The Xbox One X is poised to be the most powerful gaming console ever released. It comes out on November 11 and has hardcore Xbox fans and tech enthusiasts incredibly excited, but what of the average gamer/consumer? The One X by nature is a very confusing name, as many may get confused with the Xbox One S, which was released last year. The Xbox One Scorpio was such a cool name. Personally, I think they should have stuck with that. The biggest problem with the Xbox One X is not with its marketing or its lack of power though, but rather the fact that they aren’t making any exclusives for the console and taking full advantage its VR capabilities. The Xbox One X needs exclusives.
I hate to make the comparison to Nintendo, but initially with the New Nintendo 3DS there were games that could play on both the original and the newer model. Note: they were technically playable, but barely. If my memory serves, Hyrule Warriors was one of those games that was nearly unplayable on the original 3DS due to the lower processing speed and framerate issues. There were a number of games that were exclusive to the New Nintendo 3DS though, namely Xenoblade Chronicles 3D. The Xbox One X needs exclusives of this nature but on a larger scale. The Xbox One X’s power is unprecedented and it needs games that take full advantage of the system’s power, not simply optimize games that have already been released.
Yes, this year has been a lackluster year for Microsoft software-wise, but the Xbox brand is as strong as ever. One thing that baffles me is how developers go on about how the Xbox One X would be fantastic for VR, yet Microsoft does not have a VR headset of their own. PlayStation is getting Doom and Skyrim in VR, and already have Resident Evil 7 in VR.
If the plan is to partner with Oculus, that’s a huge mistake. Oculus requires so many cables (3 USB 3.0 ports and one 2.0 port and an HDMI input for the headset) and is not ideal for the living room. Microsoft is at a disadvantage here. They have a console that is perfect for VR, but are being beaten by a less powerful console who is on top of the VR game. This is inexcusable. Fallout 4 VR should be launching with the Xbox One X, but instead it’s coming to the Vive exclusively (with a PSVR release rumored).
The Xbox One X as a piece of hardware is unparalleled. It looks fantastic and I would buy one in a heartbeat. The thing is, other than some visual improvements here and there, is there a real reason to buy one? At this point, no there isn’t. Microsoft needs both exclusives for the One X and VR to come to the most powerful console ever released or they might find themselves ending up third in the current console battle behind the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.