I don’t think it’s hardware. It’s a differentiator. Tell me why I (or whoever) should pick an Xbox over a PlayStation?
What else differentiates it from the PS5 in a positive way?
The thing is, it’s not even Games Pass or the hardware. For me, as a PC gamer, having an Xbox would be redundant. Anything an Xbox can do, my PC just does strictly better without a cumbersome UI and additional online subscription.
I own a PS5 for access to Sony exclusives when they launch, instead of waiting 1-5 years for the PC ports. I also get access to PS Plus’ extensive classic collection and indie collections, which, regardless of the price of the subscription, broadens my gaming library extensively–something Xbox simply doesn’t do.
Why would I purchase a console that only gives me access to the same games on a worse system vs a console that expands my library considerably?
Live A Live on Switch is the example everyone should be pointing to of what a proper 2D-HD remake of FF1-6 could (and should) look like.
It’s actually an almost offensive level of laziness, as a consumer, to have a company like Square Enix try to sell me a full-priced remaster collection that only includes partial use of 2D-HD in certain scenes and what essentially amounts to cheap 2D mobile game graphics everywhere else. And the difference is jarring. For the price I’m paying, I expect the full 2D-HD treatment, not…whatever half-assed nonsense this is.
Edit: Also, Octopath doesn’t “get away with it” because of filters, it’s a game made entirely in 2D-HD, which is why it’s consistent. Same with Octopath II and Live A Live.