Octopus Overlords

Now you're just rubbing it in!

Although come to think of it, I don't believe I've ever bought a console on release day. Perhaps that's just the wisest path for me.

I put my oldest son on it, and he reports success. We've got a Series X preordered via Amazon and set for delivery upon release.

Now, I hope it's a console I'll actually be excited to have. I found the XBONE to be kind of disappointing, and I'm not convinced the benefits of the next gen are really going to matter to me. But we'll see . . .

Hey, there's always ebay! ]

I got the PS4 when it was released. It was the only time I've ever done that. I didn't even attempt to order on the day preorders started, though. I probably ordered two or three weeks later after the rush. I still got it at the same time as the people who stood in line.

Well, I'll be danged.

Went to Best Buy. Saw the Series X was on Pre-Order. Clicked button. Clicked cart. Processed order.

Looks like I have an Xbox Series X pre-ordered.

Blackhawk wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 12:53 pm Hey, there's always ebay! ]

I got the PS4 when it was released. It was the only time I've ever done that. I didn't even attempt to order on the day preorders started, though. I probably ordered two or three weeks later after the rush. I still got it at the same time as the people who stood in line.

When the PS3 was released, I didn't preorder it. I was trying to get a Wii. I walked daily into my local gamestop about the time they were getting shipments and asked for a Wii. One day I walked in and they said "nope, but I have a PS3" and I bought it without hesitation. I tossed it on Ebay and made $400 profit. This is before people would sabotage your listings with fake bids. So I continued my quest for a Wii and AGAIN this happened -- this time with a PS4 with the hardware compatibility. I tossed it on Ebay again. By that time several weeks had passed and people had started to sabotage listings on ebay. I gave up after listing it twice and just kept it. Free PS3 if you could the ebay profit I made.

The backward compatibility PS3 was always a LOUD machine. A few years later I got sick of how loud it was in our bedroom and I put it on Ebay and managed to sell it for enough to buy a PS3 slim (I think $300 or so dollars). Crazy times.

After a total cluster this morning trying to get one, I was able to finally snag one from Best Buy around 2:30pm.

I had the (good?) fortune of my Xbox One dying a few weeks back, so my wife was much more accepting of getting a new console. While our kids are by no means video game zombies, she does recognize the value of being able to turn on some Minecraft and get them out of her hair so we can clean house.

YellowKing wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 3:40 pm After a total cluster this morning trying to get one, I was able to finally snag one from Best Buy around 2:30pm.

I had the (good?) fortune of my Xbox One dying a few weeks back, so my wife was much more accepting of getting a new console. While our kids are by no means video game zombies, she does recognize the value of being able to turn on some Minecraft and get them out of her hair so we can clean house.

Not to mention that console games just don't seem to take me away from family times NEARLY as long as PC games do. I can sit down and play for half an hour and hop back up and be engaged. My wife likes that part of it.

msduncan wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 3:43 pm

YellowKing wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 3:40 pm After a total cluster this morning trying to get one, I was able to finally snag one from Best Buy around 2:30pm.

I had the (good?) fortune of my Xbox One dying a few weeks back, so my wife was much more accepting of getting a new console. While our kids are by no means video game zombies, she does recognize the value of being able to turn on some Minecraft and get them out of her hair so we can clean house.

Not to mention that console games just don't seem to take me away from family times NEARLY as long as PC games do. I can sit down and play for half an hour and hop back up and be engaged. My wife likes that part of it.

My consoles are the opposite as they are in the media room which is pretty much isolated and if I keep the volume down nobody even knows I am in there! I have to be careful not to be seen when I come out for a bathroom break.

hepcat wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 12:24 pm I give up. I got one in my cart but it won't let me finish the purchase, stating there's an issue on their end. It is not meant to be.

Remember that you're not competing with other eager buyers, you're competing with an endless army of bots run by resellers. Bots that can complete the entire purchasing process in the time it takes for you to find the 'add to cart' button.

So, just to confirm: if I already have a pretty good gaming PC there is basically no reason for me to get a new xBox as all the games will come to Windows anyhow, right?

No, there may be console exclusives. Also, I enjoy gaming from my couch on occasion.

Hamlet3145 wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 4:59 pm So, just to confirm: if I already have a pretty good gaming PC there is basically no reason for me to get a new xBox as all the games will come to Windows anyhow, right?

Pretty much, if the game is being published by Microsoft or one of it's affiliated studios. I think I've gotten most or all of the XBox games I wanted for PC now.

Hamlet3145 wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 4:59 pm So, just to confirm: if I already have a pretty good gaming PC there is basically no reason for me to get a new xBox as all the games will come to Windows anyhow, right?

I mean, other than playing on a 4K TV lounging on your couch. I like my PC monitor, but some games just need to have a TV.

I'm nervous about making the switch to Xbox after years of PS4. But I got a PS4 Pro back when Gods of War released and I am not seeing a whole lot of reason to upgrade from that until the PS5 exclusives hit.

Oh, I agree about lounging on the couch. And I should have clarified. My gaming PC is my home theater PC so it's in the living room connected to my 4k TV. My PC at a desk is my laptop connected to an external monitor.

I guess I'm just trying to think of any purely xBox exclusives that wouldn't come to the PC. Whether one is playing on xBox or a Windows 10 machine, you are using a Microsoft product in order to do so. A quick google of "xBox exclusives" just brings up a bunch of games that are available on PC too: Halo, Forza, Sea of Thieves, Gears, etc.

I play primarily PC as well, but I'm in a position where I typically have a kid either on the console or on my PC at any given time. It's nice to be able to switch over to the platform they're not hogging at the moment.

Plus I REALLY like Game Pass Ultimate. They've been knocking that service out of the park with number of new additions, putting brand new titles on it, and not treating the PC side as an afterthought. Sony does have a lot of exclusives I enjoy (and which will probably force me to get a PS5 down the road), but for just general day-to-day gaming I feel like I'm getting more value Xbox-wise.

Hamlet3145 wrote: Wed Sep 23, 2020 10:39 am Oh, I agree about lounging on the couch. And I should have clarified. My gaming PC is my home theater PC so it's in the living room connected to my 4k TV. My PC at a desk is my laptop connected to an external monitor.

I guess I'm just trying to think of any purely xBox exclusives that wouldn't come to the PC. Whether one is playing on xBox or a Windows 10 machine, you are using a Microsoft product in order to do so. A quick google of "xBox exclusives" just brings up a bunch of games that are available on PC too: Halo, Forza, Sea of Thieves, Gears, etc.

I'm not trying to talk you out of the Series X, but if it's exclusives that you are worried about and you have a good gaming PC, then I would say skip the Series X for now. With that said I plan on getting a Series X when I can find one in stock for the Gamepass feature and because my gaming rig is now 7 years old. So it will be cheaper for me to get an Xbox than it would be to build a new computer. I should also mention that I already have a PS5 on preorder, and I would get that system above a Series X if I had to choose between the 2.

Whoops!

Ralph-Wiggum wrote: Wed Sep 23, 2020 11:12 am Whoops!

YellowKing wrote: Wed Sep 23, 2020 10:48 am I play primarily PC as well, but I'm in a position where I typically have a kid either on the console or on my PC at any given time. It's nice to be able to switch over to the platform they're not hogging at the moment.

This is why I have 3 gaming PCs in my office. My wife thinks it's a bit cluttered, but we make it work. It *does* get a bit warm in there.

Well crap, I got an invite from Playstation as one of the "chosen" to pre-order a PS5 from them tomorrow. Now I have to decide if I want to keep the Xbox or switch back to my original plan of PS5. But that Bethesda and Obsidian news, coupled with Fable coming and the Games Pass just make the Xbox seem like the pick this time around. Ugh... I do love the PS5 exclusives though!

Por que no los dos?

Isgrimnur wrote: Thu Sep 24, 2020 10:47 pm Por que no los dos?

Mucho dinero!

baelthazar wrote: Thu Sep 24, 2020 10:30 pm Well crap, I got an invite from Playstation as one of the "chosen" to pre-order a PS5 from them tomorrow. Now I have to decide if I want to keep the Xbox or switch back to my original plan of PS5. But that Bethesda and Obsidian news, coupled with Fable coming and the Games Pass just make the Xbox seem like the pick this time around. Ugh... I do love the PS5 exclusives though!

Do what I'm doing. Buy the PS5 outright and get the Series X via the All Access program. It's actually cheaper to get the Series X with Gold and Game Pass and EA Pass through All access than it is to buy them all separate. That way your upfront cost isn't nearly as much.

Scraper wrote: Fri Sep 25, 2020 8:39 am

baelthazar wrote: Thu Sep 24, 2020 10:30 pm Well crap, I got an invite from Playstation as one of the "chosen" to pre-order a PS5 from them tomorrow. Now I have to decide if I want to keep the Xbox or switch back to my original plan of PS5. But that Bethesda and Obsidian news, coupled with Fable coming and the Games Pass just make the Xbox seem like the pick this time around. Ugh... I do love the PS5 exclusives though!

Do what I'm doing. Buy the PS5 outright and get the Series X via the All Access program. It's actually cheaper to get the Series X with Gold and Game Pass and EA Pass through All access than it is to buy them all separate. That way your upfront cost isn't nearly as much.

A good plan, and I will likely end up with both at some point. So I am really thinking about which one I would like first. Honestly, neither have much in the way of release content, so it is likely negligible. But, if I stick with the Xbox X, then I would be able to play games I couldn't play over the past 10 years (like Gears of War or the Halo series).

But I am not confident that I will even be able to snag a PS5 even with this invite. I suspect they will sell out very quickly even there.

I'll be honest, the biggest draw for me is the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, where I can play games on PC and the new console. That just has a lot of potential for me.

coopasonic wrote: Wed Sep 23, 2020 3:43 pm

YellowKing wrote: Wed Sep 23, 2020 10:48 am I play primarily PC as well, but I'm in a position where I typically have a kid either on the console or on my PC at any given time. It's nice to be able to switch over to the platform they're not hogging at the moment.

This is why I have 3 gaming PCs in my office. My wife thinks it's a bit cluttered, but we make it work. It *does* get a bit warm in there.

Does it smell like Gencon in there?

baelthazar wrote: Fri Sep 25, 2020 12:28 am

Isgrimnur wrote: Thu Sep 24, 2020 10:47 pm Por que no los dos?

Mucho dinero!

hepcat wrote: Fri Sep 25, 2020 9:53 am

coopasonic wrote: Wed Sep 23, 2020 3:43 pm

YellowKing wrote: Wed Sep 23, 2020 10:48 am I play primarily PC as well, but I'm in a position where I typically have a kid either on the console or on my PC at any given time. It's nice to be able to switch over to the platform they're not hogging at the moment.

This is why I have 3 gaming PCs in my office. My wife thinks it's a bit cluttered, but we make it work. It *does* get a bit warm in there.

Does it smell like Gencon in there?

According to my wife? Absolutely.

(Just assuming GenCon smells a lot like a Magic: The Gathering tournament as I haven't actually been to GenCon.)

Man, we need to get you to a Gencon then (once the world is open for business again, that is). By the end of day 1, you'll WISH you had to wear a mask again....

By the end of day 2 you'll lose all sense of smell, though, which is a blessing. And the ringing in your ears will be gone in time for Halloween.

Usually.

Blackhawk wrote: Fri Sep 25, 2020 11:31 am By the end of day 2 you'll lose all sense of smell, though, which is a blessing. And the ringing in your ears will be gone in time for Halloween.

Usually.

Oh cool, I didn't know GenCon could fix my tinnitus, I'm in!

YellowKing wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 3:40 pm
I had the (good?) fortune of my Xbox One dying a few weeks back

what happened to it? and do you still have it?

hitbyambulance wrote:what happened to it? and do you still have it?

Yeah I still have it. Seems to be a power issue. I did order a replacement power supply from Amazon, tried it, no dice. It's possible I just happened to get a bad power supply from Amazon as well. Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to test with a known working power supply.

For those getting the new Series X, are you also planning to upgrade to a 4K TV (and if so, any recommendations), or am I in the minority in not having upgraded to 4K yet? Also, I'm looking at my 8 year old Denon AVR-1913, and I'm wondering if I'm going to have to upgrade that, too, if I want to enjoy 4K and continue to use my AV receiver as my hub. This is starting to look like a very expensive proposition!

I'm debating getting a 4k or just getting something that can do 120hz at 1080. Would at least like one or the other. Big problem I have is since I stream my capture device would need upgrading and it costs more than the tv will

Kurth wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2020 3:54 pm For those getting the new Series X, are you also planning to upgrade to a 4K TV (and if so, any recommendations), or am I in the minority in not having upgraded to 4K yet? Also, I'm looking at my 8 year old Denon AVR-1913, and I'm wondering if I'm going to have to upgrade that, too, if I want to enjoy 4K and continue to use my AV receiver as my hub. This is starting to look like a very expensive proposition!

If you're updating your receiver you might as well get some better speakers so you can really take advantage of it. And you can't update your tv, receiver, and speakers with a couch like that!

Kurth wrote:For those getting the new Series X, are you also planning to upgrade to a 4K TV (and if so, any recommendations), or am I in the minority in not having upgraded to 4K yet?

I haven't upgraded yet, but it's been in anticipation of us buying a new house. I've still got my old Pioneer plasma. So it will be later next year before I go 4K.

However, I'm going all out with the new setup and TV. I allocated home theater money into our furniture budget, so I'm finally going to have my dream entertainment room. Fortunately my wife is totally on board - she knows I've scraped by on budget A/V stuff and hand-me-downs for years so that we could make this happen.

Kurth wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2020 3:54 pm For those getting the new Series X, are you also planning to upgrade to a 4K TV (and if so, any recommendations), or am I in the minority in not having upgraded to 4K yet? Also, I'm looking at my 8 year old Denon AVR-1913, and I'm wondering if I'm going to have to upgrade that, too, if I want to enjoy 4K and continue to use my AV receiver as my hub. This is starting to look like a very expensive proposition!

Have had a 4k TV with above average HDR performance since 2016. It's one of Samsung's early quantum dot sets.

As for recommendations, I recommend going to rtings.com and browsing their reviews. Things to think about are brightness (LCD gets brighter than OLED but OLED provides superior overall quality and perfect blacks), how far you'll be sitting from the TV, and size.

A high end 65" set will probably set you back $2000+. A decent set can be had for $1000, but you do get what you pay for in terms of color gamut, image quality, and input lag.

Kurth wrote:For those getting the new Series X, are you also planning to upgrade to a 4K TV (and if so, any recommendations), or am I in the minority in not having upgraded to 4K yet? Also, I'm looking at my 8 year old Denon AVR-1913, and I'm wondering if I'm going to have to upgrade that, too, if I want to enjoy 4K and continue to use my AV receiver as my hub. This is starting to look like a very expensive proposition!

I'll get one eventually. Have a ps4 pro and an Xbox one X which both do 4k fine for now. I can wait for some reviews and maybe sales.

Already at 4k OLED and went through the receiver upgrade dilemna too (old one only supported 1080p). Initially bought a new receiver but returned it and and went high - ish end nakamichi sound bar instead (7.2.1), as I was going to need more speakers too.

Did that after looking for a receiver which could upgrade hdmi/hdcp, but the upgrade modules were like $600, and tended to be pretty delayed. So I just eliminated the receiver.

As always, watch for the black Friday sales on a/v equipment. If desperate, eyeball prime day in a couple of weeks.

Tho other factor here is that in theory the next gen consoles will support 8k and we all know we'll want it . HDCP/HDMI specs for those connections? Yeah, new receiver again if you go that route.

Upgrading to a 4K TV was one of the single best decisions (with some of the biggest immediate payoffs). I didn't go a super high end 4K TV (it is not an OLED) and we also didn't go super big (we moved the couch closer). But the difference in just normal TV watching and gaming was highly noticeable (enough that I also had to get the PS4 Pro later to take full advantage of the TV).

I am a big fan of Sony TVs. I like their color range, refresh rates, price, and usability. The one thing that will frustrate you no matter what TV you buy is the lack of HDMI ports. It seems like the newer TVs are greatly reducing the number of ports, for reasons unknown. And be careful if you decide to go with an HDMI switch to increase your number of ports - they can often limit your refresh rate (some to 30hz and others at 60hz), particularly with a 4K signal.

Old games on the external, new games on the internal.

Tom's Guide

On paper, the Xbox Series X’s 1TB of SSD space trumps the PS5’s 825GB SSD. But according to people that have had hands-on time with Microsoft’s console, there’s only 802GB of actual usable storage space.
...
As such, it looks like you’re likely to need the 1TB proprietary expansion card for the Xbox Series X if you plan to keep a decent amount of games installed on your console. Given the Seagate expandable SSD for the Xbox Series X costs more than $200, you’re looking at quite a pricy upgrade.

You can store Xbox Series X games on external USB 3.1 hard drives, but to run them you'll need to transfer them onto the console's SSD. IGN reported that this happens quite quickly, but it doesn't remove the need to manage internal SSD storage space. Older Xbox games can be run directly from an external hard drive, however.