The Xbox One X is almost here with its 4K graphics and mighty teraflops! Boasting the title of “the world’s most powerful console”, it also has the price tag to go along with it: costing $599.99 CAD on launch for a 1TB console with one controller and no included games. Whether you have a 4K TV or not, we break down the reasons to get the Xbox One X, either now or later.
Reasons to get it now
You have a 4k TV and want to use it to its full potential (duh)
“Thanks Captain Obvious!” I know, I know. Let’s just get it out of the way. You have a 4K TV, you want your Xbox games in 4K, the Xbox One X is the console for that. It also plays 4K blu-rays and streams from services like Netflix in 4K. Good? Let’s move on.
To enjoy the best performance on Xbox
Don’t get me wrong, the Xbox One S and OG Xbox One deliver great gaming experience even when playing recent releases. I was playing Forza Motorsport 7 on my Day One Edition Xbox One with no issues whatsoever. However, when I loaded it on the Xbox One X, I noticed a slight difference: the load times seemed shorter and the controls felt tighter. One could attribute this to a placebo effect so I decided to time and compare just how long it took for each console to load the game itself and a race event. The OG Xbox One loads Forza Motorsport 7 in about 52 secs and takes around 30 sec to load a race; just shy of a minute and half from launching the game to getting your wheels on the pavement. The Xbox One X gets you from the dashboard to the game’s menu in under 40 seconds and on the race track in about 22 more. Within a minute, you’re in your car, on the track, ready to win. It may not seem like much, but for gamers who are hungry for high frame rates and quicker response times, every improvement counts.
To have the most up to date experience on Xbox
Some you just like to have the newest and better performing version of something and for Xbox, this is it. Others might just be looking to upgrade your console gaming experience from either an OG Xbox or even an older generation of console. Spending the extra money on the Xbox One X to bridge that gap might be worth it, especially if you’re thinking of getting a 4K TV in the near future. I personally still have an old 720p TV on its last legs. However, I’ll be hunting for a good deal on a 4K unit during Black Friday and/or Boxing Day so I’m happy to already have the Xbox One X on hand.
Reasons to get it later
Budget
As of this article’s publish date, the Xbox One X is $599 CAD for a 1TB unit and one controller; that’s $250 more than most Xbox One S 500gb bundles that can include up to 3 games. These bundles are the best value for money, especially those new to the ecosystem. If teraflops and 4K graphics aren’t your priority, you’ll want to either stick with your current console or look at the Xbox One S. Speaking of bundles…
Bundles
Bundles will inevitably come and will offer a better value for the Xbox One X. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to get that game you’re waiting for and the console all in one go for a better price than what is available today. You can also expect to eventually see limited edition of the Xbox One X like we’ve seen with the OG Xbox One and the Xbox One S. Some of you might prefer to save up for that special edition to come along.
But do you like it?
I’ll be honest, I’m not the performance hungry gamer type. If a game runs smoothly and loads reasonably fast, I’m happy. I could’ve stuck with my Day One Xbox One until it gave out or started struggling with new releases. However, I’m happy to have the Xbox One X. After testing it for roughly a week, I’m noticing the slight difference in performance when I go back to my original console. Once I get my 4K TV, I’m sure I’ll love the Xbox One X even more. Depending on how much I enjoy the 4K experience, I may even look into switching out my OG PS4 for the PS4 Pro…
DISCLAIMER: Xbox One X review unit was provided by Xbox Canada. The opinions expressed in the article above have not be affected by, dictated or edited in any way by the provider. For more information please see Girls on Games’ Code of Journalistic Ethics.