Why The Xbox Series X Is Actually A PC
A Gateway To Pure PC Gaming
So why release a console that masquerades as a PC? Why not buy just a PC? The beauty of the video game console is that they're, for the most part, an no-nonsense system.
Plug it in, start playing.
Yes, you'll need to install umpteen updates when you first buy the machine, and go through yet another update for each and every game you purchase, but by-and-large, anyone could purchase, plug in, and play on a console. However, the PC landscape is easier to traverse than ever. Pre-built systems are availble from almost everywhere, be it from a dedicated computing retailer, Amazon, or even a supermarket.
Though you can custom-spec a pre-built system, most people don't know their Intel Core i7-9700k from their Ryzen 7 3800X. See, you probably don't know what they are- which is why both Sony and Microsoft get away with throwing all this 'teraflop' nonsense at you while you smile, nod, and get your wallets out.
The Xbox Series X proves to be the perfect 'pre-built PC,' simply because, in the words of Todd Howard, "it just works." There's no need to know about specs and the like, no installing Windows, or Steam, or whichever distribution service you use, it's just plug and play in the PC space. Buying a pre-built PC still isn't rocket science, but it's a land on which many console folk fear to tread. The Series X could take you by the hand as you cross the threshold saying, "now that wasn't so bad, was it?"
Since Microsoft are still catering for the 'pure' PC folk, the Series X being a transitionary system for those entering the PC space won't be a huge loss for Microsoft, since their services are still available on the platform. Rather than keep their Xbox and PC audiences separate, they're quite literally establishing the bridge between the now-blurring lines between PC and console.
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So what do you think? Would you invest in a system you could basically turn into a PC, or would you rather Xbox stuck to their console roots and leave the PC lot do their own thing? Sound off in the comments!