Xbox Series X: Microsoft is finally delivering a console for hardcore gamers

App Trigger: "No more 'all-in-one entertainment system'. With the Xbox Series X, Microsoft is finally going all-in on appealing to hardcore gamers."

[Jin_Sakai]

Can’t wait for next gen consoles. A true generational leap in performance.

[CaptainHenry916]

$599 is about RG right for hardcore gamers

[CaptainHenry916]

I think the casuals are in denial with the price. This console has to be $599 for Microsoft to make profit unless Microsoft wants to take a big loss and price it at $499. Since this is a console for hardcore gamers it should be price at $599 or higher especially since it's as powerful as a RTX 2080 super or maybe more powerful and has a SSD in it not to mention more teraflops with ray tracing technology 😁

[bouzebbal]

Only games dictate whether it's for hardcore gamers or not.. To me as it is the console is too classic, and xbox is playing it way too safe with no futureproof tech.. In 2 years the tech will be common, and nothing would make it stand out.

[ThinkThink]

I'm still holding out hope for Series X at $499 but the more we learn about it, the more it's starting to look like a $599 box. That has to be why Lockheart was created. A box for the casual audience.

[CaptainHenry916]

@thinkthink

Finally someone that understands and gets it. Lockheart is for the casual

[GamerRN]

If this console is $599, then Sony would be $699 if the rumored 13.2 tflops are true. Which in turn is proof that it isn't true.

I predict $499 with a loss. 9tflop PS5 also at $499. MS announced 8tflop 1080p machine for $349

[Profchaos]

$1000 would be ok for hardcore to be honest

[skiggy34]

I dont know. I say $499. MS learned from last time. Remember all the people saying the Xbox One X was going to be $700 and it was $499? Same thing is going to happen here. MS can afford to take a loss on hardware, thats why they are hyping gamepass up so much. Gamepass, Xbox live and Project Xcloud across a bunch of devices will make their money....

[RangerWalk267]

So what is a $1200 phone for? Hardcore talkers?

[ps3rider]

a power console without exclusive game in the first two years.

meh

[arminukxbox]

Since when Being consumer friendly Is a bad thing ?

[traumadisaster]

So you don’t like multiplats played at the highest frame rate and resolution? I don’t remember many ps4 exclusives I had to have in the first year.

I’ve always had ps3 for the exclusives and played multiplats on 360 where it was usually better.

[AsunaYuukiTheFlash]

@traumadisaster I have a gaming PC for that. Buying a Xbox S X will prevent me from playing some of the best AAA Blockbuster exclusive gaming has to offer.

[SPEAKxTHExTRUTH]

You Sony fanboys always yell about exclusives but when you look at NPD you don’t see many if ANY Sony exclusives in the top 20. Everyone knows (that’s not a delusional fanboy) it’s 3rd party games (unless you’re Nintendo) that sells the most.

[Unspoken]

Haters gonna hate

[frostypants]

@SPEAKxTHExTRUTH, 5 of the top 20 best selling games on PS4 are first party. The hell are you talking about? I know you're not talking about top selling games across all platforms, because obviously those would be multi-plat games and that would be an irrelevant point to make. And let's not ignore the fact that popularity is not the same as quality. Otherwise you're arguing that GTA V and CoD Modern Global Infinite Ops 424522 Whatever are the best games out there. If you want to be limited to that trash, so be it, but I don't believe you.

[King_Noctis]

If you want to play Xbox console exclusive with much better graphic and 4K support, you’ll still gonna need Xbox SX (or $1000+ PC).

[RangerWalk267]

Oh how wrong you are. Power is used for much much more. Having this much power in a plug and play console hooked up to my 75" 4k tv for $599 is a no brainier.

[CaptainHenry916]

I think that's a bad idea on Microsoft part. They're giving the momentum to Sony

[RazzerRedux]

That's great, but I'm ready to see the games. I want to see whatever it is the Initiative and Playground Games are making most of all.

[ThinkThink]

Can you imagine the head scratching if Playground Games announces their new game and it ISN'T Fable?

[RazzerRedux]

I won't have any hair.

[FallenAngel1984]

Finally?

[sprinterboy]

I know, only 7 years too late haha

[Shiken]

What are you talking about? The X1 was always for Hardcore gamers. The PS4 just did it better.

[Dragonscale]

@shik, the scorpio only appealed to the hardcore xbox fanboys tbh.

[Shiken]

@Dragonscale

Which is why I said PS4 did it better.

Man that one went over a lot of people's heads...

[TheHateTheyGive]

Boy oh boy, rinse and repeat ad nauseum. After this we will get phil talking about alot of things, but really saying much. Then articles like this, but never any games these 15 studios are hard at work on. I thought that was the purpose of the mighty xbox one X.

[EasilyTheBest]

Why would Microsoft tell us about the games right now? They are getting amazing positives since the new year especially after Monday's announcements.
15 new studios, don't you think there's probably a load of games to show?
Don't you think they'll release more about specs then bang out all the games at E3

[Sayai jin]

This site has remained the same since it started. It's no ise debating with some folks.

[Dissidia]

At all.

[Unspoken]

Cool story but people who didn't plan on buying probably won't buy either way.

[King_Noctis]

“ Then articles like this, but never any games these 15 studios are hard at work on. ”

Ninja Theory - Project Mira/Hellblade 2
Obsidian - Grounded/Unannounced RPG
The Initiative - Unannounced game
343 Industries - Halo Infinite
Double Fine - Psychonauts 2
Playground- Rumored Fable/FH 5
Rare - Everwild
InXile - Wasteland 3
Mojang - Minecraft Dungeon
The Coalition - Unannounced game
Compulsion - Unannounced game
Turn 10 - New Forza
Undead Lab - State of Decay 3
World's Edge - Age of Empire 3

Plus, a lot of big studios on that list are working on other unannounced games as well that will surely be revealed at E3. I guess it is easier to just troll than doing actual research right?

[Father__Merrin]

So u will buy and X's as a hardxore console just to see what the studio acquisitions will produce.

[EasilyTheBest]

I will buy an Xbox Series X in October or November on release date. I will know all about the games by then as I'm sure they'll all have been shown by then.

[Max_Eckhardt]

Show me the games!

[bahabeast]

I actually gonna buy a Xbox one x for a cheap price since all new games will be on both systems. And I can just pay for games pass and play whatever current gen games and old classics are available. Now is a nice time to buy a Xbox one x if Xbox isn't your primary console of choice.

[franwex]

I think that’s what they are going for. Any Xbox on the market would be sufficient for a few years along with a Game Pass subscription.

[outsider1624]

Hey, you know what. I think im gonna do the same. Get a next gen console in PS5 for exclusives and third party games and the XboX-X for all xbox games.

[Locutus_of_borg]

Seems the anti xbox crew are more interested in the xbox games than the pro xbox crew , im more than happy so far with the release of information given by microsoft, why would they show all their cards now, surely thy still have more to tell us after sony show their next move, i own both a ps4 and an xbox, ill be honest and say i prefer my xbox over the playstation,, the reason... well most of my friends play on xbox. we not bothered about console exclusives. we like to play random games and chat in voice chat. ill definatly be getting the series x before ps5,
Its a brand new battle between the gaming console makers, so personally old excuses are off the table.... sony well and truely won the last battle, ill give them credit for that .

[PS4XBOXONEPC]

Hopefully Xbox will have some 1st party games that are with a damn! This generation all we had was empty promises and the power of the clouds. Expect more Xbox fans! We we're scammed this gen

[sprinterboy]

Yet no true AAA 1st party games for it for 2 years pmsl

[ThinkThink]

I would consider Halo Infinite, Forza Motorsport, Forza Horizon and whatever game playground has been working on, all AAA games.

[King_Noctis]

Hellblade 2? Halo Infinite? Forza Horizon 5? Any other games that their studios are working on?

You think MS is gonna launch a console and not releasing any AAA game on it? You think their studios are just sitting on their thumbs doing nothing and just collecting paychecks?

[rainslacker]

I think based on what MS said, they're making games for current gen, and porting them to next gen.

That came directly from MS. At least one will be AAA, Halo Infinite, the rest are unknown, but I suspect within the launch window they'll have more than just Halo to offer. Hopefully 2-3 the year following, along with their non-AAA games that they'll produce.

[sprinterboy]

MS/Phil Spencer themselves have confirmed no AAA exclusives for series X for 2 yrs, where you been living dude, under a rock.

[King_Noctis]

“ MS/Phil Spencer themselves have confirmed no AAA exclusives for series X for 2 yrs, where you been living dude, under a rock.”

Wait a minute, the OP said “ true AAA 1st party games“, not “ AAA exclusives for series X”. Read again dude.

[Sayai jin]

I think both consoles will be close as far as specs. As far as, a console for hardcore gamers...only if MS delivers on games this gen.

[RosweeSon]

Without games? It’s really not spin it all you want but when a console is gonna launch with no exclusives especially for the new hardware then no they are not. Nothing about this launch mentions games it’s all about frames per seconds teraflops and monthly subscriptions. It’s not even like they got stuff to announce, they announce the exact opposite no exclusives (next gen ones) for up to a year After launch. So they may turn their existing consoles into something for hardcore gamers but currently no and the new one ain’t gonna change that with subscriptions and no exclusives that can’t be played on previous gen hardware. Not for me.

[waverider]

In other words for 10% of gamers around and it will flop like the x, because system price is one of the most important things for casuals gamers that are 90%. Thats why at e3 Sony Was jumping in the backstage when Microsoft anounced the 499 price tag of the xbox one. This means that Microsoft cant have a price higher then the ps5 or it will over before its starts. The only card left from Microsoft to tell is the price, everything else they already reveal.... Thats the point where they can Hit Sony and not the teraflop talk. That many dont even know what it is..

[ThinkThink]

Waverider,

I think that you have to consider the possibility of the Lockheart console that has been MS's worst kept secret. If Lockheart is targeted at the casual audience, we may see a launch landscape like this:

Xbox Series S (Lockheart) - $349.99
Sony Playstation 5 - $499.99
Xbox Series X - $599.99

[rainslacker]

I think MS can have a higher price than Sony. But only if that higher price brings significant advantages to the consumer. It can't be $100 more because of a camera, it can't be $100 more with relatively equal specs, or slight more powerful. It can't be $100 more because MS slaps some fancy new labels on features that have been around for a while or because they simply say they will have the best social media features of all the systems.

It would have to be a significant jump in power, and MS would have to be able to actually show that power in use. While the hardcore may be all giddy about flops and data bus speeds, the average game, hardcore or not, is more attracted to the shiny bits....which means games that show off what to expect from the system.

That said, if it's $100 more, chances are, it'll still lose the console war race, because MS doesnt have the brand power to carry a higher price tag against the competition. They aren't the Dyson of the console market.

[AK91]

360 already did that until they went the Kinect route but it’s still to early to determine that for the XSX.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Was the One X for casuals?

[JayRyu]

No, the one S was for casuals

[Kaiou]

Now they just need to price it no more than 450 to not fall into Sony's trap again and they will crush their teeth. Guaranteed. They have the cash and can afford to play from any angle.

[TheGamingArt]

Says everyone about Microsoft every generation..

[343_Guilty_Spark]

If they want to be aggressive they'll go for $449 with 3 months GamePass

[DEEHULK88]

What about 360?

[rainslacker]

Even the original Xbox was a hardcore system IMO.

[DEEHULK88]

Rainslacker I agree with you 100 percent

[OpenGL]

How was that not the case for the Xbox One X?

[Dissidia]

Because the One X was never going to have exclusive games to really take advantage of its hardware. It along with the PS4 Pro were really just the first mid-gen upgrades. It was just the beginning of Xbox re-commitment to bringing real power back to their console and having the best platform for frame rates/resolution.

Also even though the Xbox One X had quite an update to the GPU, it was still paired with the outdated jaguar CPU architecture. The Series X will not only have an impressive GPU but a much more accommodating CPU architecture to back up this article’s point and answer your question as to why this wasn’t exactly the case for the One X.

[OpenGL]

The Xbox One X's only advantage over the much cheaper Xbox One S was its ability to play games at a higher framerate and resolution. That's definitely a device being sold to an audience of hardcore gamers since these people paid a premium that wasn't absolutely necessary.

[angh]

I always thought a gaming PC is a system for hardcore gamers. You know, full control over modding, settings, resolution, mouse dpi/keyboard/reaction and so on.

[mrmikew2018]

I think the lowest they can go will be $499. I wouldn't be surprise if the price of the system was higher, you guys have to keep in mind that they components going into this system are not even on the market yet.

Hopefully it's not too high, but $599 is my cut off point.

[Animal Mutha 76]

The X was for serious gamers who wanted premium console. XSX will be more so. As a guy in his early 40's I'm happy to spend a bit more on a beast without building a monster PC.

[rainslacker]

I would definately prefer to spend more at the start of the generation to have a console that will last the whole generation without struggling near the end. Plus, it gives more room for games to have the time to grow on the design level, instead of being held back early on, and staying there until the next big advance comes with a new gen.

It'd be a lot cheaper to spend an extra $100-200 early on, than think one needs a mid-gen at full console price down the road.

That said, In the real world, and among the average consumer, pricing too high is a good way to struggle selling the system. there is a limited market for high end consoles, and while it's great to cater to the hardcore, the hardcore is actually a rather small part of the overall gaming market. Not just on consoles, but on every sub market of devices that is known to have a gaming community(namely PC and Mobile).

[SPEAKxTHExTRUTH]

I disagree with the use of the word “Finally” as if MS never delivered a hardcore console in the past. I’d argue that ONLY Xbox One was the odd casual console at launch. OG Xbox and 360 up until Kinect are definitely hardcore consoles.

[NeoGamer232]

Microsoft has only delivered one console I feel was not for core gamers and that was the original X1.

The first XB was delivered as a core gamer's console. The 360 had a 10+ year life cycle and was able to run the latest and greatest games right til its end. X1 was the miss. X1 Scorpio has proven to be more capable of 4K then any other console.

[PsychoCrusher]

Remember when Sony released the ps3 out the gate at $599, that was a train wreck!! Totally hindered the sales, Sony learnt from this and realised that the console customer loves the $399 - $450 area, at a push $499. If Sony are clever and wise they will have the same strategy they had with the PS2, not dominance by power but total dominance by their unbelievable and unrivalled games. It’s why Sony win every generation and will continue to win.

[rainslacker]

$400 does seem to be the sweet spot. Hitting the $500 mark, even if it's labelled $499, gives the feeling that someone is spending half a grand on a video game machine. $400, and it's about in line with what a lot of people pay for any number of electronics or appliances. Maybe one months car payment. Basically, enough where it doesn't feel like it's out of reach.

Totally a subconscious and psychological thing really. But it's how a lot of people think about money. Even myself, despite me and my wife having very good jobs. At $500, I start thinking about the purchase. $400....it may give me some pause, but it's still within the impulse range.

[rainslacker]

Finally? The 360 and both versions of the x1 were hardcore gaming machines.

[Christopher]

TIL I'm not a hardcore gamer since I've been playing on consoles. Interesting.

[rainslacker]

We all know that game forum mods are the most casual of gamers around. Simply posers trying to feel like they belong to the cooler gaming community. But hey.....at least you aren't a game journalist. :)

[Profchaos]

If we see a shift back to Xbox being the more dominant platform I hope they learnt their lesson about chasing the casual demographic with weak products like the Kinect.

They can have the better hardware and they have had the market lead before like in the 360 days they dominated the start of the generation with exclusive games like gears and mass effect which still felt new and exciting.

But then they kept pushing studios like rare to push out junk that used the Kinect because once they had the hardcore market there was no more need to appease them this was their biggest mistake as PS kept launching high quality cinematic titles like the last of us, uncharted, heavy rain, beyond etc. Ms kept launching junk like white water rafting on the Kinect.

It's where I and many others said stuff it and sales suggest lots of people started abandoning ms and picking up ps3s at this point.

I just see them always trying to capture the mythical family market like the Wii did

[rainslacker]

These services that they're putting so much focus on are aimed at the casual market. If you're hoping that they learned a lesson, then they haven't. They just retasked how they're going to chase after the casual market.

What they should have learned, and it looks like they did, is that they shouldn't neglect the hardcore market in pursuit of that casual market. The point isn't to try and get one market, but cater to all markets, and the more you diversify your portfolio, the more markets you'll make money in.

[quenomamen]

So the one from 2 years ago was for what players?

[Drakul]

Bring keyboard, mouse support for strategy games please.

[skiggy34]

I am definitely loving the news in regards to the power of this console. I am a everything gamer. I game on PS, Xbox, PC, Nintendo. My pc is my most powerful platform obviously. However I laugh when I see pc gamers talking this console down. 12tflops is no toy with a quality cpu to boot. The series X literally has double the gpu power than my $1200 gaming pc.

[PhoenixUp]

You trying to say Microsoft outlasted Sega in the hardware market by not catering to the hardcore market until now?

[masterfox]

sadly MS doesn't have a single hardcore game ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[King_Noctis]

What is your definition of hardcore game? And Seriously, don’t just go away like your always do. Please answer my question.

[masterfox]

Deep story telling, original unique characters that we can care of, new game mechanics for gameplay, deep combat and not always brainless shooting, a game created by developers open minded and not scare to innovate, a game that can turn into an instant classic for years, a game that can be hard but heck fun to play, a game that can portray stunning visuals while retaining all what I said, something like that is a hardcore game imo. And no MS doesn't have any of that , if had all those kind of games would it have an xbox years ago. ;)

[King_Noctis]

“ Deep story telling, original unique characters that we can care of, new game mechanics for gameplay, deep combat and not always brainless shooting, a game created by developers open minded and not scare to innovate, a game that can turn into an instant classic for years, a game that can be hard but heck fun to play, a game that can portray stunning visuals while retaining all what I said, something like that is a hardcore game imo. ”

You do realize that those are just definition that you just made up right? Games like Doom doesn’t have deep story-telling, but is it a game for children or causal? Or is games like Gears 5 which has elements that you had described such superb story telling and great graphic, is not a “hardcore” game?

[SlagWolf]

To bad they are incapable of doing that with games.
The last game I enjoyed made by a MS studio was Halo 3.
And that was 12 years ago

[XxINFERNUSxX]

It's just a PC in box, people getting excited for what PC gamers had for a few yrs lol. Anyway the price will be most likely $499 which is not much. I hate when people complain that it's too much but when we all have phones that cost so much more that's ok, only to upgrade again in 2yrs when you hold on to a console for 6-7 SMH...

[Donnie81]

The series x will be amazing! I’m gonna buy 2

[Tross]

A console with exclusives?

[ufo8mycat]

They are? Really? Where are the TOP TIER quality exclusives?
You can't be a hardcore gaming console if you don't have any of these.