I am buying a console for the first time in my life – That’s why it’s going to be the Xbox Series X

The upcoming Xbox Series X will be the first console our author Jürgen Horn will buy. This has to do, among other things, with the Game Pass and aesthetics.

Since the days of the good old Super Nintendo, I haven’t owned a console. Since then, I have primarily played on the PC as my gaming platform. I have largely ignored the current generation of consoles and I would never have thought of buying an Xbox One or PS4. Most relevant games I could also get on the PC and the performance of the consoles was far inferior to my computer.

But with the new console generation and the Xbox Series X, that is slowly changing.

5 Good Reasons for Me to Buy an Xbox Series X

The longer I have engaged with the buzz about the new consoles here on MeinMMO, the more I wanted to acquire a console. The main reason is actually that I now very much enjoy lounging and gaming on the couch in the evening.

I have learned to appreciate this type of gaming extensively with Google Stadia and want to use it for further games as well. It was clear early on: It will be an Xbox Series X.

The Game Pass is simply fantastic

That’s why it’s so good: The first big reason for the Xbox Series X for me is the Xbox Game Pass. It is simply unbeatable and offers over a hundred games that I can play all for a comparatively ridiculous total price of 12.99 euros.

Curiously, I completely ignored the Game Pass for a long time, as the name “Xbox Game Pass” led me to believe that it was only for the console. Xbox is more of a designation for games services at Microsoft rather than just the pure console. While that is confusing, once you get it, a huge world of games opens up.

Of course, I can play most Game Pass games on the PC too, but I now simply appreciate being able to game on the couch as well. The Xbox console fits perfectly into my overall gaming concept.

Microsoft has the more flexible model

That’s why I find the Microsoft method better: Sony has some amazing games on offer that I would have liked to play, including God of War, The Last of Us, or Horizon Zero Dawn (well, at least that one also came out for the PC). But all these gems were exclusive to PlayStation. Well, Microsoft also offers titles (temporarily) exclusively, but that means in their case that at least the game almost always also comes out for PC.

Moreover, Microsoft has promoted cross-play early on, which was not an issue for Sony for a long time. As a gamer, I want to play with as many players as possible. This artificial division into camps horrifies me, and that’s why Microsoft’s gaming environment is inherently more likable to me, as they focus less on exclusivity.

And since I want to buy a console for reasons of convenience, this point also goes to Microsoft. I simply prefer having a free choice of platforms and more players.

Cross-progression as a bonus: Thanks to cross-progression, I can start on the couch with many games, later switch to PC, and then even continue playing on my phone via game streaming. This is exactly how I envision gaming in the future. I want to be free in my choice of platform and not strictly tied to one system.

Powerful hardware replaces upgrade costs

This convinces me about the Xbox Series X: Looking at the specs of the Xbox One, it sounds quite impressive. 8 CPU cores @ 3.8 GHz, 12 teraflops, 16 GB RAM, 1 terabyte SSD storage. This currently surpasses my 3-year-old gaming PC, which is already struggling with current titles and can’t represent everything optimally anymore.

Of course, I could also buy a new graphics card like the RTX 3080, like my colleague Patrick Freese does. But I want to get a console for comfortable couch gaming. And here, the Xbox One is at least on paper overall the stronger (graphics) hardware under the shell.

Since Microsoft wants to enable game streaming via Game Pass for PC in the near future, I probably won’t even need to upgrade the PC and have a powerful complete system with the console for about 500 euros that should last for the next few years.

Bethesda is with Microsoft

That’s why I’m playing it safe here: Since Microsoft’s plans to acquire Bethesda became known, many fans of Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and co. are worried about whether Microsoft will now exclude PlayStation in the future and whether Bethesda games will come out exclusively for Windows and Xbox in the future. I think that would be rather unkind, but certainly within the realm of possibility.

There is no clear official statement from Microsoft, and the previous course was not focused on exclusivity. However, to be on the safe side, I will stick with Microsoft for now. Nothing would annoy me more than not being able to play the new Elder Scrolls VI in the end because I bought the “wrong” console.

Xbox Series X looks better than the PS5 or Series S

That’s why the eye plays along: My last reason that speaks for the Xbox is the design. I clearly belong to the people who find the new PlayStation 5 utterly ugly. Numerous debates in the editorial office with PlayStation fans have changed nothing about that. To me, that thing from Sony looks like a half-rolled-up döner from metal.

However, I also don’t like the Xbox Series S; it’s white, and it looks like a radio. That doesn’t suit my taste either. The Series X, on the other hand, has a simple sexiness. The spartan design, which makes the device appear as a black monolith, suits my sense of aesthetics much more than the other consoles.

Furthermore, this thing is supposed to stand in the living room later, and there my wife clearly has the final decision over additional things that are around and might spoil the room. The unobtrusive design of the Xbox, which you can also hide somewhere in a dark corner if necessary, is likely to cause the least trouble here.

My colleague Leya Jankowski has also decided on the new Xbox. And that, even though she has been a hardcore Sony fangirl until now. Read here, why Leya is now choosing the new Xbox Series S instead of remaining loyal to PlayStation 5.