We’re just five days away from the arrival of the most powerful Xbox console ever made (so far), the Xbox One X. The system will come packed will all kinds of power – six teraflops worth (in case you know how to measure teraflops) – and will enhance over 130 different Xbox One games at launch, including popular favorites like Titanfall 2 and The Witcher III: Wild Hunt.
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While it seems like a safe bet for some fans, others have questions in regards to what the system’s truly capable of, and just how much of a step up it is from the Xbox One S that’s currently available. There’s also the $499 price to consider, $100 higher than its chief competition, the PlayStation 4 Pro.
So, if you’ve got an Xbox One or Xbox One S, is it worth the upgrade? Let’s look at several of the factors that could influence your decision…
New Buyers
First off, if you’re a new buyer and you’re looking for a game system that takes advantage of your new 4K television – or you just want something that’s a machine in its prime – then the Xbox One X may be worth the money. Games will certainly run better than they have before, and that six teraflop processing power will make a difference.
That said, the price is a big factor, as you’ll be able to snag an Xbox One S for around $200 during Black Friday, or somewhere along those lines during the holiday season. That leaves you more money to buy a few games on top of your hardware purchase. And the games don’t look too bad at all on a 4K TV. In fact, even older Xbox and Xbox One titles are upgraded pretty nicely with the S model.
So if you want the absolutely sleekest version of the Xbox One hardware, the Xbox One X is a must-purchase. Otherwise, if you’re content with something that gets mileage out of your TV and need a few extra bucks for games, the Xbox One S is a safe bet.
Storage
Most Xbox One models these days come with a standard 1TB hard drive, and that’s a nice step up from the 500GB it came packing before. The Xbox One X has this, and while it’s suitable for downloading a few games, you’re going to run out of space very quickly. The only other option that offers a higher internal storage solution is last year’s Gears of War 4 bundle, which clocks in with a 2TB hard drive.
Now, there is the ability to use external storage for downloading and running games, and that’s highly recommended. In fact, your system will be able to handle anything at 1TB or up. (The Seagate one pictured above is a great start.) Somewhere around 4TB to 6TB could do the trick, though some of you may invest in the 8TB models, just to be on the safe side.
Could we see a new Xbox One X model next year that comes with a higher hard drive? We’re betting that will be the case, especially if Microsoft introduces a AAA title that it can create an ideal bundle around. But if you absolutely need an Xbox One X now, you’ve got options galore for boosting your storage. And it’s recommended, since a few of those patches for games like Assassin’s Creed Origins and Gears of War 4 will take up a lot of room.
Sleekness And Design
Some people just like the way a system looks. They prefer these special edition models that celebrate their favorite games, like the old Halo 4 Xbox 360 system or the Gears of War 4 2TB system that has custom sound effects. There are a bunch of these models making the rounds.
That said, the Xbox One X is simply black. The controller and system are basic black, and the only other option available is the Project Scorpio edition, which has been sold out for months. It’s kind of cool to go after that one (even though it’s the same color, just with the print), as it’s a limited edition model that celebrates the earlier days of when the console was in development (under the name Project Scorpio, of course). We’d be all over a custom Gears of War one of those.
But if it’s a custom system you’re after, you may be better off with one of the Xbox One S models. There are various colors available – black, white, blue, red, green (the Battlefield 1 bundle), and they all look great. If you’re more about performance than appearance, however, the Xbox One X will suit you fine. It’s not that big a deal to many gamers, but some just like the way a system looks. (Ask anyone that has an Xbox 360 Kinect Star Wars system, complete with R2-D2 effects and a C-3PO controller.)
Performance
Ahhhh. Here’s the big one. This is an area that the Xbox One X no doubt excels at. The games that we’ve seen in action on the new hardware are indeed beautiful, and the frame rate for each of the games we saw is nothing short of divine. They also play just as well as they would on an older Xbox One S, but with a slight bit more boost with loading time and, in some areas, performance.
But here’s the thing – only a few games are being supported at launch. Your entire Xbox One library will still run on the Xbox One X once it launches, and still look and play amazingly well, but it’s kind of odd how only a fraction of the games are being supported when it arrives. This’ll change over time, as more developers and publishers hop on board and provide patches to speed up their games, but…130 games? There are way more than that on the Xbox One X.
Still, if it’s a general upgrade that you’re looking for that really gets the most out of games like Assassin’s Creed Origins and Forza Motorsport 7, this isn’t a bad way to go. Otherwise, the Xbox One S still works fine, and loading is only affected by a few certain titles. It really depends on what you want out of your machine – and if you can afford it.
What Will Next Year Bring?
Finally, there’s the factor that a lot of people are weighing at this point – “wait and see”, really. After all, we’ve gotten improved Xbox One models over time, including custom systems and the greatly improved S, which supports 4K Ultra Blu-Rays just like the Xbox One X does.
Could we see newer models next year? That’s a probability. Not only could we see improvement in internal storage (as noted above), but we could also see a special Halo edition, or something along those lines. (A Forza Horizon 4 model with racing stripes? A Battlefield 2 model? Anything’s possible.)
Again, it really depends on your taste. If you want something that gives you peak performance right off the bat and want to deem yourself the owner of the “ultimate” Xbox (because that’s what this is), and you can afford it, then definitely upgrade now and enjoy what it has to offer. Otherwise, you can wait a bit and enjoy your current hardware, and see what gets announced over the next few months – probably around E3 or so.
It really comes down to a matter of taste and need. If you want it, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth. But don’t make it so much of a necessity that everyone gets a fruit cake for Christmas. (They hate those. Well, maybe not Grandpa.)
