Xbox Collection X assessment (2024): Unfulfilled potential

The Xbox Collection X was the right alternative for Microsoft to run far-off from its tumultuous Xbox One years and in direction of an period of real 4K gaming, ray tracing and Recreation Go abundance. But it surely was not meant to be. The PlayStation 5 has outsold Microsoft’s new consoles by two to at least one, in line with a VGChartz sales comparison, a replay of the battle between the PS4 and Xbox One. Now, Microsoft merely appears to be operating down the clock of this console era.

When I initially reviewed the Xbox Series X, I discovered it to be a strong console that surpassed the PlayStation 5 in some methods. But it surely was clear that Microsoft had a serious drawback at launch: Video games. 4 years later, not a lot has modified, regardless of spending nearly $69 billion acquiring Activision Blizzard. Whereas Sony and Nintendo persistently delivered unique system-selling video games — even on the growing older Swap! — Microsoft has stumbled.

It is no marvel Microsoft needs to call so many other devices Xboxes. When you look too laborious at its flagship console, you may’t assist however be dissatisfied.

Xbox

The Xbox Collection X remains to be a strong gaming console, however its restricted library of exclusives makes it far much less compelling than the PlayStation 5.

Execs

• {Hardware} nonetheless succesful in 2024
• Strong case and cooling design
• Assist for Recreation Go

Cons

• Not sufficient compelling exclusives
• Controller is only a rehash of the Xbox One

$398 at Walmart

Do you have to purchase an Xbox Collection X?

Usually, I might sort out the query of shopping for a tool in direction of the top of a assessment, however it is a re-assessment so it is value asking up entrance: Who’s the Xbox Collection X for? It has been round for 4 years, and, except for the $450 model and not using a disc drive, there have not been any main {hardware} modifications. Past the Xbox devoted, I might wager most players could be higher off placing $500 in direction of anything.

For anybody dipping their toes into trendy console gaming for the primary time — a dad or mum grabbing one thing for his or her child, or a former gamer attempting to reclaim their interest — it makes extra sense to go for a PlayStation 5 as a substitute of the Xbox Collection X. Sony’s console has a wider array of noteworthy exclusives, extra progressive haptics with its DualSense controller and its digital version is often cheaper than the disc-less Collection X.

In fact, when you’re a Halo fan the Xbox Collection X is just about your solely alternative for a premium console (although the $300 Collection S is a strong choice for secondary TVs, particularly when it is on sale). Microsoft additionally launched a particular $600 2TB “Galaxy Black” mannequin this 12 months, however I am nonetheless half-convinced that is some form of sick Tim Robinson-esque joke. It has to be when the extra highly effective and fascinating PlayStation 5 Professional is just $100 extra, proper?

{Hardware}: The top of 2020

The Xbox Collection X remains to be powered by an 8-core AMD Zen 2 CPU and an RDNA 2 GPU, just like what’s contained in the PlayStation 5. It additionally has 16GB of GDDR6 RAM, 10GB of which runs at a better bandwidth than the PS5’s reminiscence. The Collection X’s bigger GPU gave it a slight edge over Sony’s console early on, however in observe that did not quantity to a lot. Sometimes some third-party titles would run a bit extra easily on the Xbox, however each consoles nonetheless had hassle balancing the calls for of visible constancy and efficiency.

As an alternative of being the era of no-compromise consoles, the Xbox Collection X and PS5 regularly pressured players to decide on between taking part in video games with ray tracing and graphical upgrades at 30fps, or forgoing them to succeed in a easy PC-like 60fps. That is the principle motive Sony threw a extra highly effective GPU into the PlayStation 5 Professional — the usual PS5 {hardware} simply could not minimize it.

The Xbox gross sales hunch made it clear why Microsoft did not attempt to compete with its personal mid-cycle refresh, but it surely’s nonetheless unhappy to see the corporate draw back from any form of innovation, just like the leaked hardware that never arrived. The redesigned 2TB all-digital “Brooklin” Collection X would have been a helpful alternative for the bottom mannequin. It additionally would have included a revamped controller, codenamed “Sebile,” with improved haptics (doubtless just like Sony’s DualSense) and a direct cloud connection for taking part in streamed video games. Microsoft even floated the concept of bringing 1TB of storage to the $300 Collection S.

As an alternative of these purposeful upgrades, although, we received a barely cheaper all-digital $450 Collection X, that overpriced 2TB mannequin no one will purchase and a $350 1TB model of the Collection S. These costs are all at the very least $50 too excessive if Microsoft genuinely needed to maneuver consoles. I might argue the corporate would profit from going even cheaper to undercut Sony, however that may additionally dig into the corporate’s already slim revenue margin. I am positive Microsoft is not desperate to lose more cash on Xbox.

In use: A ok console

Even with its growing older {hardware}, the Xbox Collection X can nonetheless make trendy video games look nice. Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle, for instance, seems to be strong on the Collection X, with easy 60fps gameplay and ray tracing options. Whereas it is operating at round 1800p as a substitute of 4K, it is nonetheless fairly sharp on each my 4K OLED and 4K Formovie ultra short throw projector. Certain, the sport performs noticeably higher on my RTX 4090-powered PC, however I can not simply play that in my house theater. (In keeping with Digital Foundry, even the Xbox Collection S can run The Nice Circle at 60fps, albeit at simply 1080p with variable-rate shading.)

It is nonetheless disappointing that Microsoft caught with its traditional Xbox controller design for the Collection X, although. After I reviewed the PlayStation 5, its DualSense haptics felt transformative. It made taking part in Astro Bot or Returnal really feel in contrast to any console gaming expertise I had earlier than. Controller-wise, taking part in something on the Xbox Collection X would not really feel a lot completely different from the Xbox One and even the Xbox 360.

Microsoft poured all of its innovation expertise into delivering a barely quicker machine than the PS5, but it surely seems that did not matter a lot in the long term. Along with having extra noteworthy video games, Sony’s console seems like a real improve from the PlayStation 4. The PlayStation VR 2, flawed because it was, additionally demonstrated that Sony wasn’t afraid to take some dangers this era.

The place are the unique video games?

After placing out with middling exclusives like Redfall and Starfield, the brand new Indiana Jones recreation is a uncommon feather in Microsoft’s dusty fedora. However even that benefit will disappear finally — the corporate already plans to bring it to the PlayStation 5 subsequent spring, alongside different former Xbox exclusives like Hello-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves.

Given the sheer quantity of improvement expertise at Microsoft from its many acquisitions (and regardless of an obscene number of layoffs), the corporate has now grow to be one of the essential publishers within the gaming world. However proudly owning a preferred multi-platform collection like Name of Obligation hasn’t translated immediately into Xbox gross sales.

Past exclusives, Microsoft’s Recreation Go subscription is the strongest argument for proudly owning an Xbox. However even that has gone by its personal type of enshittification this 12 months. The corporate increased the monthly price of the “Ultimate” plan to $20, which incorporates day-one entry to new titles and a big library of video games for Xbox and PC. The brand new $15 a month “Normal” plan would not get day-one entry, however does embrace a library of tons of of video games, whereas the $10 a month “Core” choice provides a restricted library of 25 titles alongside multiplayer assist.

The Recreation Go Final plan additionally feels much less, properly, final nowadays because of opportunistic early-access pricing for brand spanking new titles. For instance, subscribers might have paid an extra $35 for the “Digital Premium” version of Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle to play it three days early. That timing included the weekend earlier than the sport’s December 9 launch, so I am positive many impatient Recreation Go subscribers upgraded simply to clock some uninterrupted playtime. It seems like a backhanded method for Microsoft to deal with its most loyal gamers, regardless of not being overtly evil.

Sony’s competing PlayStation Plus subscription is not as strong as Recreation Go (there aren’t any launch day titles), but it surely nonetheless provides a big array of older video games and cloud streaming assist. Whereas I wasn’t an enormous fan of the PlayStation Portal handheld initially, it is definitely a compelling accessory for PS Plus customers now that it may possibly entry cloud titles.

Oddly sufficient, Microsoft hasn’t promoted Recreation Go cloud streaming a lot over the previous few years. It not too long ago began testing the flexibility to stream a handful of games that you own, exterior of the Recreation Go library, but that is additionally a characteristic that ought to have been applied years in the past. The cringey “This is an Xbox” marketing campaign is a uncommon try at making mainstream gamers conscious of Xbox cloud streaming, however even that feels prefer it’s coming method too late.

The place does Microsoft go subsequent?

It isn’t as if Microsoft has an empty gaming plate forward. The corporate confirmed off a little bit of its Good Darkish and Fable reboots this summer season, alongside a tease of a brand new Gears of Battle. We simply noticed a trailer for The Outer Worlds 2 at The Recreation Awards, the Dishonored fan in me is hyped for Arkane Lyon’s Blade, and I am desperate to study extra about Hideo Kojima’s OD. However all of these video games will doubtless be accessible on Home windows PCs, and lots of will even head to different consoles.

There is not any doubt 2025 goes to be a busy 12 months for Xbox — it is only a disgrace that it doubtless will not assist Microsoft catch as much as the PS5’s gross sales lead. However who cares, proper? Every thing might be an Xbox when you consider laborious sufficient (or have a browser to entry Recreation Go cloud streaming).

Again in February, when Microsoft confirmed it might be bringing Xbox titles to different consoles, Engadget Government Editor Aaron Souppouris argued that the company should exit the console business entirely. Whereas that makes a certain quantity of sense for Microsoft, a software program firm that has usually struggled with {hardware} exterior of the Xbox 360 (and even that had its points), I am not satisfied the corporate must go that far.

For one, it might go away Sony and Nintendo as the one remaining console makers. Sony would additionally successfully have a monopoly on highly effective console {hardware} and graphically intense video games, at the very least primarily based on what we’re hearing about the Switch 2. Much less competitors doubtlessly additionally means much less innovation down the road — Sony might simply coast if it was the one highly effective console maker round.

Very like it did with the unique Xbox, Microsoft might doubtlessly minimize its losses and attempt to jump-start the subsequent console era sooner than Sony. If Microsoft might produce {hardware} that is extra highly effective than a PS5 Professional and ship it at a comparatively inexpensive worth, it has an opportunity at peeling away Sony loyalists. That is notably true if it may possibly guarantee fascinating exclusives are literally accessible for launch.

Microsoft must also work in direction of making its latest Xbox advertising marketing campaign extra of a actuality, as a substitute of putting its bets totally on costly consoles. Make cloud streaming quicker, sharper and simpler to entry. Make individuals conscious that they’ll recreation on their telephones, tablets and nearly any pc. Revive the streaming dongle accessory and make it low cost so you may flip any TV into an Xbox, and in addition maintain engaged on bringing Recreation Go apps to all TVs.

Hell, produce that genuine Xbox portable system and ensure that Home windows is best optimized for third-party portables. You need to be capable of spin up your Xbox video games from virtually wherever you’re sitting, irrespective of the system in entrance of you. (And whereas I am on this cleaning soap field, why not let individuals flip the Xbox Collection X and S into Home windows PCs? These methods are all mainly PCs already, and they’d make beautiful mini desktops or servers down the road.)

The console wars of the long run gained’t be fought like these of the previous. Microsoft ought to plan accordingly.

Wrap-up

If you have already got an Xbox Collection X, or discover one obscenely low cost someplace, it’s nonetheless a strong solution to play Microsoft’s titles, standard third-party video games and every little thing Microsoft has accessible on Recreation Go. However when you had to decide on between shopping for the Collection X or PlayStation 5, it’s laborious to disclaim that Sony’s console is a better buy.

Maybe the subsequent console era could possibly be an Xbox 360-esque revival for Microsoft, however the firm must look carefully at what Sony and Nintendo are doing proper. And actually, it simply comes all the way down to having extra video games individuals wish to play. Now that it’s flush with so many notable builders, Microsoft might lastly be capable of resolve that drawback. There’s little question that staying within the console enterprise could be dangerous and costly, but when there’s one firm that may justify sticking round, it’s the one printing money from the cloud.