Hot off the heels of the 20th anniversary of the original Xbox console, it's the last Xbox on console, PC and cloud streaming thread of 2021! That's right, I said it! It's where we talk about backwards compatibility, absurd demand for limited-run controllers, the inescapable subscription-dominated future, Xbox Game Streaming
still not being on the Switch, and the mental gymnastics necessary to explain how "exclusive" doesn't really mean "exclusive" when Bethesda Studios says it. It surely doesn't!
Games with Gold
The original unified network for consoles is still alive (and still required for
most online multiplayer)! Since the beginning of time, users with an "Xbox Live Gold" paid membership will have four free titles made available for download for a limited time--two on Xbox One (which require continued membership) and two on Xbox 360 or original Xbox (which are yours in perpetuity). As with the previous generation, all four are playable Xbox Series consoles. Yes, you do need to actually obtain them within the overlapping four-week opportunity window. Yes, you can get Xbox Live Gold through a normal subscription fee, buying discounted months of membership through vendors, or
abusing Xbox's overly-generous reward program. While original Xbox titles are not playable on original hardware (for obvious reasons), all Xbox 360 titles are (more on that
below).
Xbox and PC Game Pass or "The Best Value in Gaming!"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06Zz0Og6UuA
Xbox Game Pass (for consoles) is Microsoft's own subscription gaming catalog service ("Netflix for video games") with hundreds of periodically rotating first and third-party titles across four generations of console hardware, making it attractive for digital-only libraries and people who want to try first party new exclusives (which will make the rounds on the service at the time of their launch). Likewise, the renamed PC Game Pass (for Windows 10 and 11) features an overlapping but different library with a number of PC-only titles that can be installed through the Windows Store App
or Xbox App, or in the case of EA titles, the separate installation service EA Play. However, both services come with their own separate fees--If you want them both, you may wish to consider the Cadillac of Netflix for Games, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: for less than the combined cost of both services, you can have your Game Pass
and Xbox Live Gold subscriptions in a single plan! Because nothing bad ever came from bundling services! For the time being, it remains possible to extend your Game Pass subscription based on unrelated services "credit" (for example, one year of EA Access translates to four months of Game Pass Ultimate), so make sure you do your research when you're stocking up. Oh yeah, it's
complicated.
In either service, there is no limit on how many games you can download and install from it, and access is for as long as the subscription holds--permanent purchases made from the catalog are discounted 20%, and DLC by 10%. It still does
not require Xbox Live Gold (though that is part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate). Since 2020, Game Pass Ultimate comes with an additional perk you may be familiar with...
Xbox Game Streaminghttps://youtu.be/J4FF_mHhwqw
Like Google's Stadia that everyone's
been talking used to talk about about and the Playstation Now service that Sony never talks about, Xbox Game Streaming (formerly "Project Xcloud") replaces your grandparents' Xbox game from the ancient era of streaming a console over your home network to the sexy future of piping your game in from The Cloud onto not just your mobile devices (so long as they're not made by Nintendo), but also Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles! No longer in free beta, it is now available as a benefit from the Game Pass Ultimate. Play console-quality games on mobile! Take advantage of all the normal Xbox Live services! Drain your phone battery before you know it! Still probably not coming to your favorite non-Xbox console no matter how hard you ask!
Streaming available in the following regions, courtesy of
XDA-Developers:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- United States
A full list of
current Xbox Game Streaming titles is available courtesy of the excellent Windows Central website, alongside a full list of touch-compatible titles which are playable without the prerequisite compatible controller.
Xbox Backwards Compatibility Libraryhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oe1LUJyCCs
Say hello to the most extensive backwards compatibility library since Sony left the Playstation 3 unconscious in a bathtub full of ice! Since early in the Project Scarlett reveal, Xbox has committed to bringing the whole of the Xbox One library forward to the Xbox Series consoles, alongside the existing Xbox One-era software backwards compatibilty libraries on all previous Xbox consoles since 2001
excluding Kinect-based titles on Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Yes, we are as shocked as you.
After capping the 20th Anniversary Showcase with more than seventy additions from the original Xbox and Xbox 360, the powers that be have sorrowfully turned the page on further additions from 2012 and earlier (at least for now), though all new Xbox One releases are playable. In the meantime, pour one out for those games who couldn't be here with us.
Curious if your favorite Xbox 360 or original Xbox game is playable?
Check it out!Xbox Series S and Series X joining Xbox One
Yes, both of the new consoles are still frequently sold out. For the luckier among us, here's some of what we're looking forward to in 2022. Watch out for spoilers!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fukYzbthEVUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSZcF5JZhHIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EW0sUt8BKshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSSEomwJiVYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX-nQdcWtz8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGskoAuIuK0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iuxiNBnfz0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC25-OAyWoUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQgDnbBbxeghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlqJ6oKo8toXbox 20th Anniversary ShowcaseOh, god, we're all so old!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_a0ijMQex4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJYsA1jXf60https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT_i6hXf9WUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yappZvmxcP8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC65DNzxyxUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2d6IMBS8oYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1h--43R8Oo2021 Xbox Summer Games Showcase (ft. Bethesda and a bunch of other companies)!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YnVzOA2wNs
(
Captioned Audio and ASL versions available on Xbox's Youtube Channel.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YnVzOA2wNshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-LlfIXT8tohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjDMwsbaSd8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oqesvrf87DAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reuri4lT7jIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8KVJGJQBPUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uBK1MMC5KQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTTGThC4aeshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6I2rP3-B9khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUfUnA2iEZ0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re3fTP_ObrIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebO8Xe7pjfYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a43aVdqBbxshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr__hTXlDZkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo0airOqCjchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcjnHHxHV3ohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W18OP8BZc6Ihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a8XsBgB7U0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX7KHZE27V8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4VPBqpxHXQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPfm3IClc0shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sc9tFOpnUchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne3qBSUQqdMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWkOcpZEk4Ihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7XDCvpIqoohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcyLpnLiLP4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgrue9p6Y1Qhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lljMQevCWOQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p9DCiI8QBYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClhDyC0ZECshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ6XpfaWbkohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYH9n37B7Ywhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxX-4U5uJqkBethesda (et al.) Summer Showcase 2022https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOYnwhKwlw8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq2_NLAjYmghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_F20n8BwMEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL4h5cMONIshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AoCm8YWk2khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsrtI0fpkV4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byFCqXK-dRkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbPuDHf8maUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0ILeV8qZ8Yhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7FqH_jrYFghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QESuddo8afYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmb2FJGvnAwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoxVfkMguPkPenny Arcade Forums' Game ClubsPax ArcadiaArcade Squad (
Gears of War series)
The Bees Knees (
Halo series)
Additionally, you can find the forums Xbox Live gamertag list
here, and the form to sign up
here.
Posts
All the context for this. Ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9gG9oZ--H4
I’m looking forward to seeing some actual gameplay next year, maybe at E3 ?
I want this to be good. I loved The Outer Worlds, so a bigger, less whacky space sci-fi RPG sounds amazing.
Just let the thing die already.
No, its OK.
Its and *updated* version !
I'm looking forward to warping into a new solar system, and seeing all the planets jump up a fraction.
Then a moon falls off the map.
I got Yakuza 0, with an eye towards Epic Mickey 2, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, maybe some Renegade and Double Dragon later.
I also grabbed Freedom Planet on the Switch the same day as Yakuza 0. I only mention this because I really, really wish it was on Xbox.
Not just the fridge, I hope.
...or do I? Hmm...
I seriously want one, though, if for no other reason than so I can do a "Never talk to me or my son or my son's son ever again" meme picture.
Like Mega Man Legends? Then check out my story, Legends of the Halcyon Era - An Adventure in the World of Mega Man Legends on TMMN and AO3!
Those might keep me going for a long time.
Steam | XBL
Steam ID: Good Life
"Planetary orbits are known to malfunction at over 60 FPS. This is a known issue. We're expecting a mod correcting this that will keep planets from orbiting backwards at 120 FPS, but it will require SFSE (Starfield Script Extender), which has not yet been updated from 1.x9 on Xbox Series consoles."
On a completely unrelated note, I just discovered that Psychonauts 2 has a 120 hz mode. The picture is decidedly softer (though I was playing it on an exercise bicycle barely two meters from my 65" screen), and I'm still terrible at platforming, but it's pretty darn neat.
that's a pretty good price for a really good piece of kit.
Game journo's: too many sequels!!!!
Also game journo's: can you spare a crumb of sequel please 🥺
Steam | XBL
It is certainly charming in an 'I watched Corpse Bride and Nightmare Before Christmas on repeat for eight days a week while in development' way, and the card/dice based combat is interesting. Your deck is limited to 15 cards, and even then you might not roll high enough to play some of them, so you need to sprinkle in 0 cost cards for help, but...
The collision detection is rough and the facial animation is very amateurish. Characters have one mouth/face move that just repeats while they are talking. It's distracting.
Not bad for the sale price of $20.
Like Mega Man Legends? Then check out my story, Legends of the Halcyon Era - An Adventure in the World of Mega Man Legends on TMMN and AO3!
Steam | XBL
https://youtu.be/KIe6FRACsy0
That said, I was watching this video before bed (only up to the 360 part right now), and I was reminded of something:
Do the 360 S and 360 E each come with one of those giant power bricks like the original?
Like Mega Man Legends? Then check out my story, Legends of the Halcyon Era - An Adventure in the World of Mega Man Legends on TMMN and AO3!
S does, although it's significantly less giant than the original; closer to the size of the one that came with the original Xbox One, but more rounded in shape. E appears to have one of a similar size to the S, although it has a different plug on it.
I think Xbox One S and X were the first ones since the OG Xbox to not have external power bricks.
Steam | XBL
Love this video/channel. I even went and bought the crystal Xbox after watching it lmao
What's all this video game crap in the way of the Sakura Wars first OVA on VHS?
The load times are very noticeable, and it is very quiet right now but I haven't played a disc game yet so maybe Tales of Arise will make it take off like my One X was. I've got it horizontal to fit in the entertainment shelf but it has air all the way around. Probably gonna wrap the system like my One X because it looks more like a subwoofer.
Every time they add a Final Fantasy game to PS Now, they take it off of Game Pass; so if you're like me and just started FF12, you should probably hurry up lol
Cyberpunk is going great! Why do you ask?
Steam ID: Good Life
This pic is a few weeks old so I've accumulated even more niche anime VHS lmao
Also picked up Evil Dead: A Fistful of Broomstick, Max Payne 1 and Enter the Matrix to add to my OG Xbox collection.
The only thing that bothers me about my crystal Xbox is it didn't come with the matching controller (and finding one on its own is proving difficult haha)
Steam | XBL
Steam | XBL