The Biggest Xbox One Problems The Series X Needs To Fix
The Xbox One might be considered the comeback king of this console generation. The console got off on the wrong foot and seemingly dug its own grave with the bundled Kinect, which bumped its price up by $100. It also had some downright anti-consumer features such as always online DRM and used game restrictions. However, Microsoft was quick to abandon these features (and the Kinect), and slowly but surely, the Xbox One became a stellar, must-own console. However, the Xbox One is far from perfect.
Even though the Xbox One X fixed problems like the original Xbox One's bulbous Betamax design (all while stuffing in more powerful hardware), some issues remained. These aren't the kinds of issues that make or break a console, but they certainly got in the way of the Xbox One ever asserting console dominance. But, that's what the Xbox Series X is for. This upcoming console can right the wrongs of the previous generation, especially the flaws that have persisted throughout the Xbox One's seven-year life.
The Xbox One dashboard is aggravatingly slow
As consoles became more advanced, they gained more and more memory. Eventually, consoles could even save games to hard drives so gamers could play their collection without swapping out discs or cartridges. However, with this advancement came the need to keep digital collections neat and tidy. The Xbox One dashboard never managed to nail this down.
From the get-go, the Xbox One dashboard chugged along according to gaming commentators like Rocket Sloth. The lag on display turned the dashboard into a slideshow, and while it has undergone numerous improvements, gamers are quick to point out that lag and speed issues remain. It doesn't matter if you use an OG Xbox One or the more powerful Xbox One X — odds are the dashboard won't respond to your initial commands for several seconds. By then, you will have assumed the command didn't go through and will have repeated it several times, which means you will probably scroll past the game you want to buy and then scroll back and hope the dashboard doesn't overshoot a second time.
While Microsoft is reportedly taking a head-in-the-sand approach to the Xbox Series X and recycling the Xbox One's dashboard, the console is far stronger than the Xbox One. With any luck, the Series X's superior hardware can just force the dashboard into submission so it isn't as laggy or slow. And with even more luck, Microsoft can eventually redesign the dashboard into something zippier.
Xbox controller still run on AA batteries
When video game consoles were in their infancy, wireless consoles were a pipedream, but as technology caught up with manufacturer's aspirations, wireless quickly became the norm. Of course, the question changed from "how to make controllers wireless" to "how to keep controllers powered." At first the answer was the AA battery, which had powered the handheld gaming market, but then most companies realized rechargeable batteries were the future. Microsoft was not one of them.
Xbox 360 controllers used AA batteries, as do the Xbox One's controllers. You can buy a rechargeable Play and Charge Kit for $25, but that's still $25 on top of a $60+ controller. And, if you can't find a kit, you need to occasionally shell out money for AAs. If you're an avid gamer, the costs will start adding up.
While Microsoft has stated that the Xbox Series X will ship with controllers that consume AA batteries, the company might finally listen to the controller critics and build the Xbox Series X controller 2.0, complete with a built-in rechargeable battery. If Microsoft learned this lesson with the $180 Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, the company can make the Xbox Series X herald the end of the AA-eating wireless controller.
The Xbox hasn't had an exclusive title in a long time
Buyers of consoles often base their decisions on the games they want to play. If you want a title like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, or Astral Chain, you probably will purchase a Nintendo Switch. If you would rather play games like Marvel's Spider-Man, God of War, or Ratchet and Clank, you will need a PlayStation 4. But, if you want games like Gears 5, Quantum Break, or Forza Horizon 4, you don't need to buy an Xbox One.
With very few exceptions, every "Xbox One exclusive" is also available on Windows 10. Some titles, such as Forza Horizon 4, are only available through the Microsoft Store, while others, including Quantum Break and Gears 5, can be bought through Steam. In other words, the Xbox One doesn't have any games that could convince you to buy the console if you already have a decent computer. Granted, some PS4 games have made the leap to PC, but most remain on the console that spawned them.
If Microsoft wants to sell as many Xbox Series Xs as possible, the company will have to knuckle down and limit several games to the console. If an "Xbox Series X exclusive" is available on Windows 10, then it isn't truly exclusive. Even worse, it's just another reason to save up for a gaming PC instead of splurging on a Series X.