The Xbox One has changed my gaming paradigm — thankfully. I’ve been a long time PC gamer and messed with the distraction of a console now and again. Most recently, I’ve owned the Xbox 360 and have played a game or three on that platform. However, those games were always uninspiring, had bland graphics when compared to my beloved PC, and never really captured a true gaming experience for me.
That changed over the holidays as Santa was kind enough to deposit an Xbox One in my Christmas Day stocking so I’ve spent the last 24 hours delving into everything Xbox. Santa also had the forethought to bring a couple of titles along, namely: FIFA 14, Dead Rising 3, Forza 5, and Ryse (though I have my eye and gift card set on Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag). I’ve played precisely two of those games thus far and have been absolutely stunned at the gaming experience in FIFA 14 and Dead Rising 3.
I’d read a couple of reviews saying the XB1 was not much better than the 360, that 720p isn’t that far from 1080p so why bother? Huh. My response to that ignorant gibberish is wondering just how high or drunk the author was.
Allow me to be clear: the difference between the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One is precisely seven years of technology, seven years of speed, mixed with stunning graphics, fabulous gameplay, and a cohesive ecosystem designed with gamers in mind. When I say stunning graphics, I mean I’m actually playing the high definition cut scenes typically found on PC games but they come alive on this platform. What gives me chills is I actually considered jumping ship and trying the PS4 during this gaming update but as I sit here, within one month of console release, I believe the Xbox One has the opening salvo of games wired tight. Times may change but as I glance up at my 60 inch plasma, I’m convinced I made the correct gaming platform decision. Moreover, I’m convinced the Xbox One will become a gaming staple over the next few days, months, and years while relegating my PC to something of a novelty in the background. Why sit in an office chair when I can relax in an overstuffed leather chair and smash zombies, score goals, set the lap record, or be the instrument of Rome’s fall. Well played, Microsoft. Well played indeed.