If you're thinking about getting an Xbox One, you should be aware of Microsoft's current console philosophy. Is buying an Xbox One in 2022 still a good idea? Let's take a look at what the Xbox One has to offer and how much does an Xbox one console cost.
Xbox One Console |
Make Tech Quick - Is It Still Worth Buying an Xbox One in 2022?
Even though the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S were released in late 2020, the Xbox One is still available, at least as a used console. Is buying an Xbox One in 2022 still a good idea?
Let's take a look at what the Xbox One has to offer and whether you should buy it now that the next console generation has arrived.
How Much Do Xbox Consoles Cost?
Let's take a look at the prices of each Xbox console before we get into the details. While there are many other factors to consider when deciding whether or not an Xbox One is right for you, the value for money is one of the most important.
The Xbox One S will cost you $300, and the Xbox One X will cost you $500. There's also the $250 Xbox One S All-Digital, which lacks a disc drive. The original Xbox One is no longer worth considering due to its age.
You'll have a hard time finding an Xbox One at these prices right now. Microsoft announced in January 2022 that all Xbox One consoles, including the Xbox One X and Xbox One S, would be discontinued. This means they'll be sold on the open market, where prices can fluctuate a lot.
The Xbox One line has the same sticker prices as the new Xbox Series X and Series S: $500 for the Series X and $300 for the Series S. As a result, it's pointless to pay for an Xbox One when a newer, better console is available for the same price.
Xbox One Provides Access to Game Pass
The most compelling reason to own an Xbox console is Xbox Game Pass. If you're unfamiliar with Game Pass, it's a monthly subscription service that gives you unlimited access to hundreds of games.
For as long as you stay subscribed, you can download and play included games on your Xbox, and there are plenty of high-quality games to choose from. In addition, all Xbox Game Studios titles are available on Game Pass on the day they are released.
For console access only, Game Pass costs $10 per month. Game Pass Ultimate also costs $15 per month and includes Game Pass on PC, Xbox Live Gold, and other perks.
Only a few Game Pass titles are exclusive to the Xbox Series X|S at the time of writing, so you can play almost the entire catalog on an Xbox One. Because the Xbox Series X|S includes SSDs and more powerful internals, the games will run better and faster.
That means that if you want to try out a lot of the games on Game Pass, an Xbox One is a good choice. Many of the same games are available on Game Pass for PC, so an Xbox One is largely redundant if you have access to a decent gaming computer. A large number of PC Game Pass titles support controllers.
How Long Will the Xbox One Last?
Because the Xbox One is an old console, it will eventually stop receiving new games. As previously stated, Microsoft has ceased production of Xbox One consoles, indicating that the system will not be available for much longer. But how long should you expect Xbox One support to last?
Consider the previous generation as an example. The Xbox 360 was released in 2005 and was phased out in 2016. Following the release of the Xbox One in 2013, the Xbox 360 continued to receive cross-generation games.
Because the Xbox One is an old console, it will eventually stop receiving new games. As previously stated, Microsoft has ceased production of Xbox One consoles, indicating that the system will not be available for much longer. But how long should you expect Xbox One support to last?
Consider the previous generation as an example. The Xbox 360 was released in 2005 and was phased out in 2016. Following the release of the Xbox One in 2013, the Xbox 360 continued to receive cross-generation games.
Forza Horizon 2 was the final Xbox 360 entry in the series, while Rise of the Tomb Raider was released on both Xbox 360 and Xbox One in 2015. Madden NFL 17 was the last Madden game released on Xbox 360 in terms of yearly third-party titles.
In 2016, the Xbox One S and One X were both released mid-generation, which was a departure from previous trends. However, given that Microsoft discontinued all Xbox One models at the same time, it's unlikely that any games will be released for the Xbox One X but not the original Xbox One.
Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite, two of the most anticipated Xbox exclusives for 2021, were released on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. This, however, is unlikely to continue. The majority of the big Xbox Game Studios titles that haven't been given a release date, such as the upcoming Forza Motorsport and Fable games, will only be available on Xbox Series X|S and PC.
According to this, 2022 may be the last year for the Xbox One to receive entries for annual games like FIFA and Call of Duty. We don't expect many Xbox exclusives to arrive on Xbox One after Grounded full release in 2022.
Xbox as a Platform
If you're thinking about getting an Xbox One, you should be aware of Microsoft's current console philosophy. Backward compatibility is an important consideration: the Xbox One can play many Xbox 360 and original Xbox games, whereas the Series X|S can play all of them, as well as most Xbox One games.
Microsoft's "commitment to compatibility across generations" continues with Xbox Smart Delivery. It gives you the "best version" of any participating game you own, regardless of which Xbox you're using. Smart Delivery also ensures that all of your platforms are updated with your progress.
If you bought Gears 5 on Xbox One and then upgraded to an Xbox Series X, you'll be able to play the game on your new console with the Series X-optimized version. This is free of charge, and you won't have to worry about selecting the correct version from the store.
Let's say you buy a game on Xbox One like Cyberpunk 2077 that doesn't yet have a Series X|S optimized version. You can play the backward-compatible Xbox One version on your Series X when you upgrade to a Series X, then upgrade to the optimized version when it becomes available.
These features, combined with the fact that Game Pass is essentially the same on both generations, mean you can take everything from Xbox One to Series X|S.
You should know that Microsoft considers Windows to be a part of this gaming platform as well. All of the most recent Xbox exclusives are also available on PC, making a gaming PC a viable alternative to an Xbox.
Should You Buy an Xbox One in 2022?
Is the Xbox One currently worth it, taking everything into account? We'd say no in almost every case. There's no reason to buy an older console now that the Xbox One X and Xbox One S retails for the same price as an Xbox Series X or Series S. When compared to investing in outdated hardware, the newer generation provides faster performance and is a more future-proof purchase.
While you can now access the majority of what makes Xbox One great, that won't be the case for much longer. Xbox-exclusive games will soon cease to be available on Xbox One, and Game Pass may begin to offer more exclusives for Xbox Series X|S.
For a variety of reasons, finding the Xbox Series X or Series S can be difficult. However, this should not persuade you to purchase an older console. Your money will be much better spent if you wait until the new consoles are readily available.
If there are a few Xbox games you can't wait to play, and you have a good computer, see if they're available on Game Pass for PC. That should tide you over until the Series X|S becomes available again.
In short, we recommend purchasing an Xbox One in 2022 only if you can find it used for a significant discount and have no plans to upgrade for several years. Otherwise, the Series X|S's comparable prices and increased power make the newer systems well worth the wait. If you already have a good computer, go with that instead. By this point, the Xbox One has used up almost all of its battery life.