Xbox Series X

[Cobra Strike Down]

 

 

I love the industrial design. And quite small. Can't wait!

 

[Punisher5.0]

That was a cool commercial. The name is by no surprise stupid again like every one of their systems past the OG Xbox. Id love to see a teardown of it.

[dj_convoy]

Oy, with these names. Why are they sticking to the most confusing naming conventions? That has to cause marketplace confusion. 

[amiman99]

I remember the PS2 commercial that was talking about PS9. At least PS fans knows the name of the future Playstation names, and Sony made easy on themselves.

 

 

 

[Hwlngmad]

Excited about this console as well.  From my viewpoint, it will be interesting to see exactly how they take the "series" forward as I wonder how much they will tap into any PC type abilities.

[Mikebloke]

Sigh. It's bad enough xbox one is now xbox original because xbox 3 (not as in xbox 360 which is the 2nd one) is called xbox one and now series x which is not xbox one x because that is the 3rd or 4th or 10th model of the third x box. 

 

Will probably fit in one of my cubes though, so at least that's something. Going to suck for you poor gits with flat dvd player space useless slots though. Maybe they'll start making TV units for actual consoles. 

[IntelliMission]

In only a couple of seconds, I came up with three better names for this thing:

 

- X4

- Xbox Real

- Xbox Future

 

If the name of a console is a big factor in sales, the Xbox Series X is in serious trouble against the PS5. Oh and let's not forget in Italy, Spain, Portugal and all Central and South America, "series" is the plural form of "serie" (the Spanish/Italian/Portuguese translation of "series"), which adds to the already confusing and far from dynamic name.

[SoundGammon]

I got a Xbox One X and 4K works but not HDR!!!! Really????  The HDR works with the built-in TV apps like VUDU & Netflix, Sonys 4K 700 Blu-Ray player model.

 

What gives?

 

System says my TV isn't compatible with their version!  Like you would look for that when buying it! 

 

Edited December 13, 2019 by SoundGammon

[Atariboy]

The wording about backwards compatibility is sadly not a surprise. It's just as accurate if the system is only backwards compatible with the Xbox One and the select original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles that any Xbox One can play today, as it would be if this was 99.9% compatible with the Xbox and Xbox 360 libraries. 

 

Quote

Thanks to backward compatibility, you can expect your gaming legacy, thousands of your favorite games across four generations of gaming, all your Xbox One gaming accessories, and industry-leading services like Xbox Game Pass to be available when you power on your Xbox Series X in Holiday 2020.

Still a possibility of course, but that tiny glimmer of hope dimmed even further last night when they didn't clarify that all your Xbox/Xbox 360 discs and all your digital Xbox 360 purchases would work here. 

 

I've never seriously thought it would happen, but it's been fun to think about it happening. Particularly in regard to the original Xbox library, which really shined on the Xbox One thanks to the magic of backwards compatibility, yet doesn't look very good at all in native form on modern HDTV's. The upgrade as our CRT's (And original Xbox systems) age would've been welcomed news, especially for someone like me that invested heavily into the platform back in the early 2000's and held on to those games.

Edited December 13, 2019 by Atariboy

[spacecadet]

11 hours ago, SoundGammon said:

I got a Xbox One X and 4K works but not HDR!!!! Really????  The HDR works with the built-in TV apps like VUDU & Netflix, Sonys 4K 700 Blu-Ray player model.

 

What gives?

The problem is almost definitely either your cable or whatever you're running it through (like a receiver). Everything in the chain has to support the bandwidth required.

[MantaNZ]

I really love the design of it and if the 100% backwards compatibility rumours are true I'm all in - only I recently traded in all my 360 games. Doh! Oh well, I still have my og Xbox games to play on it  I wonder if I'll be able to download the 200 or so digital games I own on 360?

 

Oh and that Hellblade II trailer - OMFG!!!

 

Guess I'm buying an an Amico AND an Xbox next year. I hope the PS5 doesn't look equally amazing or I'll be very poor...

[HoshiChiri]

21 hours ago, dj_convoy said:

Oy, with these names. Why are they sticking to the most confusing naming conventions? That has to cause marketplace confusion. 

AGREED. I'm watching the internet get all uppity over the fridge form factor, and thinking 'Does no one care about the horrible name?!'

 

This whole product line is so hard to talk about- You've got the Xbox One, which isn't the first Xbox, comes in S & X, but not Series X, that's a different Xbox than the Xbox One, which is a different Xbox than the first Xbox... no wonder the 360 sold the best, it's the only one where everybody knows which one you mean!

[IntelliMission]

I agree. The shape is definitely a risky decision, very unique. I find it a bit too aggressive, but I can see its appeal.

 

However, the name is more important than the shape and it's both confusing and not particularly pretty. I'm sure there was a lot of debate in their marketing team and I'm surprised they finally came up with this.

[MrMaddog]

I wasn't surprised by the lackluster name since we already went through this with the Xbox One X, I just call it "Xbox" since that's basically the whole platform rather than by each specific model. Plus Microsoft was never known for having creative names for anything.

 

And I can also live with the look since I use my Xbox as a Home Theater PC anyway.  Just hope it can lie horizontally on my TV stand shelves though...

[spacecadet]

14 hours ago, IntelliMission said:

However, the name is more important than the shape and it's both confusing and not particularly pretty. I'm sure there was a lot of debate in their marketing team and I'm surprised they finally came up with this.

Have a feeling it was more of a functional decision than anything else - probably needs a lot of cooling and space around the components. Also, MS is really big on this square cornered boxy thing right now. I don't really get it (though I think the Xbox One S is pretty nicely designed, but it's not just a simple monochrome square box), but it kinda fits in with their general aesthetic. The problem for them is that I don't think most people *like* that aesthetic. I think some people do, a few even passionately enough to constantly write about that passion on various online forums, but the sales numbers for the products they've released with these boxy designs haven't been great. (Xbox One S/X, at least vs. PS4; Windows Phone, Windows 8 and the Metro UI, etc.) So most people don't seem to be responding to it.

 

The big problem as far as the name goes is I don't know how people are going to shorten it. I actually think this is a serious issue! Most people end up talking about consoles in shorthand and this is not something a company can directly control, so you have to consider the possibilities for what's going to catch on when you come up with a system's name. Sony's got it easy - the PlayStation 5 is just going to be the PS5. What's the "Xbox Series X" going to be? I have a feeling people might end up calling it the "Series X" which would have to be (or *should* be) MS's worst nightmare. To not even include "Xbox" in the shorthand is terrible for branding. But despite what it seems like MS *wants*, people need a way to distinguish one game console from another, so they're not just going to call it "Xbox". They're going to call it by its specific name. It's always been that way with game consoles, but it's not specific to game consoles. And then what are we going to call other consoles in this "series"? I have a feeling we're going to end up with what people just call an "X1" or "X2" or whatever.

 

MS seems to have a chronic problem considering stuff like this, going back to the Bill Gates era. It's almost like it's been passed down to the new generation at Microsoft. They're just terrible at branding, and that's not something the Xbox can really overcome at this point. At least the original Xbox and the 360 were pretty well focused in terms of branding, but the Xbox One and now the Series X have both backslid into standard MS crap.

Edited December 15, 2019 by spacecadet

[PlaysWithWolves]

As a consumer, I don't much care about the name; that's marketing's problem.  The first year or two it could be the aforementioned "Series X" or "new XBox". Then it may transition to simply "Xbox".  Of course, PS fans may call it "XBSux" ?

 

I care more about form factor, capability, and necessity.  The FF seems unexciting but okay unless it won't fit in one's shelf space. Pretty sure it'll be a capable machine. I'm not sold on necessity.  If they added DVR it would be more tempting.  

[Punisher5.0]

8 hours ago, spacecadet said:

Have a feeling it was more of a functional decision than anything else - probably needs a lot of cooling and space around the components. Also, MS is really big on this square cornered boxy thing right now. I don't really get it (though I think the Xbox One S is pretty nicely designed, but it's not just a simple monochrome square box), but it kinda fits in with their general aesthetic. The problem for them is that I don't think most people *like* that aesthetic. I think some people do, a few even passionately enough to constantly write about that passion on various online forums, but the sales numbers for the products they've released with these boxy designs haven't been great. (Xbox One S/X, at least vs. PS4; Windows Phone, Windows 8 and the Metro UI, etc.) So most people don't seem to be responding to it.

 

The big problem as far as the name goes is I don't know how people are going to shorten it. I actually think this is a serious issue! Most people end up talking about consoles in shorthand and this is not something a company can directly control, so you have to consider the possibilities for what's going to catch on when you come up with a system's name. Sony's got it easy - the PlayStation 5 is just going to be the PS5. What's the "Xbox Series X" going to be? I have a feeling people might end up calling it the "Series X" which would have to be (or *should* be) MS's worst nightmare. To not even include "Xbox" in the shorthand is terrible for branding. But despite what it seems like MS *wants*, people need a way to distinguish one game console from another, so they're not just going to call it "Xbox". They're going to call it by its specific name. It's always been that way with game consoles, but it's not specific to game consoles. And then what are we going to call other consoles in this "series"? I have a feeling we're going to end up with what people just call an "X1" or "X2" or whatever.

 

MS seems to have a chronic problem considering stuff like this, going back to the Bill Gates era. It's almost like it's been passed down to the new generation at Microsoft. They're just terrible at branding, and that's not something the Xbox can really overcome at this point. At least the original Xbox and the 360 were pretty well focused in terms of branding, but the Xbox One and now the Series X have both backslid into standard MS crap.

I could see people on forums calling it Sex

[cimerians]

Looks like a future PC series of dedicated game and streaming. Series X, Series Y, Series XYZ. 

 

At some point there's so many X's in the name I'm just going to call it X.

 

Dunno about hardware anymore guys. It's costly and doesn't last long, seems its getting shorter and shorter between hardware upgrades. X, Pro's, S, etc. Just a disturbing trend IMO to fork over $500 and they release a beefed up series a few years later. I'm gaming on PC Win10 and messed with Stadia which IMO is only hampered by ISP providers and game selection which may kill it...but it makes sense and it works. It costs more for the next three years just to buy Xbox and Sony hardware (without any games).

 

 

 

 

 

[PlaysWithWolves]

9 minutes ago, cimerians said:

Dunno about hardware anymore guys. It's costly and doesn't last long, seems its getting shorter and shorter between hardware upgrades.

 

At the very least allow us to put a larger SSD and new graphics card (cartridge?).  If XB1 was designed with those in mind, I'd be first in line.  

 

[Guest]

I’m pretty sure the new Xbox is not 100% compatible with the full Xbox library.

I think it’s backwards compatible with the games that have already been converted over, not the whole library from every console.

 

I won’t be confused when I go to purchase it Holiday 2020. It will be the most expensive Xbox in the store at that time.

 

Maybe they should’ve just called it the Dreamcast 5 !

Everyone knows the original Xbox was inspired by the design of the Dreamcast .

They just have to make sure it backwards compatible with a Dreamcast library too! Lol

 

Dreamcast

Xbox

Xbox 360

Xbox one

Dreamcast 5

 

Then it would be PS5 vs DC5 next year! Of course I'm kidding.

 

 

Edited December 15, 2019 by Zeptari1

[RARusk]

Maybe we should just call it the Xbox4.

[Cobra Strike Down]

I don't think it'll be called "Series X".

 

We know they're working on Lockheart and Anaconda versions, so maybe the "series" of consoles would just be called the Series X, with each individual system having unique names.

 

Also, for those complaining about the XBOX ONE X sounding similar in name, and this just conjecture, but do you think it might be possible the XBOX ONE X could be a low end entry level next gen system? If the Switch can get ports of modern games like the Witcher, albeit severely downgraded, honestly I don't see why this system couldn't do the same thing.

 

I don't know, for me, that makes sense with the naming convention. 

[DragonGrafx-16]

No reason for me to get this anyway as I can already play Xbox games on my PC...

[Atariboy]

They've already said that the Xbox One X isn't going to be their low end platform (For an example, Digital Foundry briefly talks about this in their Xbox Series X video from a day or two ago). Microsoft is going to keep supporting the Xbox One S for now and at least some of the major next generation games going forward for the immediate future will still have support for the Xbox One S (I'm unclear if it will be all; I assume it's a decision each developer/publisher will make for their specific situation). 

 

At the end of the day, there aren't very many Xbox One X's out there and it's still a very expensive platform to manufacture and sell. Not only do I see there not being much sense in eliminating the far more common and economical Xbox One S while making the Xbox One X their low end platform, but I'd go a step further and predict that the Xbox One X will quickly and quietly be cancelled. An expensive premium priced version of their last generation hardware makes little sense to be sold alongside the Xbox Series X (And the two names are potentially confusing for the less informed consumers).

 

I predict by Christmas 2020 we'll only be seeing Microsoft manufacturing and actively marketing the Xbox One S and whatever form the Xbox Series X launches in (I think most are expecting at least two variants right out the gate). I bet at some point late this coming summer, we'll start to see Xbox One X shortages at retail and will eventually get confirmation that Microsoft isn't restocking it and that it's out of production.

Edited December 15, 2019 by Atariboy

[Austin]

2 hours ago, Atariboy said:

They've already said that the Xbox One X isn't going to be their low end platform (For an example, Digital Foundry briefly talks about this in their Xbox Series X video from a day or two ago). Microsoft is going to keep supporting the Xbox One S for now and at least some of the major next generation games going forward for the immediate future will still have support for the Xbox One S (I'm unclear if it will be all; I assume it's a decision each developer/publisher will make for their specific situation). 

Yeah, it doesn't make sense to be manufacturing two completely separate eras of hardware at the same time, especially when the new models will be priced similarly (the X is still $400* as of writing this) and will still be running the same software.

 

It needs further clarification, but Microsoft has two code names for the upcoming platform, likely indicating at least two separate models (a high-end model and a low-end one). I'm sure they'll quietly phase out the manufacturing of X and S models not too long into the new generation.

 

On 12/13/2019 at 5:06 PM, Atariboy said:

The wording about backwards compatibility is sadly not a surprise. It's just as accurate if the system is only backwards compatible with the Xbox One and the select original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles that any Xbox One can play today, as it would be if this was 99.9% compatible with the Xbox and Xbox 360 libraries. 

 

Still a possibility of course, but that tiny glimmer of hope dimmed even further last night when they didn't clarify that all your Xbox/Xbox 360 discs and all your digital Xbox 360 purchases would work here. 

It's entirely possible that work on the backwards compatibility program will kick back up once the new system is well established in the marketplace. From what I understand, the BC team was tasked with focusing 100% on the new console, which is why new backwards compatibility roll-outs stopped. It's probably wishful thinking that they'll pick it back up of course, but you never know.

 

____

*Edit: It looks like the X is currently $350 at the moment. Microsoft has a tendency of dropping their prices during the holiday season, so my guess is it will go back up after Christmas.

Edited December 16, 2019 by Austin