Death Stranding Officially Joins Xbox Game Pass For PC Next Week

Wow! will there be achievements in the game?

Any chance of an Xbox console release?

@Joabra01Swe yes, there are Xbox achievements it seems, which feels weird saying

@Dezzy70 doubt it. It’s still a sony first party IP. If it happens sony will probably bring something like spider-man over first similar to MLB the show.

@darkswabber
My dream, one day all games on one console on day of release from whatever owned studios 😊
Just imagine turning that console on
One minute playing Mario Odyssey the next GOWR the next Forza Motor sport, all on day of release.
That has surly got to be gamers heaven.

@Dezzy70 no chance of a console release as sony are the publisher for consoles, its coming to pc as 505 games are the publisher for that version and can decide where it goes on PC. Though sony probably had a deal to atleast keep it on steam only for 12 months to maximise profits.

Its funny though as over xbox sites and on twitter everyone was bashing this game when it first released, calling it a walking simulator and boring etc yet now everyone is looking forward to it just so they can rub it in lol

Personally though I haven't played it and don't plan to as ironically it is just a walking simulator

@UltimateOtaku91
Absolutely I don’t like the game and never will
Not one of Sonys best games.

@Agnostic This. To me it was nothing but a snoozefest.

@Royalblues
Maybe one day it will happen.
All three could share console sales profit etc.
and the best games get the most purchased and money for that studio.

I don't get why this game can come to PC Game Pass which is Microsoft but not Xbox Game Pass which is also Microsoft? Why not Xbox Game Pass?

Very interesting when I put one console all games on all three websites.
Pure Xbox, most positive response, probably because the Xbox eco system is the most advanced.

Push square, silence or a little go at me.

Nintendo Life, I need to hide and run before they kill me. They absolutely hate the thought of Nintendo games on anything else but a Nintendo designed and made console.

Goes to show out of all three what fans are the most backward and fan boy ish. Real gamers would want one console all games day one on that console.

PC not for me. Great news for others though.

I saw Xbox GP in the title and my heart skipped a beat for a split sec, then read "For PC". They rebranded to PC GP just say that!

It is a walking simulator. It really is. You even have to balance your body with the trigger buttons not to fall, etc.
Gameplay-wise, it's really a strange experience.
Story-wise, it's very... complicated. Nebulous.
But also ? Fascinating, man. Really, really fascinating.

I'm a Kojima fanboy, so what do I know. But after having finished it, I was like... "Ok... So now... what am I thinking of it ? I'm not even sure to know myself. Have I liked it ? Loved it ? Or on the contrary... hated it ? Man, it's so strange..."

But you what ? Days later, MONTHS later... you still think about it. The all experience sticks with you. The landscapes, the story, the universe, those fu..ing deliveries... It all remains in your brain. Somehow, somewhere.

And I think it's the mark of the truly great pieces of art.

My advice : keep an open mind and try it. And try to finish it, even if it's to say, in the end, that you hated it.

Man, what an experience.

@Snake_V5 My understanding is that Sony is the publisher for console version, not for PC.

Also, I'm not sure about it, but I think I've read somewhere that Sony itself is publishing its PC versions, now ? So if it's the case, a Death Stranding sequel would never follow this path and come to Gamepass.

Personally i have little interest in the game but it does feel odd having it on an Xbox service. It's not Sony first party so it's not overly outlandish but still odd. Hope folks enjoy the game.

@Dezzy70 I like Nintendo stuff being on Nintendo hardware….actually, i kinda like having three consoles with their own exclusives. Tho it does seem like there’s not much reason to own both Xbox and Ps5. Still enjoy both tho.

@SplooshDmg Haha, OK then it's a Royal Mail simulator 😂

@Dezzy70 It's a nice dream to have, however I'm not sure how it could work. Without any other hardware competition whoever made this device would have a monopoly and be able to charge whatever they wanted for it, with no incentive to make it the best it could be. If you want a great product, you need competition. I guess maybe you could have a system whereby different manufacturers could each make their own version of a console which had to be compatible with the same games, in the same way that Series X games have to be compatible with Series S, but then you're putting extra strain on the developers to setup and test custom profiles for each hardware configuration. And this also sounds quite like just having a PC.

@Spaceman-Spiff
They could share the console manufacturing wise and the profits.
The competition is of course the games.
If all three and all their studios are making for one console the game purchase competition will be massive. Only the best games will sell millions.

Fortunately with Game Pass Ultimate, which combines all 3 Game Pass platforms (Console/PC/Cloud), will allow me to play this on my 3080ti Laptop should I wish. I could of bought it on PS4/5 or PC by now if I was that interested in it!!

From a 'Sony' perspective, the Game has served its purpose. Any Console gamer desperate to play would of bought the game and a Playstation by now. Its even had a 'remaster' (of sorts) to encourage 'fans' to upgrade - now its hardly selling and this certainly won't negatively impact Sony.

For PC gamers, they too have had ample time to 'sell' games and probably sales have dried up to. By putting it on Game Pass, they are 'inviting' all those PC gamers to play this game which in turn will bring in 'more' money for the devs/publishers and of course start another PR campaign - which may raise interest again on Sony's console - and get a few more sales there too...

@Snake_V5
Because Sony is the console publisher for the game and 505 is the PC publisher for the game. Sony decides where the console release goes but not the PC release despite it being a first party IP and owning the engine in which it was built.

@rockodoodle
I think Nintendo IPs could be far better on stronger hardware. As much I really enjoyed and praise Mario odyssey and BOTW given the power Nintendo could make them even better.
Better AI, more enemies on screen, imagine Hyrule with the series x power the environment and environment interaction etc would be outstanding.

@uptownsoul
I think that’s a fair observation.
I have all 3, but to have one purchase one box all games day one is my gaming dream.
My pure one box digital game fantasy.

@Dezzy70
The reason all games on one console would be a bad idea is because there's be no console competitor. We've seen time and again how platform holders push their limits to see what they'd get away with. Like upgrade fees or online access double price increases. it's the outcry from gamers that force decisions to reverse but without competition why would they listen? Where else would console players go to get their games? There's no threat for the platform holders so they'd take the p**s.

This game was sitting in my backlog on ps4/ps5 for years. I would much rather play it on my PC. I might actually get around to playing it now.

@GADG3Tx87
Ok what if the console was licensed to all three but of course had to be the same specification at heart, then a gamer could chose what branded one to buy.
So like Nintendo might make the console same specification but no blu ray movie player capability but it’s cheaper.
Xbox might make one with blu ray movie player capability and cost more.
Sony might make an all digital one, the cheapest.
Competition is now there from a console point of view.
The games competition is obvious, the best games will sell more.

Damn MS really loves to waste millions on this wannabe movie director, hope they cancel the Xbox-Kojima game

How many said it was boring and a walking sim, but are now hyped because it’s on Xbox?

It’s a great game and a unique experience. I hope everyone tries it, regardless of past comments.

@Dezzy70 I agree, I have had to buy at least 2 platforms to play ALL the games I want. There is 'nothing' stopping MS, Sony or Nintendo from 'Publishing' games on the other platforms - except that would see their Hardware sales impacted. People would buy the Hardware that they 'prefer' for whatever reason - whether its game performance metrics, features, controller preference, UI preference etc.

I think with Streaming options, that could become more a reality - a 'Console' that offers ALL games. If you 'prefer' Xbox (for example), you can play Sony/Nintendo games by subscribing to their streaming service, but cannot 'download' and/or play locally. Of course you can with Xbox games because they were designed and built for that hardware.

For the 'Platform' holder, they are offering Local native versions of those games that you can download and play, Also games are often rotated so the other Platforms only get the 'streaming' list of games to play - not the full list. Maybe you can 'buy' games to 'keep' them accessible via streaming...

It seems like there is going to be a platform with ALL the games in the 'near' future - PC's. PC's already have every 'new' Xbox game released on it day and date so don't 'need' to buy the console for 'exclusives'. Sony are releasing more and more games on PC themselves - acquiring Nixxes to port them. I know its not yet day and date, but if you are willing to wait a bit, then you could also skip buying a Playstation. You might need to buy a Switch for Nintendo games or find some 'emulated' versions...

I'd much prefer to buy a Single platform to play ALL games. I've been in a position where I can buy multiple consoles, but spending £450+ for what amounts to an extra 2-3 games a year at most. I don't play EVERY exclusive because they don't ALL appeal - just like games in general. I have bought Spider-Man:MM Ultimate Edition, R&C and Horizon:FW since PS5 launched - I refuse to pay £10 to upgrade GoT or any of the 'other' games I already have on PS4 - so that's 3 games in 2 yrs that I couldn't play on my Series X. I know they have had more games (Deathloop, Ghostwire - both likely to be on Game Pass so I'll wait, GT7, Demon Souls, Returnal etc didn't appeal) but on average, its about 2 to 3 games a year 'Max' - the rest can be played on either. So for me, I'd love a one for all...

As for the Fanboyism, I think that comes down to the 'average' maturity levels of their user base. Nintendo do appeal to a 'young' demographic - I know they appeal to a wide range of ages and obviously nostalgia plays a part too - but you are going to have quite a lot of young gamers. Sony seems more 'teenage/young adult' - still locked in that Console mentality whilst Xbox is more Adult/mature - They don't get annoyed about games releasing on PC, embrace things like cross-play etc.

Of course all have a mix of ages so there are 'mature' gamers on all 3 platforms, but the majority (or should that be 'vocal' majority that frequent gaming sites) do tend to be different and that is evident by the fanboy balance and 'maturity' of the people running these sites - I'm sure that they contribute a LOT to that too - if their articles were more 'maturely' written and their comments/forums policed more maturely, then maybe it wouldn't be quite so evident!!

I loved Death stranding Im no kojima fan boy but its was a strangely relaxing medative experience getting from A to B delivering stuff exploring the world and finding out what happened and who you and other are and their stories.

A very rewarding experience

@uptownsoul This is partly why I think that Cloud/Streaming Platforms will become the 'standard' in the future. You only need to build 'one' version of the game, made to run in the cloud with 'no' minimum spec hardware to set the 'baseline'. No porting and optimizing for multiple platforms and their OS and API's, no concerns over scaling up/down and/or targeting say visuals (higher visual settings) at the expense of Frame Rate (capped to 30fps) - you get the 'same' version running the same way on EVERY device (as long as your internet connection is consistently high enough)

Xbox Cloud games are running on 'Virtual' Series X hardware built into servers. It doesn't matter whether you have just a Smart TV, mobile or 'cheap' student laptop (no discrete GPU and definitely not got the CPU or RAM performance to run it), even last gen Xbox consoles, PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch - the last 2 if Sony/Nintendo allowed them) etc all play MSFS - a game that only released on PC and Series consoles.

A 'server' could be built to be much more powerful than any domestic PC/Console could be - certainly in terms of affordability for the masses. Devs could utilise that to make games impossible to port/run on any hardware and stream to EVERY compatible device therefore making hardware platforms basically unimportant. It'll be like buying a TV and having every Game/TV/Movie/Music service apps available - you want to play Xbox games Subscribe to Game Pass, Sony games, subscribe to Playstation+ - indies and 3rd Party publishers who don't have their own service could release across several services at once..

Of course, if/when it gets to that point, every device is a 'multi-platform' device. The platform stops being 'external' hardware we as gamers can buy, and becomes the 'app/service' we subscribe to.

Sony fanboys gonna erupt over this

@uptownsoul
It’s one console only that plays all games.
That would be a lot better.

@uptownsoul
Good point, perhaps that is why Nintendo and Sony normally get the best out of their hardware.
They focus on just one bit of kit. Sony think about the PC conversation later down the line with usually a side studio undertaking that task.

Xbox studios have to focus on series x and less powerful series s and also PC.
Well done Todd glad someone at an Xbox studio said that, said that all along on here about Xbox studios have to focus on to much.

Also I know what Todd meant by what he said, no PS5 or Switch.

If you're an open-minded person who likes bonkers stories with slow-paced, albeit challenging and rewarding, gameplay that sets itself apart from most modern games in over-saturated genres then you'll love Death Stranding.

@Dezzy70 @GADG3Tx87 @Spaceman-Spiff There already is one box that has everything (except Nintendo). It's called PC. The only problem is it's super expensive and totally non-standard which shouldn't be a big problem. Really it could work a lot like what Steambox was supposed to be had Valve not totally blown it. Essentially an open spec of certified machines, so arguably Apple, Samsung, Sony, Huawei, Microsoft, Nintendo, Dell, HP, LG, Razer, could all try to offer their own hardware that meet the console spec and go through certification. The certification could be a committee made up of software publishers (MS, Nintendo, Sony, Embracer, EA, etc.) And that could unify PC/console for development purposes.

Technically we should already have had that but Valve dropped the ball super hard on the Steambox. Otherwise there's the cloud future which is really going to be the main future anyway. Complete with subscriptions to every individual publisher like how TV works.........

@uptownsoul I used to think cloud couldn't ever be standard, but that was until they built the gigantic poorly thought out 5G cellular network that nobody actually has a use or need for. And then the telcos intend to halt wired internet rollout and move everything to 5g saturation. It's a mess, BUT I do think over the decade/generation we're going to see cloud become a lot more viable in a lot more areas and the majority of "casual" gamers (which is like 80% of gamers) will migrate to that much cheaper ecosystem that works "well enough". I think we'll hit a point where we laugh at it, then accept is as an alternative for some, then one day wonder why it seems like all industry focus is on the streaming market and then realize that's because that's where most people play and the consoles are an increasingly expensive exotic niche nearing the end. It's happening in real-time, but we're in a bubble and not seeing it as immediately (even if we're actively doing it ourselves.)

@Krzzystuff It kinda is Sony 1st party. They own the IP, even though Kojma develops it. But they sold the PC publishing rights originally. Now they have their own in-house PC focus but back then, they didn't.

@Dezzy70 LOL! To be fair, Nintendo fan response might be a result of PTSD from that time the CDi got Nintendo games...... The argument has always been that Nintendo designing games for hardware other than their own will lead to a loss in quality, but inside the Switch is basically just an nVidia Shield with custom tuning. Their business model depends on the walled garden, but the hardware, starting with Switch, isn't particularly unique anymore other than it's form factor/controller setup.

@SplooshDmg I thought that was called "Prime"?

@Snake_V5 PC and XB Game Pass have different licensing, which is why they also have separate subscriptions (both are included in Ultimate.) There's games on PC that don't exist on console that are on PCGP, and some games on console that don't go to PC, etc. In this case, Sony publishes the PS console version, but contracted out to 505 to publish the PC version. And Kojima Productions never made an Xbox version so there isn't one that could appear on XBGP even if anyone wanted it to, and Sony owns the IP so Kojima never will make an Xbox version.

@LtSarge Couldn't agree more with you.

@Dezzy70 here is what i think will mostly likely happen within the next 5 years: there will always be exclusives, but it will become less common. most 1st party games will be TIMED exclusives. games like Spider-Man and maybe Gears, games that we know would sell like crazy, will go to the "other" platform 1-2 years after they release on their home console, basically when sales of the title begin to slow down on the home console. this would prop up sales and even help keep prices down (you wouldn't need to charge $70 if you know you can add 1-5 million more sales this way). fans would still stick with their preferred console because they'd get to play these games first, but ultimately, as game production budgets get bigger and bigger, full permanent exclusivity will make less and less sense. Hell, Companies would already be doing this if they weren't so sure we'd whine and cry about it lol

@uptownsoul Not really. You don't need 'crazy' internet bandwidth to play games via streaming. Its already at a point where playing games via streaming adds 'imperceptible' lag - maybe a few ms slower, but that's not too bad.

Internet standards are improving all the time. When PSNow had streaming on other devices, inc my Smart TV app, a lot were still on dial-up, up to 8Mb/s but now, most can stream 4k Netflix which has a higher bandwidth requirement than 1080/60 Game Pass. Now I know that 1080p with compression artefacts is not as good as Native Series X can offer, but it can still offer 'better' than playing Native on last gen hardware.

In the UK, there is a push for High Speed Internet coverage 'everywhere' - inc Fibre Optic to the house - not just to the nearest junction box. 5G is becoming the standard in mobiles now and no doubt that will evolve. WiFi too is evolving. A lot of countries do seem to have plans to improve and increase their High Speed Internet coverage - raising the 'minimum' acceptable speeds across the whole country. In the UK, they expect gigabit broadband to be available 'nationwide' by 2030 and in the US, a new proposal by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, the minimum broadband speeds in America would be raised to 100 Mbits/sec down and 20 Mbits/sec up - that's more than ample to stream any game at 4k...

MS has its own 'cloud' publishing department. These are for games built specifically to run in the cloud 'only' - Kojimas project was rumoured to be cloud based because 'local' hardware cannot do what he envisions.

If people will buy a Switch to play 'worse' versions of 'great' games on the go, then the'll likely to subscribe to streaming to play much better looking and running versions on their 'mobile' devices. Some 540p upscaled to 720p and capped to 30fps with 'low' visual settings to play 'locally' on Switch or play at 1080/60 high visual settings via streaming for less money...

If the new games like CoD, Fifa, Tomb Raider, GTA etc are only released on a streaming platform, then people will also subscribe. It has a LOT of benefits or the dev/publisher - like not having to worry about the 'weakest' spec in their design, not having to port the game to various different platforms and get them working with their OS/API's, no distribution or manufacturing costs reducing development costs without reducing quality. You are literally making just 1 game for a single platform and that one version being the same quality/standard for ALL customers - instantly available, no need to wait hours to download, install or update and of course no risk of Piracy, mods/cheaters etc either...

@armondo36
Very good theory that could be an alternative.

@NEStalgia
The PC as you even said does not do Nintendo
Also it does not do all games Playstation and not on day one. I mean one box true console style.

@uptownsoul
None they could all release a console with same heart specification and gamers choose their preferred brand and controller.
But maybe different varieties.
Nintendo, no blu ray 4K player
Xbox, digital only
Sony, With blu ray 4K player
Sort of like that you get the idea.

Still probably won’t play this. This game disturbed me from the first trailer.

@SplooshDmg Doesn't matter which Prime it is. You know it's indefinitely delayed either way!

Kojima game just do nothing for me.

@Dezzy70 maybe I am just old school, but part of Nintendo’s magic is their quirky way of doing things….it’s not the best example by any means, but it just feels awkward playing Nintendo stuff on other devices like Mario Kart Tour or the Mario runner.

Granted, I agree with you in that the device is feeling dated and is due for at least a pro model soon. OTOH, I feel like the longer we wait, the better the specs will be for the next gen system….

@uptownsoul I don't disagree there are still gaps in internet capability that makes streaming have a varying degree of issues in a varying degree of locales for the moment. But what do you mean by "the gap between speeds and how demanding games" are? PS15 games will use exactly the same bandwidth as PS3 games use at the same output resolution and audio quality, which is close to what Netflix and Hulu use as well, or doubled for framerate difference (24fps film vs 60fps, 120fps games etc.) It's just a video stream with byte-level inputs, and technologies are evolving specifically around streaming games to make it more and more feasible.

Boring as it was, did you watch Verizon's E3 presentation last year? It wasn't bout console cloud streaming or whatnot so much as it was about mobile gaming, but the tech being described was still an interesting insight into what the future of gaming in a cloud future might look like. The TL;DR of it is they're building out (mostly for mobile for now, and only for wireless, not wired for now) local processing capability at the cell tower level, so that things like inputs etc can be processed at the local tower level without having to go out on the backhaul. Or to simplify it a bit more "cloud gaming, where part of the "console" is local on your tower and processing some of the netcode etc for play locally. Or bringing the "cloud" physically closer to your point of use, for the most critical, time-sensitive pieces.

Again, that's not widespread, it has nothing to do with console cloud gaming for the most part yet, etc, it's a specific thing aimed at competitive play largely on mobile devices. But it's a preview of the KIND of tech that's going to be increasingly implemented across the telco networks that will facilitate improvements to what we think of as "cloud" play in the future. It absolutely will evolve in directions we tend not to think about based on traditional "I'm in NY and the cloud server is in LA, and that's how long the input takes."

Cloud is here, it's going to keep improving and growing and a LOT of money is being invested into the infrastructure to make it happen. There's no question eventually we hit a point where most people, the casual market, which is most of the market, will find it good enough and cheap enough to play on "rented" hardware, and the industry will align with that shift. IDK if it'll be next gen or 5 gens from now, but it'll happen. And it'll leave behind people in the wrong postal codes that don't have the best access, and yes, that really sucks, and Nintendo will probably still make a device that works for them, lol.

@rockodoodle the Switch pro controller is basically just an Xbox controller with gyros and a mirrored button mapping.... IDK if it feels any different to play on that than on an Xbox tbh.

What I worry about with Nintendo, though, is they keep their hardware quirky, sideways, and therefore underpowered, and their games are tailored around lower budget dev costs where the limitations of the hardware hide the production value limitations in their games compared to the rest of the "AAA" industry. If they just go ahead and make a more powerful Switch, I don't know how Nintendo's going to really leverage increasingly generic non-unique hardware in a way that their games don't start looking like they punch below the weight of the hardware they're running on. Sure they need a Switch that can do 1080p/60 and not have background animations running in 3-frame animation loops (looking at you Kirby Forgotten Lands), but if they just make a "much more powerful Switch 2" I can't see them really changing the production values of their games At all to match it other than just maintaining high res, stable fps, and not cutting the draw distance in half. And I'm not sure most of Nintendo's market could possibly care less about those details.

@uptownsoul "Standard" isn't what core gamers want and feel is best. "Standard" is whatever the mass market of FIFA/GTA players find acceptable enough for the value price. I agree, right NOW it's a viable alternative. But costs of consoles and games are going up and up, people's discretionary incomes are going down and down, cloud gaming infrastructure is getting better and better and the market for it is getting more and more competitive with bigger and bigger players vying for attention. Eventually it'll just end up that the bulk of the market finds what's there good enough and cheap enough that it's just the default. Eventually you hit a point where all the kids in all the high schools are just used to playing cloud games and that's what they know and don't really see a point in buying a $700+ console to do what they already do a little bit better (and the ones that do won't often have parents that agree), and at that point "standard" has been changed. It may at that point not totally obsolete consoles just as Blu-Ray hasn't been obsoleted by Amazon Video, but it's not the standard of what "most" people play.

Remember when MP3 became the music standard when it still sounded like aluminum? It was cheap and easy even though it was worse. Vinyl still exists for a niche, but it's not the standard. Just how consumer tech goes.

@NEStalgia yeah, that very thought has crossed my mind. I am not sure what their niche will be post Switch or Switch 2.0 with games having bigger demands. If they don’t play their cards right, the next Gen Nintendo console has WiiU written all over it if it loses 3rd party support.

@uptownsoul I think you're underestimating the amount of casual players that are using Game Pass and Luna's streaming products. Game Pass alone had a stat posted here quite a while ago about how 15 or 20% or so of GP users used only touch controls, meaning they played only on phones/tablets. I don't know what Luna's metrics are, but we can be pretty sure that nearly all customers are casual. PS Now was originally intended, largely for the Japan market, to get PS games playable without a PS. IDK what on Earth Sony's streaming strategy is presently, but originally, it was that. The people that will be playing Game Pass built into smart TVs (and the delayed but coming streaming stick) are going to be pretty much all casual. And Tencent is working with Logitech for that streaming handheld (that will fail, but still...)

I don't disagree it's not super mainstream yet, but I think you're underestimating the positioning it's at in the market and where that trajectory is building from, including current casual users. That casual market doesn't talk about "streaming/cloud" they just know they can play "that big game" (AC Valhalla, or whatever) with a $50 controller. They're not worried about the tech that's delivering it or whether it's much better or worse than buying a Series5XS. They just know they're playing the game, it didn't cost much, and it's "basically like Netflix."

@rockodoodle One thing we know for sure is Nintendo will never be making games with production values like most of the games industry. It's not what they do or the methodology they do it with. It would never work for them or their financial model. They sit somewhere between indie and AA pretty much always. They could get away with the generational Mario, Zelda, and Metroid Prime on general hardware, but, most of their other output......I adore Kirby Forgotten Lands, but at $60 on a PS5 it would crash and burn hard. And that says nothing of Metroid Dread and the like. Xenoblade is the best JRPG series around short of maybe LoH and Persona, but, I can't see it's current production values approaching more powerful hardware, and I can't see Monolith going all FF with the production values, ever.

That's another reason I think "Switch Pro!" and "Switch 2 coming next year" is a miss. I think they're genuinely worried they're boxed into a corner and when they move on from Switch they're going to be exposed to large cracks forming in their model, so they're going to cling to it as hard as they can. Their games are beloved, among their own customers, but their entire model has revolved around having to make games for a closed system that's 2 generations behind, so it all looks normal, and they haven't had to really advance beyond the industry as it was in 2008. And I don't think they really ever can. We see it crippling even other big publishers as they try to do that. How do they intentionally hold technology back to suit their development staying in the past, while also not just looking obsolete? I think they have to do a Switch 2, but I think they may have to make it have some crazy gimmick to justify it and/or have a short life "WiiU" Switch 2, as you said, and move onto a new gimmick after that.

Nintendo needs to keep the tech in the past to match their production values and costs. The question is what will they "add" to make it exciting? More horsepower won't cut it for their own games. They need the headroom, but stablizing res and fps can't be the draw, their market won't go for that. "More powerful Switch 2" seemed obvious...but....it needs to be "special"...in a "nintendo-like-way" to have its place.

@NEStalgia good post. Not sure if this is really the direction Nintendo is headed, but there are rumors that there will be a Switch Lite with 5g connection….they are reportedly spending a ton of money on online play and infrastructure— vague wording in the shareholder financial reports, but it’s in the billions. Are they betting on streaming? Will the 5g Switch Lite be a test of this approach?

This way they can keep their quirky hardware and hope that by the time the Switch is ready to sunset, they won’t have to keep up with the hardware ace nearly as much bc the gamer will have steaming options too.

@uptownsoul you are WRONG! there are about 3bn gamers who game 'regularly' yet a 'small' percentage of those play on Console - do the Maths!! 200m+ console gamers vs 3bn gamers.

Crossfire has an average of 1bn players, PUBG 1.2bn, Minecraft around 740m players - that's more gamers than Xbox, PS and Switch consoles currently in use right now. Candy Crush makes much more money than Call of Duty!

Hardcore gamers aren't really 'console' gamers as the consoles are capped to 30/60fps. They maybe able to run the latest games but with 'compromises' and hardcore gamers won't accept a 30fps cap for 4k visuals. At most, they bridge the gap between the real hardcore gamers and casual gamers by being 'budget' friendly (relatively speaking) for 'dedicated' gamers without the means to invest in a hardcore PC.

Its becoming increasingly difficult to build hardware to a budget suitable for the home console market and often lose money on each unit sold - opting to recuperate losses with services (PS+/Gold) and of course running their own 'digital' store so get much more money on EVERY game sold.

Game development isn't getting cheaper, as well as distribution costs are constantly rising. Having to port down games to various platforms adds time and cost as well - much easier to make the game you want, not worry about the design and whether it would be suitable for 'weak' hardware, whether its too 'big' to fit on SSD's or Discs etc.

Its going to come to a point when Console manufacturers can't make hardware 'cheap' enough and still run the latest games at a significant difference to what they can do with Streaming and couldn't distribute it on Disc anyway because Discs have 'limited' storage. You'd never get MSFS on Console without streaming because the 'size' of the world wouldn't fit on Disc. All that is streaming in as you play. Its not much of a 'leap' to have the game streaming, not just the world data. In fact, that's how you can play on XB1, Mobiles etc...

Console gamers are the most vocal 'minority' and there will come a time when the 'majority' are playing via streaming. Its much more sustainable, economical, environmentally better and of course much more accessible to ALL. Servers can be upgraded at anytime to keep up, no waste hardware at the end of their life, no need to make discs, sleeves, cases etc and ship them all over the world, increasing their carbon footprint, the hardware materials are not exactly getting cheaper as 'demand' for electronics in 'everything' is growing etc etc...

@uptownsoul I don't have a link for it, it was in an article here sometime in the past 12 months, but I can't find it on a search just looking for "Game Pass" and "touch controls", I think it was part of an article on GP/Xbox metrics probably from one of the investor reports articles, but I'm not able to locate it quickly. You might be able to hit up Ben or Fraser if you really really need the source, they might remember what article it was in. I was shocked by the metric as well, I definitely didn't expect it.

But...similarly where does your claim that "only the hardcore" sign up for GP come from? It's a major marketing point for the platform in casual sales, advertising, etc. The fact that some TVs now have GP support built-in suggests the target streaming market is very broad, not just the XSX buyers. "Try GP for just $1" promotions suggest they're trying to reel in a very broad sea of people (Phil's 1 billion gamers meme), and not just preaching to the hardcore. Expanding beyond the hardcore, limited console market is a major stated goal of GP.

@rockodoodle I don't think Nintendo is going in on streaming with Switch Lite, specifically. I think the 5G model if true is more about downloads and online play from anywhere, not just Wifi hotspots, eg, Monster Hunter, and Splatoon matches from anywhere (OMG I can already foresee the "connection is unstable" nightmare looming. Nuuuuuuu!)

BUT, I absolutely wouldn't doubt they'd be one of the first to go in on all streaming in the future. They've been playing with it with 3rd party games a lot, and I definitely never saw that coming. It works well in Japan better than anywhere, which is the primary market they're concerned with, and their mobile-first success really makes mobile 5g streaming the core market for them more than any other platform. Of course they're using the Stadia model which is too funny, and sad. Nintendo's version of Game Pass would cost $150 a month run at 540i/20 and exclude "select titles" which invariably would mean Splatoon, Kart, Pokemon, and Animal Crossing, lol.

I think if they did it, it would still be quirky and "nintendo-like", they couldn't risk a generic implementation that more tech-capable companies can just replicate. I think they'd probably try to find a way to make the streaming part of the "toy" or gimmick rather than just a delivery mechanism.

There's always the rumors of a Nintendo Phone (which honestly would dominate in sales, but they'd need to partner with Apple, Huawei, OnePlus, Samsung, etc for production and I don't see that happening.) It's a hard position for them. They need a portable device that seems "better" or "more unique" than phones/tablets, that innovates on Switch, without making them change their dev costs/production values. Streaming would work wonders, but I don't think the infrastructure is there for them to depend on streaming 100% yet. But I could see them pioneering there with a "second pillar."

I know Furukawa commented that they're cautious about what succeeds Switch, for basically all these reasons, in more corporate-speak. I do think they're kind of worried that following Switch presents big problems. I'm not positive they've even fully finalized what's going to replace it yet (which goes against "Switch 2, soon" rumors.)

@NEStalgia @uptownsoul article link https://www.purexbox.com/news/2021/12/xbox-cloud-gamings-touch-controls-are-more-popular-than-you-might-think

Why only PC? Not console at all?

@NEStalgia yeah, I didn’t mean that the Switch Lite was going to be a full streaming play if for no other reason as has been mentioned, the infrastructure just isn’t there yet. But it can be a test the waters of sorts to see if this is the direction they want to move in.

@uptownsoul I mean the largest spending in gaming is candy crush, clash of clans, Fortnite, cod, fifa, and gtav. I'm not sure spend is a good outlook of casual vs core. Engagement time probably means more

I love seeing more games joining Xbox and it's important that many of them are Japanese because Xbox One didn't have many.

If you have a little bit of patience, you can play most relevant games on Game Pass!

I did enjoy this game at first but couldn't get past the intolerable stupidity of the product placement of them big cans. I'd rather the option of paying a fiver to have all that stripped out, that's got to be more than they're making per user from the idiotic sponsorship.

@Dezzy70 It is a real shame that in an industry that's meant to be about games, people get more upset about the platforms they are played on.

@Richnj
For me one platform for all and let the software be the selling and talking point.
Then again, we will then get Software Wars 😂