@ThanosReXXX "If the Xbox One X is supposed to be hamstrung by the S, then the Pro is also hamstrung by the vanilla PS4, so I'd say that this difference is negligible."

Oh, absolutely. We both know that the X and the Pro are kind of shoddy mid gen bumps. X was certainly more well thought out. I got a Pro because I'm impatient for loading and wanted cleaner framerates but it's basically scarcely different from my stock PS4 otherwise. X is really nice hardware but as long as it has to be hamstrung to the S, it's still just an XOne with prettier rendering. Granted they have some avenues to fix that with the X that Sony doesn't with Pro, but then when Sony's showcasing PS5, XBox will need a new number to keep up. Not a knock on the X, it's super nice hardware. Was tempted. But it's place in their business is kind of "great product at the wrong time that can't deliver overwhelming results but might deliver what they needed it to do as a stopgap."

It may turn a profit, but not enough to recover the mountain of debt they've racked up. I do feel if X sells well it will secure a next XBox. A step that I think was questionable before the X. MS hasn't been thrilled with them. Personally Sony's offerings (mostly meaning their games, not the hardware) are much more interesting to me than the limited XBox exclusive pool, but even as a Sony "fan"?(wrong phrase....not really a fan, I just like some of the games it has) I want to see a strong XBox. Sony gets OBNOXIOUS when they are unchallenged. Honestly the GAMES management at both companies are quite likable. Spencer, Yoshida, Layden.....very likable execs who you can tell are gamers at heart. (cough Reggie...)

Yeah the Pro was just....such a poorly thought out project. The big key is they didn't want to undercut the existing owners, which is a good thing....but the Pro kind of is what they had already advertised the original to be but wasn't, without being anything significantly upgrade-worthy. Of course, everyone on about 4k just doesn't get it. a 1080p movie looks tons and tons more real than a 4k video game even on a 4k display. All those 1X and pro fans should really be using the 1080p improvements and letting their scalers handle the 4k.

What you describe that XBox is all about raw power makes sense. That was the modus operandi of the original X-Box after all so it's a return to form. And since they have no real games library to leverage, being a PC for people that don't want a PC is a good place for them to form a niche, while PS keeps building "a box to play mari...er...zombie games on."

I do think an X2 and PS5 are inevitable. Sony talked about the generationless upgrade cycle a few years back, but their Pro strategy seems like a commitment to sticking with generations for a while longer. They can't just do a "Pro 2, a bigger incremental jump than last year's!" And they no doubt want a 2.0 VR set next time too. So I think they will do a 5. And XBox will follow up with a 2 to keep brand parity. Though Microsoft could make the X into a 2-Lite....plays S games well or 2 games poorly..... that would be the first true trans-generational system....and X is in a position to pull it off. That would be exciting (I think.)

But the games.....I do wonder how many people are in the market for an expensive-ish box that basically plays EA and Activision games something close to PC levels. MS really hurt themselves gutting Game Studios......PS has really come back from the PS3 era back to a content focus, and with both Nintendo and Sony focused on content, it puts XBox in a weird position of selling XBox as a great machine to play the same games that are on the other system....I imagine if they get more serious about a successful XBox they're going to have to buy a publisher after annihilating their in house publishing. It's the classic MS solution to any problem: Buy someone who has what we want!

@Ryu_Niiyama I will say the face closeness isn't as weird as I thought, partially because I'm a camera enthusiast as well so scoping down digital viewfinders and HUDS in an optically enlarged display isn't a new sensory feeling for me. IT's actually optically moved farther out than it actually is so in terms of eye focusing distance feels similar to "proper" view distance for 3DS.

Image overlap works differently from how it does on 3DS due to the separate displays. 3DS had that whole interlaced thing going on that made it odd. I'm not sure how it DOES work, but it's viewable. Next time I pick it up (it's not a daily thing both for safety and convenience reasons...it's sort of a friday treat) I'll pay attention to that and let you know.

Not sure if the disorientation would be better or worse for you though. in 3D it obviously feels less close up, but I'm not sure how it would be single-lens. Not sure I can get a feel for that without suffering from the original disorientation (I've always played first person plastered to the screen I can see the screen door on a Retina display but I can't read the exit sign above a door...sigh I'm a microscope with feet. )

OTOH, car dwelling does not sound fun......I hope it's neither too hot nor too cold in that desert in Winter! Now THERE is marketing angle Nintendo's ad wizards didn't come up with "strung out millennials living in broken down cars doing MK8 races!" Almost as exciting as the airplane thing....

The bigger question, however is, what happens to the Amaterasu statue? Roof? (I mean, car roof, not, roof roof, because, Ami...dog...I'll show myself out now.)