2018 Could Be A Great Year For Microsoft's Xbox One X

David Their, my colleague here at Forbes, recently wrote a revealing article on why 2018 could be a difficult year for the Xbox One X. His reasoning is convincing, and next year could very well work as predicted for Microsoft's state . the art console However, I believe that an alternative result is also possible. The One X could have a great year, and possibly the year that changes the game in 2018.

Who will buy One X?

One of the important points that David raises is that the PS4 has a much stronger console line than the Xbox One console. As things stand now, that's a compelling reason to prefer the PS4, and it will be based even more on the Exceptional list of Sony exclusives scheduled for 2018. As regards the console exclusives, there is no competition. The PS4 wins away.

The incredible exclusives of the PS4 are one of the reasons why it has dominated the console space since the vanilla version was released in November 2013. The PS4 family consoles have sold 70 million units at the beginning of December. 2017. The Xbox One has not ended nearly as well, but that may work in favor of One X in 2018.

The exclusive consoles of the PS4 are impressive, but it is likely to be an important factor for customers who decide to buy an Xbox One and a PS4. Sony's massive leadership in console sales means that there are many people who already have a PS4 but do not have an Xbox One. Many of these people are not deciding which console to buy, they are deciding whether to buy a One X in addition to their PS4. Now you can play PS4 exclusives, your question is if you want to play third-party developer games on the One X chart.

Some people who own a cutting-edge PS4 or a PS4 Slim can decide whether to buy the PS4 Pro or the One X. Most of the games that have been improved for both consoles are best seen in the One X. For people who decide between a Pro and a One X, the question is whether the improvements you'll get with the Pro for the exclusive games that you can play on the PS4 that you already own outweigh the superior experience available for many multiplatform games on the One X.

I do not know how these questions will answer people who buy new consoles in 2018. However, I think Sony's brilliant range of exclusive consoles is unlikely to be a critical factor for many who make these decisions.

The time factor: word of mouth

I ordered a One X the day of open orders in August. Based on the technology that Microsoft included in the One X and the impressive list of improved games announced for release, I decided to choose the Xbox One version of every multiplatform game I bought that day. I regret that decision; I wish I had done it before. There are so many games that I am playing in the Pro that I would like to play in the One X. If you have a 4K TV and you are sitting at the right distance from the screen, the outstanding graphics in the One X are undeniable. No console has looked so good.

The initial sales for One X were much higher than expected, and more people will buy the console as it advances in 2018. Many of those who have the console will be as impressed as I am by how good their games are. And they're going to tell others about that. Some may want, like me, to play some of their PS4 games on the One X. They will also tell others about it.

As more people spread the word, more people will receive the message, and the idea of ​​playing in a One X would be more attractive. There could be a snowball effect in 2018 as One X's sales gain momentum. through word of mouth That snowball could become an avalanche due to the technological gap between the One X and anything the PS4 can offer.

The time factor: the technological gap

Perhaps the most important factor that impacts One X's sales is that Microsoft's graphics power is not expected to be competitive for much of 2018. The Pro is great, but it's not in the same league as the One X, and Sony has been silent so far about when they plan to launch an improved Playstation. The One X is the only game in the city for players who want maximum performance and superior graphics.

If Sony does not launch a competitive console until the end of 2018 or beyond, Microsoft will have had months to establish the One X as the king of technology in the console space. If the One X becomes synonymous with graphic excellence in the minds of consumers, the momentum created after months without competition may be too much for Sony to overcome unless they can offer a much more powerful console at a similar price.

A one-year technology gap between the One X and the Pro could change the market share in the console space to Xbox. If the next Sony console is not demonstrably better than the One X, that change could continue after the next Playstation. If that happens, the One X will change the rules of the game in 2018.

2018 will be excellent or difficult for One X?

It seems to me that the critical factor that will govern the destiny of One X in 2018 will be how Microsoft makes use of the time that passes before Sony responds with a competitive Playstation. A reorientation of the console space that changes the game is possible, but I think it's a remote possibility. The strong sales of Xbox One during 2018 seem more likely. The longer it takes Sony to close Microsoft's window of opportunity, the more successful One X will be.

I do not know how One X is doing in 2018. David offered convincing reasons why the console may have a difficult time and I hope I have done the same with respect to why the perspective can be brilliant. I hope the result is somewhere between these two points of view.