Microsoft’s Xbox One X is an incredibly powerful gaming console, the most powerful in the world. However, the console’s $500 price tag was seen as a major obstacle to its mainstream success. Microsoft has said earlier that the Xbox One X demand was “exactly” where the company anticipated. Now chief executive Satya Nadella has said that the console has received an “incredible response” from consumers.
Satya Nadella happy with the incredible response from fans
During Microsoft’s annual shareholder meeting, Satya Nadella talked about the company’s plans for the gaming business and the breakout success of the Xbox One X. Microsoft’s biggest rivals Sony and Nintendo have reported strong sales numbers for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But the Redmond company hadn’t talked about the One X sales during the holiday weekend.
It’s no secret that Microsoft’s most powerful console has received a lukewarm response in Japan. But the console seems to be selling well in the US and European markets. Nadella told investors that the company would offer games as a service by allowing easier access to games on as many of Microsoft’s platforms as possible. Microsoft was broadening its approach to “think about gaming end-to-end.” He didn’t explain exactly how it would unfold, though.
Nadella wants to expand Microsoft’s gaming services beyond Game Pass and Mixer. He hopes to bring together the PC, mobile, and console gamers into one single entity. The Microsoft CEO is keen to “grow and engage the over 53 million Xbox Live members more deeply and frequently.” He didn’t say what percentage of the 53 million members have an Xbox console.
Talking about the Xbox One X launch, he told investors that it was the “most technically advanced and most powerful console ever built.” Not even Microsoft’s fiercest rivals can dispute his claim. Nadella added that the console had seen an “incredible response from fans this Holiday season.” The Project Scorpio edition of the console sold out pretty fast. He did not reveal the exact sales numbers, though.
The Xbox One X is a great holiday gift, especially when bundled with a 4K TV that could take full advantage of its capabilities. The console received its first discount on Black Friday. Only time will tell whether the One X would be able to maintain the “incredible” momentum through the holiday season and in 2018. NPD analyst Mat Piscatella estimates that the console would surpass his initial prediction of 600,000 units sold this year.
Microsoft giving early Xbox One X buyers the Lego Batman movie for free
Probably overwhelmed by the consumer response, Microsoft has decided to give the early adopters of the Xbox One X a free copy of The Lego Batman Movie in 4K UHD. According to a Reddit thread, people who purchased the console during the launch week have received free download codes for The Lego Batman Movie in their inbox. Microsoft seems to be giving out the code in waves because some One X owners are still waiting for the surprise message.
If you haven’t received the code yet, check if you have registered your console with Microsoft. You should receive it in the next few days or weeks. The console’s biggest selling points are high dynamic range (HDR) color and true 4K resolution. Most gamers don’t have a 4K TV to take advantage of the console’s immense power. But the 4K TV consumer base is growing quickly, which could help boost the Xbox One X sales in the future.
Microsoft’s new console packs 12GB GDDR5 RAM, 326GB/s memory bandwidth, 1TB of storage, and 4K Blu-ray player. It runs the same titles as the Xbox One, though the games are enhanced to deliver a better visual experience on the One X. It comes with a wireless controller, an HDMI 2.0 cable, a power cable, a one-month free Game Pass subscription, and a 14-day Xbox Live Gold membership.
Though the console is designed for 4K gaming, it delivers enhanced visuals even on 1080p and 1440 screens. Polygon called the One X “undeniably the best console to play multiplatform games.” However, if you are looking to buy the console, you’d want to have a 4K HDR TV because that’s where you will get the best experience.
Fortnite for Xbox One X gets an update
Epic Games has announced that they have updated Fortnite game for the Xbox One X. The update allows the game to render at 80% of 4K ( 3072 x 1728 pixels) on Microsoft’s latest console. The visuals are then unsampled to 4K. The PS4 Pro version of Fortnite still runs at 1080p resolution. The game’s popularity has been growing since Epic Games released the Battle Royale mode recently.
With the latest update, the developer has also made a few changes to both the Save the World and Battle Royale modes. The Battle Royale has new Smoke Grenades that you can use for secondary cover. In Save the World, there are now Vindertech Weapons that you can play around with.
