Has Xbox taken the spot as the defacto casual console recommendation?

[Prine]

For real lol
The Switch recommendations as the defacto value console just because of a handful of evergreens is just hilarious to me

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Yeah, lacking in 3rd party support, sketchy ports, significant continued cost of full priced games, poor online support, for a casual that is mostly swayed towards gaming based on EA/Epic/Ubi/Activision offerings I don't think it's a wise choice. Then low cost of GP to a number of multiplayer games easily puts it above all as a recommendation.

Good to see the poll reflect this.

 

[cw_sasuke]

It's difficult to get out the hardcore gamer mindset out but many people really overestimate how many casuals would be willing so sign on to a subscription service to play games, they wouldn't own and being tied to a digital only console, regardless of what their internet and bandwidth situation is like. Those are barrier for alot of people. Especially if you only play a couple games per year to begin with and massive titles like Fortnite are f2p anyway.

GP is an incredible service, but the usual core player that spends a lot of time gaming will get much more out of it than people with more limited gaming time or more specific gaming needs.

People that play a lot, maybe used XLG before and upgraded and use it on PC as well etc. will get slot out of it. But it's not gonna be the same for everyone and many swearing on it right now needed the 1$ conversion trick to finally jump on board. So you can see how difficult it can be to get people on board.

 

[ARobotCalledV]

I find it crazy anyone is arguing against Nintendo.

Nintendo's evergreen titles are significant to the casual crowd. I know half a dozen people who picked up a Switch for just Animal Crossing last year, have now bought Ring Fit and Mario Kart, and are extremely happy with just those titles. Gamepass doesn't have an alternative to the mass appeal of these games.

The casual people I know who aren't into Nintendo games, just play Warzone and Apex all year long with the one Sony (or occasionally Rockstar) first party blockbuster that appeals to them. Gamepass doesn't offer anything to them either.

Gamepass is a great deal, but I think it's most suited to the price conscious core gamer.

 

[cw_sasuke]

Eh, I've got a switch and though I recognise that Animal Crossing and Pokemon are massive, massive sellers, they're not really casual games in my opinion. In my mind the casual gamer plays Call Of Duty, Fifa/Madden GTA.

Pitching a game where they can make lots of cute animal friends and catch butterflies is not the market.

People buying Nintendo buy it for kids, people who post on forums like this do too. But if you spoke to 1000 15-30 year olds and asked them if they wanted a playstation/xbox or a Nintendo, I would bet it wouldn't be Nintendo that'd be the winner.

Even if you are buying a system for kids, an Xbox S and Gamepass comes out cheaper than a Switch with 2 of the big games on your list.

Saying "oh they got fall guys now too!" Doesn't make it a good deal.

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No point in continuing the discussion if you don't think that Mario Kart or Animal Crossing that both are gonna sell +50m this generation aren't big casual seller.

AC sold 35m copies in a single year. Game Pass is a 15m subs after like 4 years.

Amazing service, but let's have at least some perspective. How can can you call GP a big selling point for casual then at the same time say that biggest games of the generation - many of them Nintendo exclusives - aren't big seller for casual gamers.

 

[CarpetSalesman]

Casual is a broad term. Most "casuals" (in this case, people who passively engage in gaming) tend to be happy with their mobile. Most families are happy with the Switch.

If you look at games with the broadest appeal on the ps4/5 and Xbox, then it's the latest iterations of fifa, call of duty and assassin's creed - none of which are on gamepass.

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In that case then you can play those games most cheaply on Series S OR for the the same price as Series X and pick up gamepass later or at another time.

Whatever way you slice it, gamepass with 23 first party studios (iirc) is a hell of an asset to Xbox and the series S, though running at 1080p, is a solid option for those who are interested but don't want to spend £450 on a system.

 

[CarpetSalesman]

No point in continuing the discussion if you don't think that Mario Kart or Animal Crossing that both are gonna sell +50m this generation aren't big casual seller.

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OK mate. If the profile of a casual player is "must play Mario Kart and animal crossing" you win.

In every other circumstance, the xbox is the better choice for the casual player.

Cheapest access to a large library of games
Cheapest hardware
All the major 3rd party releases
Largest number of first party exclusives all going to game pass.

 

[ghostcrew]

Sure, it'd probably be the Series S.

It's cheaper than the Switch here and it can run all future next gen games. It's a crazy deal for a casual player.

 

[dreamlongdead]

A casual gamer won't be buying and playing many video games in the first place, so why do so many people here talk up Game Pass?

The lower price point for Series S is a more compelling argument than Game Pass, but PS5 DE still offers much more power and utility for only an extra $100. The casual player can go buy one instead with their 2-3 AAA games per year.

Switch is successful, but most of its big selling games are not casual-oriented. Third party games don't contribute heavily to the console's massive sales, but the small bump is still appreciated.

 

[CarpetSalesman]

For real lol
The Switch recommendations as the defacto value console just because of a handful of evergreens is just hilarious to me

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People are desperate to not say Xbox, that's all.

 

[rokkerkory]

Sure, it'd probably be the Series S.

It's cheaper than the Switch here and it can run all future next gen games. It's a crazy deal for a casual player.

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Was just thinking about this... as GP value continues to go up, xmas 2021 the XSS will have some deals maybe even a discount. It's going to sell like crazy (if stocks can be solved).

Changing my answer to XSS

 

[Deleted member 41178]

A casual gamer won't be buying and playing many video games in the first place, so why do so many people here talk up Game Pass?

The lower price point for Series S is a more compelling argument than Game Pass, but PS5 DE still offers much more power and utility for only an extra $100. The casual player can go buy one instead with their 2-3 AAA games per year.

Switch is successful, but most of its big selling games are not casual-oriented. Third party games don't contribute heavily to the console's massive sales, but the small bump is still appreciated.

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All of what I'd call casual gamers at work i.e. they only played COD/FIFA/Fortnite etc. are absolutely loving GamePass as it's given them a huge library of games they have never even thought about trying before.

Most of these guys were PlayStation only owners who were won over by GamePass and are now meeting up weekly to play through Gears/Halo etc.

They joined our Warzone session this week and left early so they could go play No Man's Sky and Outriders games they hadn't really even heard of before GamePass.

 

[TheGhost]

A casual gamer won't be buying and playing many video games in the first place, so why do so many people here talk up Game Pass?

The lower price point for Series S is a more compelling argument than Game Pass, but PS5 DE still offers much more power and utility for only an extra $100. The casual player can go buy one instead with their 2-3 AAA games per year.

Switch is successful, but most of its big selling games are not casual-oriented. Third party games don't contribute heavily to the console's massive sales, but the small bump is still appreciated.

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So you're saying they are better off spending
$400 (but really $500 because they ain't finding a DE) and 2-3 AAA games, so spend $722

instead of $300 and a $10 a month sub that always goes on sale.

 

[Djalminha]

I wouldn't recommend the Switch due to the drifting issue and very expensive games.

Right now PlayStation only beats Xbox on exclusive games, and casuals usually care more about sports games, CoD and that kind of stuff anyways.

On Xbox, they can try hundreds of games for very little money, which for someone who doesn't follow gaming too much is an amazing experience. They don't have to go to the store and wonder what's cool, where to spend their money, they can instead try so many games just because they like the cover or the description or someone said it's good. Plus they can play with PC friends and the Series S is fantastic for people who don't want to spend a lot of money on hardware, you can tell it was designed specifically for that audience. Small, discrete hardware vs the massive PS5 also matters to a lot of casuals.

Cinephiles might not enjoy Netflix because they'll miss stuff, but it's perfect for a casual viewer who will always have lots of stuff to try when they just feel like watching something. That's what Gamepass gives you, any genre and it's there represented on excellent games, now they also have pretty much every major sports title, which is important to many casuals. Additionally, they can play on their tablets, soon browsers, smartphones, soon TVs and the console won't be even necessary anymore.

Think about it, you are watching the NBA finals and Microsoft shows you a commercial telling you that you can play any sport game from that year from your smart TV for only $15 per month, with lots of games for your little kids, your teeenager kids... In two or three years, you may be able to buy a controller with a bundled subscription and that's it instead of needing a console. How popular could a present like that get on Christmas?

At this point anyone who doesn't think Microsoft will obliterate the casual market unless Sony or Nintendo change radically are lying to themselves, imo.

 

[CarpetSalesman]

All of what I'd call casual gamers at work i.e. they only played COD/FIFA/Fortnite etc. are absolutely loving GamePass as it's given them a huge library of games they have never even thought about trying before.

Most of these guys were PlayStation only owners who were won over by GamePass and are now meeting up weekly to play through Gears/Halo etc.

They joined our Warzone session this week and left early so they could go play No Man's Sky and Outriders games they hadn't really even heard of before GamePass.

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Amazing that people can't see this. I've been playing games forever and gamepass has led me to try and enjoy stuff that I would never have bought.

 

[CarpetSalesman]

(but really $500 because they ain't finding a DE)

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Totally, the DE is a pr move, it's not really a product that actually exists.

 

[Kapten]

Was just thinking about this... as GP value continues to go up, xmas 2021 the XSS will have some deals maybe even a discount. It's going to sell like crazy (if stocks can be solved).

Changing my answer to XSS

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I thought XSS stocks where already solved?

At least here in Sweden you can pick it up at any time you want and electronic stores online are filled with them.

 

[TheGhost]

Totally, the DE is a pr move, it's not really a product that actually exists.

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It exists, I wanted one, but like the majority had to spend $100 more because Sony seems to be prioritizing physical despite the fact i don't buy physical.

 

[rokkerkory]

I thought XSS stocks where already solved?

At least here in Sweden you can pick it up at any time you want and electronic stores online are filled with 500+ of them per store.

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Sweden would be the first country then 😂

maybe it's just bay area California but finding an XSS is still hard...

 

[ghostcrew]

I thought XSS stocks where already solved?

At least here in Sweden you can pick it up at any time you want and electronic stores online are filled with 500+ of them per store.

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This is probably a plus towards recommending a Series S as the casual choice tbh. Who's recommending tracking down a PS5 for a casual gamer for the foreseeable future? That thing is like gold dust.

Here, subscribe to all of these gaming tracking channels on Discord and you might be alerted to a four minute window where you can possibly get one.

 

[Don Dada]

A casual gamer won't be buying and playing many video games in the first place, so why do so many people here talk up Game Pass?

The lower price point for Series S is a more compelling argument than Game Pass, but PS5 DE still offers much more power and utility for only an extra $100. The casual player can go buy one instead with their 2-3 AAA games per year.

Switch is successful, but most of its big selling games are not casual-oriented. Third party games don't contribute heavily to the console's massive sales, but the small bump is still appreciated.

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Because most sports and Cod fans are already paying for ps plus or gold and it's basically the same price for gamepass ultimate so they might as well get more games to play with their friends.

 

[cw_sasuke]

I thought XSS stocks where already solved?

At least here in Sweden you can pick it up at any time you want and electronic stores online are filled with 500+ of them per store.

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Demand for the Xbox is much lower outside of the UK/US - so when it comes discussion of it's performance it's like speaking different languages. People will get straight up offended when you say that it's easier to buy/get an Xbox in your location, because it might not be th case in the US/UK.

It's selling solid but it's clear that the demand isn't anywhere close to the PS5. It's the successor of the Xbox One Sad Edition and not many are into digital only consoles or being locked into a digital subscription service, yet. MS still has a lot of work ahead of them but the potential is there.

 

[SirThou]

Think Game Pass would need a few more Casual type games there that could be picked up and played quickly. The Mario Karts, Animal Crossings, Pokemons, Smash. Not to mention the Switch portability is still a good step above Xcloud (reliability, not everyone has Android).

If they were looking to play as many games as possible for the least amount of money though.. yeah.

Edit: I didn't consider the sports game folks, who certainly won't get that on Switch. Those being available on GP is great, though that crowd probably won't want to wait 6-8 months to play that yearly.

 

[Kapten]

Sweden would be the first country then 😂

maybe it's just bay area California but finding an XSS is still hard...

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I edited out the number though as I looked at it wrong with 500+.

It is 100+.

But here they are easily available, so I figured it was the same all over.

 

[big_z]

Xbox with gamepass is the best choice this gen by far. Switch is also recommendable depending on the buyers tastes. Ps5 I would not recommend right now. Wait a few years and then maybe get one for cheap to play the handful of exclusives if those are of interest. Without those exclusives Sony's platform is of weak value especially if you had a ps4 and with current game prices.

 

[Radec]

What's with these threads lately lol

 

[vrcsix]

If someone came to me and asked "which console should I buy?", my default recommendation would be an Xbox Series S yes. I'd also show them Game Pass and how they can get it really cheap.

I'd recommend the Switch if this person was someone who would clearly have a better time with Mario Kart and Animal Crossing than GTA and Call of Duty. Or had young kids and wanted a family console.

I see no reason to recommend PS5 at this point unless this person had specific Sony franchises in mind. In which case I'd be wondering why they even asked. Otherwise, it'd just be a more expensive way to play the same games on a bulkier and louder machine.

Ultimate for a year for $60 if that deal disappeared a year later. It's worth mentioning, absolutely, but it's not the long term scenario.

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You can even get three years of GP for $120 or less right now (or at least you could a few months back when I got it) and be set. And combined with an Xbox Series S, that amounts to only slightly more than the cheapest PS5 without any games. If the idea of GP resonated with this person, I'd set them up with that. It's a no brainer. A potential price hike would not be an issue for the forseeable future.

And even if you take GP out of the equation, I'd consider an Xbox Series S to represent better value for the casual consumer that "just wants to play games" than a PS5. These people are largely not pixel counting flops nerds like us.

PS5 DE still offers much more power and utility for only an extra $100. The casual player can go buy one instead with their 2-3 AAA games per year.

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You're kinda refuting one assumption while introducing another assumption, which is that casual consumers care about power. Which history has shown that they don't. Other factors such as price and games library are far more important deciding factors. The cheapest console over the course of a generation has pretty much always sold the most units.

 

[Novocaine]

I'll usually recommend Xbox. But only if they don't care about god of war/uncharted or Mario, or have friends that play on a certain system. It's the best choice by far.

 

[ARobotCalledV]

Sweden would be the first country then 😂

maybe it's just bay area California but finding an XSS is still hard...

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Really easy to get where I'm from as well. If anyone in New Zealand wants a Series S, ebgames has it in stock on their site right now.

 

[RowdyReverb]

If you wanted your casual gaming friend to maybe branch out and try some new games, then a system with Game Pass seems like a clear winner.

 

[Prine]

A casual gamer won't be buying and playing many video games in the first place, so why do so many people here talk up Game Pass?

The lower price point for Series S is a more compelling argument than Game Pass, but PS5 DE still offers much more power and utility for only an extra $100. The casual player can go buy one instead with their 2-3 AAA games per year.

Switch is successful, but most of its big selling games are not casual-oriented. Third party games don't contribute heavily to the console's massive sales, but the small bump is still appreciated.

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You're right in that casuals won't be buying many games, but imo they'd be happy to play more if access to games didn't come at a significant cost and respect that their time is non-commital (quick sample of a game and drop it for good).

And that's what's incredibly valuable about GP for casuals, its a shared library of games to play with others, you don't need to each own a game to play together, or sample something popular, and your selection of options continues to expand without you having to put the time in to curate a range of games to play. For casuals, saying get a GP sub to play together rather then a game is what puts as an ideal recommendation, you don't have to explain much and that's they type of answer casuals are attracted to imo.

 

[Zafir]

It's definitely one of the best recommendations, I'd still maybe recommend a Switch too though. Depends on the persons interests. Switch is the home to a lot of really great fun loving titles that are easy to get into as a more casual gamer, but not everyone wants to play Pokemon or Mario. Some people do just want to play the latest big GTA, FIFA game, or COD. For that it's hard not to recommend the Xbox Series S when it's so cheap and has a subscription which also offers people a massive back pile of games they can try out on top.

I'd only recommend Playstation at this point if someone's shown interest in their exclusives. The new console itself is dearer, and with titles being charged at £70, it's just so expensive.

 

[dreamlongdead]

Some people are forgetting the fact that Game Pass is still limited, and many of the biggest AAA games are not available on it. It doesn't necessarily have everything that players actually want.

 

[vitormg]

It's the absolute opposite IMO. Xbox is behind literally everything else when it comes to casuals. PC and Switch are leading, followed by PlayStation with Xbox in the last spot.

 

[JoelStinty]

The value of the series S is incredible with game pass but i still think that only Nintendo really offers a console that is good for a younger or casual family with its range of games. For the older teen it has minecraft and fortnite which still lead the way amongst the casual gaming sphere. I still think the other two have to do more to have software that appeals to children and young teens to be recommend for 'casuals'. It could do with more sport games and media apps but I feel it is still the only console that aims for family and causal entertainment. Saying that we will have seen Astro bot, Sackboy and Ratchet and Clank this year from Sony this year.

I also think Sony are better positioned than Xbox too. Like Mario and Zelda which trancends the hardcore barrier Sony output is starting to resemble blockbuster status - each release is a big event with plenty of talk and hype and the demand and sales of their tentpole games really accelerated last gen. TLOU2, GOW broke work related conversations.

'Casuals' often refer to video games as I played on a Nintendo or Playstation. Xbox hasn't really reached into that lexicon yet. Judging by sales as well the more 'causal' orientated gamer is still drifting towards the former two and I think that as a lot to do with a)history and b) what they offer. They got a good foundation with the S though

 

[Mr.Deadshot]

There is no "defacto casual console". Even "casuals" have different preferences in what they want to play.

 

[Snake Eater]

If someone is casually buying a system, it's honestly hard for me not to tell them to get an Xbox plus game pass and just forget about everything else

 

[ghostcrew]

Some people are forgetting the fact that Game Pass is still limited, and some of the biggest AAA games are not available on it. It doesn't necessarily have everything that many players actually want.

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it doesn't have everything obviously but it's probably the closest you're gonna get on any of the sub services.

Basically all of the sports games (FIFA 21, NBA 2k21, Madden 21, MLB The Show 21, NHL 21, Football Manager etc)
Minecraft
Destiny 2 with every expansion, including the newest one
All of the Star Wars games (Squadrons, Fallen Order, Battlefront 2)
All of the Halo games
Forza Horizon 4
All of the Need For Speed games
Skyrim
etc etc

Most of the other biggest games outside of COD/GTA specifically are F2P at no extra cost anyway.

Fortnite
Apex
Roblox
Rocket League

All of the above, including Xbox Live Gold, for £10.99 a month is a silly deal

 

[seroun]

The astroturfing is strong.

 

[TheGhost]

The astroturfing is strong.

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Even playing field is really getting the accusation throwing going. That's all it is, people are not use to all 3 being in a healthy position.

 

[plow]

So you're saying they are better off spending
$400 (but really $500 because they ain't finding a DE) and 2-3 AAA games, so spend $722

instead of $300 and a $10 a month sub that always goes on sale.

Click to shrink...

It's halarious that in every calculation i see, Gamepass Is on sale, but the games One have to buy are not. Keep on with that.

 

[Prine]

Some people are forgetting the fact that Game Pass is still limited, and many of the biggest AAA games are not available on it. It doesn't necessarily have everything that players actually want.

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Its continuously expanding, and has access to EA Play combined with the low cost means this isn't much of an issue. They cover more then enough and are the only ones offering this option. Much better then putting down £50 for a game purchase with a new console.

 

[goldblum]

Game Pass is obviously great for gamers but until most people are on Xbox then most casuals are going to go where the people (and their friends) are.

I think people underestimate how important that is vs a large library on a subscription

 

[TheGhost]

It's halarious that in every calculation i see, Gamepass Is on sale, but the games One have to buy are not. Keep on with that.

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COD's are the exception just because of activision.

fact of the matter is, i bought a ps5 and has to spend $300 to play new games

i didn't have to do that on Xbox. Because I'm paid up for 2 years and I have whole series of games on gamepass I have to work through.

 

[2Blackcats]

Maybe if cross-play was more seamless and ubiquitous.

I tried recommending Xbox recently but it's pointless when everyone is on PSN.

 

[ParanormalFupa]

Yeah I would recommend an Xbox and game pass to anyone who likes games.

 

[cw_sasuke]

I feel the Hybrid factor of the Switch is downplayed quite a bit when it comes the value proposition of casuals. Being able to play and continue your game on the go is a massive selling point. Same with the motion controls on Joycons for stuff like Just Dance or Fitness Boxing. Or the simple fact that it allows you to play with your partner or your kid via Joycons from the go.

What's with these threads lately lol

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Every time a new game gets added to GamePass, Sony and Nintendo lose 5m potential customers....you do the math xD

 

[Pulp]

xbox and gamepass is what I would recommend to people

 

[dreamlongdead]

It will be interesting to see how this console generation proceeds. I simply don't see Xbox Series S as being a defacto casual console because of mindshare.

It's early, and PlayStation/Nintendo have all the momentum. Xbox's console strategy is clearly resonating with people on these enthusiast forums. Maybe these moves can translate to high market share this time.

 

[Tobor]

PlayStation exclusives are really being downplayed in this thread I see.

As if casuals don't want to play games like Spider-Man or God of War. Lol.

 

[Iwao]

Everyone is right but everyone is also wrong, because the definition of casual is so broad.

Why would you recommend anything over anything else, when a casual gamer might love Zelda, or Mario, or Spider-Man, or Animal Crossing, or Uncharted, or Wii Sports, or Kinect, or Halo, or God of War, or a casual gamer might enjoy the idea of not paying a lot for brand new games over something in particular. Value hasn't yet been the sole reason a casual gamer has decided to pick up a particular console, yet some think of it as some kind of harbinger.