The Xbox Series X and Series S are set to release on November 10th, 2020. With plenty of games to play at the launch of the next-generation console, it's becoming hard to avoid the fear of missing out on the newest piece of technology.
With the current state of the world, large purchases can be risky and might require careful consideration before committing to them. Xbox's new consoles are set to launch gaming into the future but there are plenty of reasons to hold off on purchasing one, while others points make it hard to resist.
10 Wait: Smart Delivery
Xbox has committed to a program called Smart Delivery that guarantees players will be able to play the best version of the game they purchased on whatever Xbox hardware they own. It's confirmed for all Xbox published titles, and many third-party publishers have joined in.
This means someone can purchase Watch Dogs: Legion or Cyberpunk 2077 for their Xbox One, and whenever they decide to upgrade, they will have access to the Xbox Series X version of that game once it's available. The future is about convenience, so why not wait?
9 Buy: Load Times
The easiest and most evident seller of the next-gen console future is the reduction of load times. Once the reduced load times are experienced, it becomes apparent just how much time was spent waiting to play.
Games like Grand Theft Auto V and Marvel's Avengers have loading screens that take minutes. The quality of life improvement of being able to get in and out of games in no time is great. This isn't even factoring in Xbox's brilliant Quick Resume feature that lets users suspend multiple games and hop back-and-forth with no start-up loading.
8 Wait: Scarcity
Purchasing an Xbox Series X, Series S, or PlayStation 5 in 2020 is going to be quite difficult. These systems are in high demand, and with people spending more time inside, many are going to want to play video games in the best and most convenient way possible.
For those who aren't fully interested in being a part of that, there is no reason to stress over the process of trying to outspeed purchasing bots that snag up the consoles as soon as they become available.
7 Buy: Investing In The Future
The allure of being an early adopter can be tempting. A Day 1 purchase allows owners to familiarize themselves with the inner workings of the new platform and get invested early. At the end of the day, it's cool to own and use the "new" thing.
As an early adopter, owners can also shape the way Xbox navigates the next generation of gaming and help provide valuable feedback in terms of what's working and what needs improvement.
6 Wait: Launch Issues
Whether it's something as bad as the red ring of death or simply network congestion, new gaming hardware often sees its fair share of launch-related issues. People love new technology so it's not surprising so many people jump in early, but smart consumers wait until everything is ironed out.
Most would argue that it is best to wait 6 months to a year before hopping into a new console generation. That time gap will allow things to be ironed out and the overall experience to reach optimal performance.
5 Buy: Back Catalog
It was recently confirmed that every Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One game currently playable on the latter console will be backward compatible on the Xbox Series X, outside of a few titles that require an Xbox Kinect. A worry gamers often have with new hardware is that they will leave their library of games on the old system and lose out on their investment.
The Xbox Series X reduces the stress and anxiety of coming to terms with leaving behind games on old consoles by making a respectable portion of their libraries available.
4 Wait: Launch Lineup Is Underwhelming
No matter how one looks at it, the launch lineup for the Xbox Series X is underwhelming. The delay of Halo: Infinite leaves the hardware with zero must-play exclusive titles at launch which is a bummer.
This means that even the most enthusiastic of Xbox fans don't need to pick up the system. They can play all of the Fall's biggest Xbox games on their current system. The Medium is a game that looks promising for the Xbox Series X, but the horror title won't be launching until early December.
3 Buy: Value
People who primarily play video games on consoles do so because of the convenience and ease-of-use that the hardware provides over PC gaming. It is virtually impossible to build a PC that matches the Xbox Series X's specs for the price of $500.
On top of that, there's built-in value considering the Series X will have a player's entire Xbox library available to them the moment they turn it on for the first time.
2 Wait: Halo Is Delayed
Halo: Infinite's delay was brutal and did a lot to what the Xbox Series X's launch lineup could have been. Props to Microsoft as delaying a game of that magnitude is no easy decision and it probably took a lot of meetings to get to that decision.
There are a good number of Xbox players who were excited to get a new Halo game on launch day. The delay diminished the need to get the new console for many people and the argument to wait to upgrade until Halo: Infinite releases is a pretty compelling one.
1 Buy: Improved Performance
Across the board, it seems that the Xbox Series X is going to make playing video games better. Along with the improved loading times, the other visual and performance upgrades games will see should make the $500 investment worth it.
The next-generation isn't solely about pushing forward the medium, but rather convenience and quality of life enhancements. Being able to play the games you already love, but in a way that improves the moment-to-moment experience kind of sells itself.