Following on from my recent post on 10 Reasons why you should buy a Wii U, I have decided to argue a case for all current consoles. This time it’s the turn of the Xbox One, which like the Wii U, has seen its fair share of bad press in recent times. It may be the more expensive of the three but that shouldn’t deter potential buyers, I will try to convince you it’s a worthy purchase in this post.
XBOX ONE consoles from $200 in the US
XBOX ONE consoles from £200 in the UK
1. Xbox Live
No surprises here, Xbox Live is currently the most user friendly service around, carrying on the tradition from last-gen. It’s a seamless service that was once criticized for it’s cost, but as PSN has started charging this is no longer an issue. The friends list has been expanded to 1,000 but key parts to the service remain the same. It’s still the go-to place for multiplayer console gaming and with most titles having some kind of online multiplayerh, it’s the console of choice for those seeking social interaction.
2. First party exclusives
Whilst the Playstation may be the dominant force for single player experiences, it’s the exclusive games that make Xbox the best multiplayer experience around. Halo, Gears of War, Forza and Titanfall all find their home on the Xbox One. These titles alone should warrant a purchase at some point in the future. With more titles for the future including Project Spark. Fable Legends, Quantum Break to name a few the year ahead looks bright for Xbox users.
3. It’s the home of FPS games
Probably a controversial opinion but no platform plays FPS games better. From the layout of the pad (triggers FTW) to the selection of games and DLC before Playstation on Call of Duty, it’s earned it’s right as king of console FPS games. There will be those who disagree but the signature FPS of the Playstation I consider to be Killzone, which is in my opinion not a touch on Halo. The games coupled with function-ability of the Live service made me come to this conclusion. It’s also echoed by the Pro gaming community, with multi-format titles being played on Xbox, rather than Playstation.
4. Kinect
The Kinect hasn’t yet filled its full potential. Fighter Within was an abomination to gaming but that shouldn’t put you off. The technology off Kinect has been highlighted several times and could be potentially rather impressive down the line. Microsoft have stuck with it despite it’s negative reviews from the 360 and this time it’s more powerful and you can bet your last dollar it will have significant use in the upcoming years. The voice command/navigation feature is extremely useful but needs ironing out. It’s a peripheral with huge potential, don’t rule it out just yet.
5. It’s more than a gaming machine
That’s right, I’m going be bold and go against the general consensus and say that this is a good thing. I remember when having something extra with a console was considered a triumph, quite what has changed I don’t know. The TV tie-in function is superb, the recording of your own gameplay to its DVR and the ability to share this footage even better. Sure, we want a console to have good games, but it’s fair to say if that’s all it was (a games console) then it would have equally as many critics.
6. Graphics don’t matter
Ok, let me re-phrase that, graphics do matter but not a lot. In fact if you wanted state of the art graphics in Super HD, running at 1000000 FPS then you would buy a PC. Nothing compares to the PC and all this overblown rubbish about the Xbox One having slightly less frames per second on multi-format games is getting annoying now. Half of the fanboys that spin such hate probably don’t even know the definition of the phrases they use. Xbox One has awesome graphics, it may have a GPU that is not on par with the PS4 but games will look near identical.
7. Launch line ups were better
That’s right, PS4 owners go on about the fact their system is the ‘gamers choice’ but the games so far don’t support that statement. Sure, neither has a great selection of games but I’d rather be playing Forza and Dead Rising than Killzone and Knack. With Titanfall releasing in the next few weeks, the line up will be a lot better than what the Playstation has to offer. In fact, until inFamous releases I don’t see any point at all in buying a PS4 and I regret doing so.
8. Microsoft listens to the gaming community
Pre-launch the Xbox One was meant to be online only, it was also scheduled to be download only at one point in time. The community spoken and the decisions were reversed, meaning they are a company with the interests of us, the gamers, at heart. Some of the features that were scrapped actually sounded quite good, but MS listened to the majority and gave us what we wanted. I expect the future to be very similar. Whilst the ideology of a digital only future remains a distinct possibility, Microsoft realized that consumers weren’t quite ready.
9. The control pad
This is something I have touched upon before but nothing beats the Xbox pad. From the layout of the analog sticks to the triggers it leaves the Dualshock trailing. Of course, this is down to personal preference but the Dualshock has always felt a built clumsy and cheap to me, with noticeable aches and pains from the way it’s designed. I expected more from the PS4 in terms of re-designing what is essentially a pad with a design of the original Dualshock.
10. Smartglass and Cloud features
I have included these two as one point as both currently have the status of ‘great potential’. Smartglass is something that was touched upon last-gen and you can expect bigger and better coming soon. With more games receiving function-ability and more users using smartphones than ever before the sky is the limit. Likewise the Xbox Live Cloud service is something that promises much to enhance processing tasks, boosting the level of performance we will see from the Xbox One. The way that processor activities could be divided can only be a positive thing when we look at the future of gaming. It could be a game changer, time will tell.
Xbox One and Titanfall is available new here for £349.99 for people in the UK
Of course, some of the points were based on opinion rather than fact. The point of this article was to highlight the consoles strengths and to put an end to the bashing Xbox One has taken recently. It’s a great console and worth your money. Next up is the PS4.
The Videogame Debate 
Well said and very much agreed. There is a reason why you seek so many ps4 fanboy trolls lately, they are scared and insecure of their console and it’s exclusives, especially after the disappointing a The Order and Infamous news, single player only lol, The Orders 30fps lolx2, and all the console errors, hard drive problems, and e fact that most of the ps4s new games are indie titles, haha, it’s no wonder they’re so insecure.
From where I’m standing all the console vendors and fans are insecure. Xbox One, PS4.. both are disappointing when it comes to gaming. 1080p @ 60FPS is the bare minimum and both are off target.
Exactly. People take to the internet to seek approval from others and totally dismiss a console they haven’t bought. It’s all a bit juvenile.
The only things on the list that are right are live and smart glass (both have usage of cloud, albeit used differently), the rest are nonsense. The PS has the better exclusives and has for five years. It had the better launch line up and better games coming up, the *only* game that looks interesting on the One is Quantum Break. One game! That’s pathetic. It has the better controller now. Almost nobody wants Kinect, it’s a gimmick. And since when are embarrassing policy u-turns a strength? Especially when they initially said “we’re not changing” and then changed. Sony have done more to listen to the customer base, there’s very little they gave said they will never do (backwards comparability is the big one), the rest is stuff they didn’t initially include and, reacting to the audience, either have or are working on implementing.
Wow… have fun playing a kids game and a pretty game with horrible gameplay.
Why be insecure when PS4 is outselling Xbox 2-3:1 globally since January?
I’m not insecure, I own all three and I’m making an argument for each. Sales don’t mean quality by the way, unless you think One Direction are awesome because they sell a lot?
I understand what you are saying but take it in persepective. If ps4 is 2-3:1 in 52 countries (58 soon), when xbox one is only in 13 countries, then you could see that xbox one and ps4 are kind of even.
I really don’t understand how sales affects the gamer, not this early on anyway. Choosing sides is foolish, pick both or at least acknowledge the benefits of another system.
Correct. Many people that are biased about their own console, are pretty desperate in my opinion. Both consoles are even at this point, and it is just based on how people prefer the games (no one buys a console for great graphics, they buy pc. They just use the graphics to justify their purchase).
Surely graphic superiority is no reason to choose a PS4 over the XB1 considering that even a fairly low budget PC puts them both to shame. Gamers are very insecure people, they constantly seek the approval of others and are obsessed on sales figures to help them justify their own purchase. Thanks for stopping by!
1. Xbox Live- charges you 60 bucks a year for multiplayer. (PS+ gives you 1 free game a month for 50 bucks and offers multiplayer) 2. Nope. Track record and reality says PS4 will have more and better exclusives. (But no doubt X1 will get good exclusives) 3.PC is the home of FPS titles. 4. Do I even have to argue about this? Kinect is a $100 trash, I would consider getting an X1 for $400 without the Kinect 2.0 5. Less focus on gaming. That’s why it’s “more than a gaming machine” 6. Why would I pay $500 for a weaker console. 7. Nope. Forza 5 and DR3 were the only good games X1 had for its launch. PS4: KZSF, Blacklight: Retribution and 3 free games. (Contrast, Resogun, Warframe) I call it a tie. 8. Microsoft listens to the gaming community? E3 2013 says hello. 9. DS4 has great features except its battery dries fast. Nothing really special with X1 Pad it’s just more comfortable to hold. (Calling it a tie) 10. PS4 has PS App and remote play. Stop the cloud BS, if the cloud is really working, then why these? AC4 900p (1080p on PS4) BF4 720p (900p on PS4) COD 720p (1080p on PS4) MGS 5 720p (1080p on PS4) Witcher 3 720p (1080p on PS4) Watch Dogs 900p (1080p on PS4) Thief 900p (1080p on PS4) Tomb Raider 30fps (60fps on PS4)
I’m writing an article on why each one is worth a purchase. I’m not some delusional fanboy, all consoles have good and bad points. I’m writing up a PS4 one now. Thanks for the comment!
I couldn’t care less for either of them, but XBL users get 2 free games a month. Pretty good ones too, most of the time.
Pay for free games. Nice.
A graphics card runs millions of calculations a second, try dumping some data into it with a variable 50ms delay. Cloud wont help.
You sir have no clue
Lol, you just destroyed this article.
My PC performs a bit better in terms of hardware, what is MS’s excuse?
This article was mainly in answer to the hate Microsoft have received from Sony fanboys. I have a gaming PC and love it.
“This article was mainly in answer to the hate Microsoft have received from Sony fanboys.”
Now this right here is where your blatant fanboyism and journalistic bias rears its head. You like a lot of other delusional people fail to recognize one thing, the Xbox is not receiving hate from the sony fanboys, the xbox is receiving hate from the GAMING COMMUNITY.
Are you so delusional to think that the reason the xbox has lost the uk to the ps4 and is currently loosing the us as well is because sony fanboys are buying 5 and 6 systems each? Really now? They are loosing because they lost their fanbase as a whole. Do you think that everyone that bashes the xbox is a sony fanboy? If so then as a journalists you probably don’t read much of what is taking place on the internet right now. If you did you would realize how many people have admitted to being 360 only gamers and have now switched to ps4 because of microsoft.
Sitting there and saying that you have all three systems and trying to portray some sort of neutrality and then going and making comments like the one you just made shows a level of hypocrisy that is disturbing. Coupled with the fact that a lot of the points in your article are either inaccurate or opinions disguised as facts really doesn’t speak much of your false sense of unbiased journalism.
I am providing opinions supporting every console.
Good article. Even if it is written for some entertainment also. Simple point a lot of things are about potential. Neither system is great or terrible right now. I will be looking forward to the ps4 one.
Thank you Kennedy, neither the PS4 or Xbox can justify their high price tag at the minute in my opinion. These articles I’m writing are arguing a case for each one should you wish to choose one right now. Thanks for your kid words!
1. Yeah, pay to use your own Internet. Sounds like a grand idea.
2. “But- but- muh exclusives!”
3. Have you even tried playing a FPS with a gamepad?
4. You could still hook the Kinect up to a PC, but, hardly any games support it since it’s not designed for such, so this point is actually valid.
5. CoD + Skype + Internet Explorer: sounds wonderful.
6. 900p at 30 fps is simply not acceptable for a $400 system specifically designed for gaming. You mentioned that the Xbox One had a GPU, It doesn’t; it actually has an CPU with integrated graphics (also known as an APU).
7. Having a better game lineup than another console really isn’t saying much at all.
8. Ha, no. That was a PR move because they realized sales would tank if they didn’t do something.
9. Implying controllers are good.
10. Smartglass is a terrible idea, hands down. No one wants to simultaneously use a tablet and a controller. As for the cloud features, that shouldn’t even be necessary. As I mentioned previously: it’s a $400 system designed specifically for gaming, and it needs external rendering in order to run properly.
I assume you are a PC fanboy, which is not a bad thing because I love my gaming rig. You shouldn’t go round hating on consoles though, they serve a purpose and just because you don’t enjoy them doesn’t mean you should take to the internet to vent your anger.
Its not about being a fanboy or hating consoles. Its about value; its about recognizing a bad deal when its offered to you.
If you want a multimedia hub for the living room the Xbox One fills the need. If you want a gaming machine like the PS3 and Xbox 360 were at launch the Xbox One disappoints (and so does the PS4). Its 2014 where 1080p screens at 60Hz dominate the living room. Why can’t either console take full advantage of that?
I expect better journalistic integrity from you. The “1000000 FPS” snide comment was especially cringe worthy.
The 1000000 FPS was not a snide comment, it was to emphasize the PCs superiority when it comes to FPS and overall graphics.
How much did Microsoft pay you to right this hilarious bullshit?
I love the 10000000 fps comment.
You poor, poor simpleton. Try 60 fps. 60 fps is enough for a 60 hz tv/monitor. And of course you would say graphics don’t matter. You’re dumb enough to buy an xbox!
I have already stated that I own all three consoles and this is part of a series I am doing highlighting the benefits of each console. Microsoft paid me 10000000 by the way. How much did your mother spend getting you in to school? Obviously not enough if judging by your first line.
Perhaps it would be best for you to disable the comment section. It takes some thick skin to write articles and read criticism on them. When you start responding to troll bait, that’s when you should call it a day.
It really doesn’t bother me. I wrote them and in the world we live in not everyone is going to agree with me. I have to manually approve every comment, I approve everyones except those who use bad language. Everyone has an opinion and I respect that.
I actually find some of the responses quite humorous, the fact that people get so mad and waste their time writing to me in a rage is great. In fact, you should see the post I wrote on twitch.tv which has about 50 negative comments, worth a read if you want a laugh.
lol.
Why are you people squabbling so mad about which platform is better? Everyone has a preference. Deal with it.
I agree with the author – I think the Xbox is great for multiplayer and I have always enjoyed the epic FPS games that are exclusive to Microsoft (especially GoW!!!).
Thank you kindly, you are one of the only ones who agreed with anything I said, so for that I thank you. Haha
You spoke the truth, so no problemo!
peasants tend to think alike, huh?
“6. Graphics don’t matter”
Why the hell should I even waste money on the xBone when the 360 plays just fine then?
“it may have a GPU that is not on par with the PS4 but games will look near identical.”
That has nothing to due with the console, but with the fact that game developers have limited resources, so the graphics have to be a near match on every system, and not built entirely for each system (those are the so called exclusives).
It’s like saying “Because our console is crap, and they have to release on every major platform, all graphics are gonna suck, if you want to play pretty games on PS4, then buy an exclusive title that isn’t dumbed down to support the xbox”
You do realise I am not an xbox salesman right? I’m merely stating my opinion
Great article ,great list.
I bought my Xbox due to the features , games coming at launch and afterwards. Plus why not
Kinetic as a reason to buy an xbox. My sides are in orbit.
I have no idea what a Kinetic is.
obvious autocorrect for kinect
I have no idea why people are still arguing over xb1 vs ps4, both suck.
I came here from /r/pcmasterrace expecting an incredibly biased article glorifying console gaming far past reality, but instead found a well written article that very well illustrates that consoles are there for those who simply want to play a game casually for the least amount of money possible, and that if one is looking for the most performance, superior graphics, etc… that PC Gaming is the route for them. You’ve proved that the problem with today’s gaming industry is not the hardware, it’s the people using them. That tensions only rise when people glorify their platform for being something it’s not, and the other(s) get extremely defences and flaming ensues. Thank you very much for this article and I hope that everyone can read this and see the exact same thing that I do.
These comments are hilarious. The main reason I buy an Xbox is because most of my mates have one so I can socialise whilst enjoying my games. Graphics aren’t everything in games. One example is Deadly Premonition, its looks awful but it plays really well and the story is amazing. Another thing is after watching some of the new MGS console comparisons the only difference I noticed is that the PS4 is slightly more vibrant. Oh and before anyone says I’m a Xbox fan boy i am currently saving up for a PS4 and a Wii U so yeah. All consoles are great in there own way and yes i do mean the Wii U is an amazing console. So yeah that’s my opinion on all this console war bull crap and to all you guys who think one console is superior, yeah some specs do make the PS4 look like the better hardware but entertainment wise I’m pretty sure all can give the the same level of entertainment. Ok now my rant is over. Have a lovely day everyone.
I’m not going to adress the flaws in your article point for point, as i think that those have been outlined pretty thoroughly in the comments section already.
However, you finish the article with “…some of the points were based on opinion rather than fact. The point of this article was to highlight the consoles strengths and to put an end to the bashing…”
Perhaps you should move this to the top of the article so that people know what to expect: A concoction of what seems to be mostly personal taste with a bit of facts and a lot of flaws, the goal of which is to reasure people who have already bought the XB1 in their choice (quote, 02/20, 2014 at 9:54 pm : “Gamers are very insecure people, they constantly seek the approval of others”) – while you actualy think that neither console is worth the investment (quote, 02/20, 2014 at 9:59 pm: “… neither the PS4 or Xbox can justify their high price tag at the minute in my opinion”).
All this asks the question: If not for click-bait, what was the motivation for writing this artice? What is your recomendation if one was to invest in either an XB1, a PS4 or a low-budget gaming PC?
Whilst I appreciate you pointing out certain ‘inaccuracies’ you may have spotted, it’s pretty clear you are a PC gamer with zero interest in any of the points made.
You’ve asked me the last question because you want me to recommend a PC. However, if you’re going to be spending the money on a new gaming platform for the current price of ‘next-gen’ consoles I would say buy a PC, yes.
Then again, this is personal preference.I am merely arguing the case for each console. This article had nothing to do with PC gaming and I wasn’t comparing it to a PC as most of my audience are console gamers. Most of them except reddit trolls that is, which I assume is what you are.
Well done on showing us how mature the PC community can be, I’m sure the copious amounts of console gamers who read this will buy a PC immediately!
I find all of this hilarious. So many people fighting to force their opinion on others. The benefit of having 5 roomates is we got a wii xbox xbox 360 xbox 1 ps2 ps3 ps4 and a gaming desktop. Each and every one is better than their counterpart in some way. And before all the fanboys soil their diapers with there facts. First for ps4. Your sales number is irrelevent. Ps4 is availabe in 52 countries while xbox 1 is in around 13. So if your ps4 was actually outselling xbox 1 everywhere by the rate most of you suggest it would be a 104:13 ratio. Xbox, your paying way to much for something that is almost never used in the form of kinect. And pc, if I could legally play exclusives on it then it would probably win hands down. I cant so it doesnt.
PC has literally thousands of exclusives.
Admittedly both consoles were an incredible disappointment to me. I haven’t seen a single game I felt I couldn’t do without. I won’t speak to the quality of performance for either machine. I suspect that the One would be the best way to go, simply because Microsoft will leverage the near infinite capital to buy exclusive content or initial access. I also remember a lot of major headline games seeming to perform poorly on the PS3 (think Skyrim and Grand Theft Auto 5). I don’t say this to bad mouth the console, but it suggest that some studios see thw Xbox as their primary market and focus on developing for it more. There are things about the PS4 I can certainly respect, but I feel I would probably stay with Microsoft simply for the quantity and development quality of games.
Thanks for your comment! At least your not a raging fanboy like most who come here haha
I own both the Xbox 1 and a Ps4, while I prefer the Ps4 the Xbox is a great machine. I disagree with some points of the article though. The Kinect has a lot pf potential, but currently is just a waste of space and money. Microsoft only listened to the community when Ps4 presales dwarfed their own, if they hadn’t changed their policies they would have only a fraction of their current sales. I still don’t see the point of Smartglass, it seems like a distraction. That being said the Xbox does have the best game lineup, and exclusives, so far. I’m sure the Ps4 will get some great games in the future but for now their game selection is disappointing.
PC Master Race.
thanks for your enthralling addition. Great read.
You are welcome sir.
Can’t we all just get along? It sure doesn’t seem that way. Presently I own a Wii U and just purchased and Xbox One. Until now almost all of my gaming was done via computer for the last year or so thru Steam. I tried pricing out a similarly powered “Steam Machine” to compete with the $500 or less price point the new consoles have and I just couldn’t make it happen without making a larger sacrifice in one area or another.
Each platform offers something for someone. My Wii U has access to the massive Virtual Console library and has many family friendly games available for my kids, the Gamepad is a big help when my son wants too play a game but my Wife wants to use the TV.
The Xbox One, though just recently purchased, allows me to use it with my cable box and use it for gaming. I haven’t had a chance to familiarize myself with all of it’s intricacies yet, but aside from lack of games at the moment, the platform seems promising and I enjoy it more than I anticipated I would.
I haven’t really played the PS4 myself but I have watched one of my bestfriends play his and it seems enjoyable enough. His complaint about the PS4 is the same as mine for the Xbox One at the moment, “we need games”.
The PS4’s future sounds great with PS+ (I own the PS3 and love PS+) and the upcoming “PlayStation Now” streaming service. Plus the connectivity with the PS Vita, should make for some great times.
Microsoft and it’s Kinect show some promise especially when one considers the potential accessories they may release in the future to practically bring a primitive Holodeck into your room with the secondary camera and some augmented reality glasses.
All 3 of them have some quirks and issues to work out. Resolutions and Frames per Second aren’t the biggest issues they should be worrying about (after all, that’s the game developer’s issue, not the console’s) I personally can’t tell the difference between 900p or 1080p on my 46inch screen from where I’m sitting in my living room, and I’ve experienced frame-rate drop on every gaming platform I’ve ever played at some point or another so I don’t really care about that.
I really appreciate articles like these because they’re point-of-view posts. Facts are all well and good but they don’t scratch the “How does this effect me personally?” itch. Spec wars are pointless unless you can make them relevant to the consumer on a personal basis. Saying “This guy has a more a powerful processor/graphics card” to the average consumer will just make them nod and say “Okay”. On the inside they say to themselves “What does that mean to me again?” People want to be able to envision what they will enjoy from their product, throwing numbers out doesn’t help them do that. Opinion pieces like these may have some facts in them, but they are meant to provide context for a prospective buyer (or further context for a person who has already purchased a product) and they help a person envision what they can DO with their purchase and what benefits they may enjoy.
So embrace the fact that you have so many choices fellow gamers and know that while you’re personal preference for gaming may be the “Almighty PC” or the “Gamers’ console of choice PS4” or the “Your one box for entertainment Xbox One” and even the “Family friendly Wii U” not too mention all the handhelds available, you have the mightiest of powers available to you yourself: Choice.
Great article in either case. I appreciated it.
Sorry about trolls. Anonymity + Free Will/Speech + Public Forum = Unpleasant Times for many on the inter-webs apparently.
Well said Rickardt, if only we all thought like you and me then the internet may be a better place. It might be a bit boring though, haha
I like turtles…
I really just read these articles for the comments lol. Its funny how many people say its biased but then there’s the same article for ps4. peeps be angry over videogames.
They obviously are very angry people. I can’t emphasize enough that I have made an argument for buying each one, some people can’t read. Thanks for the comment!
Asking questions are in fact good thing if you are not understanding something completely,
however this piece of writing presents nice understanding even.
Want to hang out and play titanfall? Follow me on Xbox One: Jhpirate.