Xbox One X: Consoles Hit the Downside of the Innovation Curve

Microsoft unveiled its next generation game console at E3 last week, and it’s called Xbox One X. (Yes, that means Microsoft gamers are still going to continue playing with the unfortunate moniker - Xbone.) Microsoft says it’s keeping the Xbox One name for its new One X console because it’s still part of the Xbox One family. But does this make One X another sequential upgrade like last year’s launch of Xbox One S, or is this truly the “next generation” console? Or an even bigger question, is there even a difference these days?

No matter what the new console is called, One X is a legitimate powerhouse under the hood. One X constitutes a much greater leap from One S than One S was from the original One. But, does pimping out processing speed alone make for a new generation in gaming?

Hardware Specifications

The question of whether Xbox One X is just another incremental half-step like Xbox One S or a true next-gen console depends on how important native 4K HDR graphics are to you. Does simply raising pixel-pushing performance make for a truly next-generation experience? However you answer… Microsoft Xbox Chief Phil Spencer believes he's just raised the ante in its console war with Sony PlayStation.

“I look at (PS4) Pro as more of a competitor to (Xbox One) S than I do to Xbox One X.” Spencer said in an interview at E3. “This is a true 4K console. If you just look at the specs of what this box is, it’s in a different league than any other console that’s out there.”

He does have a point. Xbox One X will have 40-percent more graphics power over PS4 Pro. With native 4K and HDR gaming performance, a 4K/HDR-capable Blu-ray disc drive and Dolby Atmos audio support, Xbox One X is sure to take gaming to the next level for those who can afford its hefty $499 price tag.

Xbox One X vs. Nearest Competitor PS4 Pro

 New Look for Xbox

The new Xbox will follow design cues set by the Xbox One S with a more spare, space saving layout than the original Xbox One. X will be a bit smaller than the original One, and the new Xbox is dark grey instead of white, so there will be no getting the two confused.

Xbox One X Exclusive Games

The Xbox One X will be the first of its kind, a gaming machine theoretically capable of native 4K HDR at 60fps in games, with a 4K HDR Blu-ray drive. It’s the first console to finally get 4K right.

Xbox One X has the capability to push four times the pixels in 4K than the original Xbox One, limited though it is to 1080P HD. But, One X won’t be leaving the old Xbox One library of games behind as Microsoft promises backward compatibility. Yes, not only will your Xbox One games run on Xbox One X, but a compatibility program will let you play Xbox 360 games on the One X via digital download after inserting your 360 game disc - this definitely beats PS4 to PS3 backward compatibility through PlayStation Now. But there will be no Xbox One X exclusives.

So, the cost of backward compatibility is a lack of new features to set it apart from Xbox One, and consequently, a void of new titles designed specifically to take advantage of the power of One X. It’s possibly the least exciting console generation upgrade in memory.

Only Microsoft console gamers with a giant-screen OLED 4K HDR TV at home are likely to be excited about One X. For the 4K-ready consumer, Microsoft has promised software patches for many existing games to boost them to true 4K HDR. Future games built to Xbox One X specs will of course also be playable on Xbox One in a graphically neutered form. But, EVERY one of your library of older Xbox One games will experience an overall performance boost when played on One X. Microsoft has promised that “boosted” older games will get little bonuses like more stable framerates, faster load times etc. Skeptics among you might be forgiven for not getting too excited about these alleged enhancements though, as higher performance hardware doesn’t always result in granting software greater stability and performance. File "boosted" Xbox One games on X Box One X under the "I'll believe it when I see it" folder.

The closest thing to One X launch titles are really just patches for some of the more popular recent titles. Expect updates for Gears of War 4, Minecraft, Forza Motorsport 7 and Crackdown 3 that will unlock their inner 4K HDR video. But probably the most exciting of all was the reveal of a game-play trailer for BioWare's Anthem built for 4K glory and running on Xbox One X hardware.

  E3 Game-play Trailer, Anthem by BioWare

Conclusion

These are interesting times for consoles. Once upon a time a new console meant a complete library wipe. Backward compatibility was rare. But, that was a simpler time, when games didn’t have budgets of blockbuster movies. You can’t blame games developers for reluctance to risk the life-cycle of a new game on a new console’s sales. Plus… what is Xbox One X really bringing to the gaming table?

4K really is a big deal, but quite frankly both the Xbox One S and PS4 Pro should have got 4K HDR right already, with full native mode and optical drives for movies and games.

Now, One X offers what One S should have already accomplished. You can expect Sony to retaliate once it’s squeezed enough sales out of PS4 Pro. But One X has no new must-have features outside of processing speed and a higher resolution. If all the new generation of consoles is bringing are a few extra subtle details to an already high-def, high-gloss fully 3D rendered image quality… can we really call it next-gen?

As an old, jaded gamer, having been around since almost the first consoles ever. I still see 1080P as peak video. Don’t get me wrong, 4K HDR looks great when you’re standing in front of the display marveling at the detail, but when seated at a normal distance away from your TV, you can’t really see the UHD unless you’re sitting too close.

Ultra-High Def Gaming

The trouble with ultra-high definition in gaming is that in most home entertainment environments, you’re sitting back about ten feet from the display. The size of your screen should not exceed your peripheral vision when seated in your gaming position. If you’re playing to win you have to see all four corners of your 16:9 screen at once or risk missing the visual queues you need to be competitive. I’m ball parking here, but let’s say 60-inch is about maximum when you’re 10-12 feet back from your monitor. If that screen is any larger it’s filling just past your peripheral vision and you’ll need to constantly move your head and eyes to refocus, taking valuable micro-seconds away from your game. Or you’ll need to sit back further.

Therein lies the limits of resolution’s effectiveness. If you’re already ten feet back from a 60-inch screen, you may be aware that the resolution is higher than 1080P, but you’re not going to be able to see those details unless you’ve got superhuman eyes.

In the days when 16-bit consoles were bumped up to 32-bit and 64-bit graphics, it ushered in the 3D era in gaming and changed the way we played. The leap to a new console meant creating genres that had only been hinted at in the past. First-person shooters in 3-dimensional space, race games that put the driver in a rendition of the “real world” instead of a cartoon, sports games and RPGs that had so many detailed computations that reams of stats were being worked out in every confrontation. Each generation of consoles brought expanded gaming possibilities and more eye-popping realism compared to what had come before.

But those days are long gone. The last generation of consoles had to sell themselves as media players and social experiences just to make their way onto your shelf. There’s no doubt, the newer games are beautiful and we’re in a time now where the best-ever talent is creating epic gaming experiences with deep, nuanced stories and jaw-dropping graphics. There’s never been a better time to be a gamer. But somewhere between the obscene budgets of new games, and the unwillingness of investors to risk that budget on a new game play experience, new console releases just aren’t events anymore.

Xbox One X doesn’t bring anything new and revolutionary to gaming or home entertainment. It’s really nothing more than a new coat of paint on the same old thing you’ve been doing for years. But, perhaps that’s just a sign that consoles have finally arrived onto a sweet spot for gamers, it could be a good thing. Let’s hope that consoles being on the downside of an innovation bell-curve just means they can focus better games!