And yet, and yet, in spite of that, the Xbox One has simply been unable to achieve the kind of sustained turnaround that the PS3 did last generation. The console’s sales have continued to slump (even more so after the Xbox One S launch), exclusive game support seems to have slowed to a trickle, if that, and general sentiment around the console is not that of surging positivity, like the PS3 started garnering after the launch of the PS3 Slim and Uncharted 2, but indifference at best, and outright antipathy at worst.

So- what has gone wrong here? Why has Microsoft been unable to come back from a poor start like the PS3 did? And is there any scope for them being able to do so?

"The Xbox One has simply been unable to achieve the kind of sustained turnaround that the PS3 did last generation."

At this point, I sound like a broken record, but the ultimate long term failure of the Xbox One (and before people in the comments section get antsy, failure here doesn’t have to be absolute – though it might be – but rather, relative to expectations from the console following the Xbox 360) ultimately comes down to Microsoft’s utter inability to guarantee a stream of exciting and compelling exclusive game support for the system.

This matters- if there are two systems that play 90% of the same games, then my decision to pick one or the other up will come down to that last 10% of the games. Except in this case, there is no last 10% of the games as far as the Xbox is concerned, because exclusives on that platform are minimal. If both systems play Destiny, Call of Duty, FIFA, and Assassin’s Creed, then will I pick up the system that plays just those games, or the one that plays those, plus Horizon, Uncharted, Persona, and Bloodborne?

Individually, none of Sony’s exclusives actually hold that much market appeal, outside of maybe Uncharted, The Last of Us, and God of War– however, there are so many of them, that even if one individual one only appeals to a few hundred thousand people, cumulatively, millions of people are swayed over to the PS4 side. This is a vindication of Sony’s strategy to focus on a wide array of exclusives, casting as wide a net as possible.

Now contrast this to Microsoft’s approach- while focusing on Halo, Gears, and Forza is fine, focusing only on them gets Xbox nowhere. If someone was not convinced by Halo 5, Forza 6, and Gears of War 4, why will Halo 6, Forza 7, and Gears 5 change their minds? They won’t- at that point, Microsoft is just preaching to the choir, and the choir is already converted.

"If people aren’t excited about the games on your system, then it doesn’t matter if you have great services, or consumer friendly practises, or a cool new revision for your system, or the most powerful console ever made- in the end, your system won’t sell at a sustained, high level."

Look at even Nintendo’s strategy, and how it compares to Microsoft’s- Nintendo focuses on a staggeringly broad array of franchises, across all genres, and puts out one game in each once every console cycle (so a new release still feels special) for its major franchises like Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Smash, and Mario Kart, while also focusing on newer IP or niche games like Splatoon, ARMS, Fire Emblem, and Xenoblade. Nintendo, too, seems to understand the importance of casting a wide net to appeal to a broader audience- a lesson that Microsoft seems to be incapable of understanding.

To Microsoft’s credit, they did try with new IP earlier in the generation. They tried with Ryse, Quantum Break, Sunset Overdrive, ReCore, and they have Sea of Thieves coming up (plus there was Scalebound as well). However, I contend that the problem is that while Microsoft is willing to fund new projects, it doesn’t back them- if Quantum Break failed or underperformed, or if ReCore didn’t do that well, Microsoft shouldn’t just drop the titles and double down on the few remaining brands they have that do work— they should stick with their new attempts and try to develop and inculcate them further. Look at Sony as a counterpoint, or Nintendo- the original Killzone and Uncharted both underperformed, and Sony continued pushing the series and developing them, and they stood by their creators. Nintendo consistently leverages IP like Pikmin or Xenoblade, and neither are even regular million sellers- but again, they stand by their creators. Microsoft’s problem is that for them, a new venture seems to be a one and done- they do it once, it needs to do well, or they won’t bother again.

That’s not how you do things- you need to cultivate franchises, grow them, turn them into something bigger, and develop a larger portfolio of games and franchises. If people are excited about the games they can get on your platform, they will get your platform- again, the success of the Nintendo Switch, selling only on the basis of its exclusive games, is testament to that. But if people aren’t excited about the games on your system, then it doesn’t matter if you have great services, or consumer friendly practises, or a cool new revision for your system, or the most powerful console ever made- in the end, your system won’t sell at a sustained, high level. And so, while all the parallels for a PS3 like rebound might be present, the most essential ingredient – games – is sadly the one that Microsoft seems to be missing.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to GamingBolt as an organization.

Now on the backfoot, the console manufacturer took multiple measures to course correct- rapid price drops, aggressive bundles, consumer friendly policies and services, shoring up their first party to ensure a steady stream of exclusives for their system, and finally, a mid cycle refresh that completely rejuvenated sales, leading to the system becoming competitive with the competition again.

The question here is- which system am I talking about? Because the interesting thing is, that description could apply to the PlayStation 3 and to the Xbox One- the parallels between both of the systems are actually a fair bit eerie in their specificity.

"The Xbox One essentially seems to be channeling the PlayStation 3 this generation."

The Xbox One essentially seems to be channeling the PlayStation 3 this generation. The parallels are interesting and immediate- both the PS3 and Xbox One are third consoles, both of them had terrible reveals, fraught with mixed messaging focusing on media, and misreading the market leading to the console being priced too high, both of them lost the kind of favor with third parties that their predecessors had known, leading to Sony and Microsoft to work extra hard to shore up their first party lineup, both saw multiple bundles and rapid fire price cuts, before a mid cycle refresh of the console came along, and revitalized sales.

The Xbox One and the PS3 were bought hindered by complicated architecture, leading to poorer versions of multiplatform games, and in some cases outright loss of third party support. Both systems began to leverage openness somewhere down their life cycles, even touting similar functionality, such as cross platform play and interactivity with the PC.

Sony deserves mad credit for how they managed to pull back with the PS3- the horrid launch of the system is now a distant memory, and the PS3, over the course of the generation, became a far more desirable system than it had been at launch, and indeed, far more desirable than the competition too. Sony’s persistent efforts at securing a steady stream of desirable content for their system, as well as their consistent consumer friendly policies and initiatives, all led to the PS3 ending the generation in style, and in a position of strength, momentum that they then leveraged smartly going into the launch of the PS4.

And yet, as much credit as Sony deserves for how they managed to pull the PS3 around, Microsoft certainly deserves credit for how they have so far managed to revive the Xbox One, too. A year ago, no one would have believed that the Xbox One would actually be the more appealing system, that its exclusive lineup would actually trump Sony’s, that Microsoft would be seen as a more consumer friendly, and open company, of all things.

"A year ago, no one would have believed that the Xbox One would actually be the more appealing system, that its exclusive lineup would actually trump Sony’s, that Microsoft would be seen as a more consumer friendly, and open company, of all things."

And yet, that’s exactly what Microsoft have done. Led by Phil Spencer, they’ve maneuvered the Xbox One into being an extremely appealing proposition, indeed- starting with the introduction of compatibility for Xbox 36o games last year, to the introduction of cross platform multiplayer, to Xbox Anywhere, which is the most ambitious cross purchase program in history, to a string of great exclusives, to smart price drops, to the Xbox One S, which will probably go down as the standard of mid cycle revisions for consoles going forward, to openness in the kinds of content they allow on their system with no restrictions, to delivering extreme value at very low prices (such as with the inclusion of the UHD Blu Ray player on the Xbox One S), Microsoft have truly managed to turn the ship around, and they’ve managed to salvage their perception with the masses, too.

Hammering the point home for Microsoft is the contrast that they implicitly and passively draw against Sony. Sony won’t allow cross platform play. Sony won’t allow backwards compatibility on their system. Sony won’t even honor your previous PS Classics purchases on the PS4. Sony have constantly delayed their major exclusives, with Uncharted 4 being the only highlight of the PS4 lineup this year. The PS4 Slim is a rather cheap and underwhelming revision. Sony won’t allow mods on their systems without significant restrictions placed on the kinds of content they allow. Sony don’t have a UHD Blu Ray player on their systems, not even the high end PS4 Pro. Everything that Microsoft have done right over the last year or so, Sony have fumbled, making Microsoft look that much better by comparison.

Of course, Microsoft can’t afford to get complacent here- Sony still have the more powerful system (though the Scorpio is coming, and it may change that), and a truly formidable lineup of first and third party exclusives waiting in the wings next year (assuming they don’t get delayed… again). Microsoft still rely greatly on their core tentpole franchises, and PS4 still commands more third party support. But where the Xbox One is now, versus where it was a year ago, is a study in contrasts- and if Microsoft keep this up, if they don’t relent, then they could pull of a stunning long term recovery.

Ultimately that’s what it comes down to- the Xbox One will almost certainly never manage to pull ahead of the PS4, like the PS3 did with Xbox 360. Microsoft don’t have the brand appeal or presence in global markets that Sony do. But that’s okay- because if Microsoft continue to do things right like they have been with the Xbox One, then they could be in a position of power going forwards. And who knows, when the PS5 and the Xbox One successors are launching, the tables may be flipped, and Microsoft may have the momentum on their side.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

But man, this is an odd design. The first slim design was lambasted for it’s overtly plasticky look, while this one has some interesting grill stylings. A nod perhaps to the jabs at the PS3 being used a BBQ? Regardless, it’s interesting and we can’t wait to get out hands on it.

Old Model:

Click for full size.

New Model:

Click for full size.

The new models have completely eliminated the ‘crackling’ sound that PS3 Slims used to suffer before. LED buttons for Eject/Power are out as well, only the HDD LED is untouched, which is understandable as some games require you to not switch the PS3 when the HDD light is blinking. There is a smaller 80mm fan instead of the 120mm the older slims had, but the new models are very quiet so it is insignificant.

What do you think about these new Slims? Tell us in the comments section below.