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Microsoft Outlines the Upgrade Procedures For Xbox One X (arstechnica.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the ready-to-play dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The easiest way to get all your games to the new system, as outlined by Microsoft Vice President Mike Ybarra, will be to just put them on an external USB hard drive and then plug that drive into the new console. "All your games are ready to play" immediately after this external hard drive move, he said, and user-specific settings can also be copied via external hard drive in the same way. If you don't have an external drive handy, "we're going to let you copy games and apps off your home network instead of having to manually move them or redownload them off the Internet," Ybarra said. It's unclear right now if Microsoft will mirror the PS4 Pro and allow this kind of system-to-system transfer using an Ethernet cable plugged directly into both consoles. For those who want to see as many pixels as possible as quickly as possible when they get their Xbox One X, Ybarra says you'll be able to download 4K updates for supported games before the Xbox One X is even available, then use those updates immediately after the system transfer. Microsoft also released a list of 118 current and upcoming games that will be optimized for the Xbox One X via updates, a big increase from the few dozens announced back at E3.

48 comments

  1. Uh, Microsoft... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

    There are two x's in Xbox.

    1. Re:Uh, Microsoft... by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      And there's three X's in "Xbox One X".

      Oh yeah! 4K 3D hentai porn! Dead or Alive Xtreme Tentacles!

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    2. Re:Uh, Microsoft... by darkain · · Score: 1

      No no no no, you're reading it wrong. It is an acronym! "XBOX" stands for "X Box One X"!

    3. Re:Uh, Microsoft... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      "XBOX" stands for "X Box One X"!

      Brilliant! Someone should tell Microsoft. ;)

  2. Wait by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    People are buying game consoles from Microsoft? The same Microsoft that's spying on everyone, pushing ads on your paid-for-but-not-really-yours computer operating system that tried to push a fucking touch interface down our throats?

  3. XBox One X by HumanWiki · · Score: 1

    Anyone else notice that they made it such that it just spells XBOX when you shorten it?

    1. Re:XBox One X by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Obligatory XKCD.

    2. Re:XBox One X by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      No, it spells XOX when you shorten it. Unless you spell Xbox as X-Box...?

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    3. Re: XBox One X by HumanWiki · · Score: 1

      The title of my post has capitals in there for a reason.

      XBO is Xbox One, so XBox One X would be XBOX.

    4. Re: XBox One X by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Capitalize all you want, the first letter of Xbox is X, not XB.

    5. Re: XBox One X by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I believe you are still missing his point.

    6. Re: XBox One X by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, I believe that you are missing the other guy's point.

    7. Re: XBox One X by HumanWiki · · Score: 1

      No, I believe that you are missing the other guy's point.

      Other than being intentionally dense, there was no point.

    8. Re: XBox One X by HumanWiki · · Score: 1

      Capitalize all you want, the first letter of Xbox is X, not XB.

      Then why, exactly, is Xbox One abbreviated as XBO?

      Either log in as yourself, or don't reply.

    9. Re: XBox One X by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      XBO = marketing and the fact that Sony uses three letters for their console names.
      Remember "PS" for Playstation? Xbox One is "XO", I don't care what the marketing department of Microsoft calls it.
      You always only use the first letter of each word in an acronym.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
  4. Xbox One X by bigdavex · · Score: 1, Funny

    What is that, 19 in pig Latin numerals?

    --
    -Dave
  5. Who bothers with a console? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Who bothers with a console? I hit steam, buy a PC game for $19.99. If I want a game on the console, I am paying $79.99 for the physical media ($79.98 if I buy it used), then have to pay another C-note just for DLC, so I have a chance of actually winning, and so the side quests are present, making the game make sense. Of course, since the saves are locked to the console, I'm hosed, where with the PC, I can do a game restore and be OK.

    If you want to be an end user, who does what he/she is told, and opens the wallet when EA or Ubisoft demands more cash for the same tired old IP that hasn't changed since the early 2000s, by all means... buy a console. If you like actual gaming, PC is where it is at.

    1. Re:Who bothers with a console? by HumanWiki · · Score: 1

      Who bothers with a console? I hit steam, buy a PC game for $19.99. If I want a game on the console, I am paying $79.99 for the physical media ($79.98 if I buy it used), then have to pay another C-note just for DLC, so I have a chance of actually winning, and so the side quests are present, making the game make sense. Of course, since the saves are locked to the console, I'm hosed, where with the PC, I can do a game restore and be OK.

      If you want to be an end user, who does what he/she is told, and opens the wallet when EA or Ubisoft demands more cash for the same tired old IP that hasn't changed since the early 2000s, by all means... buy a console. If you like actual gaming, PC is where it is at.

      And if you want to play games with any real level of quality, you'll be shelling out for a PC -- which you skipped fully over there in your inept rant. You'll also be paying for an OS, another 100 or two there.

      Also, I buy games at 59.99 -- not your 79.99, so I'm already 20 ahead of your quote. You don't shell out 100.00 for DLC unless you're an idiot. Depending on how fast you play them, you can trade them back in for at least 50% of their value -- so, now I'm down to like 25-30 worth of expense....

      If you're going to bring the penis measuring BS, try to know WTF you're talking about.

    2. Re:Who bothers with a console? by dstyle5 · · Score: 1

      I can't remember the last time I paid $80 for a console game. You can either: 1) wait for the game to get cheaper or 2) pre-order games during E3 and get some for 20% off, or some bigger named titles for $50. This E3 I pre-ordered Battlefront 2 and a few others for $50 (CAD) from Amazon. In Canada new PC games are now priced the same as the console versions for the most part.

      I game on both PC and consoles and while PCs do have some advantages (run at higher framesrates/res, customization, k/b and mouse), consoles have some niceties as well (sit on the couch, play games with friends not on PC, no Windows 10 headaches).

      Nintendo is the only company AFAIK that locks saves to their consoles, Sony and Microsoft have had cloud saves available since the 360/PS3 gen. I'm using 360 saves on my Xbox One for backwards compatible games.

    3. Re:Who bothers with a console? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      New consoles are released only every couple years, and it is not always necessary to even upgrade as those are usually just iterations. Xbox One X is the prime example - this is not a replacement for the existing lineup, it is just a beefed up model. All current Xbox One games will continue to play just fine on all Xbox Ones.

      Your gaming PC, on the other hand, is an endless money pit. Just to start out, it cost more than a console to build (significantly more, and if you deny this, then I can assure you that your "gaming rig" is a piece of shit - a graphics card that is powerful enough to handle all current games costs more by itself than an entire current-gen console). Then, it will need upgrades every few months just to keep up with the ridiculous sky-rocketing game requirements.

    4. Re:Who bothers with a console? by sexconker · · Score: 1

      Sony locks certain saves to the console too. Or at least they did in the PS3 days. Annoying.

    5. Re:Who bothers with a console? by HAKdragon · · Score: 1

      On the PS3, Sony didn't have a mandate - they left it up to the developer/publisher.

      --
      "Our opponent is an alien starship packed with atomic bombs. We have a protractor."
    6. Re:Who bothers with a console? by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      Who bothers with a console?

      I'm going to take it that either you live in Australia or some country without PSN access. I'm also going to assume that you're a PC Master Race sort of guy.

      I hit steam, buy a PC game for $19.99.

      I hit PSN, buy a PSwhatever game for $19.99

      I am paying $79.99 for the physical media

      Australia? Bandwidth caps and slow internet? Because here in the US new "AAA" PS4 games cost $59.99, unless they're some kind of "Deluxe edition". Also All games are available in digital form, in fact, some games are ONLY available digitally and don't have retail releases.

      Of course, since the saves are locked to the console, I'm hosed, where with the PC, I can do a game restore and be OK.

      I don't know where you got that idea because that is NOT the case in the Playstation ecosystem. There's cloud saves and you can still physically back them up on top of that, which I just did to USB on the PS3 and PS4. They will be saved at: /PS3/SAVEDATA/game-id-number-foo (for example the PS3 Skyrim option save is in BLUS-30778-OPTION- and /PS4/SAVEDATA/ps4-id-number/game-id-number (PS4 skyrim digital saves are in the CUSA05333 folder)

      And to the PC with the Vita via QCMA. where they will be in ~/PS Vita/APP/vita-id-number/game-id/savedata

      opens the wallet when EA or Ubisoft demands more cash

      Really, and there aren't EA or Ubisoft games on PC?

      http://store.steampowered.com/...

      for the same tired old IP that hasn't changed since the early 2000s,

      Considering the top games being played on Steam right now are:

      Dota 2 (MOBA)
      PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS (yet another shooter)
      Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (yet another shooter)
      H1Z1: King of the Kill (shooter)
      Grand Theft Auto V
      Team Fortress 2 (shooter)
      Football Manager 2017 yearly sports game
      PAYDAY 2 (co-op shooter)
      Path of Exile (diablo clone)
      Warframe (co-op mmo shooter)

      You really think PC gamers are some kind of "cerebral master race"? They're no different from the Madden addled Xboxers.

      If you like actual gaming, PC is where it is

      That's silly, gaming is on any platform you want to do it on. PC, console, mobile-console, phone, tablet, whatever.

    7. Re:Who bothers with a console? by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      I've not seen this behavior with any games I own, which games?

    8. Re:Who bothers with a console? by rogoshen1 · · Score: 1

      you know, with steam's big picture mode + xbox 360 controller, you really do get the best of both worlds.

    9. Re:Who bothers with a console? by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      I can't remember the last time I paid $80 for a console game. You can either: 1) wait for the game to get cheaper or 2) pre-order games during E3 and get some for 20% off, or some bigger named titles for $50. This E3 I pre-ordered Battlefront 2 and a few others for $50 (CAD) from Amazon. In Canada new PC games are now priced the same as the console versions for the most part.

      Or play the games that come free with Xbox Live Gold.

      Sorry, I have PS+ and since the PS4 came out, Sony's been offering lamer and lamer games on PS+. (PS+ games used to be good and people would get excited every month to see what games were new. Now it's more of a "meh").

      At least Microsoft's offering is decent still (they still need to compete, and while Sony's resting on its laurels faking in PS4 cash, Microsoft's being the underdog and actually competing again). Even the 360 games are decent (and unlike the PS4, Microsoft ensures the free 360 games also play on Xbone).

      Microsoft was resting on their laurels for the Xbox360, but since their Xbone's doing not as well (understatement), Microsoft's been trying to claw back some userbase. It is really annoying, because Sony and Microsoft do well competing, but it's more of a "if I'm winning, I'm going to just coast".

    10. Re: Who bothers with a console? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good point, I just bought an Xbox one S, with five games brand new for 200 GBP picking up lots of cheap great games. Haven't had a console since my PS3 suddenly died about four years ago.

    11. Re:Who bothers with a console? by sexconker · · Score: 1

      Can't even remember. I just knew it was a potential issue and decided to avoid the whole mess when I first got my PS3 by adding in a larger hard drive on day 1.
      As HAKdragon mentioned, it was up to developers to lock the saves or not. I believe when PS+ came about the issue was "resolved" because you could backup your saves to Sony's servers to get around the lock. Of course, that assumes you are paying the monthly subscription.

  6. A resounding by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Meh. I recently threw in a R9 380x and a 4th gen i5.
    I haven't run into any (recent) game I cannot play and with the 380, the graphics are back to being better than the consoles again.

  7. Why would it be any different by HalAtWork · · Score: 1

    Why would it be any different than the process from moving from an Xbox One to an Xbox One S?

    Kind of old news by now how to do this, and already pops up on a new console with instructions on moving from another system...

    --
    Twinstiq, game news
  8. Always so simple with Micro$hit. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I bet they start selling upgrade kits in the gaming aisle of your local Best Buy with their own overpriced, MS-branded external hard drive.

  9. Two Smart Moves by LeftCoastThinker · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Two smart moves:

    1. Make it easy for your customers to upgrade.

    2. Don't bog down your gaming network as 20M users all try to re-download 5TB worth of games for their new system.

    I own every system since the Atari 2600, but I have been primarily using my PS4 this generation, while I used my 360 primarily last generation. Microsoft made some huge miscalculations with the Xbone and I held off buying it for several years, and since it doesn't have many exclusives, it is mainly a pass through and 360 game player. Hopefully this is more indication of putting the customer first and giving gamers what gamers want first and foremost.

    Sony could learn a thing or two in this regard, as well as backwards comparability so that the customer doesn't feel ripped off buying the same game twice...

    --
    If you disagree, please post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like
    1. Re:Two Smart Moves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Two smart moves:

      1. Make it easy for your customers to upgrade.

      2. Don't bog down your gaming network as 20M users all try to re-download 5TB worth of games for their new system.

      I own every system since the Atari 2600, but I have been primarily using my PS4 this generation, while I used my 360 primarily last generation. Microsoft made some huge miscalculations with the Xbone and I held off buying it for several years, and since it doesn't have many exclusives, it is mainly a pass through and 360 game player. Hopefully this is more indication of putting the customer first and giving gamers what gamers want first and foremost.

      Sony could learn a thing or two in this regard, as well as backwards comparability so that the customer doesn't feel ripped off buying the same game twice...

      5TB of console games? Damn, MS must be in love with you. No offense intended, that is just an astounding number of games to me, particularly at console gaming prices.

    2. Re:Two Smart Moves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only bad point is that Xbox One and Xbox One S owners will be downloading updates to their games that don't benefit their consoles much. Wasting bandwidth and time while they can't play their games while they're updating.

    3. Re:Two Smart Moves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it isn't an astounding number at all. there are a lot of games in the 50-100GB range and even some 100GB+ in size now. I ran out of space on my Xbone not long after it was first released and have 2 USB drives to store games on now.

    4. Re:Two Smart Moves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it isn't an astounding number at all. there are a lot of games in the 50-100GB range and even some 100GB+ in size now. I ran out of space on my Xbone not long after it was first released and have 2 USB drives to store games on now.

      So, are you just trying to prove my point? Taking 100GB, which is on the large side with really only a handful of primarily AAA titles actually needing that, that's 45 games (including overhead) you need to have installed and ready to go at a moments notice? And we both know the reality is most games are much smaller. Even at 50GB that's 90 games and to be that size they would almost exclusively need to be Xbone games. So yeah, I stand behind being astounded both that someone bought 90 Xbone games with 50GB install size and that anyone actually believes they need that many installed and ready to go at one time. And this is from someone who keeps a 40TB NAS primarily for media storage.

    5. Re: Two Smart Moves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Different people are different. News at 11:00

    6. Re:Two Smart Moves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are we supposed to be impressed with your 40TB of furry porn?

  10. The Alien Legacy guy!!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A Dynamix production for any of you who don't know.

    Look on GOG or fall back on torrents if you can't find it for sale online.

    Truly a game with a lot of depth and intrigue. And lots and lots of resource collection, base building, and orders to give out :) But not at all like one thinks of an RTS.

  11. Gonna fail... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    WiiU failed, in part, due to its confusing naming scheme that people didn't understand.
    Microsoft adding an "X" to differentiate the consoles is just as bad. Though they will most likely have third party support at least, parents may not understand why their kids want the "xbox one X" when they already have the "xbox one".

    1. Re:Gonna fail... by Wootery · · Score: 1

      Wii U was indeed a very stupid mis-step, as it sounded too much like the Wii. This isn't the same thing though, as the Xbox One X is an upgraded Xbox One, not a compatibility-breaking whole new console.

      I don't think MS are really targeting it the way you suggest - the price-point makes it clear it's not 'for everyone', it's for people into high-end tech. Their marketing has reinforced this explicitly.

  12. lame by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You have more than one console and can't use them both to render one game.

    What the fuck is this, 1970's? SGI solved this problem with OpenGL's client server model before most of you could read.

  13. Not really by HalAtWork · · Score: 1

    The 360 used a transfer cable, 3DS lets you just copy content between SD cards when you move to a new system, PS3 and PS4 let you use a USB drive to transfer contents to a new system.

    Things have been this way for about 10+ years now, nothing new

    On the other hand on XboxOneX launch day the servers are guaranteed to go down as gamers download all the patches and assets to update their games for the platform!

    --
    Twinstiq, game news
    1. Re:Not really by LeftCoastThinker · · Score: 1

      If you had read the article, I believe that it said that you could pre-download HD patches for existing games before launch day, so that should help further reduce traffic on the servers day one.

      Also, just to be clear, I transferred my data a few times on my 360, and pushing 340GB plus of data through a USB2 connection is a pain in the ass, especially when dealing with all the other DRM related steps you had to take on the old/new HDD, compared to hot swapping a 5TB USB3 HDD that you can copy to overnight. Just saying.

      --
      If you disagree, please post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like
  14. Counting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    X-Box One X - by the company that can't count to two.

    Even Valve is better at counting than that.

  15. Good ideas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I do think the idea of letting people upgrade their games prior to launch is a nice touch.

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