The Xbox Showcase during Summer Game Fest has come and gone with people still talking about everything shown off days later. If you didn’t watch the show, know that Xbox redeemed itself. They put their entire heart and soul into what they decided to unveil. The showcase was filled with so many surprise announcements and emotional moments that PlayStation’s State of Play just paled in comparison. It feels like the pressure is on between the two and Sony is feeling the pressure.
Sure, I’m excited about Phantom Blade Zero, but that excitement feels almost emotionless when I think about games like Fable, Perfect Remake, and Gears of War: E-Day. After almost every announcement Xbox made, I was doubly excited when it would be announced for Game Pass on day one of release. I’ll die on the hill that Game Pass is the greatest gaming subscription service of all time. This showcase just proves that even more. Sorry PlayStation Plus, you just don’t hit the same way you used to and I can’t remember the last time I was subscribed to you.
There was once a point where I felt that Sony was the one calling all the gaming shots. I remember a point when every State of Play was better than the last. Now, it looks like Sony is struggling under the pressure of everything that Xbox has been able to accomplish. If you think about it, the latest Xbox acquisitions are pretty hard to outshine, no matter how great you are. Sony was competing with Xbox classics and a kickass subscription service; they couldn’t bring anything nearly as close to the table. I felt the same way about the games that will be available across several platforms. Even though games like Atomfall and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are going to be available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, Xbox gave it that extra “oomph” by adding them to Game Pass Day One.
There’s also the added aspect of Game Pass working across both console and PC. Personally, I use Game Pass on PC and play just about every major release. Especially on day one if released on the service. It’s one of the only ways to get me to play something brand new. Honestly, I have a hard time chucking $70 into a game just to find out it’s not for me. I have a PS5, but I’ll admit that I pretty exclusively play free-to-play games. That, or titles that have been given to me for various purposes by the lovely staff at The Nerd Stash.
It’s a gorgeous console, and there’s no doubt that the games played on it are absolutely stunning. However, those features don’t compare to everything Xbox has going on right now. At this point in time, I just feel bad for Sony. It’s been a while coming that Xbox was going to knock Sony off their pedestal. Now that they have, it almost feels as though they’ve redeemed themselves by showing off the best of the best for this year and next.
