Xbox One X is a beastly powerhouse in every measurable way, but the less graphically capable PS4 Pro still outperforms Microsoft’s newest console in one basic area: Usability.

Before we get into this, let’s set the record straight: I love my Xbox One X, and it’s not just because Microsoft was kind enough to send me one for review back in November. It improves on the launch model and newer ‘S’ incarnation in almost every conceivable way and has become my go-to machine for pretty much all multi-platform releases. That’s saying a lot, because until the ‘X’ arrived at my door like some orphaned box of complex circuitry and storage space, Sony’s hardware was my usual play arena of choice. Largely because of what I’m about to discuss, but also due to a controller that I tend to prefer (even though the Xbox pad has been steadily growing on me).

For what it’s worth, I love all of my consoles, and it’s been that way for years. During the early 2000s I was still rocking my Dreamcast, but also a PS2, a Gamecube and an original Xbox. I got Xbox 360 first but soon it was joined by a PS3 sibling and a Wii second cousin. Yes, even my Tiger R-Zone and Gamecom still get regular use. Okay, maybe not those, but the rest I treasure like dead-eyed, electronic children. Each one is perfect and flawed in its own special way, and honestly, I can’t think of a time, minus the early years of grade school during heated recess discussions, during which I took a specific side in the console wars. Though I do truly miss those PS1 vs. 3DO arguments. Sigh.

So when I start comparing the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro, I’m doing so out of love for each platform, coupled with a careful-but-caring eye for subtle differences. Sure, you can cite Microsoft’s lack of compelling exclusives as a reason to buy a PS4 or Sony’s lack of foresight when it comes to the Pro’s underpowered specs. But in the end, that stuff doesn’t particularly matter to me. I do think it would be an issue if I had to choose one console or the other, and while I know many gamers out there who absolutely must make that choice for financial reasons, I’m fortunate enough to own both machines. So for me, I bounce back and forth between the two without much thought. That being said, I’ve always had an issue with how the Xbox is set up in terms of user interface and I really can’t believe it hasn’t been completely overhauled.

So there it is—I don’t like the Xbox UX. Not newsworthy in the least, and I’m certainly not the first person to complain. It’s just....not good, and that’s despite relatively regular updates since 2013. Though to Microsoft’s credit, it has gotten incrementally better over the years. It used to be a complete mess of confusing tiles and invasive ads, and even though some would say that’s still a somewhat accurate description of what’s going on, I’ll give credit where credit’s due. It seems to me that the team is indeed trying, but whether they’re bound by tangled bureaucratic red tape or a serious lack of vision, it’s never quite gotten there. Wherever there is. Though I suppose it’s somewhere near PS4’s immaculate setup.

Clear. Concise. Uncluttered. Easy to navigate. Sony pretty much got it right straight out of the gate with PS4’s UX, and it’s shocking how efficient and effective the interface remains today. Maybe it’s one of those things that underwent a huge amount of expensive research and only looks effortless in its execution because of the intensive backend work. Perhaps it was a happy accident, or simply a logical extension of the PS3’s Xross Media Bar (I think I’ve read that this is, in fact, exactly the case, but I could be wrong). Whatever the cause, the result makes PS4 an absolute joy to navigate, while Xbox’s front-facing screens feel like a muddy jumble. I’ve used Xbox One for years at this point and still have trouble finding my way around. Features aren’t in sensible places and getting lost (or going backward within a simple process, even) is frustratingly common. There’s just no flow, man.

Part of me wonders why Xbox hasn’t just, you know, aped what PS4 has going on. I mean, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so even if Microsoft didn’t make a carbon copy of the presentation (and why would they), they could at least borrow some of the more pleasing elements of Sony’s design. But I guess that would imply that the Xbox UX team thinks there’s a problem in the first place, right? I think the crux of Xbox’s UX problem is that there’s just too much going on. My proposed solution? Simplify, simplify, simplify. And make the damn thing more intuitive. They’ve slowly and surely been moving in this direction via updates, but I’d be lying if I said the system didn’t need to be totally gutted and redone. I was vaguely hoping that with the Xbox One X would arrive a totally new user interface, but no such luck.

What can I say: Xbox and PlayStation, both beautiful and ugly in their own difficult ways, are here to stay, but there’s always room for improvement. Xbox One X has the graphics, but I’d love to see an improvement by way of general usability, if not this generation then the next. Hell, I’d even settle for a revival of the 360’s early ‘blade’ interface. That was rad.