Non-Scarlett, disc-less X1 coming in 2019

I don't know if it is a given, and the good deals are all "while quantities last". Plus you have to get up at zero-dark-30 to get them. :)

The ads I've seen so far have been underwhelming. BO4 at Target is $45 "while supplies last". Xbox digital is $47.99.

For PS4 I just got God of War for $21.99. I'm not even sure of all Xbox sales are up yet.

I'm not trying to argue, just getting people to think about it. Now, obviously hardware bundles and big ticket items are big, but game sales? There's nothing that would get me out of bed on Friday.

For a long time, digital prices were just terrible. They used to sell games for full price that were $30 on sale. Now though? Take a deeper look. Digital is a lot more competitive than in the past.
But physical is still cheaper probably 80% of the time.
A simple google search on bf/cyber monday will show physical being cheaper in most cases...maybe not a 80% difference that day but still overall cheaper.
 
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I would always buy the disc less version of a console if it happens as an option.
 
But physical is still cheaper probably 80% of the time.
A simple google search on bf/cyber monday will show physical being cheaper in most cases...maybe not a 80% difference that day but still overall cheaper.

Where do you find these deals? Used games? No retail store offers sales in my area. All I get are Gamestop or Bestbuy. All those want to do is get you to preorder at full price.
 
Where do you find these deals? Used games? No retail store offers sales in my area. All I get are Gamestop or Bestbuy. All those want to do is get you to preorder at full price.
Best Buy (GCU)
Amazon (PRIME)
New Egg
Etc

I shop online and constantly see new games cheaper.
 
Best Buy (GCU)
Amazon (PRIME)
New Egg
Etc

I shop online and constantly see new games cheaper.

I thought GCU was dead? I know Amazon's prime deal is dead. I mean $47 new releases? Those were great but ended months ago.

Retail used to get decent deals, but the past year or so it seems they all dried up. I must be missing them.
 
I still can get the GCU deals.
AFAIK Prime gives $10 off preorders.

Newegg you don't have to be a member to save.

Also many mom and pop shops sell less than retail usually at $5-10 less.
 
I own physical disc at beginning of new generation, slowly phased out to only special editions I wanted and the rest digital. Pretty much do no have a need or want to trade. I totally understand others do have a need or want. I am okay with a discless device and others not wanting/wanting one.
 
I recommend IGN Deals too. You can follow them on social media and/or get on their e-mail list. They go a great job finding deals, especially those on PS or Xbox gift card money.

Since I changed my habits up a little bit, I save a ton of money digitally now. Basically I have a list of games I want and just wait for a sale. What I don't get this November will be on sale by Xmas.

Xbox doesn't seem to have theirs up yet, but PS4 has their holiday deals up already and they are really good.

https://store.playstation.com/en-us/grid/STORE-MSF77008-BLACKFRIDAYSLG/1

If I had a mom and pop game store I'd support them for sure. All I get are Gamestop and Bestbuy and I won't support them.
 
I went all digital this generation, but only because of the convenient family feature. So long as digital has inherent benefit to physical, I'm in.
 
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment...box-bundled-game-subscriptions-221948585.html

Microsoft’s cheap, disc-less Xbox to be bundled with game subscriptions at launch

We’ve known for a while that Microsoft is working on an Xbox console that will not have a physical optical drive, but a new report says the console will come bundled with Microsoft gaming subscriptions at launch that would let gamers get into the action as soon as they plug in the device. The same source, Thurrott, which revealed details about Microsoft’s future Xbox consoles in the past, is out with a new report about the affordable console.
The cheaper Xbox will arrive in early 2019, and the console will be bundled with subscriptions right out of the box. When ordering, customers will have the option of purchasing both the console as well as Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass subscriptions at once.

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That way, the console will be ready to play games right out of the box. Gamers won’t have to buy physical copies of games, and they’ll have access to more than 100 titles directly from Microsoft. The report also says the next-gen high-end Xbox console, the “Scarlett,” may be bundled with subscription services when it arrives as well:
Imagine you go on Microsoft.com, select the disc-less console, then pick two years of Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass, pay the fee, and when the console arrives, it’s all set up with the service ready to go. This functionality should arrive next year and also be part of the Scarlett business model as well.​
In the future, the cheap console will also work with the xCloud game streaming service that will let gamers play high-end titles on a variety of devices. Microsoft’s cloud will handle all the heavy lifting for xCloud gaming, allowing full games to be streamed to smartphones, PCs, and Xbox consoles. Xbox fans looking to buy high-end games without breaking the bank may be interested in pairing the cheap console with the future xCloud service.
That said, the report doesn’t mention any prices for the upcoming cheap Xbox console, the various bundles that might launch alongside the new hardware, or the forthcoming xCloud gaming service.
Right now, Microsoft offers gamers an Xbox All Access program that includes an Xbox One S or X console, a year of Xbox Live Gold and the new Xbox Game Pass. The program makes the Xbox even more affordable, as gamers end up paying a monthly fee for 24 months rather than buying the console outright.
 
On the "which is cheaper, digital or physical" front, I paid close attention to a bunch of sales this Black Friday week. Long story short, physical probably is a tiny bit cheaper overall, but it is very close. Of course physical often means having to go to the store. Just an example, they had God of War for like $17.99 which is nuts. Digital it was $21. Of course, for $4 you would have had to go out to the store and hope it is in stock. Personally, I'll pay the extra few bucks and have it download and save me a trip. Many other games had similar sales where digital was still a little higher.

I expect the end of year holiday digital sales to be even better. In past experience, Christmas digital sales seem to be really good, while Black Friday leans toward physical a bit still.

My point is - don't just assume physical is way cheaper. Digital is getting more and more competitive.
 
On the "which is cheaper, digital or physical" front, I paid close attention to a bunch of sales this Black Friday week. Long story short, physical probably is a tiny bit cheaper overall, but it is very close. Of course physical often means having to go to the store. Just an example, they had God of War for like $17.99 which is nuts. Digital it was $21. Of course, for $4 you would have had to go out to the store and hope it is in stock. Personally, I'll pay the extra few bucks and have it download and save me a trip. Many other games had similar sales where digital was still a little higher.

My point is - don't just assume physical is way cheaper. Digital is getting more and more competitive.

Don't overlook the fact that you can resell physical, but not digital. When I say physical is cheaper, that's what I'm referring to -- not the sticker price, but the ultimate cost. Even if I were to save money buying digital, I lose money because I can't recoup any of the cost by selling it if I want to -- I simply don't have that option.

Example. Bought Spyro for $40. Decided after a couple weeks to sell it. Sold it for $37. So it cost me $3. If I'd have bought it digital, it would have cost me $40, which is more than 10 times as much.

Granted, that's an unusual case, because you usually can't resell a game for 90% of its value.

A more typical example. Bought AC Odyssey for $60. Decided after a couple weeks to sell it. Sold it for $35. So it cost me $25. If I bought it digital, it would've cost me $60, more than twice as much.
 
Don't overlook the fact that you can resell physical, but not digital. When I say physical is cheaper, that's what I'm referring to -- not the sticker price, but the ultimate cost. Even if I were to save money buying digital, I lose money because I can't recoup any of the cost by selling it if I want to -- I simply don't have that option.

Example. Bought Spyro for $40. Decided after a couple weeks to sell it. Sold it for $37. So it cost me $3. If I'd have bought it digital, it would have cost me $40, which is more than 10 times as much.

Granted, that's an unusual case, because you usually can't resell a game for 90% of its value.

A more typical example. Bought AC Odyssey for $60. Decided after a couple weeks to sell it. Sold it for $35. So it cost me $25. If I bought it digital, it would've cost me $60, more than twice as much.

Yes, that's fair. To be honest, I rarely buy games new. I'm waiting for the first price drop anyway. Certainly if you want the game at or near launch, physical is the way go to. I've got such a backlog anyway that I just wait until a major price drop. I get sick of buying games at $60 and not start playing them until they only cost $30 new.

I'll just buy Odyssey for $30 and keep it.

I'm also pretty good at knowing what games I will like and want to keep too. I can usually tell what I'm going to like and rarely buy something I change my mind on.

Keep an eye out this holiday too. I'm betting we see some really good digital sales. IIRC both Xbox and PS had great ones.
 
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Yes, that's fair. To be honest, I rarely buy games new. I'm waiting for the first price drop anyway. Certainly if you want the game at or near launch, physical is the way go to. I've got such a backlog anyway that I just wait until a major price drop. I get sick of buying games at $60 and not start playing them until they only cost $30 new.

Right, it's better to wait for a price drop, but my point would still apply at $30. Buy at $30, sell at $15, so the cost is $15 physical vs. $30 digital. Digital is still twice as much.

I'm also pretty good at knowing what games I will like and want to keep too. I can usually tell what I'm going to like and rarely buy something I change my mind on.

I usually am, too, although I've been going through a weird period lately where nothing really seems to hit the spot.

It's not just a matter of not liking the games, though. Even if I like them, I still end up selling most of my games. I only keep the ones I sense that I'll want to play through a second time, which is a small minority. I think I've got like 6 to 8 games on my shelf, and that's about it.
 
Don't overlook the fact that you can resell physical, but not digital. When I say physical is cheaper, that's what I'm referring to -- not the sticker price, but the ultimate cost. Even if I were to save money buying digital, I lose money because I can't recoup any of the cost by selling it if I want to -- I simply don't have that option.

Example. Bought Spyro for $40. Decided after a couple weeks to sell it. Sold it for $37. So it cost me $3. If I'd have bought it digital, it would have cost me $40, which is more than 10 times as much.

Granted, that's an unusual case, because you usually can't resell a game for 90% of its value.

A more typical example. Bought AC Odyssey for $60. Decided after a couple weeks to sell it. Sold it for $35. So it cost me $25. If I bought it digital, it would've cost me $60, more than twice as much.

Yeah I used to trade my games in towards new ones but the convenience of just downloading the game and not having to go to the gamestop or best buy that are two whole blocks from my house (god I'm lazy lol) won me over. Plus I like not having to have a place to store my games, even with all of the trading in I was doing I still had a bunch of games that had to be stored and it was just a lot of clutter for me. It's nice to have the option, plus I upgraded my internet from a crappy 3mbps DSL to a 300mbps cable so that helped a lot.
 
Yeah I used to trade my games in towards new ones but the convenience of just downloading the game and not having to go to the gamestop or best buy that are two whole blocks from my house (god I'm lazy lol) won me over. Plus I like not having to have a place to store my games, even with all of the trading in I was doing I still had a bunch of games that had to be stored and it was just a lot of clutter for me. It's nice to have the option, plus I upgraded my internet from a crappy 3mbps DSL to a 300mbps cable so that helped a lot.

I sell my old games on ebay. Gamestop is a ripoff.

I like the convenience of digital, too. The main advantage for me is that, if I want to switch to playing another game, I don't have to change discs, I just press a button. That makes it easier to jump around from game to game.
 
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I sell my old games on ebay. Gamestop is a ripoff.

I like the convenience of digital, too. The main advantage for me is that, if I want to switch to playing another game, I don't have to change discs, I just press a button. That makes it easier to jump around from game to game.

It's crazy how lazy we've become with things like that, hell back in the day we'd have to blow into our cartridges (even though that supposedly made them worse lol) and try putting them in over and over just to play a game. :)
 
It's crazy how lazy we've become with things like that, hell back in the day we'd have to blow into our cartridges (even though that supposedly made them worse lol) and try putting them in over and over just to play a game. :)
or when I had a psone I have to flip the console so the lens can read the game.
 
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It's crazy how lazy we've become with things like that, hell back in the day we'd have to blow into our cartridges (even though that supposedly made them worse lol) and try putting them in over and over just to play a game. :)

I paid my dues. I blew into my cartridges. I got up and swapped my CDs to move to the next chapter in Final Fantasy 7. I also woke 2 hours before everyone else in my household on Saturday to play my NES because my family of 6 shared 1 TV.

Today I offer no apologies for paying for my convenience.
 
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My other big gripe with physical. Best Buy has COD on sale for $30. Nice deal. Haven't been able to match that digitally (yet, probably in a week or so). So I buy the game and there's a 43gb "patch". I know it is an online game but come on. All the disk gives you is a physical download token.
 
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or when I had a psone I have to flip the console so the lens can read the game.

Yeah anyone who's been gaming for a long time knows what a pain in the ass it was just to get a game to work whenever a console got to a certain age lol.
 
My other big gripe with physical. Best Buy has COD on sale for $30. Nice deal. Haven't been able to match that digitally (yet, probably in a week or so). So I buy the game and there's a 43gb "patch". I know it is an online game but come on. All the disk gives you is a physical download token.

That's more an issue with the current state of games with a release now fix later attitude.
 
Slickdeals and those that VaLLiancE mentioned
Yeah, and the Xbox Store isn't as well maintained for the rest of the world, compared to the States.

For example, Destiny 2 with the expansions is AUD$139 in the Marketplace, or $30 at EB/Target. And I'm not talking second either, sealed and brand new.

New games on launch day are AUD$90-109 in the Marketplace, or AUD$60-70 from JB HiFi/Target.

Even the Xbox One X itself is $150 cheaper in those shops than it is on the MS store, and comes with 9 games, 3 months GP and Gold.

Edit: in saying that, I haven't bought a physical game since The Witcher 3, or Dragon Age: Inq. I'm happy to wait for an eventual sale, gamepass is getting me plowed through a bunch of games I never bothered to buy, and I effing hate the colour of the disc cases. They're so tacky. I'm not having that crap on display.

Not only that, but getting up, hiking from the couch to where my discs are hidden, then having to put the disc in, just to play a game? It's like a triathlon. Heck, I downloaded all of Sex and the City and all of Buffy even though I have the box sets, because those monsters who planned the disc layout only put 3-4 episodes on each disc. That's like, a marathon every hour. Ain't no body got time for that.
 
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https://wccftech.com/cloud-focused-streaming-xbox-amd-picasso/amp/#click=https://t.co/xloXIbvBUF

Cloud Focused ‘Streaming Xbox’ May Be Powered by Semi-Custom AMD Picasso APU
In late July, two different reports from reputable sources (Thurrott and The Verge) suggested that a next-generation ‘streaming Xbox’ is in development at Microsoft. This would be a low-powered device designed specifically to be used in conjunction with the cloud gaming platform that we now know to be Project xCloud. Allegedly, it would be in addition to another more powerful Xbox console geared to run games locally, per tradition.
We have now received information regarding the chip that will power this cheap, affordable game console. As you may have read, the AMD Picasso line of APUs has been recently linked to an upcoming Microsoft Surface laptop. However, according to the leaker, Microsoft is really interested in using a semi-custom Picasso chip for the aforementioned next-generation streaming Xbox.

Reportedly, that’s because of the great power consumption to performance ratio of the AMD Picasso APU, which is expected to allow a small form factor for the hardware and crucially to enable Microsoft to keep the price low.

Some ‘latency sensitive’ calculations will be made locally, but the critical innovation from a technological standpoint will be hardware accelerated deep learning in both the datacenters and the Picasso silicon. This ‘cornerstone’ has been described by the leaker as a more sophisticated version of Project Brainwave, the deep learning acceleration platform for real-time AI announced last year by Microsoft.

What’s interesting is that through deep learning, both the servers and the console will improve over time at predicting the actions of players and henceforth minimizing latency. This would tie nicely into making this streaming Xbox a very accessible console in terms of price, therefore giving the neural network lots of users to learn from. The overall goal at Microsoft is to cut down latency as much as possible, which they believe they’ll have the chance to do by optimizing their hardware, software and datacenters.

We already know from the Project xCloud announcement that Microsoft is indeed building custom datacenter hardware to be compatible with Xbox consoles, so that part of the leak definitely checks out.
Kareem Choudhry (Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of Xbox Software Engineering) – We’ve enabled compatibility with existing and future Xbox games by building out custom hardware for our datacenters that leverages our years of console and platform experience. We’ve architected a new customizable blade that can host the component parts of multiple Xbox One consoles, as well as the associated infrastructure supporting it. We will scale those custom blades in datacenters across Azure regions over time.​
Going back to the Ryzen 3000 AMD Picasso APU, the specifications leaked just two days ago via GeekBench. The Ryzen 5 3500U, for instance, comes with four physical cores and eight threads (through multithreading), with a base clock frequency of 2.10 GHz, 2MB of L2 Cache, 4MB of L3 Cache, and 15W of TDP (Thermal Design Power). According to our hardware team, it should include eight Compute Units for a total of 512 stream processors.

Of course, this does not give us much to go on with regards to the chip Microsoft would use. The leaker stated a semi-customized chip would be used, which was after all the case for all the AMD chips used in PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One, Xbox One S and Xbox One X consoles. Thus, the specifications may well be very different as needed by Microsoft in this case.
We’ll let you know should more details arise on the upcoming streaming Xbox, still unconfirmed by Microsoft but highly likely at this point.
 
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https://wccftech.com/cloud-focused-streaming-xbox-amd-picasso/


In late July, two different reports from reputable sources [...] suggested that a next-generation ‘streaming Xbox’ is in development at Microsoft. This would be a low-powered device designed specifically to be used in conjunction with the cloud gaming platform that we now know to be Project xCloud. Allegedly, it would be in addition to another more powerful Xbox console geared to run games locally, per tradition.

[...]According to the leaker, Microsoft is really interested in using a semi-custom Picasso chip for the aforementioned next-generation streaming Xbox.

[...]That’s because of the great power consumption to performance ratio of the AMD Picasso APU, which is expected to allow a small form factor for the hardware and crucially to enable Microsoft to keep the price low.
 
Apparently it’s called ‘Maverick’ now:

Xbox Maverick: Everything we know about Microsoft's disc-less Xbox One

Everything we know about Microsoft's next Xbox One console – cutting out the disc drive.

xbox-one-discless-console.jpg


Digital gaming continues to grow, shifting further from the days of discs and cartridges. Downloads have changed music, movies, and now games, with the promise of instant, on-demand access to the latest titles. And with the digital Xbox One ecosystem stronger than ever, Microsoft looks to debut its first disc-less console. Here's what we know about this all-digital Xbox One, codenamed Maverick.

Xbox Maverick is going all-in on digital

xbox-one-discless-console-2.jpg


This isn't Xbox Maverick, we just like Photoshop. But could this be similar to the $199 Xbox?



The Xbox One's upcoming disc-less iteration is currently tagged "Maverick," an internal codename for the project used at Microsoft. As first detailed by Thurrott, the console will reportedly rework the existing entry-level Xbox One S, further cutting manufacturing costs in pursuit of a lower price. It's one of the most ambitious shake-ups in Xbox history, cutting a once-essential component amid growing services and digital purchases.

Xbox Maverick will likely pack near-identical internals to the Xbox One S, including a potentially similar exterior, though forgoing the optical disc drive. Further non-essential gaming components could be cut in the process, although ideally not comprising the console's core gaming offerings. Microsoft has already experimented with condensing disc-less Xbox One S hardware into server blades for its Project xCloud streaming service, which may aid Maverick development.

xbox-one-logo-black.jpg


Ultimately, Xbox Maverick should deliver a similar experience to the existing Xbox One S. Your existing digital Xbox One and Xbox 360 games will play on the console, with comparable features and performance. It will lower the price of entry for Xbox newcomers, rather than replacing the Xbox One S and Xbox One X.

However, even with the debut of a digital-only console, Microsoft isn't abandoning physical discs entirely. Future revisions beyond Maverick are expected to retain the drive, with discs likely stocked into the coming years. Digital adoption is growing, but numerous flaws leave many adverse to the switch.

Moving to digital to easy

microsoft-store-xbox-one.jpg


Microsoft hopes to encourage digital Xbox users by streamlining its offerings.


Alongside Xbox Maverick, Microsoft will reportedly debut two new programs aimed at streamlining digital purchases. The first is a "disc-to-digital" program, which will help existing Xbox users fully transition into the digital ecosystem. The pairs with a "digital attach" system targeted towards new Xbox buyers getting started with online services.

Microsoft's rumored disc-to-digital process is proving promising, shaking up digital adoption with a new trade-in program. The initiative will allow Xbox users to deposit existing disc-based titles at select retailers, in return for a digital license. It makes a move into digital easier (also cheaper) and might sway those undecided.

Details have also surfaced on a new service for console buyers, attaching their purchases to the console. Codenamed Roma, the project will allow Microsoft to pre-load consoles with services like Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass, further reducing the setup of a new console.

Xbox Maverick release date and pricing


Without official word from Microsoft, details on Xbox Maverick and its availability are scarce. Current rumors indicate a release as early as spring of 2019, though should be taken lightly, given the pre-release nature of the project. Likely positioned as a low-cost entry to the Xbox One family, don't expect a grand reveal either.

With efforts focused on reducing the cost of Xbox One, reports indicate the console will drop to $199. That's a third off the existing Xbox One S, likely opening the console to a broader pool of casual gamers.






https://www.windowscentral.com/xbox-maverick