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New Xbox One owner? These are your essentials!

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xbox-one-essential-kit

We all have to start somewhere and chances are that if you are new to the whole Xbox world, then you’ll be looking to grab some essential pieces of kit to enhance your gaming sessions.

But there are all manner of products, games, headsets and subscriptions ready to help you part with your cash. But which are the essentials? Which are the Xbox items that you cannot do without? We’re here to let you know.

Xbox Live Gold Subscription:

xbox-live-12-month

You’ve got your shiny console and you want to play with your mates – that’s a pretty standard call for any gamer. The first thing you need to purchase though is an Xbox Live Gold membership. In fact, it’s a bit of a gimme for any Xbox One owner.

Because you see, your Xbox Live Gold sub grants you multiplayer action, it gifts you free games via the monthly Xbox Games With Gold scheme, and it grants you weekly discounts with the Xbox Live Deals With Gold and Spotlight Sale. In layman’s terms, that means you get your games cheaper and free-er – two good things!

£40 for the year is all that is asked (at least if you purchase it direct – shop around and you can grab it considerably cheaper) and that represents unbelievable value for money. Make sure this is the first thing you purchase. You’ll never really get the most out of your Xbox One without it.

EA Access Pass:

ea-access

You like games yeah? You like money too I guess? Well, the EA Access Pass on Xbox One is right up there with, not only the best gaming subscriptions money can buy, but the best membership deals across the land.

You see, for just £20 a year, you get access to a whole load of EA’s finest titles, with the likes of FIFA, Madden, Need For Speed, Plants vs Zombies, Battlefield, Mirror’s Edge and more all available to be played…for no extra outlay.

With many games being added to the EA Access Vault at regular intervals – with Star Wars Battlefront the latest, discounts on all EA titles and all their DLC packs, free early access to brand new titles should you wish to take it and more besides, you could do a lot worse than spend the £20 for a year long subscription.

Games:

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Now, unfortunately not all of the developers and publishers of this world are savvy enough to run down EA’s Access route. In fact, strangely no others are, which leaves us having to spend actual real money in order to grab the latest titles.

New games drop onto the Xbox Games Store on a very regular basis, with hardly a couple of days going by without at least one new game appearing for purchase. Whether that game is for you, will be completely up to the individual and we wouldn’t feel comfortable sitting here telling you to grab something great over one from a completely different genre. But that said, you could do a lot worse than pick up any of the following Triple A titles…

  • Forza Horizon 3
  • Forza Motorsport 6
  • Battlefield 1
  • Halo 5: Guardians
  • Call of Duty Infinite Warfare
  • Final Fantasy XV
  • Dark Souls 3
  • Watch Dogs 2
  • Overwatch

Of course, the games that appear on Xbox One aren’t just your big multi-dollar blockbusters. There are all manner of smaller titles from a multitude of independent developers available for digital purchase. We reckon you should at least think about downloading the awesome Rocket League, SUPERHOT, The Turing Test, The Witness, or the outstanding Inside. All will deliver a stunning experience.

Controller:

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Whilst the variety of games on the marketplace is huge, it could be said that the choice of controller is just as big a decision. Whilst they all roughly do the same as each other, you’ve got a choice to make between standard, custom, or Elite controllers, with your overall decision probably boiling down to how much cash you’ve got sitting in your wallet.

The new Xbox One wireless controller is a thing of sheer beauty, with a design that will quickly melt the heart of any gamer. It also comes in multiple colours and styles, appealing to all. No longer are you limited to a black or white controller. If you want something a bit special, then the Dawn Shadow pad is absolutely gorgeous.

But should you wish for more, then we advise you go and pick up the Xbox Elite controller in a heartbeat. Yes it’s expensive, but the customisation and modding options it brings will delight anyone that puts their hands on it. It may be a bit hardcore for many, and if you’re a casual gamer then it’s quite possibly an outlay you need not worry about, but for those who are going to be throwing in some serious hours, then the Elite is for you.

Charger:

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In order to keep those controllers in full working condition, you’ll be needing a charger. Well, you won’t have to purchase one, but we all know how expensive those AA batteries are and for anyone taking their gaming to the next level, they’ll want reassurance that the power isn’t going to die mid session.

Again, the choices are numerous, and you could opt for a cheap and cheerful play and charge kit to see you through the day. But cables are verging on the edge of hell and personally, we couldn’t do without our Venom twin dock. It delivers a couple of battery packs which hold up for a good old while…and when they do die, it’s a simple task to get them fully charged again.

It looks neat sitting next to your console too – and that’s always a good thing.

Headset:

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Now, I’m probably going to sit here and offend numerous gamers for my choice of gaming headset, ignoring the premium likes of Turtle Beach, Astro and more. Instead I’m going to plump for a smaller company, but one which delivers a couple of outstanding wireless headsets.

Step forward PDP and the Afterglow Karga and AG9 wireless headsets for Xbox One. Without beating around the bush, they are stunning examples of headsets which, a) don’t cost the earth, b) sound great and c) work every single time. The latter is completely wireless, whilst the older beautifully bright Karga requires a single cable running from controller to headset. Both however are utterly brilliant and have kept us in good stead throughout our years on Xbox One.

Granted, you could just get away with a single earpiece like the official standard headset which many will already know and love, but dual cans are the way forward and deliver a much richer gaming experience.

Xbox Live Credit:

 

xbox-credit

Finally, and apologies if I have to drum it into you, but you really should make sure you grab some Xbox Live Credit.

You see, the future is digital (no matter whether you like that fact or not), and with that in mind you’ll find yourself picking up a host of titles direct from the Xbox Games Store. Now, you could quite easily just attach your credit card and purchase these games as and when you feel the need, or you could hop on over to the likes of Amazon or CD Keys, pick up some digital credit for a couple of quid less than normal, throw it onto your account and get your games at a cheaper price.

It’s what we do, and if you have any hope in holding a vast digital library, then you should do it too. It makes complete and utter sense you know!

So there we have it, the essential kit for a modern day Xbox One gamer. If you’re new to the scene, or are just on the lookout for some new kit or ideas, then you could do a lot worse than heed our advice.

The most important thing though? Enjoy your gaming. Being an Xbox One owner is great and brings a ton of enjoyment.

Neil Watton
Neil Wattonhttps://www.thexboxhub.com/
An Xbox gamer since 2002, I bought the big black box just to play Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee. I have since loved every second of the 360's life and am now just as obsessed with the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S - mostly with the brilliant indie scene that has come to the fore. Gamertag is neil363, feel free to add me to your list.
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