Article: Why the Xbox One Sucks

Why the Xbox One Sucks

• BY SASCHA SEGAN
• APRIL 24, 2014 01:25PM EST
• 67 COMMENTS

Consoles used to be about a carefree, plug-and-play gaming experience. But new consoles have ruined all that.VIEW ALL PHOTOS IN GALLERY

As the mobile guy, I've been pretty insulated from modern consoles. But it's "Take Your Kids to Work Day" today, and I promised the kid some serious Zoo Tycoon time.

The Xbox One started out without many family-friendly games, but I've noticed some more have been cropping up recently. There's Minecraft (coming soon), Fantasia, some LEGO games, and a Max game. With all of the Xbox's home entertainment features, it could make a cool family entertainment console.

Except it sucks.

The first thing I saw as I booted up the Xbox was that the device refused to boot without a 465MB update. Refused to boot. Now, you and I know that there's no reason it shouldn't be able to boot and, say, download the update in the background. If the update had gone smoothly, that would have been OK, except that the update stalled a half-dozen times, requiring multiple reboots and reconnects mid-update.

VIEW ALL PHOTOS IN GALLERY

With a steadily less patient 8-year-old on my hands, I popped in the $35 Zoo Tycoon disc, only to discover that game wouldn't run without a 2.5GB update. Thank goodness I wasn't in one of the millions of U.S. homes with 3Mbps or slower DSL Internet, or a rural home with satellite. At 3Mbps, that would have been a two-hour wait for the game to begin. It actually turned out to be about that, because that update, too, also crashed several times and needed to be attended to.

I understand software updates. But there's a good way to do 'em and a bad way to do 'em. This is the worst possible way: throwing them up as roadblocks to any experience at all.

Wait, I Bought This Disc …

The online-first approach is even sillier because all of the Xbox games here at PCMag come on physical media. Unplayable physical media.

I'm not sure what the Zoo Tycoon DVD is for. Is it some sort of token? Is it a badge of honor? It certainly doesn't seem to include playable code, as the Xbox insists I need 2.5GB of updates to execute it at all.

Consoles' plug-and-play nature used to be a big part of their glory. On PCs, you had to set up IRQs, check your sound card, keep an eye on your disk space. Every game had a different interface, with dozens of buttons and controls. It was (and still is) a rich but complex way to play. With consoles, you could pop in a cartridge or a disc and - boom! - five minutes to gaming, with clear, consistent interfaces.

That just isn't the case anymore.

Mobile > Console

This all resulted in my daughter sitting in front of a disabled 60-inch TV playing Shelterra the Skyworld on my 4.7-inch phone for an hour.

Mobile games work when you're offline. If you want a new one, you can probably download it within a few minutes. They're generally $5, not $60. (Yes, I pay for games.) And while my tech-dad ego was hurt by not being able to provide the cinematic Zoo Tycoon experience, my mobile-born kid didn't see what the problem was. (And if she wants to play "real" Minecraft, she can play it on a PC.)

This is a big part of the slow death of Nintendo, of course. Mobile is becoming the default gaming platform for everyone except a shrinking population of hardcore gamers.

Consoles have so many potential adventages. They're always a party. For a gorgeous, multiplayer, cinematic experience, they can't be beat. Family-friendly games can bring families together; for friends in a world of solitary, online gaming, having four players in the same room is a blast.

But if they charge top dollar to choke and sputter, requiring the worst of both the physical and online media experiences, their advantages simply won't be visible. They'll become the workstations of the gaming world: a niche product for a cadre of enthusiasts. They're on their way.

Maybe if they fix some of these issues, they'd be able to move more than 400k of these things a month

So, mobile gaming>console gaming?

so basically, "having played the xbox one, the author concludes that mobile gaming is superior"

lel

just as casual as that blonde woman from the new yorker or new york times a couple of weeks back.

edit: maybe the reviewer was too casual to begin with, but this hardly makes the xb seem appealling.

@sts106mat sorry i lost all my notifications, but i remember that you asked me a question - the answer is Auckland, NZL.

I get what he's saying but at the same time this is the future we are headed towards. Both Sony and Microsoft have chosen to go the PC architecture route with their builds and that comes with pros and cons.

One of the major draws of console gaming is that is MUCH easier to use compared to a PC. No Installing, no troubleshooting, no adjusting for best performance - you put the disc in and you play. Thing is, that's not a model that is going to be around in the years to come.

Mobile games, however, are not comparable to a full video game. Due to size and restraints of the device they are nothing more than ways to keep yourself occupied.

____

On the whole, that is a good article with the author bringing up many good points.

he's right, console gaming sucks and isn't what it used to be. With all these troubles its actually EASIER to get a pc and use that as your gaming and multimedia solution.

the only good thing about it is the fact you can get halo.

Well in MS's case it can be traced back to 2009.

The butthurt is real. I mean, this is a system facing a lot of challenges. There is plenty to talk about. You can join in on a relevant discussion. Instead, you just want to queen out because you... expect? XBox to get certain treatment? The article is from PC Magazine, which is a pretty large tech publication. It's not Gamespots fault that people are starting to be critical of the XBone.

It's because of lock-step fanboys willing to make up excuses for everything that your precious Xbox brand is taking a slide backwards. Didn't the PS3 launch teach you a damn thing? No? Well, you're in for a rough ride ahead.

Lol, love the title.

It's actually a tangible thing. And I think our resident Lem mod @AdobeArtist would chuckle at this nefarious accusation.

You're wrong. There are plenty of pro-XBox mods here. This thread isn't being closed because there is no reason to close it.

For the amount of mod & thread whining you do I'm surprised your account hasn't been banned yet.

Doesnt the PS4 require you to install games as well? and also require you to have updates like the Xbox One? pretty much all of this can be switched out to say PS4 where it is talking about the Xbox.

One thing I truly admire about System Wars is that it isn't incumbent upon you to be politically correct. If I simply made the title of the thread irrespective to the title of the article to troll, yeah, I would expect to be modded and have a thread lock. Instead, we have a respectable forum to talk about what is REALLY being talked about all over the internet. In my time here at System Wars, I have learned that every fanbase has its bad days. You can cry about it, or you can join the discussion and leave your delicate snowflake costume at the door.

For all of SWs faults, that is its true strength. That's what keeps me coming back.

No. Stopped reading there. If you're upset with the moderators how about you complain down the formal channels. I'm sure some of the mods will love what you have to say. Shall we tag some so you can have a chat with them?

At least it has a few good games to play.

Dunno, I had my PS4 out the box and rocking infamous within 5 minutes. So if PS4 is doing what Xbone is doing it's doing it in a way that isn't nearly as shitty.

So, it looks like he says not just the Xbox One, but all consoles suck, and mobile gaming is superior.

Is this seriously the kind of BS you want to be supporting, Shewganja?

Wasn't there a video someone made of them racing the XBone and the PS4 to how long it took to play Call of Duty? The PS4 was up and running while the XBone was still downloading the first or second patch file. It was pretty crazy. Wish I could find that video.

Well said. It amazes me that an obvious ALT PUPPET like Rocky, can post such blatant fabrications of his own insecurities and fears about his favorite price of plastic.

f only people embraced the Live Learn and Love lifestyle like SONY teaches us, SW's and the world would be a much better place, One can hope and we certainly can strive to meet and by golly exceed these teachings.

I agree this thread should be discussed in a civil manner and maybe some good can come out of it.

The writer chose to use the Xbox One as the example but cows should realize this article refers to both consoles. Console gaming isn't what it used to be. Instead of just opening up and playing games, you have 5 hour long firmware patches, DRM bullshit, useless apps, forced online, pay for fucking online, ect it's just retarded.

No I don't look at your comments. So I stopped reading there. So are you ready to talk to the moderators about how they're not doing their job properly? You complain about it enough I suspect you want to get this sorted, pronto.

I think it's an interesting topic taken from an entirely different perspective in gaming. I have seen first hand how slow the XBone was when it launched and I know for a fact that the PS4 is not quite as beleaguered by the same issues (Yes, they are DEFINITELY still present).

In the grander context, going based off of my own judgements from experience, the fact the author is lambasting the XBone because of this problem seems to underscore the fact that the system was not designed with game performance in mind. In a very tangible way, it was a large departure from what peoples expectations would be for a Gen8 system after Gen7 had much of the same problems.

PS4 load times are a lot better than the PS3s. At least, from what I have personally seen. On the flip-side, the XBone is pretty atrocious. Perhaps we could do some testing. It would be an awesome System Wars thread to see if we can put our consoles to the test against what a mobile gamer experiences when trying to use a Gen8 console. After all, if the industry is to expand, it will need people like the author to jump on board. Maybe, we could prove him wrong, if a Lem or Manticore wants to put it through the paces.

Seems like a half-hearted attempt to derail the thread because you know the XBones patching times are atrocious. Is that what you're trying to get across? Do you want to stop crying about it and be about it? Welcome to System Wars.

"As the mobile guy"

let's just stop right there

meltdown confirmed

he's always melting down. Even when he types out normal comments.

Meltdown continues

Deflection of topic at hand to make him feel better of his purchase,

Even for an ALT PUPPET, that's sad.

I own an Xbone so I can speak truthfully, honestly and without bias.

but we all know the PLAYSTATION brand will live forever and good gravy that's a relief, after-all SONY and PLAYSTATION are synonymous with world class gaming.

1st it was games that needed Patches. Now the whole freaking console itself needs a patch.... A day one patch..... A mandatory day one patch. In other words they sold it to you broken and they want you to go out of your way to fix it. Atleast with a PC you can open that shit and fix it yourself. Why pay $500 give up that level of autonomy ? Morons :p !

Heres the thing... Microsoft will eventually get a few of these problems fixed but heres the other thing.... It wouldn't have to be that way if they weren't so damn misguided in the 1st place, them and they're stupid cloud. And with the level of preparation and prerequisites it needs its just not worth it... Add to boot they don't got many 4 player games... For the couch.

Congradulations Lemmings you finaly have a machine that Rivals the PC.... In all the worst ways possible. :p I wonder what this says about Americans since the US is practically the only Territory they own ?

Try selling that broken piece of shit in Europe !

I think he has real HATE for a piece of plastic. I think we need to turn this around and offer him, LOVE and understanding. It's what SONY teaches us. Don'y forget to LIVE and at the same time LEARN.

TELL EM! TELL EM!

@ Rocky_Denace

The PS4 will get its trial soon enough. Right now Xbox One is in the hot seat and god daym its on Fire ! :D

lol I may have over played my hand With that last part.

Then you see that the PS4 is the world's most powerful video game console to have ever been created in the history of video games and to top off that, it's $100 cheaper. WOW! No wonder SONY and the PS4 is selling so much better than the Xbone. Maybe the Arthur has some real, VALID points.

How long did it take you to get up and gaming when you pulled your PS4 out of the box?

Testify, my brother! Let em know!

Wow, glad I just got off work or this could have turned out bad