E3 2017

[Aristo]

I think 4K and HDR content is going end up being primarily streaming, and this may end up being the slow death of cable. The ability to stream 4K is going to give one of the providers, I'm guessing Hulu (who also has a nice selection of originals in 4K, as well as all of the Bond films) the leverage to buy up rights to channels like AMC, FX, and others. Steaming providers have something cable and dish don't, and that's bandwidth to spare.

[TCrouch]

HDR in gaming is eye-opening. Since most advancements in graphics the past generation have been in lighting and not necessarily more detailed models or textures, I think it's extremely important when it comes to gaming.

It's not until you play a game with HDR enabled and disabled on a good 4K HDR set that it becomes so important, though. When I first got my TV and the XB1S/PS4 Pro, I didn't think I'd be nearly as impressed with HDR as I was.

Of course, it's up to software developers on how they want to implement it on a per-title basis, however.

[Aristo]

That is too true. FH3 is freaking ridiculous. MLB The Show, even on a PS4 Slim, looks amazing with HDR enabled. Total difference maker. And I'm not lying, Forza 7's trailer in 4K was out of this world. So day one.

That said, it's not nearly the game changer in video yet, as far as I've seen.

[Danimal]

That said, it's not nearly the game changer in video yet, as far as I've seen.

Honestly I got a few Ultra HD Bluerays with my XB1S purchase and that is literally the only place I noticed HDR in video. Of course I have no plans to buy more UHD discs and honestly most new movies haven't even released 4K versions. My kids just got Beauty and the Beast and there was no 4K option.

[wco81]

You guys may be grandfathered.

I don't subscribe to Netflix but here's what I found:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/ne ... breakdown/

Code: Select all

Basic (streaming)	$8	1	SD
Standard (streaming)	$10	2	HD
Premium (streaming)	$12	4	HD + Ultra HD

[DChaps]

Ok, don't want to hijack this thread too much, but what all do you need to experience this UHD/4k gaming, and are they one in the same or separate? Is 4K different than UHD and which is better?

I assume that:
1) The game needs to support it
2) Your console/PC needs to have the hardware inside to support it
3) Your TV/Monitor needs to support it

For example, Forza Horizon 3 and F1 2016 have both been referenced as good games in UHD. I have these both for Xbox One (regular, not S) and PC (GTX 1080). For PC, do I just need to get a decent monitor that supports 4K/UHD? For Xbox, I would need to get the S console and hook it up to said monitor or get a 4K/UHD TV?

So the XBox One X will display even better graphics than 4K/UHD? Sorry for the confusion.

Would this be a cheap option for both? Use it as my TV and monitor.

Haier 43UF2500 43" 4K Ultra-HD LED TV - $249
http://www.microcenter.com/product/4772 ... -HD_LED_TV

[TCrouch]

UHD is "Ultra HD", which is usually 4K when it comes to TVs. It CAN be 8K, but nobody is going there yet. When they say UHD, they mean 4K.

The game has to support it, but like in the case of the XBox One S, it upscales everything to 4K anyway. It doesn't look significantly better than 1080p, but it IS a bit cleaner.

The display needs to support it, yes.

For PC, you'd need to get a monitor that supports 4K, but I wouldn't be running out to do it if you're running a single GTX 1080 (not a Ti). Unless barely scraping by at 30FPS is your target, in which case go for it.

When it comes to a PC, even a 2560x1440 monitor running on a GTX 1080 will look and perform better than an XBox One or XBox One S. But the Xbox One X (and PS4 Pro) render games in 4K on a 4K set--mostly through trickery, in the PS4's case, where it uses checkerboard rendering (basically rendering every other pixel and extrapolating from there) and other tricks to render at a lower resolution and then upscale it within the software to 4K. It's much, much cleaner than a hardware upscale like the 1S does.

But the XB1X has significantly more GPU power than any other console, while the CPU is a bit questionable, so nobody really knows yet. I am seriously considering getting OUT of PC gaming if the XB1X performs as well as I expect it to. It's just so expensive to stay at the front of the technology curve, that if the XB1X can hit 4K...even if it's checkerboard, I won't really care, then I might just shift my focus there entirely.

But yes--you'd need a good 4K/HDR set to really make it worth your while, and at that point, there's nothing stopping you from connecting your PC to it to see how it looks/performs.

[Teal]

I bought a 4k ultra tv at Christmas when we know we were getting the xb1s, and bought my first 4k ultra movie in Hacksaw Ridge. Holy s*** at the difference from even Blu Ray! I'm not jumping in the train until/unless they start making games that don't work on my S, however. And even then, the pot needs to be pretty sweet. I jumped into the new console mostly to game with dsp'ers again, and really see no need to invest that amount of money barely 11 months after diving into the S. But knowing how much better movies look does make seeing the new horsepower in action intriguing.

[dbdynsty25]

I am seriously considering getting OUT of PC gaming if the XB1X performs as well as I expect it to. It's just so expensive to stay at the front of the technology curve, that if the XB1X can hit 4K...even if it's checkerboard, I won't really care, then I might just shift my focus there entirely.

Uhuh. Sure you are.

You won't be able to resist new pc components. Who are you kidding? Lol.

[Danimal]

I am seriously considering getting OUT of PC gaming if the XB1X performs as well as I expect it to.

YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU SHUT IT RIGHT NOW!!!

[TCrouch]

I am seriously considering getting OUT of PC gaming if the XB1X performs as well as I expect it to. It's just so expensive to stay at the front of the technology curve, that if the XB1X can hit 4K...even if it's checkerboard, I won't really care, then I might just shift my focus there entirely.

Uhuh. Sure you are.

You won't be able to resist new pc components. Who are you kidding? Lol.

Hey! I've been able to refrain from buying a 1080 Ti so far...that's the longest I've ever gone without buying the latest/greatest graphics card!

[Aristo]

The one thing I would add is that HDR ought to be an essential part of the mix. Yes, 4K increases the resolution, but it is HDR that makes the biggest difference.

FH3 does not play in 4K. The One S only upsamples the 1080p p to 4K. But if your TV also supports HDR, it will render the game in HDR, and there results are flipping amazing. And that can be tricky to execute still.

On most TVs, only certain HDMI ports will handle HDR. On my Sony, it's the 2nd and 3rd port out of the four, which is weird. Also, I then had to go into the setting to activate the enhanced HDMI ports before it would even recognize an HDR signal. I've read that getting it going on some other models is more of a pain. That was one of the reasons I waited until this year, for the tech to be a little more common and better implemented. I would say that it still needs a year to two before it is as plug and play as it needed to be.

The other reason I waited a year is that the main driver of which 4K HDR TV to get was input lag. Most of the TVs had terrible lag, andI wanted to wait a year to see if there would be better input lag among all the TVs, so you could choose one based on other factors. This is what made the Samsung's KS8000 so popular last year. It's also what made OLED TVs so problematic if you wanted to spend a ton offish on the best. The OLEDs were kind of crappy for gaming. But that has, indeed, been fixed this year. Most TVs person fine for gaming.

The Switch does not have any HDR capabilities, so I have that on input one. It still looks amazing, but it's not getting any real benefit other than a newer TV just looks better. My current 4K TV does improve on the picture of HD content compared to my old Toshiba, not its resolution, just how it presents the images and such.

I would read rtings.com thoroughly before buying a 4K tv. On top of the reviews, they have a lot of articles explaining what you need to know going in. Plus, they have a great side by side chart to compare TVs you are interested in by the scores they game them in different areas. They even test the input lag for gaming. It's worth looking at AVS forums, too.

Then, once you buy the TV you think works best for you, and after you get it set it up the way you want, don't read another review. Don't read any more impressions. If you are enjoying the TV, don't seek out anything that might make you question it. But do make sure you get HDR activated. I've seen several people fail to realize, weeks later, that they didn't. Some go on to complain the HDR is a big joke.

It sucks that TVs got this complicated. But it's also kind nice to have these new features.

[Danimal]

Been at least a half dozen deals on XB1S these past few days. Me thinks the pre-order for the Xb1X is coming later this week or next.

[Aristo]

I read that Microsoft expects pre-orders to go live in August, much closer to launch day. I think the are are still prepping an assortment of SKUs, possibly with several colors. Heck, I would not be surprised if they do a design your own console thing like the controllers.

http://www.gamepur.com/news/26976-amazo ... order.html

Initially, it was reported that Xbox One X needs FCC clearance before going on sale, and hence retailers are not taking up pre-orders at the moment. Microsoft's Albert Penello today revealed the exact reason behind why Xbox One X pre-order hasn't started yet. Speaking to our friend at Gamertag Radio:

"We are a long way away from launch. So I think we wanted to have a really strong E3 around talking about the product and talking about the games. We are going to do pre-orders closer to launch, I think we are going to have some fun stuff to talk about with pre-orders that we haven't talked about now."

[Danimal]

That would be a bad idea, you can't produce enough consoles that quickly. Unless they want Switch inflated demand then sure go that route.

Although a custom Xbox would be cool.

[vader29]

Haven't pre-ordered a console since the N64 but will be doing so with the Xbox X, hope it doesn't end up being one of those pre-order deals that sells out in the first 5 minutes of going up for sale and you have to wait for months to get one or I will be majorly pissed.

[Aristo]

The XB1 was my first pre-ordered console. Will be doing the same for the Xbox One X.

I will lean on my brother for info, as he is Assistant General Counsel at Microsoft. Because he is a lawyer, I get zero secret info. Sometimes, when we chat, he plays dumb about stuff that has been released and confirmed because if it isn't his area, he's not always sure of what's confirmed by MS versus what people have found out. But he ought to be able to give me some insight about how hard it will be to acquire the new console.

But while he gets a nice discount on games and software that he can pass on to me, hardware is not eligible for discounts.

[Pete1210]

I was planning on getting Scorpio on day 1, but now I'm not so sure. Instead, I'm considering finally picking up a PS4 so I can play some exclusives I missed out on. Then move on to 4K on XBX when there are more games to play.

[sportdan30]

I was planning on getting Scorpio on day 1, but now I'm not so sure. Instead, I'm considering finally picking up a PS4 so I can play some exclusives I missed out on. Then move on to 4K on XBX when there are more games to play.

I'm going to hold off on purchasing the X as as well as the exclusives simply aren't there in my opinion. Forza 7 looks stunning, but not enough to warrant a $500 purchase. The One S is still an excellent system and will play this game just fine. With regards to the sports games, I'm sure the X will look better, but nothing that significant compared to the Pro. Time will tell, but the days of owning all the latest and greatest consoles has passed me by. I'll wait for the first price drop and more exclusive games on the X.

[Danimal]

I was planning on getting Scorpio on day 1, but now I'm not so sure. Instead, I'm considering finally picking up a PS4 so I can play some exclusives I missed out on. Then move on to 4K on XBX when there are more games to play.

If you go that route don't waste your money on a PS4 Pro because frankly there aren't many games to justify it either. Having played HZD on both a regular PS4 and a Pro, I would say the average person would come away not noticing the difference. Meaning it looks stunning on the regular PS4 as well without the HDR. I really don't know what else you would buy that would justify a Pro.

However a PS4 purchase just to play HZD is a 100% recommendation from me. Last of Us as well if you haven't played that and the last Uncharted.

[Rodster]

If you go that route don't waste your money on a PS4 Pro because frankly there aren't many games to justify it either. Having played HZD on both a regular PS4 and a Pro, I would say the average person would come away not noticing the difference. Meaning it looks stunning on the regular PS4 as well without the HDR. I really don't know what else you would buy that would justify a Pro.

However a PS4 purchase just to play HZD is a 100% recommendation from me. Last of Us as well if you haven't played that and the last Uncharted.

True but the PS4 Pro will play certain games smoother and have enhanced features not found when playing them on a standard PS4. Is that a system selling feature? For me it would be if I didn't have a PS4 and with the $349 price point, that's a lot better than dropping $500 on a X1X. Hell you could buy an Xbox and PS4 slim for the price of the X.

[Danimal]

True but the PS4 Pro will play certain games smoother and have enhanced features not found when playing them on a standard PS4. Is that a system selling feature? For me it would be if I didn't have a PS4 and with the $349 price point, that's a lot better than dropping $500 on a X1X. Hell you could buy an Xbox and PS4 slim for the price of the X.

I own a PS4 Pro, some games are enhanced with patches but there is no noticeable difference in load times, smoother game play or anything of that nature. If the main reason was to play exclusives I'm not sure why paying the extra money is needed, just looking out for someone who I actually game with from time to time.

It's apparent you and a few others are definitely not fans of the XB1X but I find it funny that the original PS4 argument was better hardware / graphics and now that the XB1X will trump anything Sony offers that doesn't matter.

[Rodster]

It's apparent you and a few others are definitely not fans of the XB1X but I find it funny that the original PS4 argument was better hardware / graphics and now that the XB1X will trump anything Sony offers that doesn't matter.

Well it would matter if Microsoft had a better 1st party lineup than Sony and better exclusives than Sony. The best showcase for the Xbox One X is Forza 7. I'm sure it'll look good enough on my launch XONE. And wco81 made a good point that needs to be considered, are the PS4 Pro and X1X just stopgaps to the next generation of consoles possibly due in 2-3 years?

[Danimal]

It's apparent you and a few others are definitely not fans of the XB1X but I find it funny that the original PS4 argument was better hardware / graphics and now that the XB1X will trump anything Sony offers that doesn't matter.

Well it would matter if Microsoft had a better 1st party lineup than Sony and better exclusives than Sony. The best showcase for the Xbox One X is Forza 7. I'm sure it'll look good enough on my launch XONE. And wco81 made a good point that needs to be considered, are the PS4 Pro and X1X just stopgaps to the next generation of consoles possibly due in 2-3 years?

I'm not arguing any of that as they are all valid points. Pete said he wasn't going to get an XB1X because there weren't enough games taking advantage of 4K and he would get a PS4 to play exclusives. Again you could argue that the XB1X would be a better investment for a 4K owner since they claim every game you own will upscale, natively out of the box without a patch (ala Sony) on day one. However if your main motive is to play the great Sony exclusives I mentioned you could get a regular PS4 and all three games for the price of a Pro, right?

Look I don't care what anyone buys as I'll own both, I can sell 2 of my launch XB1's or PS4's and probably pay nothing for my 1X. I was just pointing out neither console is kicking the 4K games out at this point that make you run out and buy a 4K TV.

[Pete1210]

True but the PS4 Pro will play certain games smoother and have enhanced features not found when playing them on a standard PS4. Is that a system selling feature? For me it would be if I didn't have a PS4 and with the $349 price point, that's a lot better than dropping $500 on a X1X. Hell you could buy an Xbox and PS4 slim for the price of the X.

I own a PS4 Pro, some games are enhanced with patches but there is no noticeable difference in load times, smoother game play or anything of that nature. If the main reason was to play exclusives I'm not sure why paying the extra money is needed, just looking out for someone who I actually game with from time to time.

It's apparent you and a few others are definitely not fans of the XB1X but I find it funny that the original PS4 argument was better hardware / graphics and now that the XB1X will trump anything Sony offers that doesn't matter.

Thanks. I would just go for vanilla PS4... unless I get the 4K TV first, then I'd rather pair that with the XBX.