I'm trying to convince myself to get an Xbox. Could someone help with my reservations?

Hello, everyone. So, I'm considering getting an Xbox, but I have some reservations, and I'm hoping that if I post them here, some people that are already Xbox users could help ease them, and possibly answer some questions I have. I currently play on both
PC and PlayStation 4. Ok, here we go:

1. What is Microsoft's view on censorship? Ok, so this is the reason that's currently leading the charge to get an Xbox. I recently read an article, that the PS4 doesn't have mods because Sony wants to ensure mods are censored for all of
their users, because some of their users are children. To me, that is completely unacceptable. I should clarify that this is mostly about principle, because when I play on a console, it's solely to hunt trophies, and we'd better not be able to use mods to
acquire trophies/achievements. The idea of censoring mods, however, is completely anti-gaming. Mods are supposed to be user-made content, not affiliated with game companies or the platform on which their used. Tl;DR Censorship sucks, and censoring mods is
an instant "I'm out" moment.

2. Do you really have to pay to locally save a screenshot? I read online that to save a screenshot, you have to be subscribed to Xbox Live (Xbox Live Gold?). This is again on principle, as I've never met someone on PlayStation that didn't
have PS Plus (Xbox Live Gold equivalent). The idea that you can't simply take a screenshot, and save it to your system without paying a subscription fee really seems unjustifiable.

3. The controller still runs on batteries. Again, from what I read online, Xbox controllers still run on batteries. If they have been updated, please let me know, because that seems a bit dated. I did read an article in which someone stated
it's because after a year, you can still run the controller for the same length of time if it runs on batteries, but that isn't really justifiable, especially since they charge extra for a charging cable, rather than including the cable and making batteries
optional. This is again principle, because $20 or whatever for a cable isn't a huge deal by itself, but the general idea just seems to give a glimpse into the mind-state of which the Xbox was created. i.e. Money first, product second.

4. Achievements As I mentioned, I hunt trophies when I play on PS4. From what I've seen on the Xbox, you earn achievements, which then adds to your "gamerscore." What bothers me about this is that when it seems that when someone sees your
gamerscore next to your name, it;s just a lump sum, which means some kid who plays 100 different games, and accomplishes next to nothing on each, may still have this rather large gamerscore, while someone who plays 10-15 games, and 100%'s each title, may have
a fraction of that score, which leads people to view the kid with a gamerscore composed of rubbish to be elevated above the player with fully cleared titles. To compare, on the PS4, when someone sees the kid with 100 incomplete titles, he may have 1000+ bronze
trophies, which are viewed as meaningless, while the player with 10 complete titles has 10 platinum trophies next to their name. This may be meaningless to people who don't hunt trophies or achievements, but for me, it's kind of a poke in the eye. If there's
something I'm missing, please clarify what it is, because this is a big one for me. As I mentioned, I play on a console solely for the trophies, so I care about what is next to my name.

5. The star ranking next to people's names Ok, so apparently this is to tell others whether you're a "clean" player. At face value, it seems like a good idea, but... I read that it uses an algorithm that can distinguish between justifiable
reports, and reports from players that are just upset they were killed, for example. I guess I don't really understand how this algorithm can separate this, and what happens when your ranking is decreased. Obviously, when you're online in a lobby, you're not
going to look through every player's ranking, then continually switch lobbies and games until you find only 5 star players, so does Live do this automatically, or is it just a form of public shaming for trolls? How do we ensure we're not wrongly downgraded?
It just seems like something that could be done behind the scenes, but I don't mind clarity here, because I'm all for combating trolls. I just don't want to be wrongly classified as one because of some child that gets upset when he's killed.

6. Can you fix the UI? I was watching a video for the UI, and everything just seems so confusing. There are tiles everywhere, and everything just seems to be tossed all over the place. Perhaps this is something that I'll adjust to, but it
just seemed to be a disaster. Apparently it was worse before, but it still didn't seem great. I really don't like Windows on my PC, and if I had to use it for things besides gaming (if my laptop was Windows-based, for instance), I think I'd lose my mind. Some
enlightenment about the current state of the UI would be greatly appreciated.

These are the biggest reservations I currently have. Number 1 is by far the biggest I have. For people that have only played on a console, it may seem trivial, but I grew up on a PC, and the idea of it is just unfathomable. I would also be bothered by performance,
but apparently Microsoft is releasing a console next year to fix the performance disparity. (Yes, I hear you that it's not that noticeable, but it's about principle. There really was no excuse for the lackluster performance. Priorities were clearly wrong.)

Anyway, thank you for any information you can provide to help clear up anything I mentioned above, and feel free to add anything you feel may be useful.

:)

 

If i exhange a faulty console....

^ haha - just ignore me, i'm still trying to convince myself the queen isn't really an Alien Lizard : )

 

Welcome Xbox Insiders!

Sea of Thieves, well… I am still trying to convince myself to get back to that game. It's just my crew is no longer available. :-( Is it really possible to play it on my own?

 

HelloXboxx, I'll try to answer best most of those questions.

1. What is Microsoft's view on censorship?- There are two different Terms for what is allowed and what is not allowed. One is for Developers and the other is for Users. The Terms of Use and Code of Conduct cover the Users end
   Terms. As for the Devs Terms, that's a tricky question but to be as simple as possible Adult Rated Games are not allowed on the Xbox Platform.
   
2. Do you really have to pay to locally save a screenshot?- Not sure on this one to be honest. I've always been Gold as my PSN ID has always been Plus
   
3. The controller still runs on batteries.- Yes but anyone can purchase a standard USB and use that
   
4. Achievements- No there is nothing to distinguish completed Games from someone who simply plays a lot of Games.
   
5. The star ranking next to people's names- The Stars are part of the Xbox 360 and not the Xbox One.
   
6. Can you fix the UI?- No there is very little in terms of custom.
   

 

Hi, Elohmn. Thanks for your reply (I couldn't find how to reply directly to your post). I just want to clarify that, in regards to my first inquiry, I wasn't speaking about "Adult Only" games, lol. I've never even seen one on PC, and PC is generally an "anything
goes" environment.

 

I'm not sure about all of your questions, but batteries is so much better than the built in battery on PS4. When they run out I have others recharged and ready to go. A fully charged pair will last me about 2 weeks. A battery charger with 4 Energiser batteries
is €10. I do not want to have to plug it in.....ever.

You can't change the fixed tiles on the UI but there are only 4 so it's easy to get used too. You can do what ever you want with your pins though.

Yes you need to have gold in order to save and share screenshots.

 

HelloXboxx, in regards to your primary concern - re censoring mods on Xbox - I think you're overestimating the importance of mods, as thus far only Bethesda has announced support for them (ie, Fallout 4 and Skyrim Special Edition). However, since mod support
has also been confirmed for PS4, I can't see how you'd benefit from choosing one platform over the other - especially as the majority of mods would be 'family friendly' anyway.

I could be wrong, as I've yet to register my Xbox One for any of Bethesda's mods, and even if I did, it then disallows achievements and creates a separate save folder.

In regards to Q2, there are pros and cons regarding the screenshot and/or community profile function. Yes, you're paying for storage in the cloud, but the downside is there no local storage for photos or game clips (although you can upload files to OneDrive,
and these can be accessed from your PC, afaik). Unlike most conventional users, I've shunned the PC way of life and have managed quite comfortably with a succession of net-enabled consoles, dating back to Sega Dreamcast (c. 1999).

Additionally, a major advantage for Xbox Live subscribers is that community content can be easily shared thanks to the cloud, and user profiles can be brought up almost instantaneously - enabling a person's achievements to be validated and/or compared with
your own. I wouldn't worry about any discrepancy in gamerscore; if you're committed to a game then your high-level achievements can speak for themselves. There's also a new update incoming which adds RARE achievements to further distinguish you from casual
players.

In regards to User Interface: Even though there are four discrete tabs for navigation, I pretty much don't stray from the homepage, as all of my favorite apps can be pinned here. It's a very clean and efficient service, which continues to get better. I hope
I've addressed some of your concerns. If not, then I'm sure some more tech-savvy folks can chime in.

 

Buying an Xbox One this late in the game is foolish IMO. You've waited this long so... wait for a Scorpio.



* If you're planning on buying a Scorpio.

 

@Goth Vampirella, it's funny you mention that, because that's one of the things I was trying to plan ahead for. If I decided to pick up an Xbox, I figured I would just pick up the regular slim version, so I could start earning some of my trophies back during
the wait period for Scorpio. Then, once the Scorpio version arrives, hopefully we'll have some good games lined up.

 

Hey, @BluSwirl. As I mentioned, mods on consoles have no real use to me, personally, because they'll interfere with trophies, and since I usually don't touch games after I clear them, they'll never come into play. My point above was really just about principle
-- the general mindset of the company. Honestly, I don't really know how to describe it any differently. Basically, mods are user-created content, and they're supposed to be "anything goes." When a company basically states they're not even allowing users to
actually create any new items, only mess around with items already in the game, all just because they want to ensure no content that may be inappropriate for children may make its way into the game, is a big turn off for me. If you don't play on PC, this is
all pretty much meaningless to you, I guess.

Bethesda may be the only company currently offering mods, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's not an important issue. Mods are most likely going to be a big part consoles going forward. I could be wrong, but that's doubtful. They've been a pivotal
point to games my entire life on PC, and now that consoles are getting a little better, and can start handling them, people are going to start demanding them. Especially since people seem to be steadily growing more attracted to PC gaming.

 

[quote user="HelloXboxx"]

Hello, everyone. So, I'm considering getting an Xbox, but I have some reservations, and I'm hoping that if I post them here, some people that are already Xbox users could help ease them, and possibly answer some questions I have. I currently play on both
PC and PlayStation 4. Ok, here we go:

1. What is Microsoft's view on censorship?

If you are hoping that you will be able to play nude mods or mods that violate copywrite on the XBox you will find that these are not available. The MODs, like the games themselves, have to conform to certain stipulations
and standards, so if you were looking forward to "Topless Skyrim" you're going to be as dissappointed as every other 11 year old.

2. Do you really have to pay to locally save a screenshot?

I don't know the answer to that. I suspect "yes" because it would be using the XBox LIVE service but if that's not the case someone will chime in.

3. The controller still runs on batteries.

Owning both an XBox ONE and a PS 4 the Playstation controller is a "wired" wireless controller that needs completely recharging after a single decent gaming session. The XBox ONE controller requires batteries but they
will last longer. There are also "play and charge" kits.

4. Achievements

Gamerscore as a whole number is a little irrelevant for the reasons you state... but when it comes to your buddies the XBox allows you to compare your achievements in a particular game with all your friends so when people
look by game they can definately see what you have to brag about.

5. The star ranking next to people's names

XBox LIVE will match you with people that are like you. The only people complaining about the "algorithm" are the ones who got caught.

6. Can you fix the UI?

The UI is not in need of a fix. It works fine and you just need to understand how to navigate it. There more stuff than some people need. More stuff than some people want. The Store is a mess but that's on purpose
to try to encourage impulse buys, like when they move all the items around in your local supermarket. Once you know how to navigate where you want then it's easy to get there. XBox LIVE makes it more complex because it opens the door to more stuff you may
or may not want.

These are the biggest reservations I currently have. Number 1 is by far the biggest I have. For people that have only played on a console, it may seem trivial, but I grew up on a PC, and the idea of it is just unfathomable. I would also be bothered by performance,
but apparently Microsoft is releasing a console next year to fix the performance disparity. (Yes, I hear you that it's not that noticeable, but it's about principle. There really was no excuse for the lackluster performance. Priorities were clearly wrong.)

[/quote]

The performance disparities of which you speak is really nothing more than a product of media hype and market manipulation. Psychologically it's quite strong. Strong enough to cause people see differences that aren't
actually there when comparing different consoles.

4K is great... possibly a better resolution than real life? But unecessary. There are some games that are not 1080p and 60fps that look better than other games that are 1080p and 60fps. Who decides what the best picture
for a game? The developers. Who decides which is the best for a generation? Marketers and rabble rousing tech sites desperate for "clicks".

If you want the best picture you'll need a 4K TV in the first place and you may as well wait for the Scorpio. But why would you need it if stuff already looks amazing?

Sure you've got the latest tech but the only things the Scorpio is going to be able to do that the XBox ONE won't is play games at a 4K resolution and have VR games (for which you'll fork out another huge amount of cash).

If you want great games then grab a ONE now and pick up up the titles you want to play rather than missing out and then paying premium prices for the privilege of testing my stuff.

I'll probably get one myself but I'll let them iron all the bugs out first and watch the prices drop significantly.

 

Regarding batteries, I would recommend energizer rechargable batteries. Theyre a bit more expensive than regular batteries but will cheaper for you and greener for the planet. Built in litium ion battery performance deterioates after a few months and can
take a while to charge. My energizer battery charger can charge 4 aa or aaa baþeries in 36 minutes fro 0 to 100%.

As for Xbox its a great platform. Microsoft are like the biggest software company in the world. They aquired minecraft and skype. And Xbox Scorpio which will definetly be more powerful than PS4 Pro, will release next year. Also some games are part of Xbox
Play Anwhere which means uou buy certain games off XBL and you can play them on console and any windows 10 PC.

 

It's really the way to go. Personally get better life with the Duracell over the Energizer, though can't go wrong with either.

 

My play & charge kit works just fine after 3 years of constant use but as mentioned,Duracell or Energizer rechargables are just as good.

There's a new feature that's in the preview that shows how rare an achievement is,If not many people have a certain achievement then the sound is different when it unlocks & there's a little diamond thingy next to it.

The whole star thing on our forum gamercards is from the 360 & has nothing to do with the xbox one which will hopefully be gone soon when the forums are updated.

 

Personally I prefer replaceable batteries rather than a supplied lithium ion battery. Lithium ion batteries deteriorate after just a few months, on laptops and months later, smartphones and laptops. And they can take a while to charge too. I have turtle
beach 500x which doesn't allow replaceable batteries as it has an internal lithium ion battery which Turtle Beach claims delivers 10 hours operation time.... more like 8 hours to be honest. I use it to chat and play games and watch Netflix and YouTube. I heard
someone working on different types of batteries like aluminum or something. Someone should invent like an eco friendly long lasting battery type which won't be expensive.

The star rep is based off Xbox 360. Xbox 1 uses an entirely different rep system. I have mixed views about it, but have good rep for both 360 and Xbox 1. As for mods, I don't mind them on PC (The Sims 4, Cities Skylines, Planet Coaster) like user created
material by the community which is not made be the developers which usually are meant for the enjoyment of players. But there can be some bad stuff out there too. Microsoft has rules for their Xbox gaming platform which the community and game developers probably
need to follow. But they're designed I think to protect us and to have a safe enjoyable experience. Xbox doesn't get viruses which is a good thing (genuine reports or a virus on a genuine Xbox 360 or Xbox 1 console are negligible) and due to the state of the
internet infrastructure, you can get a virus even if you're not doing naughty stuff which is why people install internet security software on their PC's. But as a few I've seen comment, if you play without cheating, you have skill. If you play with cheating,
you have no skill. Some people cheat. In Minecraft Xbox, this use to happen, if you wrote a swear word on a sign, it would say "censored". But now, you can write swear words and it goes un-censored as the system doesn't censor it like it did before. I don't
have a habit of doing this, but have tried it sometimes. In Rep, I usually get marked down for unsporting and quitting early. But this is totally common among younger players.

Sorry if my post is long, but regarding the UI. I've had Xbox 1 since Launch. And the Windows 10 like UI Xbox 1 currently has, is A LOT better than that crappy Windows 8 like UI which Xbox 1 had a Launch. A lot of people didn't like the UI at Xbox 1's Launch.
It was super slow, far too boxy, wouldn't let you change the dash background, no voice messages.

Xbox Live is like the best online console service. Take a look at all the social features Microsoft put on Xbox 360. Picture Messaging, Voice Messaging, Party, Avatars. This is what won my console decision in 2010 between 360 and PS3. A lot of supporters
said get Xbox. It has better social media like stuff like Party and Avatars. And I think it was the only 7th gen console which had Party Chat where you can view your avatars in the party and everyone could play different games or do different things on their
Xbox and still chat with others.

If you want Microsoft to know about your feedback, they created an official feedback site here.
xbox.uservoice.com/.../363186--new-ideas

And if you have an issue, you can contact Xbox Support. Yes, some have had bad experience with Support. Sometimes Microsoft/Support emails you a feedback form. If they deliver poor support and you get a feedback form, just write about it in there. I've had
good experiences with Support.