Microsoft made a risky bet Tuesday when it launched the brand new Xbox One X — a $500, superpowered gaming console that far outpaces its competitors on specs. But is the flashy new offering enough to make casual Xbox users upgrade?
We try to answer that question on this episode, and for our reviewers at least, the answer is ‘no.’
Our testers are two longtime Xbox users: GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, still on an Xbox 360 that his daughter loves, and GeekWire reporter Taylor Soper, a more regular gamer who loves playing FIFA on his original Xbox One. They’ve been testing the One X for more than a week, both on a 1080p TV and a brand new 4K TV, which allows for higher quality video.
They found one great thing about the Xbox One X: Playing games optimized for the console on the 4K TV (with another fancy visual feature, HDR, or high dynamic range) is an amazing visual experience. It’s notably crisper and more vivid than playing the same game on the original Xbox One in 1080p high definition.
But almost everything else about the console is exactly the same as its much more affordable counterpart, the Xbox One S, which also rings in at half the price: $250.
Our conclusion: If you don’t have a 4K TV, don’t play your Xbox religiously or don’t care too much about having slightly higher quality graphics, it’s probably not worth the upgrade. If you’re a hardcore gamer willing to shell out $500 for the premium gaming experience, the Xbox One X will give that to you.
And if, like Todd, you’re on an older Xbox generation or want to get a console for the first time, the Xbox One S is also a good option.
Also on this episode, we check in with Todd’s brand new iPhone X, which is now shipping to mailboxes and stores across the world. He says the upgrade has been smooth and he loves the new hardware — minus the phone’s single port.
Geared Up co-host Andru Edwards is out this week, but in his absence, you can check out his initial takes on the iPhone X in his unboxing video.
Listen to the full episode above or download it as an MP3. Don’t forget to subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on Facebook or YouTube and subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts, Google Play or wherever you listen.
