I'm caught in a trap, I can't walk out

Rewards Points app on Xbox One

As you may have read in my previous post, I am leaning towards the PlayStation 5 as my choice for the 9th generation of gaming consoles. I am inclined to go the Sony route as, put quite simply, they have better games. 

But as I mull over my decision, it is becoming obvious that Microsoft won't let me go without a fight. After almost 20 years of Xbox ownership, our destinies have become so entwined that the thought of leaving is filling me with anxiety. So what is so powerful about the Xbox experience that means I feel this compulsion to stay? Well, like so many things in life there is no "one big reason" but rather a multitude of little ones. 

Take Reward Points for example. I earn points when I search on Bing using my phone, when I visit their webpage and take part in inane quizzes or when I use Edge as my browser. I can also earn points by opening the Rewards app on my Xbox One and completing certain tasks such as watching a game trailer or browsing store contents. 50 points are available every day simply for gaining an achievement. 

"So what?" I hear you say. Well it is easy to convert these points into cold hard (digital) cash and buy more stuff. For instance the recent DLC for The Outer Worlds cost me nothing as I bought it using money earned through reward points. Rewards Points work as they require little effort and I often earn them though actions I would perform anyway. Consequently this feels like a win/win scenario to me.

Adding to your gamerscore is addictive stuff

The integration of the Windows and Xbox Live experience is also a benefit of Xbox ownership. This is not only because I can play my Xbox One via my PC (something the PlayStation 4 can also do) but because the soon to be retired Windows Console Companion is a really convenient way to manage and interact with Xbox Live. Admittedly the new Xbox app is not as good and relentlessly tries to shove Game Pass in your face, but there isn't a Sony equivalent. I also use both the Xbox and PlayStation smartphone apps and find the Xbox version superior in terms of functionality.

Another factor that has given me reason to pause when making my decision is that all of my friends and relatives who game do so on Xbox. In fact, I don't even know anyone who owns a PlayStation and my friends list on the PlayStation network is currently empty. If I were to move exclusively to using a PlayStation 5 I would have to build a new friends network for multiplayer games from scratch. 

Another way Microsoft have me on the hook is the fact that my Xbox games library is largely compatible with my current system. Some original Xbox games along with the majority of 360 games are playable on the Xbox One. All will be compatible with the Series X/S. If I put anything but the right disc into my PlayStation 4 it spits it out with distain. Sure I can pay Sony a subscription to allow online backward comparability, but that won't help me play my 150+ old Xbox games I have sitting on a shelf.

As I have mentioned before Xbox Live gamerscore and achievements provide a major tie to the Xbox brand. I don't claim to have the highest gamerscore in the world, but my achievements are a reflection of my experiences over the last thirteen years of gaming. I still buy third party titles for the Xbox to build my gamerscore as the equivalent PlayStation trophy system doesn't have any significance for me. This attitude may simply reflect the fact that I haven't earned many trophies or that I haven't owned a compatible PlayStation for very long. If I were to use a PlayStation more my view may change and my priority could shift. But giving up on a profile built over many years is not an easy thing to do and I am very reluctant relinquish it. The loyalty trap Microsoft sprung in 2007 when I elected to buy an Xbox 360 and not a PlayStation 3 has certainly worked.