What is an Xbox?
Xbox is the name of the video game consoles produced by Microsoft. The console versions that have so far been produced by Microsoft are Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The best Xbox One, the latest edition, is considered an eighth-generation console and is intended to be a video game console as well as a complete multimedia entertainment center.
Advantages and Disadvantages of an Xbox
The Xbox is a powerful console with a number of features and benefits. The Xbox is also cheaper than its main rival, the Sony PlayStation 4. It also has a very long list of exclusive games that cannot be found on PlayStation, which adds a level of exclusivity. The Xbox is also excellent for playing online multiplayer games. Finally, the impressive image quality is a great advantage of the Xbox.
An aspect that makes the Xbox stand out is the possibility of subscribing to the Xbox Game Pass, an online video game subscription-based service that allows anyone access to over 100 games rather than purchasing each game individually. However, a disadvantage of the Xbox console is that to play online games you need to pay for the Xbox Live Gold service.
Advantages
- Perfect console to play online multiplayer games
- Wide range of games
- Xbox Game Pass allows you to enjoy more than 100 games for a fraction of the cost
- If you own a Windows computer, you can transfer content from your computer to the Xbox console
- 4K resolution
- Features an HDMI port
- You can record your video games and easily share them on the internet
Disadvantages
- Unable to compete with today’s video game-oriented PCs
- Paying for Xbox Live Gold is required to play online multiplayer games
Shopping Criteria for the Best Xbox
When it comes time to purchase an Xbox console, it is important that you consider a number of shopping criteria so that you can make a successful purchase. To help you in the selection process, we’ve selected the aspects that we think are most important. We hope that these shopping criteria will serve as a purchasing guide to choose the best Xbox model that best suits your needs.
- Included games
- Processor
- Random-access memory (RAM)
- Included accessories
- Storage capacity
- Connectivity
Included Games
The different Xbox models always include one or more games. On the market at the moment, the Xbox models usually include one of the two most popular Xbox games: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite. There are also some Xbox packs that come with classic titles such as Minecraft Creators.
If racing is your thing, it is common to find the best Xbox consoles that come with racing games such as Forza Horizon 4 or Forza Motorsport 7. If you prefer adventure games, you can opt for the console that comes with Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Whatever game combination you choose, there is a variety of possibilities that suit just about everyone’s taste.
Processor
The Xbox One processor was developed by AMD and is part of its Jaguar family of APUs. The processor consists of a total of eight x86-64 cores with clock frequencies of 1.75 GHz for the Xbox One S and 2.3 GHz for the Xbox One X.
The Xbox One processor is intended to be very energy efficient and to provide strong multitasking performance, as well as being very economical. The improvement in the processor of the One X model provides better performance in the games, as well as a reduction in the load time of games.
RAM
Along with the processor, the random-access memory (RAM), is the other fundamental element for determining the performance of the console. When it comes to the Xbox One, the basic version and the One S version have 8 GB of DDR RAM, while the One X version comes with 12 GB of GDDR5 RAM. As is expected, the difference in RAM can be seen in the higher price and better performance of the One X model.
Included Accessories
There is no doubt that playing video games is far more enjoyable with other people, especially friends or family. That’s why we recommend that the pack you choose comes with two controllers, so you can play with others. In many cases, you’ll find consoles that only come with one controller, so you’ll have to buy another one separately. Another interesting accessory is gamer headphones so that you can talk to other players online.
Storage Capacity
When choosing an Xbox One model, the storage capacity of the console should be considered closely. If you are planning on purchasing an Xbox One S, you’ll have to choose between the 500 GB or the 1 TB option. Our recommendation is that you choose the 1 TB option unless you’re on a tight budget.
Keep in mind that there are complex games like Halo: The Master Chief Collection, that take up more than 100 GB of space. As soon as you install three or four games like this, you’ll start experiencing storage capacity issues. Storage capacity will particularly become a problem if you subscribe to the Xbox Game Pass. An option to seriously consider is the digital version Xbox One S that does not come with a hard drive, rather with cloud storage, which means that the storage capacity is far greater.
Connectivity
One aspect that the best Xbox development team has placed special emphasis on during the console development process is making the Xbox One a multimedia entertainment center with multiple connectivity options. To begin with, all three Xbox One consoles have Wi-Fi and an Ethernet cable connection to the internet.
They also feature a USB 3.0 and HDMI 1.4 in-out connection. Both the One S and One X versions have three USB ports so that you can connect a number of devices simultaneously. With the HDMI port, the Xbox console can receive a video signal from other equipment, such as a computer, Blu-Ray player, or even another console.