Defecting to Xbox

[chocky909]

I am currently using Game Pass with an Xbox One but the load times are doing my head in (I am loving Wreckfest but it's about 4 minutes between races!). Is it worth upgrading to an Xbox Series S or should I go for an X Series (once they are more easily available) for the SSD?

[Drygate]

Streets of Rage 4

Just bear in mind that games come and go. They usually stay on the service for between six months to a year, save for Microsoft games that stay forever, licensing permitting.

The £20.99/month Xbox All Access isn't that great a deal though. A better way to do it is to buy the console outright on a 0% card and buy the cheap ~£35/year Live Gold cards (when they are available from CD Keys) and convert to Game Pass.

Over 24 months, All Access buys you the console and two years of Game Pass for £503.76.

Buying the console outright, buying three years of Live Gold (at £35 each) and paying £1 to convert to Game Pass comes to £355.99.

Thanks so much for that list and buying tip. I'm close to pulling the trigger. I'll look into this Gold Card thing.

When they take a game off Game Pass, can you keep playing it if you've downloaded it? Forgive my ignorance. I assume you download them?

[Chedney Honks]

CHOCKY909

The Series S also has an SSD. Main reason for the X is 4K resolution. The S targets 1440p which I think is good, considering very few X games will output at 60fps at native 4K.

Beyond that, the S has no physical drive and limited space, 512Gb compared to the 1Tb with the X. You can get an expansion but it's about two hundred quid.

[Chedney Honks]

When they take a game off Game Pass, can you keep playing it if you've downloaded it? Forgive my ignorance. I assume you download them?

Once it's gone from GP, you can't use it any more. The games leaving GP tend to go on sale in the online shop so you can carry on cheaply, albeit not 'free' as with the subscription.

[Neomod]

When I got my Xbone last year I had a list of games I wanted to try and would have bought from CEX. Quite a few have subsequently appeared on GP and I'm glad I didn't pull the trigger on some of them.

[Drygate]

When I got my Xbone last year I had a list of games I wanted to try and would have bought from CEX. Quite a few have subsequently appeared on GP and I'm glad I didn't pull the trigger on some of them.

Why? Because they are shit or because they are now free on GP?

Once it's gone from GP, you can't use it any more. The games leaving GP tend to go on sale in the online shop so you can carry on cheaply, albeit not 'free' as with the subscription.

Thanks. I'll look into that Gold Pass thing and see how cheap I can get it all and then make a decision.

[Neomod]

Why? Because they are shit or because they are now free on GP?

Yeah, some disappointments but that's a positive thing about Gamepass. Try before you buy.

[Glyn]

Calling me a casual gamer is probably being overly generous but I have really enjoyed the Series S with Gamepass. It's small, nippy, cheaper than the competition and fun.

Previously had a PS4 and have found it so liberating to just drop into games whenever I want and not have to worry about committing too heavily into a game if I wasn't 100% enjoying it. With younger kids just getting into gaming it's also been great to get them into some fun puzzle games like Phogs , Human Fall Flat, Rain on your Parade etc.

For people like me Xbox have really played a blinder with the Series S but its limitations (storage for next-gen games, frame rate etc,) could annoy a hardcore gamer quite quickly I would think.

[chocky909]

CHOCKY909

The Series S also has an SSD. Main reason for the X is 4K resolution. The S targets 1440p which I think is good, considering very few X games will output at 60fps at native 4K.

Beyond that, the S has no physical drive and limited space, 512Gb compared to the 1Tb with the X. You can get an expansion but it's about two hundred quid.

Yeah I think it makes sense to maybe upgrade to S for now and then maybe upgrade again in a couple of years when 4k OLED TVs and X Series are cheaper (and available). Lack of disc drive is a bit annoying as I will need to have something else under the TV to play DVDs and Blurays.

The lack of space to download games is a bit annoying. I wouldn't mind deleting and redownloading games if I could actually utilise my 900mb d/l speed but it seems severely limited by the servers. I wonder if in the future there will be tiered or premium paid access to the MS and Sony servers to download at higher speeds...

[Johnny Textface]

I've got a PS4, young children and very little time to devote. Although, I would like a dabble now and again without getting tied down - and Gamepass does sound like very good value. I hardly touch the PS4 these days.

So... the Series S is probably a good buy for me I think.  No idea what a "slim" PS4 is even worth these days. Got Spiderman, FFVII remake, Fall Out 4 and RDR2. £160?