I'm waiting until Microsoft makes an official statement next week to make my logical consumer's decision. Logic says if you've failed to show your ability to navigate the console setting after this long you are destined to meet the same fate that Sega and so many other ex-console makers have. I haven't posted anything on any of the gaming sites in a while since the PS3/Xbox 360 era as I've always owned both console makers consoles and gaming has become so toxic. The Xbox One was the biggest blunder I've ever seen. But I feel I need to call out some people now on their hypocrisy. The general attitude of many consumers/gamers about console exclusives being necessary for a console to succeed has been pushed by the gaming media for ages and console manufactures have pushed this concept as well. The main guys saying that gamers shouldn't be hurt or feel betrayed by such a concept now, stated the exact opposite in past console generations. It's not debatable as one can look back in past articles and videos and read or hear it for themself. The fact is the gaming industry is now more about the suits and what I call "our throw away society/generations"---meaning the only things that's important is what you have time for at the moment, which means having a very small attention span, and history is a throw away thing. I've always said that you're defined by, how you say, what you say, when you say it. Microsoft has promised a lot in the past couple of years and failed to come through. It's sort of like most politicians and that makes it hard to believe or trust anything it says.
It's really hard to take sales numbers seriously right now as most of the consoles sold were to scalpers. Most consumers who purchase the consoles and software for it are still waiting to even see a system that they can purchase. If any thing scalpers have created a false sense of the true number of consoles out in the hands of true consumers. Hardware sales with little software sales will tell the true story at the beginning of the year ,2021, as far as hardware sales went during the holidays. Thanks to scalpers and retailers, not production numbers, this has been a rather pathetic start for a new generation of consoles.
Sony is giving me the impression that once again it's not really prepared just yet to release the PS5. That was exactly how it and Microsoft started out this current gen as most of the features we had the previous gen were missing when the PS4 and the Xbox One were released. I think Microsoft is better prepared this time at least when it comes to the X series X. Really, I don't have a bias with either console. I own both the PS4 Pro and the X1X. I plan on buying both day one but I do have reservation about both Sony being wishy washy about PS5/PS4 BC,---which could cause me to wait on buying the PS5--- and Microsoft on pricing. I can't justify spending $600.00 on a console period. It sounds silly but I'm cool with paying at least $500.00 a piece for both or either. Yes, there will be new games out for both but I only buy exclusives on Sony's console and both exclusives and 3rd party games on my Xbox systems. The thing is many of the 3rd party games and Sony exclusives will already be out on the PS4 Pro, without BC on the PS5 I don't see any reason to leave my PS4 Pro just to rebuy games I could already be playing. To be honest Sony was asked on various occasions about PS5 BC and it stressed that it would be capable of doing so --- even with the PS VR, controllers, etc. This is not a good time to back track.
I own both the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X Scorpio edition. I have to say that I'm very happy with both consoles but for different reasons. I will say that I feel like the Pro and the X1X are what the PS4 and X1 should have been from the start. I originally bought my PS4 for Sony exclusives as Sony does more adventure/action, story driven games. I bought my X1 because I knew that regardless of what MS said in the beginning, backwards compatibility would end up playing an important part in the Xbox's future. Regardless of rather are not we like backwards compatibility we have to admit that there are a ton of us with unopened or unplayed games from last gen that we'd like to play without having to repurchase them as remakes/remasters. After spending some time with my X1X and some of my 360 games and even some of my X1 games, I can tell you that graphically there are differences even without patches. Some 360 games just look cleaner and X1 games look less like you're wearing a bad pair of eye glasses--- due to lower resolutions that were used on some X1 games. I'm eager to see what both companies do next year at E3. I won't count MS out on exclusives yet. MS seems to shift focus back and forth each year when it comes to games --- some years, like this year, they lose and others they come in strong. Sony does the same but it learns quicker from its mistakes than MS does.
I'm sorry to hear that but I definitely will still be using my kinect on my X1X when it comes out on November 7 --- already have the usb adapter for it. The only bad thing about the death of the kinect is it was doomed before it ever came out. There were signs of great possibilities but MS never carried through. That also makes me feel that any thoughts MS may have for VR on any of its next consoles from the X1X onward might be hard to buy into as a console owner.
Hopefully Sony sticks with the PS4 Pro. I can't really see the need for another system as there really aren't any exclusive built just for the Pro. We haven't really seen what the system is capable of yet. I think the Scorpio will be in the same boat when it comes out. I own PS4 Pro and intend on owning whatever MS calls the Xbox Scorpio when it's released. I can't see either of the two having a short life span when their true potential won't be reached as long as the orginal PS4 and X1 have to be supported aswell. It would be stupid for either to drop their original install base they already have just to promote new hardware. Programmers are finally getting their graphic engines optimized properly for this gen of consoles. It will be awhile before they are ready to leap even farther. It will be interesting to see what developers can really do with both consoles once they get a chance but I think the PS4 and X1 will both be around for awhile.
I'm looking forward to the Xbox Scorpio's release. It and my PS4 Pro will exist perfectly side by side as my previous MS and Sony consoles have. The fact is both consoles will have games that I enjoy playing at some point as I did/have on my PS4 and Xbox One. MS just has its job cut out for it right now in finding that sweet spot with releasing the right games that appeal to a wider variety of Xbox fans. It needs to look back at some of its Original Xbox and Xbox 360 successes other than Halo, Forza and Gears of War. All of those games are starting to feel tired like some of Capcom's games did at one time. Yes it has exclusives coming out this year but nothing compelling. It needs to look past those few exclusives it's announced. Hopefully E3 will carry with it a great number of exclusives/new IPs this year for the Xbox family of consoles. I'm looking forward to seeing where things will go for both Sony and MS once the PS4 Pro and Xbox Scorpio are out. It's finally starting to feel like the console generation we should have started out with after the PS3 and Xbox 360. I even upgraded to a really good 4K gaming monitor a week ago to see what the fuss was about and I have to say there really is a distinguishable difference on PS4 Pro --- minus HDR which didn't matter a great deal to me --- it's not just hype with certain games.
To be honest VR is only hampered by a lack of creativity and understanding by most developers and critics of it. It's not the current hardware that cripples VR, it's the fact that for so long game creativity has been based on the concept of watching it on a Monitor or Television. The only difference now is that the display is worn on the face and allows us to step into what we see. Even though the games we've been playing for ages are 3D we've only been seeing a portion of them at once due to tricks conveyed on a flat screen. Of course any VR game can be done without requiring a headset just as any of today's games can be done in VR --- the game concepts aren't different it's just how they're presented and how we interact within the game. The difference is VR takes you farther into experiencing the game and requires a great deal more optimization and work than hiding a few graphical tricks and flaws/framerate numbers. Twenty years ago the excuse for VR not being a consumer product was that it was too expensive for consumer use and the hardware just wasn't there, social fears---self-isolation, and motions sickness. The same reasons given today were given back then except now the hardware is more reasonable and readily available than it was back then. The problem is trying to rewrite creativity when it comes to VR instead of taking what's been learned and applying it in a new way --- there's no need to recreate the wheel just refine it and it leads to thinking outside the box. The first developer to truly embrace that concept will be seen as the real pioneer to bringing game creativity to VR gaming at home and copied like crazy.
To be honest I don't care if Project Scorpio does 4K or not. I just want Project Scorpio to be a great deal better than the current X1. I'm looking forward to MS correcting the past mistakes it made with the X1 hardware wise. In the past I bought both Sony and MS consoles --- the PS3 has been the only exception, I never owned one. I bought both the PS4/PS4 Pro and X1 as well as enjoy games on both. I'm happy that MS and Sony are finally bringing out the successors to the PS3 and Xbox 360 that those two consoles deserve ---PS4 Pro and Project Scorpio. The truth of the matter is with some of the games coming out both the PS4 and X1 are starting to show their weakness more.
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