Xbox One X: 9 Enhanced Games That Make It Worth Buying

Sony has the exclusives; Microsoft the hardware. That's the current state of affairs that has two of the big three - Nintendo's on cloud nine, too busy enjoying the euphoric success of the Switch to give a damn - in a near-total deadlock, but which platform holder has the edge?

Until recently, the only correct answer was Sony. Last year's PS4 Pro, combined with a first-party packed first six months of 2017, left Microsoft in the precarious position of being sidelined. Fast-forward to E3, where the Xbox One X finally got its time to shine, and Sony's lead has quickly begun to unravel.

Without question, the heavyweight releases of this year and last - Final Fantasy XV, Call of Duty: WWII and Middle-earth: Shadow of War, to name drop just a few, shine brighter on Microsoft's mid-generation upgrade than its direct competitor, and some - particularly those aging exclusives that have been given tender love (spruced up versions of Halo 5 and Gears 4 have really saved your bacon on that front, Microsoft) and attention - are able to stand shoulder to shoulder with top-end PC rigs.

Yes, Microsoft still has a lot of catching up to do on the first-party front, but with the world's most powerful console now under its belt, it's the so-called green team we'll be flocking to for all our multi-platform needs.

Let's just hope that 2018 brings a renewed focus on exclusives, or else this will all have been for nought.

Xbox One X enhancements: 4K, HDR

MMOs have always gotten a free pass on the visuals front, but it's only fair.

After all, given their multi-faceted nature and more massive scope than, say, triple-A shooter #4, additional leeway is to be expected, but that doesn't mean developers don't at least try not to offend your eyeballs.

Square and Bethesda's Final Fantasy XIV and The Elder Scrolls Online respectively, are two of the prettier examples, but on the bog standard Xbox One, the latter can look quite ropey.

It's thanks to that disparity that ESO's One X renovations appear more extensive than any other title present, but Bethesda's showcase (see below) only tells half the story. Every facet of Tamriel, from bustling city-states to monster-infested wilds and the curio-packed countryside that houses them, have been brought up to match the level of quality previously exclusive to the PC version.

If foibles of the skin-deep kind were the only barrier between you and countless hours of massively multiplayer entertainment, then ESO's story-rich world is the One X system-seller for you.