Xbox Collection X overview (2024): Unfulfilled potential

The Xbox Collection X was the proper alternative for Microsoft to run far-off from its tumultuous Xbox One years and in the direction of an period of real 4K gaming, ray tracing and Recreation Go abundance. However it 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 working down the clock of this console technology.

When I initially reviewed the Xbox Series X, I discovered it to be a robust console that surpassed the PlayStation 5 in some methods. However it 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 constantly delivered unique system-selling video games — even on the getting old Swap! — Microsoft has stumbled.

It is no marvel Microsoft desires to call so many other devices Xboxes. If you happen to look too laborious at its flagship console, you’ll be able to’t assist however be upset.

Do you have to purchase an Xbox Collection X?

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

For anybody dipping their toes into fashionable console gaming for the primary time — a mum or dad grabbing one thing for his or her child, or a former gamer making an attempt to reclaim their passion — 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 selection for a premium console (although the $300 Collection S is a strong possibility for secondary TVs, particularly when it is on sale). Microsoft additionally launched a particular $600 2TB “Galaxy Black” mannequin this yr, 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 simply $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, much like what’s contained in the PlayStation 5. It additionally has 16GB of GDDR6 RAM, 10GB of which runs at the next 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 follow that did not quantity to a lot. Often some third-party titles would run a bit extra easily on the Xbox, however each consoles nonetheless had bother balancing the calls for of visible constancy and efficiency.

As an alternative of being the technology of no-compromise consoles, the Xbox Collection X and PS5 often compelled players to decide on between enjoying video games with ray tracing and graphical upgrades at 30fps, or forgoing them to achieve a easy PC-like 60fps. That is the principle cause 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 droop made it clear why Microsoft did not attempt to compete with its personal mid-cycle refresh, however it’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 substitute for the bottom mannequin. It additionally would have included a revamped controller, codenamed “Sebile,” with improved haptics (probably much like Sony’s DualSense) and a direct cloud connection for enjoying streamed video games. Microsoft even floated the thought of bringing 1TB of storage to the $300 Collection S.

As an alternative of these practical upgrades, although, we received a barely cheaper all-digital $450 Collection X, that overpriced 2TB mannequin no person 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 would argue the corporate would profit from going even cheaper to undercut Sony, however that will additionally dig into the corporate’s already slim revenue margin. I am certain Microsoft is not desperate to lose extra money on Xbox.

In use: A ok console

Even with its getting old {hardware}, the Xbox Collection X can nonetheless make fashionable 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 working 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. Positive, the sport performs noticeably higher on my RTX 4090-powered PC, however I am unable to simply play that in my house theater. (In accordance 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 enjoying Astro Bot or Returnal really feel in contrast to any console gaming expertise I had earlier than. Controller-wise, enjoying 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, however it 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 technology.

The place are the unique video games?

After hanging out with middling exclusives like Redfall and Starfield, the brand new Indiana Jones sport 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 growth expertise at Microsoft from its many acquisitions (and regardless of an obscene number of layoffs), the corporate has now develop into some of the vital publishers within the gaming world. However proudly owning a preferred multi-platform collection like Name of Responsibility hasn’t translated instantly 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 means of its personal type of enshittification this yr. 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 “Customary” plan would not get day-one entry, however does embody a library of lots of of video games, whereas the $10 a month “Core” possibility presents 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 certain many impatient Recreation Go subscribers upgraded simply to clock some uninterrupted playtime. It seems like a backhanded means for Microsoft to deal with its most loyal gamers, regardless of not being overtly evil.

Sony’s competing PlayStation Plus subscription is not as sturdy as Recreation Go (there aren’t any launch day titles), however it nonetheless presents 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 just lately began testing the flexibility to stream a handful of games that you own, outdoors of the Recreation Go library, but that is additionally a function 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 means too late.

The place does Microsoft go subsequent?

It is not as if Microsoft has an empty gaming plate forward. The corporate confirmed off a little bit of its Excellent Darkish and Fable reboots this summer time, alongside a tease of a brand new Gears of Struggle. 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 be taught extra about Hideo Kojima’s OD. However all of these video games will probably be out there on Home windows PCs, and lots of may also head to different consoles.

There isn’t any doubt 2025 goes to be a busy yr for Xbox — it is only a disgrace that it probably will not assist Microsoft catch as much as the PS5’s gross sales lead. However who cares, proper? All the pieces may 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 could be bringing Xbox titles to different consoles, Engadget Govt 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 typically struggled with {hardware} outdoors of the Xbox 360 (and even that had its points), I am not satisfied the corporate must go that far.

For one, it could depart 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 based mostly 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 similar to it did with the unique Xbox, Microsoft might doubtlessly minimize its losses and attempt to jump-start the following console technology sooner than Sony. If Microsoft might produce {hardware} that is extra highly effective than a PS5 Professional and ship it at a comparatively reasonably priced worth, it has an opportunity at peeling away Sony loyalists. That is notably true if it may possibly guarantee fascinating exclusives are literally out there for launch.

Microsoft also needs to work in the direction of making its latest Xbox advertising and marketing 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 folks conscious that they will sport on their telephones, tablets and nearly any laptop. Revive the streaming dongle accessory and make it low-cost so you’ll be able to flip any TV into an Xbox, and in addition preserve engaged on bringing Recreation Go apps to all TVs.

Hell, produce that genuine Xbox portable system and be certain Home windows is healthier optimized for third-party portables. You must be capable to 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 folks flip the Xbox Collection X and S into Home windows PCs? These techniques are all principally PCs already, and they’d make beautiful mini desktops or servers down the road.)

The console wars of the longer term received’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 all the things Microsoft has out there 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 wiser buy.

Maybe the following console technology may very well be an Xbox 360-esque revival for Microsoft, however the firm must look intently at what Sony and Nintendo are doing proper. And actually, it simply comes all the way down to having extra video games folks need to play. Now that it’s flush with so many notable builders, Microsoft might lastly be capable to clear up 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.