COGconnected’s Xbox 2020 Gift Guide
It’s that wonderful time of year when everyone starts thinking about what amazing gifts they’ll get their loved ones for the holiday season. For gamers, this year is particularly special as there will be some brand new consoles available to enjoy. For Xbox gamers, they’ll have the opportunity to invest in the brand new Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S. However, if they’ve decided to stick with their current Xbox One console, that’s okay too. There is plenty of enjoyment to be had whichever Xbox console gamers play on. Here at COGconnected, we want to lend a helping hand by offering this handy guide that will provide all the essential information you need to put a smile on your favourite gamers face.
This guide will be broken down into three parts; Xbox Game Consoles, Xbox Accessories, and Must-Have Xbox Games. Let’s get started.
Xbox Game Consoles
Xbox Series X
The Xbox Series X is the brand-new, premier Xbox console that’ll be available on November 10, 2020. With the Xbox Series X, games will look and play substantially better thanks to top-of-the-line hardware built into the new console. A beefy 1 terabyte solid-state drive will ensure you have plenty of room to store new games and there are options to increase that space as needed. One of the biggest improvements to game visuals will come via a technology called ray-tracing, which will enhance everything from lighting effects to reflections. The Xbox Series X is almost 100% backward compatible with the Xbox One library, with the exception of Kinect-enabled games. Additionally, any Xbox 360 and original Xbox games that were added to the Xbox One backward compatibility list will also work on the Xbox Series X. If you’re shopping for a gamer that’s looking for the absolute best Xbox, then the Xbox Series X is the perfect choice.
Xbox Series S
The Xbox Series S is also brand-new, and will also be available on November 10, 2020. The biggest distinction between the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S is the overall visual capabilities. While the Xbox Series X can display content in stunning 4K resolution, the Xbox Series S caps out at 1440p resolution. As a result, the Xbox Series S is quite a bit cheaper than the Xbox Series X, perfect for gamers who are on a budget and might not need the added resolution. However, the Xbox Series S shares all the amazing backward compatibility options that the Xbox Series X has. In addition, the Xbox Series S will play every game the Xbox Series X can play, so Xbox Series S gamers won’t miss out on any upcoming hit games.
Xbox One X and Xbox One S
The current generation of console, the Xbox One, will still be available in stores this holiday season. If cost isn’t an option, the recommendation would definitely be to opt for an Xbox Series X, however, if that’s not possible, you can still pick up an older, still very capable, Xbox One console. The Xbox One comes in two varieties; the Xbox One S and the Xbox One X. Like the Xbox Series X and S, the biggest difference between the two ultimately boils down to resolution. The Xbox One X can display images in 4K, the Xbox One S can not. Both will play a vast library of Xbox One games, along with backward compatibility to play select Xbox 360 and Original Xbox games. In addition, many of the new games launching on Xbox Series X/S will also be available on the Xbox One platforms, so an immediate upgrade isn’t completely necessary. However, it’s worth noting that the Xbox Series X/S versions of these upcoming games will perform and look substantially better than their Xbox One counter-parts, so keep that in mind.
Check out page 2 for some must have accessories.