Xbox One X has lots of Dumb Design Choices

[Guest]

So forewarning to fanboys: this post may contain criticisms of a machine that you like. Please try and look objectively and consider this from the standpoint of a non-fanboy. Also if you are going to come here acting offended for the use of fanboy, just remember: I am not saying any specific names. So if you think I'm referring to you, then you're calling yourself a fanboy.

 

So the Xbox One X is riddled with perhaps some of the dumbest and oddest design choices I've ever seen in a console since the experimental days of the 90s where we had weird consoles like the 3DO and the Phillips CD-i. On the surface, the Xbox One X actually sounds like a good deal. A decently powered machine, and capable of some 4K gaming and checkboard rendering on 4K screens for other games, all for $500. On the surface that all sounds really good, but then you look deeper and you realize that for a $500 "premium" console Microsoft really made some design choices that simply... didn't make sense and are kind of counter-intuitive. There's a lot that simply just doesn't make much logical sense, but let's break it down:

• 1TB internal hard drive. Why? This is marketed as a console for 4K gaming, so that means games will get bigger. Why would you ship it with the same size hard drive as your entry-level machine, the Xbox One S? Granted Sony did the same with the PS4 Pro, but their games focus more on checkboard rendering which results in considerably smaller games. If I recall Quantum Break's 4K patch makes the game close to 100GB. FFXV is almost 100GB without 4K texture as well.
• Non-removable hard drive. This just seems really dumb. It wouldn't cost more to simply have a part of the enclosure open up and let people slide in a new hard drive. You have a system that only has 1TB of storage with games that can take up to 1/10 of that (more like 1/9 because only around 900 something are available out of the box) for a single game. This is a PREMIUM machine meaning the people buying this are going to likely buy more than 10 games. Also, it's not very "premium" to be forced to delete games to make space for other games. This means the system becomes RELIANT on getting an external almost on day 1. You have a $500 machine and you are going to make it so buying another $60-100+ device for it is almost mandatory?
• 4K patches should be broken into performance or 4K versions. It's insane that someone who has only a 1080p TV has to download the 4K patch for a game to enjoy the higher framerate version even if they are not going to use the 4K. This is to an extent a smaller issue on PS4 Pro because again: we are finding Xbox One X versions of games are sporting higher res textures and such, thus taking up more filesize.
• Jaguar CPU. The CPU was not designed for gaming, why are they insistent on keeping it? Hell Sony is guilty of this too. The CPU is already proving a bottleneck too.
• 4K Blu-ray drive is not being put to best use. You have a drive that can support disks that store more data, yet you are still selling games on regular Blu-rays and making the 4K patch a download when you could just sell a box with a Blu-ray and a 4K Blu-ray for Xbox One X owners to get them playing faster.
• Very little in the way of exclusives. Yes I know fanboys will moan about this one, but the fact remains you're asking me to spend $500+ on this hardware, but you are telling me there are no real games I can't play elsewhere? This device offers no features that a PC could not do. I can watch Netflix on my TV, or streaming services with a smart TV or even a $50 device. An Apple TV does all the media features this thing does for less. I can also have a PC hooked up to my TV to do it. This device is not offering anything for $500 that I or many others can't get elsewhere. The sooner fanboys recognize that the sooner they can actually start fixing the issues with this console and perhaps get it to start selling more. Microsoft is not even giving full sales numbers and not a single store I have been to has been sold out of the One X, even on launch day.

The fact is that I don't think Microsoft had a plan for this machine, they were hoping specs along would sell this thing and now they are scratching their head wondering what to do. There are already rumors floating around that Microsoft is hard at work working on a Gen 9 console, trying to stack the deck for next gen. 

[The Kaeya Simp 13,996]

**DISCLAIMER, I ONLY HAVE THE X-BOX ONE S, NOT THE X-BOX ONE X, WHAT I SAY IS OPINIONATED, TAKE WHAT THIS COMMENT SAYS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT**

I think that the X-Box One X should have came with at least an 8TB HDD (maybe multipule of them) and they're trying to get to the hardcore gamers so add the ability to upgrade it and pack wired controllers with every unit (I REALLY HATE WIRELESS CONTROLLERS) and a few extra things TBH but hay, what do I know about running a gaming company, all of this is just what I think personally and is all IMO

[Brony Number 42 10,093]

You can connect an external drive. The smaller HD keeps the price down without compromising the other performance. Yes it sucks when it gets full but by that point you can get another drive.

Xbox One allowed you to use an external drive from day 1. But PS4 did not, which was dumb. Now you can use one supposedly but I haven't tried yet. I replaced my PS4 drive and I use an external drive for my Xbox. The external is way easier to use than having to transfer to a new drive.

I don't pay attention to the specs. I'm not going to nitpick unless something is major.

I do have a 3DO and CDi but haven't played them much. Those were the days. 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, BronyNumber42licious said:

You can connect an external drive.

Their competitors both offer less bulky internal solutions.

3 minutes ago, BronyNumber42licious said:

The smaller HD keeps the price down without compromising the other performance.

Yet their competitors both let you upgrade internally without being forced to daisy chain another device off of the system. Literally costs nothing extra to make the chassis open up and let people insert their own hard drive.

4 minutes ago, BronyNumber42licious said:

Xbox One allowed you to use an external drive from day 1. But PS4 did not, which was dumb.

Because the PS4 offered you to expand the internal one which is far less tacky looking. Now the PS4 allows you to do both, and the Xbox still only offers external solutions.

5 minutes ago, BronyNumber42licious said:

The external is way easier to use than having to transfer to a new drive.

Sure but if you gave people the option to replace the internal most would buy a big drive while buying the system and put the big drive in before they even get started. I know I would.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 42,202]

The thing has been a fairly huge success so, the market doesn't seem on your page. The only slightly valid points I see here are the hard drive points, but an external solves a lot of problems. The 4K or not thing, there are games that do that. Gears of War 4 and Elite Dangerous come to mind and in terms of 360 games, all X enhanced 360 games will soon support such an option. For the One games, it is up to the devs to give such an option so that isn't on Microsoft.

The larger disks, who knows. They could be more expensive to produce which could be why. Plus, not all games support 4K at launch anyways, so it would defeat the purpose. Beyond this, I really don't see much weight to this thread. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Kyoshi said:

The thing has been a fairly huge success so, the market doesn't seem on your page.

Define "fairly huge success" because even during the holiday months that the Xbox One X came out, the PS4 still outsold it. Microsoft even indirectly revealed that they are selling the system at a market loss last year. And refused to give out actual numbers, which is not the mark of a "successful" system. Xbox still has less than half of PS4 sales, and the Nintendo Switch has managed to get close to 1/2 of its install base in a year despite the One X. Sony has confirmed the numbers for PS4 Pro being 1 in 5 PS4's sold is a Pro , meanwhile Microsoft refuses to give us any kind of numbers but insists the sales are "good". Microsoft even went so far as to bullshit interviewers by saying they don't disclose sales numbers which is usually the talk of someone who doesn't feel their sales numbers are brag-worthy. Literally tons of stores had the Xbox One X in stock on the release day and it was super easy to find because no one wanted them. On the year of its release it didn't even make it into the top 10 Amazon orders for that year, when Nintendo managed to be number one that year with the Switch, and people did research and proved that the SNES Mini was in higher demand when it came out than the Xbox One X.

So I don't know what rubric you grade success on, but I'd say the market agrees with me. Citation needed on your end, because I linked plenty of sources to back this up.

1 hour ago, Kyoshi said:

The only slightly valid points I see here are the hard drive points, but an external solves a lot of problems.

Except both of their competitors have internal solutions, one of which has had this solution since 2006. Microsoft even REMOVED the ability to upgrade the internal harddrive which they used to support in the 360 days. External is not an elegant solution, it takes up a USB port on the system, looks tacky and adds more space when your competitors literally can just slide more storage into the actual system, and one of them offers upgradable internal AND external storage on even their BASE model console, but Microsoft can not offer it on even their premium unit?

Currently a base model PS4 can have more storage than the Xbox One X overall. The system can support a 2TB internal (4TB if you are willing to look up a guide) and a 8TB external, meaning the PS4 can support 10TB (12TB possibly) of external storage, assuming you don't plug in multiple drives. Meaning a base model PS4 can have more storage potential than a premium Xbox One X.

How is that a good solution?

1 hour ago, Kyoshi said:

The 4K or not thing, there are games that do that. Gears of War 4 and Elite Dangerous come to mind and in terms of 360 games, all X enhanced 360 games will soon support such an option. For the One games, it is up to the devs to give such an option so that isn't on Microsoft.

When these games push 100GB and you ship the unit with 1TB (actually closer to 900GB) of storage, it makes one wonder how you don't support internal storage upgrades or even ship the unit with 2TB of space.

Also Microsoft sets the rules for how to develop for their system, so it kind of is on them.

1 hour ago, Kyoshi said:

The larger disks, who knows. They could be more expensive to produce which could be why.

We're talking chump change on the big scale. Currently both the Xbox One X and the Xbox One S support 4K blu-rays and yet Microsoft has done little to use this feature.

1 hour ago, Kyoshi said:

Beyond this, I really don't see much weight to this thread. 

Of course you don't, after all you are deluded into thinking the Xbox One X is doing well after all.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 42,202]

11 minutes ago, Key Sharkz said:

Define "fairly huge success" because even during the holiday months that the Xbox One X came out, the PS4 still outsold it. Microsoft even indirectly revealed that they are selling the system at a market loss last year. And refused to give out actual numbers, which is not the mark of a "successful" system. Xbox still has less than half of PS4 sales, and the Nintendo Switch has managed to get close to 1/2 of its install base in a year despite the One X. Sony has confirmed the numbers for PS4 Pro being 1 in 5 PS4's sold is a Pro , meanwhile Microsoft refuses to give us any kind of numbers but insists the sales are "good". Microsoft even went so far as to bullshit interviewers by saying they don't disclose sales numbers which is usually the talk of someone who doesn't feel their sales numbers are brag-worthy. Literally tons of stores had the Xbox One X in stock on the release day and it was super easy to find because no one wanted them. On the year of its release it didn't even make it into the top 10 Amazon orders for that year, when Nintendo managed to be number one that year with the Switch, and people did research and proved that the SNES Mini was in higher demand when it came out than the Xbox One X.

So I don't know what rubric you grade success on, but I'd say the market agrees with me. Citation needed on your end, because I linked plenty of sources to back this up.

Except both of their competitors have internal solutions, one of which has had this solution since 2006. Microsoft even REMOVED the ability to upgrade the internal harddrive which they used to support in the 360 days. External is not an elegant solution, it takes up a USB port on the system, looks tacky and adds more space when your competitors literally can just slide more storage into the actual system, and one of them offers upgradable internal AND external storage on even their BASE model console, but Microsoft can not offer it on even their premium unit?

Currently a base model PS4 can have more storage than the Xbox One X overall. The system can support a 2TB internal (4TB if you are willing to look up a guide) and a 8TB external, meaning the PS4 can support 10TB (12TB possibly) of external storage, assuming you don't plug in multiple drives. Meaning a base model PS4 can have more storage potential than a premium Xbox One X.

How is that a good solution?

When these games push 100GB and you ship the unit with 1TB (actually closer to 900GB) of storage, it makes one wonder how you don't support internal storage upgrades or even ship the unit with 2TB of space.

Also Microsoft sets the rules for how to develop for their system, so it kind of is on them.

We're talking chump change on the big scale. Currently both the Xbox One X and the Xbox One S support 4K blu-rays and yet Microsoft has done little to use this feature.

Of course you don't, after all you are deluded into thinking the Xbox One X is doing well after all.

 Your post is quite hostile in nature, so welcome to the report list, buddy. 

If you hate the Xbox One X so much then, don't buy it. Anything I say will cause you to twist around into a negative like how you twisted the 4K blu ray thing into something negative, a feature that is absent even on the PS4 pro. How ironic. Oh and cheaper systems sell more? Wow, what a shock. The PS4 has almost always outsold the Xbox One. So yeah, it still is doing that. I am not surprised in the slightest. Like how the Wii was outselling everything back in the day. What matters is that the Xbox One is still a success for Microsoft and it clearly is and they are introducing things to the industry that are quite consumer friendly. Backwards compatibility, game pass, cross play, things that Sony won't dare touch. So Microsoft won my money. Sony wins yours, clearly. And I don't care. If you care so much to call me delusional, then that's your fucking problem.

[Guest]

Just now, Kyoshi said:

Your post is quite hostile in nature, so welcome to the report list, buddy. 

How is it hostile?

I literally corrected you and cited sources backing up my claim. Is it because I said you were deluded into thinking the Xbox One X was selling well? I see no hostility there. I am merely stating that when faced with overwhelming evidence of otherwise one would need to be deluded to think it were. If you took that as hostility, I'm sorry.

However being faux offended and reporting people for proving you wrong doesn't make your argument stronger.

2 minutes ago, Kyoshi said:

If you hate the Xbox One X so much then, don't buy it.

Putting words in my mouth, but okay I won't buy it and I haven't.

2 minutes ago, Kyoshi said:

Anything I say will cause you to twist around into a negative like how you twisted the 4K blu ray thing into something negative, a feature that is absent even on the PS4 pro.

Not true. I just see the 4K blu-ray feature as a waste. It's not being fully utilized despite being there for over 2 years now. Perhaps the reason the PS4 didn't adopt it was because they saw what I did: the demand wasn't there.

3 minutes ago, Kyoshi said:

Oh and cheaper systems sell more? Wow, what a shock. The PS4 has almost always outsold the Xbox One.

Not true. There have been several months where the Xbox One outsold the PS4. Also currently the base model Xbox One is cheaper than the base model PS4 and has been that way for some time now. The Xbox One has been cheaper than the PS4 for like... a few years now, with the exception of these upgraded units which just came out.

Also my point is the reason it's not selling is not just because it's more expensive but people are not feeling the "premium" value when you also need to buy a bigger hard drive out of the box and dangle and external off of it. If it had shipped with a 2TB out of the box and had the option to upgrade the internal hard drive (which presents another way that it's less premium because the PS4 supports upgrading to an SSD which improves load times, whereas the Xbox One X doesn't) people would feel it might have more value.

6 minutes ago, Kyoshi said:

Like how the Wii was outselling everything back in the day.

Different reasons, discussion for another topic though.

6 minutes ago, Kyoshi said:

What matters is that the Xboo One is still a success for Microsoft and it clearly is and they are introducing things to the industry that are quite consumer friendly. Backwards compatibility, game pass, cross play, things that Sony won't dare touch.

Actually many would argue that those things are a sign of a company in trouble so they need all the brownie points they can get.

7 minutes ago, Kyoshi said:

So Microsoft won my money. Sony wins yours, clearly. And I don't care.

If you don't care why even comment?

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 42,202]

1 minute ago, Key Sharkz said:

How is it hostile?

I literally corrected you and cited sources backing up my claim. Is it because I said you were deluded into thinking the Xbox One X was selling well? I see no hostility there. I am merely stating that when faced with overwhelming evidence of otherwise one would need to be deluded to think it were. If you took that as hostility, I'm sorry.

However being faux offended and reporting people for proving you wrong doesn't make your argument stronger.

Putting words in my mouth, but okay I won't buy it and I haven't.

Not true. I just see the 4K blu-ray feature as a waste. It's not being fully utilized despite being there for over 2 years now. Perhaps the reason the PS4 didn't adopt it was because they saw what I did: the demand wasn't there.

Not true. There have been several months where the Xbox One outsold the PS4. Also currently the base model Xbox One is cheaper than the base model PS4 and has been that way for some time now. The Xbox One has been cheaper than the PS4 for like... a few years now, with the exception of these upgraded units which just came out.

Also my point is the reason it's not selling is not just because it's more expensive but people are not feeling the "premium" value when you also need to buy a bigger hard drive out of the box and dangle and external off of it. If it had shipped with a 2TB out of the box and had the option to upgrade the internal hard drive (which presents another way that it's less premium because the PS4 supports upgrading to an SSD which improves load times, whereas the Xbox One X doesn't) people would feel it might have more value.

Different reasons, discussion for another topic though.

Actually many would argue that those things are a sign of a company in trouble so they need all the brownie points they can get.

If you don't care why even comment?

Because I am bored and your post doesn't have much sound logic behind it. The Switch still has tons of problems and is missing features from a decade ago, as well as having only 32gb of internal storage which is absolutely horrendous, but the thing still is selling like crazy. I even have one despite its many shortcomings, it has more than the X does for sure. Clearly, it isn't about the things you mentioned when it comes to gamers or these would be a huge factor for the Switch but it isn't. If the sole purpose of this thread was for you to say some things and then constantly proclaim that you are right under all circumstances, then make it into a blog. 

[Guest]

Just now, Kyoshi said:

Because I am bored and your post doesn't have much sound logic behind it.

I literally cited tons of sources backing my points up...

1 minute ago, Kyoshi said:

The Switch still has tons of problems and is missing features from a decade ago, as well as having only 32gb of internal storage which is absolutely horrendous, but the thing still is selling like crazy.

We're not talking about the Switch though? This is about the Xbox One X. Yes, an entry level portable unit has less features than an upgraded console marketed as a "premium" experience, that's a given. The Switch has tons of design flaws too, I never said it didn't, but its memory solution is more elegant and for what the Switch is, makes sense. Most switch games are not pushing 50GB, so SD cards are a viable option for now. The future may change that, but right now a 128GB or 200GB SD card can hold a crap ton of games considering not every game NEEDS to install on the system. I own 3 and none needed to install on the console itself.

3 minutes ago, Kyoshi said:

Clearly, it isn't about the things you mentioned when it comes to gamers or these would be a huge factor for the Switch but it isn't. If the sole purpose of this thread was for you to say some things and then constantly proclaim that you are right under all circumstances, then make it into a blog. 

Now who's being hostile?

Look, I get it you love the Xbox. But just because people point out its flaws doesn't mean you have to get so defensive about it.

The point of this thread is obvious, to point out the design flaws of the Xbox One X. It's a discussion which you were welcome to join or not join. You don't like the discussion, but that's a whole lot of not my problem.

The Xbox isn't doing well, period. The Switch is slated to pass it in year 2 of its life when the Xbox has been on the market for 5 years. That's not successful, that's struggling to remain relevant. Microsoft could barely take home a single Game of the Year award last year, and that's not good. Xbox has struggled to even remain on the top 10 software sales lists, many weeks where a single Xbox game doesn't make it on said list.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 42,202]

Oh no, I am not defensive because I prefer Xbox. I am defensive because of your dedication to invalidate it entirely. It is fascinating to witness actually. It isn't a discussion if all you ever do is say to others that have a different viewpoint that they are entirely wrong. I acknowledge that the xbox One isn't selling near as well as the PS4, the rough start and bandwagoning is a partial reasoning to such, but where your logic fails is thinking that because it is being outsold, then it is doing bad. This isn't the Wii U. The Xbox One is being profitable for Microsoft still, and like I said they making pretty positive headlines for the things I stated above, but according to you, if it isn't a neck and neck race of sales, then the lesser selling is a total failure. You told me not to bring up the Switch as a comparison, but you keep comparing the One to PS4 instead of looking at it under its own merits, of which it has plenty. Whether or not you think so, well, in the end I guess your opinion matters none, as does mine.

[Guest]

14 hours ago, Kyoshi said:

Oh no, I am not defensive because I prefer Xbox. I am defensive because of your dedication to invalidate it entirely.

Why does it require you getting defensive? Did you personally help invent the Xbox? Are you emotionally invested in Xbox? It's just a game console, it doesn't require getting defensive. Sorry that people point out its flaws, but it's a box with technology in it, it has no feelings. If you want you can talk trash about the PS4 or Switch design to me, it won't bother me, especially if you're making valid points.

The reality is I am raising real points about this device that Microsoft themselves should be addressing. Relying on external storage and not having removable hard drives is mind-boggling when you advertise your device as the premium device.

14 hours ago, Kyoshi said:

It is fascinating to witness actually.

What's fascinating is I ever talk about Xbox doing poorly or praise another console you seem to show up. You are here by your own choice, I don't see why you keep showing up if all it does is upset you to be told facts about the industry that I'm sure you know are true.

14 hours ago, Kyoshi said:

It isn't a discussion if all you ever do is say to others that have a different viewpoint that they are entirely wrong.

It is when someone states something and I provide sources that prove they are wrong, it's called back and forth and fact-checking. Not really a new thing, part of the great art of conversation. I didn't simply say you were wrong, I backed it up with facts, sources and evidence.

14 hours ago, Kyoshi said:

I acknowledge that the xbox One isn't selling near as well as the PS4, the rough start and bandwagoning is a partial reasoning to such, but where your logic fails is thinking that because it is being outsold, then it is doing bad.

That is not what I said at all. You are only taking one aspect of what I said and ignoring the rest:

• The system is slated to be outsold in 2 years by a newcomer, that is not a good thing. The Switch selling the same number as the Wii U in less than a year is a sign of how bad the Wii U was doing.
• They are selling the One X at a market loss so they need to move a TON of units to make up for that.
• Microsoft is refusing to give out exact sales numbers which is usually a sign of poor sales and a company not wanting investors to freak out and pull out. When their competitors openly discuss their sales and numbers and Microsoft isn't that tells you they are not doing as well as they hoped they'd be doing.
• The system was being outsold on its launch month by both of its competitors, that is a VERY bad time to be being outsold.

14 hours ago, Kyoshi said:

This isn't the Wii U. The Xbox One is being profitable for Microsoft still,

We don't know how much though, especially if the X is being sold at a market loss is my point. They can't sell at a market loss for very long.

14 hours ago, Kyoshi said:

and like I said they making pretty positive headlines for the things I stated above, but according to you, if it isn't a neck and neck race of sales, then the lesser selling is a total failure.

Except a lot of those things are screams of desperation. Most companies don't advertise a service for $10 a month where they are going to give you all 3 of their biggest AAA "exclusives" for that year instead of make you pay $60 for each of them. It's a sign that they NEED to get people on these services desperately to make some bank back. Not to mention software as a service is clearly Microsoft's future. A lot of these "great" ideas are sucker scams that are designed to make the consumer more "okay" with not really owning their games, but instead accepting that as a digital only service. It's called grooming, and it's part of why I still don't buy Playstation Now and avoid digital games as much as I possibly can.

Microsoft already admitted that software as a service is their future. These "great" ideas are merely intended to flash you with wow factor to lure you in, and then when they have enough people convinced they will slowly become the only way to play.

Look at adobe. They went to the cloud and slowly weened everyone in, and now software as a service is their only option.

Also a race does not need to be neck and neck, but when you are being outsold in less than HALF the time you were on the market by a newcomer and your other competitor is already twice as many sales ahead of you, yeah you're not doing so well. The 360 was neck and neck with the PS3 its entire lifespan.

 

14 hours ago, Kyoshi said:

You told me not to bring up the Switch as a comparison,

Because it's a handheld so when we talk about stuff like storage space and such it doesn't even use the same format and it was designed for mobile gaming. It's fair comparison in some cases but not in others. It's called knowing when it's a good comparison and when it's not. There are many factors, not just one.

14 hours ago, Kyoshi said:

but you keep comparing the One to PS4 instead of looking at it under its own merits, of which it has plenty.

I was pointing out that its DIRECT competitor is giving better offerings for less money.

Please inform me of these merits. I am curious to know. You have had several chances to speak of these merits, and I am just hearing you bring them up now. Please tell me what makes this device worth $500?

14 hours ago, Kyoshi said:

Whether or not you think so, well, in the end I guess your opinion matters none, as does mine.

Speak for yourself.