Xbox is a Simbox, but actually, it is not!

Hi there,

I am disappointed in Microsoft repeatedly, but after years of being absent from any Microsoft-related product, I decided to give them another chance. I got an Xbox Series X, Flight Simulator 2020, F1 23, and thought: "Damn, the Xbox is an affordable PC alternative that must be a fantastic sim games platform."

I mean, it has Microsoft's own Flight Simulator on it! The flight simulator reference!

But then I ran into two issues that made me want a gaming PC again and put the Xbox on eBay:

1. No Ultra-Widescreen support. Okay, I can understand that a console does not support multiple monitors. Fair enough. But If it can run 4k, why can't it allow 1080p/1440p Ultra-Widescreen resolutions? As I have a background in IT, I am aware of the technical implications. However, those implications are covered by games like Flight Simulator and F1 already, as they use the same engine on the PC, which is capable of delivering to UW-monitors. So this is purely a firmware limitation made by some Microsoft business decisions.
   Simulators should not only replicate the physics of the real thing but should also be immersive. Having an unrealistic FOV setting to get at least some overview of the environment contradicts that.
2. No free button mapping: only the standard controller's buttons are allowed if the flight stick or racing wheel manufacturer does not work around it with a custom SDK that the game developers must use. What? Really? So neither Thrustmaster nor Fanatec peripheral can be used in full. Buttons are doubled, rendering most of the inputs useless. It is a significant inconvenience for racing games like Formula 1. It is a show-stopper for a flight simulator. I sold my Flight Stick again and deleted MS Flight Simulator from the trash can called a console. My Fanatec CSL DD setup is also not worth the money if used solely on the Xbox.

The second point is the most crucial point of rendering the entire Xbox ad absurdum in terms of sim games. And it is so comical, as Microsoft sells the Elite Controllers with additional backside triggers that can only be mapped to the standard controller's buttons. So you overpay a controller to get the A, B, X, Y, etc. buttons twice or thrice. Nice! Once again, "elite" refers to people with money, not passion or skill.

So, Microsoft, what is the strategy behind it when PC and PS5 can do better? Is it trolling the gaming community? Currently, the PS5 is even lower priced than the Xbox Series X, so what would make a sim gamer want an Xbox?

Please fix this button mapping issue, at least if you have yet to hear of ultra-widescreen monitors. Will we see an improvement here during the remaining lifespan of your current-gen console?

Cheers, Martin

submitted by /u/MartinMajewski
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