay aren't making it for launch, meaning Crackdown's about the only support Forza will get (unless you're really into Cuphead..?). Kind of a shallow set of launch software, as evidenced by how well the third-party, non-exclusive stuff stood out (Metro, Anthem, Shadow of War). They really need to invest in big-time exclusives again because the last 2 years have been a bit of a struggle for me.
Price is reasonable for cutting edge hardware. You will always pay a premium. You either choose to pay that premium or you choose to wait. Or choose not to at all. I for one have no problem paying the premium because I understand what I'm getting for that price. Plus, I fall into their more than "40%" of Xbox One users. I invested in a decent 4K tv and I may as well make that investment as worthwhile as possible. My only concern is that this console won't be $499.. It will actually be $679 or more because I live in Canada.
My 1080p TV broke last March and ended up with a Sony 49 X800E which is 4k HDR compatible. The Xbox One X just became more enticing. And quite franky the bigger thing than 4k is HDR.
I'm curious about the launch prices of various consoles going back multiple generations. Can someone who's got a better memory than mine cough up the prices at launch. Like for instance Wikipedia has this about the Playstation 3 at launch: "Two hardware configurations were also announced for the console: a 20 GB model and a 60 GB model, priced at US$499 and US$599." That was November of 2006. I doubt DOA for the Xbox One X is anything like accurate...
The best feature that it offers everyone is that we don't NEED it. If you already have an Xbox One then save the $500 and buy games or a better TV. If you just GOTTA be the guy that has it, then you likely weren't worried about the price they set for it.
A lot of PC people, like me, will be transitioning into 4K gaming eventually, but I cannot justify spending thousands of dollars to get that within the foreseeable future. I've also not owned an Xbox since the 360, so the One X presents an amazing value and proposition for me, as someone who would rather not wait five more years just to afford 4K gaming. All the whiners out there must not be the target audience, lack the right perspectives or be anti-Microsoft.
Ahh, the ol' "if you don't agree with my opinion, you're wrong" argument. Nice and mature.
Keith, I think you failed comprehension here. He said "the whiners out there must not be the target audience, lack the right perspectives OR be anti-Microsoft". He did not say these whiners MUST be wrong. Did you see the OR in his statement?
Probably pick up a One S in the near future as the price is pretty impressive now. More for the multimedia to be honest. Kinda punched out of AAA console games. I actually prefer the unique games like the ones you find on steam so the S will be perfect.
"There will be people out there tweeting that One X is too expensive as they type away on their $800 iPhones." LOL XD
And they will line up to pay $1000 for an incrementally updated version a year later.
Kind of a silly statement because of how few people actually buy the $800 iPhone models. More like a $600-700 iPhone, but it's also a device you're using a LOT more than you would that Xbox, and for a lot more tasks.
Don't care about the price. I just like new gadgets. I bought the Xbox 🎮 One day one version because I thought eventually MS would provide an update that contained the feature where the console could broadcast the game being played on all four walls in an immersive game play. What was I thinking? 😔 Microsoft always preview great stuff only to leave it in the vaults never to be seen again. Oh well. I don't need the "X". But I want one. So I think I'll take the dive and get one.
When this was first announced, some were speculating a launch price as high as $1000, because of the specs. Funny that some are now whining that it's too expensive.
Can I build a PC with similar performance and fidelity at the same price? No. Xbox One X is well worth the price. I'm actually hoping for a primium SKU with a full set of elite assecories, and a high capacity SSD.
You might not be able to, but you'll probably save long-term in games costs going PC, especially since you don't have to pay for multiplayer gaming access, nor do you have to supplement your XB1X with a PC for those functions. It's not just "can I make a gaming PC for $500?" It's "can I make a gaming PC for the price of an XB1X and a PC, if I need it?" There didn't seem to be any mention of getting a SSD into the XB1X, for example, so there's no amount of "value" in the console htat can make up for the HDD bottleneck, for example. We don't know if there's ANY way to upgrade the drive internally, which would be a big disappointment for those with large libraries and an impending wave of huge games with 4K assets loaded inside. So no, I can't build my next PC for the price of an XB1X, but my next PC would also dump on the XB1X in performance. The compute pwoer of the XB1X isn't really that impressive, it's basically on-par with the raw power of a $200 video card from AMD. You can blow it away with Ryzen and Vega. It'll cost you well beyond the $500, but it'll do a lot more things and do them better and faster as well. I'd say it would take about $800 to top the XB1X, which is a reasonable price when you talk about comparing to having to get an XB1X and a supplemental computing device for home use.
This is a pretty obvious, but nuanced answer, to me. If you are going to have a 4K PC, it's hard to justify Scorpio becuase of Play Anywhere and overall content redundancy (especially if your friends play on PC). If you already have an Xbox One, it's hard to justify because the thing's going to be allowed to live on with the same content (especially if you have an XB1S that upscales to 4K). Personally, I am planning to upgrade my PC to something 4K-capable already, and I have an XB1S. There aren't enough games that blew me away to justify $500, and the lack of a VR showing made that fact even more real for me. I would pay the premium to upgrade if I felt I was getting content worth it, but this first wave of releases doesn't do it for me. Shadow of War is the biggest of these games for me, and I'd be fine buying it via Play anywhere and mixing between my upscaled XB1S and my true 4K PC at the time. If there were, say, 5 games I wanted to play, I could probably tlak myself into an upgrade, which would probably be $300-400 (depending on trade values on the XB1S at the time). For 1-2 games, I don't see myself going for it, especially if we don't see some stellar VR content before launch. As such, I see myself waiting until next year's big wave of content, unless we get a great trade program to bring the price under $300 from my XB1S to the XB1X.
But what about VR, Jez?
This is what I'm more interested in. I only watched about half of the brief and I'm assuming there wasn't any mention of VR during the rest of it as there wasn't expected to be and I haven't seen anyone report on it. As it stands right now, this would be one of the main reasons I would upgrade my original Xbox One. The console I have runs current games just fine and I assume it will continue to do so. Any improvement I would see in the Xbox One X (are we abbreviating this as XOX or XBOX?) probably wouldn't be worth the price.
Don't forget, Xbox 🎮 One X is a pc & TV 📺 box too. Since its running Windows 10 OS, it will run not only games but also UWP apps and internet TV streaming. Just connect wireless keyboard, mouse or Xbox controller and you will have a powerful pc & TV box for only $500..
Exactly. Just try buying a pc for only $500 and see how little they get in the way of specs for that little bit of money. It wouldn't even be able to game in 1080p/60 without shuddering, tearing or freezing up. XboxOne X will deliver so much more.
I find it a bit odd that some people are arguing that the Xbox One X will not be successful because today's customers value exclusive games above resolution/frame rate. The complete opposite was the case with XB1 vs. PS4, in that MS exclusive games like Halo and Gears were much bigger sellers than Sony's exclusive Killzone or Resistance FOM, but nevertheless more customers bought the PS4 because of the message that it would play multiplatform games at higher frame rate or resolution.
Ignore the nay Sayers. The sony-biased media will always switch things around to their benefit in order to sway the legions of mindless lemmings from choosing to buy Xbox. Before they made such a big deal about graphics and frame rate. But now that Xbox One X will outshine PlayStation in those areas, Sony biased media are changing the focus to sway the lemmings into stating that graphics and framerates are not the important factor. They love their lemmings for being so easily manipulated. The fact is that Sony is concerned due to this new beast (Xbox One X and they're trying to once again trying to twist the narrative to benefit themselves.
A Blu-ray uhd 4k player costs $250 on average so you are getting a new gaming machine for the price of an Xbox S - what am I missing? This is the best deal around - of course, I am now going to have to plunk down some serious cash to upgrade my tv but I haven't bought one of those since 2011 so its time...
I'd preorder today if it were available. Definitely ordering on Nov 7th.
Would I like if it cost less? Who wouldn't? But given the hardware, the capabilities and features that this monster delivers as well as the fact that I own over 115 titles already and am wholly invested in the Xbox 🎮 ecosystem, it's a no brainer for me. I want to enjoy gaming and entertainment with the best experience and Xbox One X will deliver that. $500 is worth it for me.
The $500 price is not too much especially for anyone looking to get a console (IE not upgrade). But saying its a "True 4k Machine" is not going to be accurate. The Xbox One X might be 4k capabale but it will not be a uncomprimised experience. To hit 4k there will be comprimises made (framerate, textures, dynamic scaling, etc) To think otherwise is pretty niave. How many games on the Xbox One hit 1080p? Very very very few. 95+% of games run at lower than 1080p with 30fps and many other cuts (textures, lighting, etc). Xbox One X will be in the same situation with 4k. 6 TFLOPS is not enough for an uncomprimised experience. This is why I wont be buying in until the price drops to $300.
300$. I'm afraid you'll be waiting a while. And, by then, bigger and badder will be here. Why not just shoot for the moon, be honest, and ask for Microsoft to give away their "premium" gaming console for free.
well they designed the hardware around the game engines and optimized. they baked DX12 into the metal, the CPU doesn't have to handle it. i think they'll get true 4k and locked 30fps with 4k textures just fine. that was the whole point of what they are trying to deliver. the tests even showed that putting in 4k assets barely caused a blip in the overall performance. hitting 4k 60fps though, that probably won't be done much.
You know because? Were you an engineer on the product and know how the CPU/GPU were optimized specifically for this console? Any comparison to standard tech is invalid since this is totally new, totally custom silicone.
Do iPhone 7 sales get cannibalized by having the larger, more capable, iPhone 7 Plus? Not really. People who don't want to pay for the X, don't have to because they can get the S and its already a pretty great system by its own merits and that they won't have different games is a huge boon and confirmation of that fact (baring quality differences due to performance capabilities). It's still funny to think that, for many people, their phones are still going to be more expensive than this beast. I will spring for the XBOX One X because I've also given my own XBO to my youngest nephew and so, well, I need to replace it, yeah? I'm glad I waited, too. November/ December isn't too much of a wait. 499$ is pricey for some, but its not that much more expensive than other debuted units.
there is no sony exclusive that makes me want to buy ps4 and there was nothing announced to make me want to buy xb1x. wallet is happy.
"There will be people out there tweeting that One X is too expensive as they type away on their $800 iPhones" Damn, you are so, correct. The XB1 Day 1 was $499 and I bought one. One can definitely not compare the mucsle XBX packs to XB1 D1. I did get Kinect with the D1 there were no 12GB o GDR5 RAMS, no 40 CU of graphics sweetness, No 6TF of all you can be gaming joy, No true 4K resolution goodness both ways. Now, I can get all these yummies for the price of XB1 D1..... Its improtant I take logical time and think realy well this time, emmmm, I'll take it.... pick a card in my wallet pretty please. See, that wasn't hasty decision after all.
its worth it i need to start saveing now
Is it worth 499 yes, to get a gaming pc with the same specs youd pay well over that price, the xbox is getting more pc features as well with keyboard and mouse control access to one drive etc, no im not suggesting using as your main pc but its usage has extended beyond the original gaming console. This X Box is truely for the players, oh and the media lovers erm and the bloggers dont forget the web browsers, youtube fans....
less about 4k for me more about the sheer power of the console.
"There will be people out there tweeting that One X is too expensive as they type away on their $800 iPhones." Absolutely nailed it. 😂👌

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