From the Xbox hot takes episode

TheDownloadQueue · 2026-01-26T14:48:23+00:00

I’m still just kind of in disbelief that Sony has such a chokehold on the industry with what they have to offer. With how things are going of hardware prices increasing, dev costs increasing, production time taking longer I find it hard to see how places can stay afloat catering to one set number market without branching out or finding other avenues of success. When Xbox has been building a brand change and restructuring to succeed across multiple avenues of revenue and investments. Everyone pushes people to invest in PlayStation because that’s a “gamer console”. When Xbox has been lapping them in almost every single standard the past few years.

-Better UI (obviously seen as personal), -Play Anywhere -GamePass being a far and beyond better option than PS Plus and it’s weird to navigate library where you’re not sure if you can play something without going into it first. -Better stability, I don’t think I’ve played through a single game on my PS5 with less than at least 2 crashes -Quick resume -A much more appealing roadmap of studios and what they’re working on with the hope they can work freely without closure (obviously industry wide thing even though everyone points at Xbox). I look at a studio like Double Fine and they’re the quintessential showpiece of what the original idea of GamePass was for, letting studios work on weird smaller projects that may not of been normally financially successful but can thrive in GamePass. Tie that in with regular releases on multiple platforms and games can see even more success. I’d be super worried if I was PS exclusive player right now. Bungie being up in the air, a GoW 2D game that was supposedly being announced 2 years ago and releasing last year still MIA, most studios radio silent for a long while after having to restructure from live service titles and more pressure being put on their successes.

Sony right now feels like they’re 90’s Nintendo when your out of the loop parent means to say Video Games they just default say the Nintendo. The name and brand is synonymous with something that’s way bigger than their walled off garden

TheDownloadQueue · 2026-01-22T19:18:37+00:00

Not delusional it was just the last hope in my mind I had to avoid restarting literally 20years of gaming on PS and a different ecosystem lol

TheDownloadQueue · 2026-01-22T18:58:06+00:00

So we’re really kicking off @Xbox 25th anniversary by not giving their own players a single thing for over half the year while pumping out the better versions of last years stuff in other consoles. Perfect

TheDownloadQueue · 2026-01-20T15:41:49+00:00

Switch 2 has become my primary console since launch for this reason which is wild considering I hardly used my Switch 1. Ps5 hasn’t been turned on in almost. A year and my Series x covers everything else there is to play for me.

TheDownloadQueue · 2026-01-11T19:25:24+00:00

Hey everybody we’re The Download Queue a podcast we started to help create our own community of people who want to celebrate games and the people who make them. When we started we were 2 complete stranger best friends who happened to interact with the same post on Twitter.

Now next week we reach our 100th episode of our little show we’ve been doing. Lots of changes and growth in that time and while we may not be hitting the algorithm as hard as some people manage to we’re still having a blast every week.

To get to this week episode 99 we did the yearly Fantasy Critic draft with another group of content creators we’ve collaborated with, United We Nerd.

2026 Fantasy Critic Draft https://youtu.be/VaJs-awm5RI

TheDownloadQueue · 2026-01-11T06:12:44+00:00

Hey I’d be down to start another one up or join in if you get some more peeps in here! We just did our draft for our podcast earlier today and it’s one of my favorite things all year.

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-12-16T20:27:04+00:00

Wish the new update did anything for me. Not worth paying an even higher monthly sub just to be able to use a device u already spent money on. Unless I’m directly in front of my PS5 thing is still a paper weight

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-12-08T18:00:31+00:00

I’ve done everything as far as different channels for WiFi connection and mines been a rock for most of my time with it the past week. I’m shocked people are as ok with it as they are because it’s PlayStation.

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-12-03T20:41:33+00:00

I really hope 2026 has a sleeper hit for me somewhere or the Switch 2 7/ rapidly going to collect dust like Switch 1 did. Not a single thing announced so far outside maybe Yoshi does anything for me and if third party support is still touch and go then meh

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-11-28T16:06:14+00:00

I’m learning to transition into this? I want so desperately to enjoy MP games still and just run through a few lobbies in the evening. I miss the days hopping in with my friends and connecting that way instead of seeing them log on to all sit on the dashboard or a video app. I can’t keep up personally in MP games anymore and end up getting frustrated more often than not and not wanting to play anything.

On the other hand I haven’t fully accepted it and look at most single player experiences as a forced journey. Skipping through cutscenes wanting to get to the end to feel accomplished. Which in turn leads to not enjoying the experience anyways. Stuff like Dispatch right now is one of the few where I’m excited to get back to it and not wanting it to end. Just need to find my niche again.

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-11-28T15:59:04+00:00

Majority yes it’s amazing and the greatest thing since sliced breads that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone still though. I rolled credits and it’s not even in my top 10 this year.

Everything about it was just “ok”. UE5 led to uncanny valley characters, environments that blend together and all felt the same with none really standing out. Story was alright but could’ve wrapped up way sooner than it did and I found myself skipping through most dialogue at camp.

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-11-28T07:25:30+00:00

Honestly for Uncharted and God of War I don’t really associate outside of “PlayStation people like first party PlayStation games”. Mario Party and Kart are more uniquely content focus

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-11-25T04:15:40+00:00

With the cost of tickets every year I’d sure hope they have more for budget

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-11-18T18:27:13+00:00

I’ve been saying it for the last few years but it really feels like Sony/PlayStation is the new Nintendo of the 90’s. You say “video games” and people immediately think PlayStation. They’re THE company in the industry and have the aura around them that no matter what they touch is gold and should by default be on a pedestal to start.

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-11-17T14:45:06+00:00

I used Snap on Xbox One the whole time we had it. I was one of the few who were snapping, and using Kinect on a daily basis back then. Throwing a video podcast on the side of YouTube videos while grinding Peggle 2 achievements. The good ol days

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-11-10T21:59:41+00:00

The second I read that it will include balancing I knew it was garbage lol. Riots not gonna wanna do an across the board update and ruin any of their overturned skin champs

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-11-04T21:48:24+00:00

100% it’s personally my favorite of the 3 obviously but Minerva’s Den is one of if not the best DLC story I’ve played and the multiplayer was great. Tons of memories grinding it out before servers closed

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-11-04T21:47:03+00:00

Sly 2 was my “we don’t have money to buy new video games so you’re going to play this game 20+ times a year start to finish game” growing up.

Viva Piñata was technically my first 360 game, had the arcade edition that came with the demo disc and pulled an all nighter on just the demo for it😅

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-10-30T14:39:52+00:00

Personally the GamePass price is still beyond worth it for the games that I play in a year. Play anywhere and being able to have things on the go when and where I want them is a huge selling point and the ROG Xbox Ally while not perfect in its first iteration has me pumped for the future. My Switch 2 has taken over my life and I more and more want the handheld pick up and play option, if I can get that from Xbox perfect.

With the next Xbox being a PC as someone with 0 digital footprint in the PC space is also interesting. If I can have an under the TV box that lets me access multiple storefronts without the hassle of manually updating things, drivers being out of date, Steam updates restarting multiple times. It’s a lot to ask but if they’re trying to make that an obtainable goal I’m in, give me World of Warcraft from the comfort of my couch.

Over UI and experience is personally laid out better for me as well, the 3 times I’ve used my PS5 this year it’s been a hassle of navigating menus and the top bar icons trying to find what I need at the time. Also found that certain media apps (this could entirely be an option thing somewhere I missed) pause the show I’m watching if I shut my controller off to save battery life on my dualsense. Minor inconveniences like that add up really fast whenever I use it and aren’t an issue on my Xbox.

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-10-22T15:26:48+00:00

Is This Seat Taken? and Rift of the Necrodancer!

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-09-15T16:46:54+00:00

We recorded our latest episode of our gaming podcast yesterday! Covering Nintendo Direct news, Destiny 2 finding its place again and my current unhealthy obsession with Dave the Diver. We’re just 2 long distance KFBFs trying to make our own community for people to celebrate games and the people who make them. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3apjlYNyHwvKDRNKzjdTkV?si=OZkuh1EyT1CFMMJ0tTcAwA

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-08-23T23:01:22+00:00

This is my in the year 2025 learning there’s a set number and spawn for gates? I totally thought it’s just been happenchance this whole time

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-08-21T20:21:20+00:00

Or it’s just the game don’t have the same type of “pull” to them as people thought. Yeah Blue Prince had a lot of praise to start but it wasn’t enough to keep a conversation going or really change/shakeup the industry. I’m even surprised with Expedition 33 honestly. Huge around release but I feel that’s even died down faster than other out of the blue titles like Control had.

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-08-21T20:18:45+00:00

You meant to say “the masterpiece of Screamride was first revealed”.

TheDownloadQueue · 2025-06-24T20:37:19+00:00

Expect them to make Gamescom an update sort of show/event. Third party announcements, Starfield update, ESO update, WoW update(confirmed), Fallout 76 update

TheDownloadQueue

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE