I can only answer some of the questions so I apologise.

As far as I know, you have to have gold to redeem the free games but after that, if you let your subscription lapse you can still play them.

The play and charge kit lasts for about 30 hours.

I was in a similar situation as you last year. Loved my 360, went PS4 this gen, and was gifted an XBox One last Christmas. I honestly prefer it to my PS4 in a lot of respects, and it's even challenged my PC for primary gaming platform of 2016.

Anyway, regarding your questions:

- Not sure about Play n Charge as I just bought a set of Energizer rechargeables, which I wholeheartedly recommend. Swapping batteries and never having your controller tethered is so much better than the alternative.

- Last I checked you can't stream to YouTube.

- Games with Gold started out as not requiring an active subscription to play the free games, and that remains the case for Xbox 360 titles. However, Xbox One free games cannot be played without an active subscription.

- While the Xbox One has a good selection of indie titles, most tend to be multi platform. That said, I've heard good things about We Happy Few (although it's on PC as well).

Sunset Overdrive ended up being one of the biggest surprises and my favorite games of this generation, despite being really skeptical about it at first.

As for indie recommendations: Virginia, Firewatch, and The Witness if you haven't played those. Some others I'd recommend in general: Rare Replay, Forza Horizon 3, and Killer Instinct. Ryse and Quantum Break often get overlooked but you could probably find them for cheap now. Recore is another hidden gem that should go down in price eventually. Sounds like you have your hands full with plenty of Halo and Gears, though.

The back compat catalogue continues to grow and improve also.

@darth_navster: Damn that's a bummer about YouTube streaming. I figured out though, you can export your Twitch archive to YouTube, so it kind of eliminates that issue. Also, I figured regarding the Games With Gold thing. I'm getting Gold by the end of the month anyway once my free subscription expires -- it's cheaper than PSN anyway, $59.99 vs $69.99 CAD.

@dharmabum: Thanks for the list! I did download Killer Instinct already, it's pretty fun! Is there a way to get all the content in one shot or is everything split into various download packs? Also, I have The Witness and Rare Replay on my list of games to pick up eventually. I've always been intimidated by the Forza games; they seem like they're games for people who really know a lot about cars. Are the Forza Horizon games more for people who just want a fun racing game?

Hey! If you need a co-op partner for Gears or Halo feel free to add me on XBL! My GT is "the anticitizen" :)

@haz: I bought the definitive edition of KI which has everything but they sell characters and seasons individually. Forza Horizon is pretty much exactly what you described.

@haz: I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying Halo:CE, if this is the first time you're playing it. I have such nostalgia for that game that it's kind of hard to parse sometimes if it's actually a great game or if it just came out during a special time of my life.

All of your questions seem to be pretty much answered already, but I do have one more indie recommendation. Inside is one of the top three games I've played this year, so definitely pick it up if you haven't already on other platforms.

There are not a lot of indie exclusives on the Xbox One (though it has a TON of multiplatform indies.) There are some early access games like We Happy Few and Slime Rancher, and a few games that are on PC too (Superhot and the Turing Test are both very well regarded) but most of the indies show up on PS4 too. I think Kingdom: New Land is Xbox, mobile, and PC only, and Massive Chalice, which I really liked, hasn't popped up on PS4 yet. You might also want to consider D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die, though be aware it's the first two episodes of a series that will never get a satisfying conclusion.

If you're open to multiplats then there are a LOT more options, but you're going to have to narrow things down by saying what genres you like and what you have already played on PS4. If you're interested in the Witness it seems like there are PS4 indies you haven't played yet, and I might recommend Firewatch if you haven't played that game. I thought it was swell. The Xbox One version of Shovel Knight has an exclusive fight with the Battletoads if you're into...Battletoads.

I'm also not mentioning backwards compatible indies because you said you had an Xbox 360, but Super Meat Boy is a very good game, as is 'Splosion Man and its sequel, and the Xbox version of Torchlight is quite good.

Also Ori and the Blind Forest isn't technically an Indie because it's Microsoft published. I guess you could say the same about D4, but it was published by Playism on PC I think.

As stated above, Forza Horizon is EXACTLY Forza for people who don't want an intimidating complicated racer and just want a fun driving game. It is also the best "just for fun" driving game out on this generation so I would not sleep on it if you like driving games. The original game is being delisted on Thursday so if you're a completionist be aware of that (though you could still grab a disc copy) but obviously with driving games you can just jump into number 3.

I really really like the Xbox One. It gets dumped on a lot because it had a crappy unveiling and a lot of people never forgave it (and it is weaker than the PS4 from a hardware perspective.) It has a great library that is improving every week and an excellent controller (or The Best(tm) controller if you spring for an elite) and lots of cool features. I hope you have a great time with your slim!

Congrats on your purchase, duder; I am wondering if I should do the exact opposite and get a PS4.

In the meantime, you asked about indie titles. I don't know if it counts any more as 'indie', but it's certainly (currently) exclusive to the Xbox as a console title - I bought my Xbox One so I could play Elite: Dangerous, and I'm thinking of re-buying one to pick it back up.

If I had a PC I would play Elite on there, and if I didn't like mindless podcast explore-y games, I wouldn't play it at all. But on the last count before I was forced to leave my Xbox One behind, it was my most played title, and I'd logged over 1,000 hours on it as a 'go-to' title for some mindless gaming.

If that sounds in any way appealing, get it; if it doesn't, get more opinions before making your mind up.

Either way, I look forward to hearing how your new console pans out for you.

@broddity:I am in the same boat as you. Due to my local friends (and a few exclusives), I was thinking of switching from Xbox One to PS4.

After racking my brain about it. I don't think it is ever worth it to drop a console for another, mine as well have both. Not only do you take a financial loss, but you never know what will be coming to the platform later. That being said, if your PC is beefy enough, you would not miss out on the latter with Xbox One.

My suggestion is not renewing your live subscription and just sit on the console for until something comes up that you may enjoy. Then again the perks of Games with Gold may be enough to hold on to it.

Just a thought!

@haz: Congrats. Everyone has answered your questions. I would check out the free-to-play section. Other than the titles you mentioned. There is a lot of parity between both consoles.

Edit: To correct who I am talking to.

I think you mixed up your duders, duder!

My own position regards potential console switching is a bit particular, but that doesn't make it any less of a dilemma. In some ways the fact there are far fewer exclusives these days - and less of a disparity around overall power - makes deciding whether or not to make the jump a bit more difficult to justify.

As you suggest, the only real way to avoid missing out is to get both, but I think you and I are both wondering if this has enough value in it to justify the cost. I look forward to what @haz concludes regards whether this option carries enough return on investment!

Question: As an owner of an Xbox One who thinks the interface is bad and buggy, should I trade mine in for an XBOX One?

So an update to the above blog - I think I have a problem lol

I picked up the following games for a really good price:

• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag - $10 CAD
• Assassin's Creed: Unity - $7 CAD
• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate - $22
• Dark Souls III - $59.99 CAD (Reg: $79.99)
• Sunset Overdrive - $11 CAD
• Rocket League - $15 CAD

I've also completed Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, I'm closing in on the end of Halo 3 as well. I've loved all three campaigns so far! Having never played Halo, I have a new appreciation for what they did for console FPS now. I'm super happy with my Xbox One random impulse purchase now haha.