Microsoft didn’t have an incredible E3 2021 presentation, at least compared to Nintendo. Much of what they showed was, once again, year-after-year, expected. And that’s OKAY. But this year old me. Right after the Xbox-Bethesda press conference, I bought an Xbox Series X right after E3 2021. There was a lot to soak in during the conference, but all of Xbox’s acquisitions are finally bearing fruit. While Bethesda’s Starfield trailer was simply okay, it’s exclusive to the Xbox Series X. Obsidian’s Outer Worlds 2 is exclusive to the Xbox One X. While Outer Worlds 2 did not receive a release date and Starfield is coming late 2022, there is a lot to be excited about when it comes to the Xbox Series X. Microsoft has been playing the long game for the last several years, after we stated quite a while ago, while Sony doesn’t seem to know what they’re doing. The Game Pass is also a huge hit for Microsoft. While I myself don’t much care for it, it is a huge deal and subscriptions drive profit. Microsoft isn’t putting all of its eggs in one basket, and that’s the smart thing to do from a business perspective. They aren’t just betting on console sales.
I am definitely not a Halo person, and though Halo Infinite did impress me, Forza Horizon 5, set in Mexico, made the presentation for me. I’m not a huge car fan, but Forza Horizon is more than that. Even better, Microsoft announced a release date. It will come out on November 9 of this year. Halo Infinite did not receive a release date, other than the fact that it will come out in 2021, but there’s no reason to expect that it will be delayed. That, combined with a number of exclusive announcements and so many games being available on Xbox Game Pass, convinced me to buy an Xbox Series X. I had the opportunity yesterday to buy a PlayStation 5. In fact, I’ve had many opportunities. Sony has not shown any reason to own the console at this point though. The steps Microsoft took at E3 2021, while mostly expected, were everything they needed to do to sell people on their console. They showed gamers why they should own an Xbox Series X or an Xbox Series S. While Sony was absent at E3, Gamefest showed Death Stranding: Director’s Cut. What an absolute joke for a game that is highly overrated. That is not a reason to own a system, neither is Horizon Forbidden West. Nintendo sold gamers on their hardware. Sony has yet to do this. They fail to evolve when every other hardware company continues to.
I finally invested in an Xbox Series X and I couldn’t feel better about my purchase. With Microsoft making all the right moves and continuing to build and expand the Xbox brand, it’s the perfect time to purchase the console. Several months ago, this wasn’t the case. E3 2021 was a gamechanger though. The fruits of Microsoft’s labor are finally coming to fruition, and the long game they have been putting into motion all of these years is finally paying off.
At this point, there’s no reason to not own an Xbox Series X or an Xbox Series S, and E3 2021 showed that.