#honestly might get a ps5 after this is paid off......

[mochapanda]

i have a problem

[arhvste]

Okay bear with me but may I request scenarios where kuroo, bokuto, and atsumu are doing the “He got all the drugs and I got all the guns” tik tok trend with their s/o (separately) and like they are wearing the whole shebang heels, dresses, crop tops, makeup, wigs ,etc that’s only if you want to of course n e ways have an awesome day🤩

OMG ARE U A MIND READER I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS AND SPECIFICALLY THESE BOYS DOING THIS TREND FOR WEEKS 🤯

just in case you didn’t know i’m referencing this trend 😼

KUROO, BOKUTO AND ATSUMU DOING THE FAMOUS (I’M THE ONE) TIKTOK TREND WITH THEIR S/O

-

KUROO

when you first show him the trend on tiktok he just laughs 

then you suggest the two of you doing it and he goes quiet

he’s really thinking about it 

he secretly is more than happy to do it with you 

but he’ll find out how far he can tease you first

“and what do i get out of doing this?”

“spending quality time with the love of your life duh”

“it’s gonna take a bigger reward than that for the expense of me making a fool of myself online princess”

“PS5?”

then he’s like 👀

he wasn't expecting an actual good reward but if that’s what you’re willing to do for it 

he won’t actually make you buy one for him don't worry

he’s just amused that you’re that adamant about doing it 

he will absolutely let you pick out what clothes of his you want to wear

you’ll pick out what he wears from your wardrobe though because he is not about to stretch your cute clothes with his big body

you end up giving him an elasticated crop top and some loose baggy sweatpants

he will 100% let you do his make up and hold accessories

he is stunning with a natural make up look

a pretty highlight to his cheekbones, bridge and tip of his nose, inner corners of the eye and brow bone

light pink blush on his cheeks and nose

slim eyeliner and a light pink natural lip colour

he actually suggested wearing super obnoxious fake eyelashes 

“i am NOT having you look like a tacky abg kuroo”

“but then we can say you’re a kevin nguyen, it fits”

‘nO!!” 

to finish the look he’s holding a white clutch bag of yours 

he almost looks seductive 👁👅👁

he actually looks so good in your outfit

“i think i pull this off better than you”

you’re wearing some training shorts, one of his favourite t shirts and a black nike cap 

so you set your phone up and the music starts to play

immediately you two are in fits of giggles though 

it takes you two approximately 8 attempts to finally get it right 

and when you watch it back you’re in for a shock

kuroo can throw it BACK

he doesn’t even have a particularly noticeable ass 

like he has one but it’s nothing like bokuto’s

but when he throws it back his ass is thicccccc

even he’s surprised at how well he pulls it off

he pulls the whole routine off

from the way his hips seductively sway, the pure sass in his walk as he struts into the camera frame and the way he rolls his body

honestly you think he makes a better girl than you

“good aren’t i? god i could almost date myself”

“yeah if you’re into 6″2 hairy girls with a hyena laugh” 

he’s looking down at his very manly and unshaven legs

“let me shave it and i’d date myself”

you guys upload it and you’re a hit 

“let’s move to LA right now tell the hype house they’ve got two new members joining”

“kuroo, i am NOT joining the hype house and neither are you. 😐”

overall i really think you guys would have fun with this trend and kuroo makes sure to send the video to both of your families who enjoy watching it as much as you guys enjoyed making it 

“the roles have reversed i’m your pretty girl now y/n~”

-

BOKUTO

he’s the one who brings it up to you

“babe look at this we HAVE to try it please please please!”

you laugh at him and agree to it 

he is so excited he already knows what choreography he is doing

you guys go to get changed and he lets you pick whatever you want out of his wardrobe 

this boy is pure muscle he is huge 

anything of his you wear will be like a dress on you

regardless you still take your time deciding what you want to wear

PLEASE pick his volleyball jersey and shorts he will literally cry from happiness

it would make his whole year 

so you do just that 

he is literally melting at the sight of you in his volleyball uniform

“BABY YOU HAVE TO WEAR THAT TO ALL MY MATCHES”

“-but you’ll be wearing it... at your matches... when you play 👁👄👁”

so bokuto will not be fitting into your tight fitting clothes that's for sure

but he will happen to fit into one of your cute flirty sundresses where the top half is made to be able to adjust the size

he is twirling around and flicking the skirt about once you manage to wrangle him in it 

he’s like a giddy school girl

again, he will definitely be up for you to apply make up on him

nothing too heavy but just enough so you can tell he’s wearing some

pretty light yellow eyeshadow, highlighted features and faded eyeliner

you pull his hair into two tight little buns

he’s really feeling the part now

so you guys go to film the tiktok and he is jumping around like an excited kid

you manage to film your parts pretty well first try but he isnt too happy with his performance

“i don't know i just feel like i could’ve thrown it back a bit more”

so you refilm until he is content with his part

which by the way is after 14 tries so thank the lords you are patient when it comes to him

it is so worth it though

the practices paid tf off because bokuto is throwing his cake about like nobodies business

he be serving a piece for everyone fr 

immediately after you film it he wants to show akaashi 

to which akaashi isn't surprised when he watches it 

he does snicker at his phone when he does watch it though

neither you or bokuto really care about views etc 

this was all just for fun after all but you upload it anyway not giving it much thought

and just like that the two of you are an overnight sensation

comments are flooding the notifications 

“his ass routine? drop it noW!!”

“what's his work out routine i need cake like his 😩😩”

“my boyfriend said he has a fatter ass than me so im currently crying 😔🤚🏽”

the nekoma, fukurodani and karasuno boys are BUGGIN tf out 

they're all calling you and sending you the video for confirmation that it is actually you two 

it’s not like bokuto is hard to tell apart but they still want your confirmation 

“REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU’RE FAMOUS BOKUTO-SAN!!”

“OF COURSE HINATA WHEN WE’RE RICH WE’LL ADOPT YOU CAN LET YOU MOVE INTO OUR TIKTOK MANSION!”

he is SUCH a child but he’s the man child you fell in love with

needless to say this video will be played at the wedding and anniversaries to come 

-

ATSUMU

atsumu is constantly irritating you to be one of those tiktok couples with him

he’s convinced the two of you were made for the tiktok lifestyle 

everytime you roll your eyes and decline 

but you decide to give him the opportunity when a certain trend catches your eye 

“baby, when i said i wanted to be tiktok famous i meant like the dances n cute videos where people compliment us n call us hot. this aint it chief”

“fine then, guess i’ll ask samu”

he doesn't even give u the chance to get up after you say that

“no nO I”LL DO IT 😠”

he is reluctant at first 

ideally he wanted to make the tiktoks where you’re the one throwing it back on him not vice versa

anything to make you happy though i guess

he will pick out both of your outfits

if he’s going to do this tiktok, the least he’s going to make sure of is that you both fit his aesthetic 

so you’re wearing typical clothes he’d wear to the gym

his gym clothes are actually stylish though

you will NOT catch atsumu wearing anything ugly that includes gym clothes

unlike a certain other setter who thought wearing plaid shorts was acceptable cough cough oikawa

he chooses to wear a tight dress 

it’s stretchy though so don’t worry he isn't stretching out and ruining your clothes 

“why are you wearing that? you can see a little too much there ratsumu”

“uh so people can see you have a boyfriend that's obviously packin heat 🙄”

“i hate you 😀”

he is hesitant about wearing make up

but you explain to him since you’re doing it you might aswell go all out so he finally gives in

you won’t put a lot on him though just to compromise with him slightly 

light highlight, blended out eyeliner, natural lip colour 

he’s surprisingly impressed and pulls out his phone to take a few selfies before getting ready to film the ‘stupid’ video with you

he insists he doesn't need to practice

“im good at everythin’ i do and everyone is gonna see that when we film this shit”

surprisingly it does only take you guys one attempt to get it right

atsumu is good at body rolls periodt  

he can throw it back 

but his body rolls chileee

he looks flexible asf 

he is serving absolute attitude 

you also did take notice of him using one hand to slyly cover his private area out of modesty though

because he found you were in fact right about how that dress really did show everything 

he incorporates it well into his choreography though nobody would be able to tell he was trying to cover himself 

“baby we look so fuckin hot. im talkin more bout me but you’re still sexy too”

he adds so many hashtags to the caption

#couple #hot #imhotter #fyp #foryoupage #tiktokcouple #couplegoals #hotboy #sexyboy #hotathlete #attractivemale #eboy #trending #makeusfamous

you just roll your eyes and let him get on with it 

im so sorry but you guys don’t get many views

atsumu is pissed

“we put so much effort in why’s it not gettin attention?!”

“calm down babe we only posted it 2 minutes ago”

give it a few days and you guys do blow up though 

im talking 867K likes

and to atsumu’s delight the comments are mostly complimenting you both 

“told ya this was a good idea”

“it was my idea?? 😐”

-

requests are open!!

[frankpanioncube]

Costco Adventures

Somehow, @loganthrives and I got onto the idea that it’d be hilarious to see demons in a costco. And I wrote it. I used @loganthrives and @wowanothergotdamnedartist ‘s oc’s with my own. And I hope it’ll be funny

Lord Diavolo had issued a decree - a human needed human supplies, then it was necessary to go to the human world for such things

“We need to get lots of stuff in a bit of a hurry. We need to make sure they have bathroom things and all sorts of food that’s safe for humans. How do we do that? And quickly?”

“We use Costco.”Logan suggested. “There are plenty of them all over the world.”

“Oh. Good point” Kotomi nodded. “You know, I have to say, living here I almost forgot about all our human stuff. It just seems second nature to use Akuzon now.”

“You know, I know what you mean.”

Logan nodded at her fellow human by way of a reply.

“This is excellent.” Solomon said and that should have been the warning this whole thing was going to go off the rails extremely quickly. 

“Costco it is!”

And that should have been the end of it, but this was the seven Demon brothers and also...Diavolo. Plus two angels and three humans. Honestly no one was sure where they were. Could have been London, could have been Bangledesh. Could have been Toronto.

(It was actually Chicago)

“Oh look. There’s hotdogs and pizza and blue drink. What does blue drink taste like?”

It took a moment for the humans to register Diavolo was addressing them. “It’s usually blue raspberry.”

“How exciting! And I do believe I would like to try this bubblegum stuff. Is this what pink tastes like? Ah, Lucifer, you must try this!”

“Of course, Lord Diavolo.”

“And this is...raspberry but...blue?”

“Yes. It’s very common by modern standards.”

If the prince of hell wasn’t going to try to figure it out no one else had any options.

“Maybe I could ask Heavenly Father.”

“And let’s not do that, Angel.”

Winter shrugged at Satan but left the issue alone.

“It’s wonderful.”

It was almost normal by Diavolo’s standards. No one (wisely) asked where Diavolo got a blue raspberry ice pop out of the clear blue.

“Wonderful.” Beel and Winter had hit the food stand already and Asmo had disappeared down some aisle that had health and beauty products, leaving Mammon, Lucifer, Belphegor and Satan to turn to their humans for any actual shopping. Levi had seen the TV’s not ten seconds after walking in and run.

“How are we supposed to get things from the top shelves.” Belphegor complained.

“Oh how easy. Did you forget your own twin has wings? And so do some of us. Lucifer fly up there.”

“Oh hell yes. Any day Lucifer looks like an idiot please and thank you.” 

“Lord Diavolo there is toilet paper on the ground here.”

“Get the one at the top. It’s more fresh.”

No one had the heart to tell Diavolo toilet paper didn’t have a shelf life. Or maybe, just because it was the demon prince’s shenanigans. Either one made sense.

“Oh this is the best day ever.” The wings had been all out of balance since Lucifer fell and with all members of the Lucifer Sucks club present this was like Christmas.

As it turned out, the party was down by a bunch which made Solomon’s arrival at the cart with boxes extremely conspicuous.

“Asmo asked me to get them.”

Lucifer shook his head. “I very much doubt my brother asked you to get...24 packs of chicken salsa taquitos. I might believe Beel but this is your worst lie ever.”

They were in the cart. The now by MUCH put upon Avatar of Pride shook his head, but Diavolo stopped his hand. “Oh but humans like them! That is a human!”

And the group they were supposed to be buying for had gotten cut by a third.

“Where is Logan? And Belphegor and...anyone who didn’t stay at the food court.”

***

“Come with me!” “Belphegor had whispered. 

Logan was a tougher human than most but Belphegor usually didn’t do her wrong and they found themselves being lead away from Diavolo and the toilet paper and into a large display in the centre of the store.

“There’s a bed right here. Come on, let’s try it out.” 

Logan had always prided themselves on being at least a bit more willful than that but apparently there was no stopping Belphegor when he wanted to cuddle. They got into the bed - it was….a bed, they guessed. Nothing to write home about and honestly they were messing up a display. They’d done their dues in retail before being asked to the Devildom - maybe not a Costco but this had to be a retail worker faux pas.

“Okay. We’ve tried it out and…”

Logan wasn’t sure if it was some trick of the Avatar of sloth or whether this bed was comfy or whether Belphegor was the comfortable one if he was hugging you, But allri---

Kevin drove a fork lift. That was his job. He rotated stock. He had a rapport that was decent with his coworkers. Every so often Amran the sample dude would give him whatever the store was hocking if he was in the vicinity. So how in the hell there was what seemed to be two people cuddled up in the display bed?

He...decided not to disturb them.

Although...when next he drove his forklift around after his break...they were on a porch swing.

Just how? And HOW did that man have a tail. Maybe he was one of those furries...that was a thing. Well...Kevin wasn’t a judge. He got back on his forklift.

---

“Okay sho...Sho I don’t half to pay for these?”

“The idea is, SIR….” and the sales lady said that with a very implied suggestion that ‘keeping her job’ was the only reason the individual before her ought to receive any sort of title  “That you pay for them if you like them. They’re samples.”

“But they’re FREE samples, right?”

The poor human was definitely not paid enough to be dealing with this level of shit. “Would you please buy a box? Or maybe ten? ”

“Oh...Oh hell yeah. Hell yeah my brother will. Lemme take these and I’ll add them to the cart. But thanks for lunch! Pretty good food ya humans got here.”

“Thank you? Uh...human?”

“Don’t worry about--”

“I’m so sorry. It’s apparently Mammon’s first time being around people. We’ll buy your stuff...too.”

Kotomi sighed and grabbed almost her fifth box from the random samples. “Sometimes I think you should be the Avatar of Gluttony…” she muttered.

“Well if they ain’t nailed down they’re free. And I ain’t gonna pass up a free lunch ya know.”

Lucifer and Diavolo were looking at some toothpaste when the human and the avatar of greed caught up. Kotomi dumped ten boxes of all the free sample products Mammon had ate across the store.

“Are these things you need?”

“Yes. They are things we need because Mammon decided to make a meal of the samples.”

Lucifer grit his teeth. 

Diavolo nodded peaceably. “Ah, well we can’t have enough. I had never thought chimera would be poisonous to humans but happy accident we were able to help. These...pizza bagels are evidently more to human taste being they’re sold in a human shop.”

Wherever Logan and Soloman were right now, there would be a human plot to get Lucifer to eat a pizza bagel. It would probably be hilarious.

___

It was predictable enough that Beel gravitated towards any place that served food just as Levi was likely looking at the wall of televisions (he was) . It was also predictable that Winter accompanied the Avatar of Gluttony.

“Beel I’m really full. I don’t think...Why don’t you finish this?”

“Oh wonderful!” 

The angel breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m just going to rest my head here. You keep eating.”

“I can’t believe this food is so cheap!”

“I can’t believe I ate five hotdogs.”

“I’m proud of you.” Beel said around a mouthful. “I worry about you.”

Winter managed a smile. “You know you don’t need to. I’m just fine. And most of us don’t need to eat as much as you do. But it’s sweet you worry.”

And with that the angel slipped into a food coma. 

“Oh! Lucifer...you guys are back. Ah….you think you could settle up?”

“Beel...this board says the pizza and hotdogs are $1 each. How the hell did you rack up…$89.95?”

“Is that angel okay?“ Diavolo whispered

“She’s an angel - she’ll just be groggy and bloated.”

Winter managed a slight noise that was best translated as ‘Mrr’ before cuddling into Beel’s arms.

“Ah are we checking out? The distraction from the over full Angel (who seemed to be well...angel like gorgeous despite being slumped over Beel’s shoulders) was a shock to all. 

“Satan and Levi.” 

Lucifer’s joy at not having to track down anyone else was a bit short lived when he saw what Satan was carrying.

“What is that?” By this point the Avatar of Pride was just resigned.

“An HD TV with 3D Capabilities.” 

“And a PS5.”

“Is that a thing now?” Kotomi asked.

“Oh, actually yes.” That was Soloman. “iS that the 250 gig one?”

“Yes indeed!” the otaku chirped. “And I’ll even put it in the common room.”

“...goody.” 

“What was that, Lucifer?”

“I said, where are Logan and Belphegor? Also did anyone keep tabs on Asmo? I…”

“Uh hello? Hi...hi there hello?” A man in a Costco uniform was running across the parking lot. “

“Um...okay this is going to sound super weird but are you people...um...are you with the um...the two people in the bed in Asle 19?”

“Probably.” Diavolo spoke up.

“Okay one of them has a cow tail and the other is a white chick with some---”

“Yes. Yes they’re with us. Can we get them back?”

“Please.” Kevin said, who literally had never had a weirder day. “Do you...do you maybe want to take the guy in Aisle 5 too? He just checked out with about five boxes of lotion and facial masks and just about everything from the cosmetic section...he’s a little dude but wow you all….I mean….wow.”

“Thank you for the compliment kind human! We all loved your store and we got plenty of stuff for the humans.”

It didn’t take too long for the weird little party to leave the Costco with the strangest break room conversation.

Kevin the forklift guy apparently went to mandatory counselling because he swore he saw a door open into hell and swallow a whole bunch of weird customers. 

[radramblog]

Video game controller tierlist

What is up fuckers, I’m out of ideas again so its time for another tier list. This time we got video game consoles’s controllers. Link’s (here), and keep in mind I don’t really know much about the Sega ones but its fine since they all suck.

Without further ado lets fucking go bc I have 22 minutes to write this before I get ready for work

D-Tier

Xbox original controller is gotta be the ugliest thing on the planet. That ugly-ass early 2000s (in a bad way) logo, those buttons, the sheer size of the thing, I just don’t know why they thought this was a good idea. Luckily they learned from the mistake that this controller is for their future designs, otherwise the 360 probably woulda been dead in the water.

I don’t know anyone who had a Dreamcast. I mean, that’s because no one fucking bought them, and I’m young enough that people my age basically missed Sega’s consoles completely. With that in mind, what in the goddamn is going on here. Why would you put the cable facing the user, what is this little Tamagotchi-ass screen doing, why is it so dummy thick. I don’t understaaaaand.

Sega gets two entries in the D tier btw. The Genesis competed with the SNES pretty wwell but the controller isn’t even close. “Ah yes rather than four buttons that you can easily press from one thumb position we’ll have three buttons that are all in a line so you have to move it around awkwardly a bunch. Brilliant!” Yeesh.

C-Tier

Okay they didn’t put the Master System on this list so this is the last Sega controller. The Saturn is just the Genesis one but with more buttons and beeg bumpers. This is this low just because of those bumpers- ill talk about it later with the 360, but big shoulder buttons are more trouble than they’re worth imo.

The original Playstation Controller is fine, but it does just feel like it’s missing something. It’s pretty obvious what it’s missing, but without those sticks it just looks naked. And I haven’t played much PS1 stuff but I can imagine not having the analogs is a huge pain for most games on the console.

The Wii U Gamepad was a good idea in concept (I mean, just look at the Switch) but as it is, it’s just way too bulky and awkward. This thing just hurts your wrists if you play for long enough. Without it we wouldn’t have gotten the Switch, though, so it’s for the best that this existed.

Spoilers, I don’t like the Dualshock 4. The big old touchscreen thing does not do it for me. Beyond that it’s basically fine, but that centrepiece just turns me off the entire concept. Also, fuck the Share button.

The Xbox One controller is a hybrid between the Xbox and the 360, except it came after both and the 360 is actually pretty good, so what the fuck is going on here. Didn’t yall learn? Also, again why did you get rid of Start/Select what are these buttons supposed to be help I don’t understand new things

B Tier

This one is here because I don’tt know what it is. Like, it looks like a generic knockoff 360 controller, but no other knockoffs are here, so what’s the deal? What is this? We just don’t know.

Dualshock 1 babyyyy. While the N64 pioneered thumbsticks on controllers, the Dualshock solidified them as a part of gaming going forward. Unfortunately the rest of it is still mostly a PS1 controller, so.

The Wiimote is here because it’s the average of its two components. I actually really like the Wiimote, it’s an excellent, elegant piece of technology that really made motion controls work for the first time. But at the same time, fuck the Nunchuk and the horse it rode in on. Never was a fan of this weirdo periphery. I used to play Brawl without it, and anyone who’s done that knows how miserable that is, but I just dislike the nunchuk that much.

N64 is an awkward mess but I love it. Constantly ridiculed but they really went for something here and that’s worth respecting. This walked so everything else after it could run.

The 360 is the best controller Microsoft has put out. It’s really comfy, feels natural to use, the only downside is the giant fuckoff trigger shoulder buttons. While the idea of an actual trigger for your shooty man games was solid, in execution they’re just a little awkward. Also, the rubber on the sticks always comes off them in my experience and that just sucks.

Joycons would be higher but they drift alllll the fucking time. Also the analog sticks are just a little too small? Other than that I think these are genius, and it would have been hard to make a controller stick size that works for both the two in tandem and individual sideways controllers.

The SNES innovated real hard and got paid off for it. This fucker invented shoulder buttons, which is a pretty huge deal. Notice how just about every other thing on here has those. Unfortunately, and since I’ve never actually used an original SNES controller this might be inaccurate (I’m going off the SNES mini’s ones) the thing is a teensy bit too small for my hands and so it feels a lil uncomfy using them.

Speaking of innovation, the NES controller invented the fucking D-pad. It’s an iconic piece of retro technology, looks great, probably isn’t too uncomfortable, ya know it. Again, never had my hands on an actual one, so I don’t know how good they are to use, but come on it’s the NES.

A Tier

Dualshock 2 and 3 are here because I don’t really feel much of a difference between them- one’s wireless and one isn’t, to my knowledge its that simple. But they’re just so usable, sit really well in the hands, and honestly I do think putting the analog sticks next to each other is prooobably better than the separation every other controller is doing. I’ve seen the PS5 controller, and it’s a real shame because that thing looks like some fuckin Apple shite when they really coulda just updated the DS3 and it would’ve been leagues better.

The Switch Pro Controller and Gamecube controller are also here next to each other because I can’t decide which I like better. They’re both incredibly comfortable and durable, the former the result of decades of innovation and the latter the mildly awkward but forward-thinking icon. I think it’s pretty common belief that the Gamecube just has the best controller, but my dumb ass can’t get used to the weird face button layout, so it’s a little lower in my eyes. Still, Nintendo really got it right this time, and there’s a reason every “classic”/”pro” controller they’ve put out since has been some iteration of the Gamecube’s design. It’s to the point where they’re still making the things, though that may just be because Smash players don’t like change. At least the controller they’re touching is of age, heyooooooooooo

jesus christ that was the worst joke ive ever made im so fucking sorry

[entergamingxp]

Xbox Series X Needs to Crush the PS5 Out the Gate

January 10, 2020 12:00 PM EST

Microsoft has been steadily readying its entire ecosystem for the launch of the Xbox Series X. Now, it’s time for them to capitalize on their preparation.

2020 is a vital year for all of the major players in the video game industry. Sony is preparing to launch the PS5 at some point this holiday season, Microsoft will be doing the same with its recently revealed Xbox Series X platform, and even Nintendo is reportedly looking to release another iteration of the Switch, which might have some beefier internals. While all of the major console manufacturers have objectives of their own that they’re looking to achieve, no company has a more critical 2020 ahead than Microsoft.

For Phil Spencer and the Xbox team, the release of Xbox Series X seems like the culmination of everything that they have been building towards over the past few years. After essentially falling on their face with the launch of the Xbox One, Microsoft hasn’t caught up with PlayStation in terms of console sales whatsoever. Even on the first-party release front, Xbox Game Studios hasn’t had what you would call a stellar slate of games this generation. Titles like Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, and Ori and the Blind Forest have been great in their own ways, but they’ve still somewhat paled in comparison to the likes of first-party releases from Nintendo and Sony.

“If Microsoft wants to stand any chance of being the “winner” in the next-generation console race, they have to come out of the corner swinging this year and immediately get the edge over the PS5.”

The writing seemed to be on the wall years ago that Microsoft had “lost” this battle in the ongoing console war–even though no such thing actually exists. This is why they began focusing more on creating a greater ecosystem for the Xbox One in the immediate moment. Microsoft has been at the cutting edge of implementations like backward compatibility, services such as Xbox Game Pass, and even accessibility like with products such as the Xbox Adaptive Controller. Plus, they also dropped some fat stacks to acquire more than one esteemed game developer around the industry to prove that they aren’t dropping out of this race any time soon.

Basically, Microsoft has been making a litany of moves over the past couple of years that would later go on to primarily serve their next console release. And while on paper, these have seemed like the moves that would bolster them when it came time to release the next Xbox, 2020 is the year in which we have to see that those decisions and bets have paid off. That’s why if Microsoft wants to stand any chance of being the “winner” in the next-generation console race, they have to come out of the corner swinging this year and immediately get the edge over the PS5.

Based on what we know so far, the Xbox Series X already seems like it has some vital edges over the PS5. Most notably, Microsoft is already loudly claiming that it has the “fastest” and “most powerful” console around. While we still don’t know what the exact internals of the Xbox Series X or PS5 will be (along with tons of other details), you’d imagine that Microsoft is already potentially privy to how their box stacks up against competitors if they’re making these claims.

Still, raw power alone isn’t everything and won’t win anyone a console bout. What does win them? Well, I’ve been told on the Internet that it’s the exclusives that fans really want. Even in that department, it seems like Microsoft could be coming out ahead of Sony when it comes to first-party titles later this year. Halo Infinite, while not an Xbox Series X exclusive specifically, seems like it could be the first killer-app that’s arriving on next-gen hardware. Of course, we have no idea what might be cooking up for the PS5 just yet, but based on previous timelines with some of Sony’s studios, I have a hard time envisioning what first-party titles could be released alongside the new PlayStation.

Naughty Dog is currently trying to get The Last of Us Part II out by May, and Sucker Punch is working on releasing Ghost of Tsushima this year, too. Then we’ve got Insomniac and Santa Monica Studio, both of which just launched Marvel’s Spider-Man and God of War only back in 2018. It’s too early for either to have their next game ready. Rumors have swirled, saying that Guerrilla Games could already be pretty well into development on a sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn. However, I still struggle to imagine that game arriving on launch day with the PS5. Japan Studio honestly seems like the best bet to release a first-party game, so maybe Mark Cerny will end up blessing us with Knack 3. You know you want it.

So not only will Microsoft potentially have the edge with both power and exclusives, but as already stated, Xbox’s ecosystem is just clearly better at this point in time compared to Sony. Not to mention that the entire ecosystem is going to seamlessly transition to the Xbox Series X, too. Do you already own an Xbox Elite Controller Series 2? Great, you can use it on your Xbox Series X right away. Have you started playing all of your games via Xbox Game Pass? Well, it’s not going anywhere in the console transition. Plus, there’s already the sticking point that Xbox’s entire platform is backward compatible. We have no fear of games from the original Xbox through the Xbox One getting lost in the next-gen console shuffle. Even though we know the PS5 will be compatible with PS4 games, we don’t know if it’ll work with PS1, PS2, and PS3 just yet.

“Even if they don’t stay ahead of PlayStation throughout the generation, it’s more critical than ever before for Xbox to explode off of the starting blocks with this next-gen leap.”

It’s worth noting that DualShockers Editor-in-Chief Lou Contaldi already thinks Sony is off to a better start with the PS5 purely just based on the logo that has released. He claims that Sony is poised for “pLaYsTaTiOn DoMiNaNcE” once again, simply because the PS5 logo resembles the PS4 logo. Sony’s message is simple and average consumers will easily understand that a console jump has been made thanks to its familiarity. Contaldi purports that the Xbox Series X name, by comparison, is too confusingly similar to products like the Xbox One X. Still, I’ve never ascribed to the often-cited, imaginary notion that Granny won’t understand which Xbox her grandson wants for Christmas when she goes to the store this holiday season. Confusing product names have never prevented consumers from eventually picking up the devices that they’re actively looking to buy. Just ask Nintendo and their ever-puzzling naming conventions with the 3DS lineup.

To me, the biggest thing working against Microsoft later this year with the launch of the Xbox Series X is that Microsoft themselves have made clear that you don’t need an Xbox console, specifically if you already have a PC. While it’s a very pro-consumer move to stay consistent with both your ecosystem and first-party releases across two platforms, this decision is one that almost inevitably lessens Microsoft’s potential for console sales with the Xbox Series X. Heck, even previous Xbox executive Mike Ybarra has stated that he won’t even be picking up an Xbox Series X and will instead be snagging a PS5 and sticking with his PC. Tapping into the PC crowd is an incredibly smart business move from Microsoft to be certain, but it also means that they might never again lead the console market when it comes to sales.

It’s only the first month 2020, and we still have miles to go before we get the full view of what Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo for that matter have planned this year. Yet, to not see the Xbox Series X surging out of the gate later this year and initially besting the PS5 would potentially be a pretty big disappointment for Microsoft. Even if they don’t stay ahead of PlayStation throughout the generation, it’s more critical than ever before for Xbox to explode off of the starting blocks with this next-gen leap. Spencer and crew have carefully planned for this year for quite a long time, and now they just need to bring it all home.

January 10, 2020 12:00 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/01/xbox-series-x-needs-to-crush-the-ps5-out-the-gate/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=xbox-series-x-needs-to-crush-the-ps5-out-the-gate