Is Xbox one S worth it?

[Lineoutt]

Hello everyone,

TLDR: Will Xbox one S give good highly playable performance on modded skyrim/witcher 3?

I'm a simple person. I want to get a console primarily to play skyrim and probably witcher 3 and possibly other such games. I don't need it to be eye-bleedingly crystal clear but I would like it to look immersively good and have good PERFORMANCE. I plan to mod skyrim to make the world feel more alive and some immersion /survival mods. I found a good deal for an Xbox one S but saw some concerns that the performance was chunky and loadtimes were forever. I'm a casual gamer (a binge-casual gamer?) and the thought of spending 3 million dollars on the new Xbox one X just about gives me a hernia. At the same time, though, the thought of spending $230(with game) for an Xbox one s that takes a year and a day to load modded ultra graphics riften, or a witcher inventory; or just feeling like I'm playing a stop-motion game - to the extent that it makes playing the game tedious and not fun anymore... well I don't want that either.

So basically my options right now are to get an Xbox one s or move on with the grieving process and forget about games that I can't play on my iPhone.
Any experienced Xbox one S owners care to shed some light?

Many thanks,
Lineoutt

 

[laggyteabag]

Mmmmm, swings and roundabouts.

The PS4 will give you better performance for both games, but the modding scene for Skyrim on the PS4 is laughable due to the restrictions.

For the Xbox One, looking at Digital Foundry's performance reviews for both games, you can expect the occasional drop below 30 FPS, though recent updates may have improved performance.

Just to keep in mind that the Xbox One is only so powerful, so modding may reduce the performance futher, and the size restriction for mods may hinder your desired experience.

As for load times, yeah, they are going to be long. Nothing that you can do about that, aside from replacing the internal HDD or getting a quick external one.

On a tangent, if you are looking at getting only one console this generation, and you do not have a PC capable of playing games, I must recommend that you get a PS4, frankly. Yeah, you (mostly) lose the mod support for Skyrim, but you will see better performance across most games vs the Xbox One, and the lineup of other exclusive games this generation is simply much better, so you will get a lot more longevity out of it.

Food for thought.

 

[gorfias]

xbox one s owners

Got the OG. Hope that counts. I got just about everything.
Xbox One (s) I've seen go for as little as $220 during this season, even some with games. You cannot get a decent gaming PC for that. The S is supposedly better than the OG, and I find the OG, especially after updates, to be very playable. I have a good wireless 5ghz (The XB1 sees it, the PS4 OG does not). And, at $220, you cannot even get an HD Bluray player for that if you are going to put it on a 4K TV and would like to watch UHD dics.
You'll have a good time. For my money, the most comfortable game pad I've ever used.

Some other considerations:
1. Switch: Skyrim is coming (already on?) the Nintendo Switch. Might fit your life style more.
2. Online: if you need online (damn them, even youtube and Netflix are behind the PS+ and Windows Gold paywalls!) $60 for gold, 50 for PS+ per year. Both services give you some free games per year.
3. Controllers: XB1 the best. You have to buy your own rechargable battery BUT that allows you to easily swap them out when they die. PS4 not as good IMHO, rechargable battery but short life between charges. Annoying glowing light in front for anticipated motion games that I don't think really happened.
4. Storage: high def games take a ton. Buy the 500 Gb versions and then;
PS4: R&R it for a 2.5" 5400 2 TB. Nice internal storage. or
I put a 3 TB USB 3.0 external neatly behind my Xbox. Used rather than R&R the 500 GB and added the 3 TB to it.

But I'd advise looking into your gaming PC options. You can get something pretty cheap and lower the settings enough to play well. Free online, better storage options, you can add a game controller to it, hook it up to the TV or get a laptop.

I have Skyrim for the PC. Insane amount of modding fun to be had there.

You can't go wrong. I'm sure you'll have some fun.