Gaming PCs Vs. Xbox Series X: What You Should Know?
Gaming devices
Gaming is a major activity worldwide with people of all ages playing games. Gaming fans play games of different genres on different devices. Some play on their mobile phones. The best experience of playing games is through gaming consoles. People also play games on their PCs. In fact, gaming started on the PC platform, and even today, a huge number of people play games on their PCs. Gaming consoles like the Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and others are popular as they offer special hardware that makes gaming faster with additional features.
These gaming consoles come with joysticks and other game controllers to enhance the gaming experience. It is no wonder that gaming devices have become extremely popular. One of the popular gaming consoles is the Xbox series from Microsoft. Like other gaming console manufacturers, Microsoft has been working to enhance the features of the gaming devices. Their latest product, which is expected to be released sometime in 2020, is Xbox Series X. It is expected that this device will revolutionize the world of gaming.
What is the Xbox Series X
The Xbox Series X device is expected to be different from the others in the series. The first change is that the device would be in the form of a rectangular box that makes it look like a PC. This is different from the earlier design. The new design brings it with enhanced gaming power. There is also a fan on the top of the new box to be able to cool down the device with high processing power. The device is expected to have a Gaming Processor Unit of 12 teraflops, which is more than double that of the present Xbox One. This will significantly enhance gaming speed.
With a resolution of up to 8K, AMD Radeon RDNA 2 graphics card, GDDR6 SDRAM with virtual RAM capability, an AMD Navi/Zen 2 processor, and a 120 fps frame rate, this device is going to change the gaming experience. The device will offer blazing speed, making gaming faster. The loading time of games is also expected to be faster. With all these features coming up in the Xbox Series X, a question that arises is what happens to gaming PCs? Will gaming PCs become obsolete? Is the Xbox Series X an alternate to gaming PCs?
Xbox Series X and Gaming PCs
When we look at gaming PCs and compare it with the new Xbox Series X, one thing is clear, which is that the processing power of the Xbox will make it a tough competitor for gaming PCs. Hardly any of the gaming PCs can give a challenge to the Xbox, thanks to the 12 teraflops performance. The NVidia RTX 2080 Ti at present is the only gaming PC that can boast of greater processing power at 13.4 teraflops. However, it is priced quite high and may not be affordable for all gamers. We don’t know the price of Xbox Series X, and it is unlikely that the price will be revealed until its launch; however, it looks as though the price will be competitive, making things tough for the gaming PC market.
In fact, Microsoft is not projecting Xbox Series X as a competitor to gaming PCs. The device itself is being projected as an advanced gaming PC. This gives two benefits. One is that the device can be the fastest and best gaming PC in the market. At the same time, it will also dominate the gaming console market, giving a tough fight to Sony and Nintendo. It is clear that Microsoft’s new device is going to revolutionize the gaming industry. It will give the device a distinct advantage over the PC.
In this scenario, what are the advantages that the Xbox Series X will have compared to gaming PCs?
- The device is like a gaming PC with advanced gaming power that can take on any gaming PC in the market.
- It allows gamers to enjoy the best of both worlds – a device that has the power of a gaming PC but is a gaming console that has all the features of a top-quality console.
- Speed, as well as the processing power of the device, are going to be its main attractions and will make it a hit with gamers. It offers greater power than its competitors. All attention is now on Sony to see how they will respond with the new PlayStation.
- The device will offer 8K resolution with up to 120 fps and support ray tracing that makes gaming truly pleasurable. This is a major feature of the Xbox Series X.
- Many top gaming companies are geared up to release the latest versions of their games for the Xbox Series X, which will be an added bonus for gamers.
- Microsoft is not going to make exclusive games for this device; instead, the games will be made to support older devices too. With this strategy, they expect people with lower budgets to choose the Xbox One and yet get to play all the games that are available for Xbox Series X.
- It is rumored that Microsoft is planning two new gaming devices. One is the Xbox Series X, which will have top-gear hardware, making it a gaming powerhouse. They are expected to come out with a lite version of the Xbox Series X in a device with the code name Lockheart. This device is expected to have a slightly less powerful configuration and will be offered at much better pricing.
- The new controller is expected to be handier and has new features that give the device a distinct edge.
This brings us to the question of whether there is anything in gaming PCs that give it an advantage over the Xbox Series X. There are a couple of things like:
- The Xbox will not have all games on offer, whereas the PC platforms provide access to virtually all games under the sky. Certain games are released exclusively for Nintendo and the Playstation; these games will not be available on the Xbox. PC users can get the best games from all these platforms.
- The main advantage of a PC is that it offers flexibility. You can open it up and add a video card, enhance memory, and do what you want. This is one feature that gaming devices do not offer.
- The PC is, well, a PC. It is not just for gaming. You can use it for work and then play on it. The Xbox Series X is a pure gaming device that cannot be used for any other application. You can read reviews of a game, play a demo version, download and play the game, write a review on it, and do more using a PC. The Xbox can be used only to play.
- Another advantage the PC offers is the ability to mod games, where you can make changes to games. This is something you probably will not be able to do on a gaming console.
Will the gaming PC become obsolete?
A big question that people are asking is whether the gaming PC has a future. With Xbox Series X having more power than gaming PCs, questions are being raised about the future of gaming PCs. Is there a possibility that the Xbox will dominate the market so much that it will make gaming PCs obsolete? We look at the answers to these questions:
- The Xbox Series X may have the powerful processing power, but when we look at the overall advantages for a gamer, it remains to be seen how much of an effect it has. Since the device is not yet out, we need to wait for its release before its effect can be seen.
- The X factor in Series X is the pricing. It is not known what the pricing will be. It is definitely not going to be offered at a price that will kill the PC. The configuration ensures it will be fairly high-priced. This ensures that those with a low budget will still go with the PC.
- The Xbox Series X may pose a serious challenge to top-end gaming PCs but is unlikely to cause too much of a problem to gaming PCs in general.
- The variety of options available in PCs will ensure that it will not become obsolete. Gaming PCs will continue to flourish, though there may be temporary setbacks, which all depend on the final product released by Microsoft.
Conclusion
The upcoming Xbox Series X is going to revolutionize the gaming world. The new device will not only challenge other console manufacturers but will also pose a stiff challenge for gaming PCs. With greater processing power, it will present itself as an alternative to gaming PCs. Though the price of this device is not known, one thing we can be sure of is that it is unlikely to make PCs obsolete.
