With A 'PS5 Pro' Now Rumoured For 2024, Where Does That Leave Xbox?

In HUGE trouble when GTA6 comes out and runs the best. Xbox needs to not fall further behind PS5 momentum. As digital libraries continue to build it’s only going to shrink potential Xbox shoppers in the future.

No thanks because I wouldn't be paying whatever crazy price it's going to be for marginal improvements on a small amount of games I'll be picking up a series X at some point this year then I'm done till the next generation I'm not a tech snob so it's not to important to me if my console isn't the absolute best one available it doesn't lessen my enjoyment

I doubt xbox releases a "pro" model. They don't need to. Playstation will sell the most powerful console (at $600+) for only 2ish years then xbox will have the new gen in 2026.

The disc-less version probably releases this year but I doubt there is any signicant increase in performance.

Developers are telling us flat out that big games are not sustainable, so a pro model will not really benefit us all that much. Most console games will likely target the biggest audiences which are on switch/switch 2 and ps4.

I think Microsoft's going to skip more powerful mid gen refresh and either stick with the September 2023 leak of digital only Series X + revised Series S or discontinue the Series S in favour of a handheld.

Can't say I'm interested in a new Xbox console either way (this extends even to next gen), the Series X I've owned for a few years now does what I need it do so no need for me to upgrade.

It is only a problem on the internet. Xbox spent the last 10-12 years not having any games beside Halo,Gears and Forza. A more powerful console will not change that perception. Just my opinion but they should continue focusing on GOOD games,
experiences and stop trying to out PC the PC market. It is a losing business plan for consoles.

@Grumblevolcano I don't see the series s getting discontinued anytime soon they only just released a new model and the best part of the player base is on series s over x

What I thought was that Xbox was coming out with a new console in 2026. I think it would be too close together to do a Pro machine. Xbox may end up beating PlayStation to the punch for a next gen console.

Its a difficult situation to comment on as 'both' MS and Sony, whilst they maybe have a Console on the market in competition with each other, their situation is very different.

MS has a much higher tier option than a Series X in its 'ecosystem' already and already offers their games with 4k, 60/120+ fps and DLSS etc on PC day and date on PC. The point being that if you want better 'visuals' and/or 'performance', you have options. So many options from Streaming to any compatible device to playing on various hardware specs Consoles, handheld PC's up to the highest spec gaming PC's.

Sony on the other hand don't. The 'best' visuals/performance on their games is limited to just PS5 - at least until they release on PC. At the moment, they only have 1 'option' for gamers, that's whatever the PS5 hardware can deliver.

Take Starfield - you can play via Streaming - ok its not the 'best' way to play for the 'best' visuals/performance, but it is a low cost option. You can play on Handhelds (Steamdeck, RoG Ally etc) and Series S as well as Series X or PC's - all day/date. Spider-Man 2 was only available on PS5 and people have to wait to play it on PC if they want 'Quality' visuals but 'Performance' frame rates.

Cost is another factor - PS5/Series X are still around £400 - so what cost would a mid gen 'Pro/elite' cost. One X and PS4 Pro were 'double' their base hardware cost on launch. Also MS already have multiple SKU's to 'build and Optimise' for with Series S, Series X and/or PC's...

Would people be willing to pay £600+ for a 'Console' that's likely to be tied to 'weaker' hardware and be surpassed in a few years when 'next-gen' Hardware comes out?

If the PS5 Pro is anything like the PS4 Pro, we have nothing to be worried about. It will be another half hearted larger system (if that's even possible) that will ultimately just rob people of money.

I dont feel like this generation have even started yet so a pro model is out of the question for me. I might not even buy next gen tbh.

XBOX doesn't need to invest on hardware anymore. They should become a software based company by going multiplatform and having Game Pass as the main service. The purpose of Game Pass is to have access to the service on any platform(pc, console, mobile, cloud). Of course, XBOX won't quit console market, they will still produce a next gen console, but they don't need to compete in "console wars" against Sony and Nintendo. A console is just another option for having access on Game Pass. Nothing more than that.

What really matters is to increase the number of subscribers on Game Pass from 34 million to 50-60 million, in order to have a huge revenue growth and enough profits to dominate the market.

The second step is going multiplatform to increase sales by having XBOX games on other platforms in full price. We, as xbox gamers, will have day one first party title on gamepass, while PS/Switch gamers will buy the same games in full price for 50-70 bucks. This is extra money for XBOX that could boost the overall revenue besides gamepass subs growth.

XBOX doesn't need any mid gen console. They should focus more on becoming the biggest software third party publisher in the history of gaming. They have the resources, but they need the right growth plan to achieve such an ambitious goal.

@Ricky-Spanish I don't see Microsoft having 3 different Xbox consoles on the market, they made sure to discontinue 360 before XB1 got a revision and the entire XB1 line was discontinued by the time Series X|S released.

Also it could be that a handheld is able to be connected to TVs and monitors much like Switch/Steam Deck with the power being Series S, effectively replacing the Series S in the form of giving it extra value.

Games, games, games! As many have already stated, this gen doesnt feel like it has really took off. Definitely in the way of new non-remake/new IP games. There's been the odd one here and there. But this gen has been the slowest.

Can we just get some games, please!?

It would hurt Xbox more than help to have a pro console. On top of the confusion it would cause customers, asking developers to make a game for 3 different Xbox SKUs would be asking too much.

Now if they dropped the Series S then yeah that would absolutely open the way for a Pro console, both Sony and Microsoft would then have developers make a game for their two systems.

Series X is my preferred console but if AAA games are releasing at 30 fps on Series X and 60 fps on PS5 Pro then I will buy a pro and my Series X will be relegated to be a GP only machine.

That being said, I think I am a huge outlier here. I don't think this will hurt Microsoft but mainly because they're kind of already at rock bottom as far as console sales go.

Xbox can take advantage of this and make the Series X cheaper. Everyone will have trouble getting the ps5 pro, and will opt for an xbox instead

I really don’t think a Pro of any sort is needed. I bought a PS4 pro because that was a jump from 1080p to 4k in some cases. It still feels like this generation hasn’t fully got into the groove and I don’t think the answer is just more power. I see they’re still mentioning 8k with the PS5 pro, lol.

@HonestHick GTA6 will sell best on PS5, Pro or no pro, the pro will not move the needle on which console the game sells best on imo. It’ll just give bragging rights to the niche section of PS5 Pro gamers who buy into the system.

I don’t know. I’d rather wait for the next Xbox hardware not a mid/late gen refresh.

I really don’t think a pro version of series x is needed. The ps5 pro is going to be severely bottlenecked by its cpu and a pro version of series x will be exactly the same. I’d rather Microsoft wait for the next generation and give us a complete upgrade. The current console CPU’s are already starting to look pretty ancient by pc standards and a gpu upgrade is only going to give you so much if you’re cpu bound.

GTA VI will follow exactly the same blueprint as red dead redemption 2 did on Xbox one. The game targeted 30fps across the base console all the way through to the one x, despite the significantly more powerful gpu, higher clock speed cpu and increased ram of the x. GTA VI will still be 30fps on ps5 pro, but look slightly prettier. It won’t be 60fps 4k with ray tracing as some people are claiming. Rockstar have never pushed 60fps at launch on console or provided a performance mode. They don’t need to either - are people going to boycott GTA VI if it’s 30fps? Of course not.

Mid generation pro upgrades are largely pointless. They never sell as well as the base model, are always bottlenecked by something and are never fully supported by developers.

If you’re going to sell me another console, make it a new generation with a fully upgraded compliment of parts. Don’t just sell me a gpu upgrade with the same crappy cpu.

This is the best thing for Microsoft, Sony is hemorrhaging money right now and they don’t even have enough games to support the regular PS5. Let them overextend again no need to copy bad ideas.

@Tecinthehead Dropping the Series S is permanently out of question when it is the most popular SKU of the two Xbox has. Dead point.

I'd do what I did with X1, just wait until the next console releases to buy a new Xbox. People say the jump between X1X and even XSX is pretty small. I noticed a huge jump between X1 and XSX because I skipped the 1X so I feel like waiting paid off. I doubt that will change this time around, either.

Plus, let's not kid ourselves, the games for the latest Xbox and PS have been lackluster. There haven't been many compelling reasons to buy them other than at this point companies have mostly moved on from the older systems. Xbox and PS mains are almost experiencing their Game Boy Color moment, albeit much more expensive...

@Grumblevolcano I just don't see it happening they said it isn't going so unless things change I don't think a pro series X would do much to change how this generation has gone or will go for Xbox anyways a handheld would do more imo and just concentrate on getting the nxt console right just because Sony do it doesn't mean they should

@Grumblevolcano I'd agree with the Series S been replaced with a dockable handheld. Hope this is the direction Xbox is going due to a huge library of games that run great on their S already and the possibility of them running the same on a handheld. Was the Series S a trial run for developers to get games running on the S before a handheld was made? Only time will tell but a handheld with game pass and access to your full digital library sounds very promising. A day 1 purchase in my books.

I surely won't be a beta tester for hardware anymore that is for sure. I'm just going to wait and see after the failed expectations of the current console. No direct input and it's as if Velocity Architecture was just some catch word when the Series consoles were announced.

@Grumblevolcano What if they replaced the Series S with a 'hand-held'? Its already an 'all-digital' platform and potentially within the realms of possibility spec wise. Games are already 'optimised' to Series S and of course, you have BC with older gen hardware. Its not as if they'd have to expect devs to 'port' to their Hand-held.

Games then that maybe too much for Series S may not get a 'Local' release for that Hardware - instead may only offer Streaming options.

I don't know that MS would sever that 'parity' clause with releases, as in allowing devs not to release a 'local' Series S version and raising the 'base' tier to the Series X...

Anyway, I do think its possible they could replace the Series S with a Handheld but I would think they'd need to sever the Parity clause if they released a 'higher' end Xbox so the Series X essentially becomes the 'base' tier so Devs can choose to scale down to Series S or not...

@Blaa Very long trial run than sold more than the series X and without it Xbox would probably be dead in the water by now with just of series X sales but yeah I see your point 🤨

When the PS4 pro and Xbox One X came out, the reason for them was fairly obvious. Many of the games at the time where pushing the base hardware to its limit. That doesn't seem to be the case at the moment. Many if not most games are still coming out for PS4 and Xbox. Very few people have 8k tvs which suggests that few games will take advantage of that. Raytracing's effect on games is still very debatable. Finally the vast majority of games will be designed to run well on every console. I don't know who really NEEDS a Pro console besides people who just want to SAY that they have one...

@Fenbops remember there is no PC version coming for GTA6 until whenever they decide. So many PC players will snag a console to play this game. Not all of them but many. They will want the best running version. Also all i see on here is how they wish Xbox games were all 60 fps.well PS5 Pro should now give us 60fps or higher options. I get why some may say a pro isn’t all that important to them, but when you are losing to the most popular brand in the game, i see little reason to give them more advantages and having the best running version of GTA 6 is another feather in Sony’s cap. However it will be nice if Xbox comes out in 2026 with a next gen. That would give them a much better box than a Pro.

Doubtful, Xbox doesn’t seem to care much for its console players this generation. The Series Consoles are not selling, so why would they bother with a Pro?

@Ricky-Spanish since games are developed for both the s/x, a handheld that could play s versions of the games, would be incredible. It's a pipe dream but you never know. Enjoy the day buddy👍

@armondo36 people that want 60fps or higher with more textures and less reduction. I am more of a Xbox guy but i will buy a Pro and get GTA6 there. I have a LG Oled Tv and want the best running version’s of games. To think in the start of the gen many of us were happy to see Xbox have a 2 TFLOP lead on Sony, now Sony will be at 33Tflops vs 12 and it’s not a big deal to anyone?

@HonestHick It doesn't matter if you buy the PS5 Pro to play the new gta. If you are gamepass subscriber, then it's fine strategy. You can be a gamepass subscriber and have all the other console platform for games that don't exist on game pass catalog. Phil Spencer was pretty clear when he said that doesn't believe in console wars anymore, while going multiplatform and having game pass is the most profitable way. Microsoft sells software, not hardware. XBOX console is just an optional choice for those who don't like PC gaming, and they prefer to be gamepass subs on console.

@Blaa Your 100% right but it wasn't a trial that's all and tbh I'm having a horrible day unfortunately ha but thanks anyways enjoy yours

Xbox are damed if they do and damed if they don’t.
It’s like their overall console future and potential strategy. They know what it truly is but we are not to sure. So it’s hard to say if it’s a good idea or not to have an Xbox series x pro.
Last generation yes, but I don’t think now consoles are the top of Xbox agenda.

Is that something that should bother Microsoft in your opinion?

I don't think it will bother Microsoft in particular, but you can absolutely bet that having the likes of COD, next Doom, or whatever other Microsoft first party games they'll port to PlayStation and having them run/look best on Sony’s platform is not going to boost Xbox hardware sales 😉.(before we even consider third-party games)

A tough spot for sure, ( with potential consequences, no doubt), I'm eager to see how Microsoft approaches it....

@Phil-Spencer-Gate then just announce MS is going 3rd party and be done with it. Don’t string along hardware Xbox console owners into thinking they are in the space to create the best experience. When Sony is showing they are the ones that care more about FPS, Ray Tracing etc etc. i mean think of it, why does Sony need a Pro model. They are going to continue to sell PS5’s and loads of GTA6. But they want to push the console space forward with better running games and sell even more hardware for investors to see. Just seems like one is trying and the other is just not sure how to get all the games people bought onto another platform to avoid a PR mess. That isn’t going to cut it for long. Thats not what made me a Xbox fan and it sure as heck won’t keep me one.

@Phil-Spencer-Gate I have to say your profile pic makes me uneasy

@Sol4ris well said, i am stumbling to say it the way you just did. I invested into Xbox as many times it was the best place to play. 360 and one X for sure. But I’ll be damned if i ain’t going to wait to play GTA6 in its best state. If Gears of War collection is real and it really does come to PS5. I think i am out with Xbox if it’s just trying to hang on to eventually go to cloud or 3rd party.

@OldGamer999 will you buy a PS5 Pro?

@BAMozzy Unless you're severely limiting yourself to purely XGS first party games do PC or cloud streaming really offer a true reflection of the full Xbox experience? There are many third party games that release on Xbox consoles that aren't available on PC that you would no longer have access to if you "upgraded" to PC. I'm aware of the irony in using a Sony developed game as an example but just look at MLB The Show 24, that is releasing on Xbox consoles but there is no sign of it on PC and this is just one of a number of examples. A lot of people are console gamers because they prefer to game on console and if they aren't already PC gamers then the chances are that there is a reason for that which isn't going to change if MS were to state "PC is our Xbox Pro".

@HonestHick

I totally understand how you feel hombre, and I'm sure you're not the only one with that view.

It's starting to make sense why Sarah Bond mentioned the next gen Xbox console. Microsoft will have no choice but to start drip feeding information towards the end of the year to counter all the PS5 pro media hype/discourse, and of course reassure the Xbox community. Just my opinion, interesting times ahead for sure 🙂.

@Ricky-Spanish hopefully the day turns around for you. Positive vibes sent your way

@Fenbops
Might do, but chilling back on Sony at the minute as to my not relaxing any big AAA until April 2024 from in house studios.
More interested in Switch 2 at the moment, but then that is looking 2025 now.

I just want some new big AAA single player games that are the best of best and top quality.
Seem hard to come by this year.

@Fenbops
Meant April 2025 from Sony Studios.

@HonestHick you're making my point for me. Whatever percentage of the audience that has the top-end TV to run games at 4k 120, will see the most benefit, and 4k 60 is great, but the returns for the average gamer aren't going to be earth-shattering. Now if Sony sells this thing for $500, great it can replace the current model full stop, but at $600, where it very well may land? It's a niche product.

@armondo36 how much is PS5 in $ now? I’m in uk so no idea.

@OldGamer999 Personally I won’t be getting one, I’m the opposite of you and find Triple A gaming to be dull at the moment for various reasons. That’s across the spectrum not just Sonys offerings. The graphics will be a bit nicer on a Pro, but gameplay is still going to be the same old stuff we’ve been playing for a decade or more now.

@Sol4ris you are spot on. In fact I believe right around the release of GTA6 we will start to hear even more about the next Xbox to try and lure some of those Pro buyers into staying with Xbox. I really want to love the Xbox these days but they just make it more and more confusing and difficult than it needs to be. But yes i do think we will hear a lot more about their next gen plans to counter the hype train that will be PS5 Pro.

@Blaa Prince among men ✊

@armondo36 no I totally agree with you as Pro models are always niche. But it’s that niche that MS needs to be winning and not losing. They tend to buy lots of games and look for performance. Xbox sales are shrinking all the time and to not have their bases covered for what will be the largest game release ever and keep people on those consoles for years to come just seems like missing the boat. I would love to find out it’s all cause they are coming out sooner with a next gen and will sit on the market for a year or so before PS6. I think that could help them a little.

@HonestHick You need to understand the different strategy between Sony and Microsoft.

Sony keeps the classic hardware based strategy "make exclusive games, sell more consoles" cycle. They wanted to sell as many consoles as possible, in order to have a huge playerbase that will spend money on their games. Sony PS5 has almost triple sales compared to XBOX Series, but even with so many consoles, they still don't make enough profit from AAA sales on console, which is the reason that they are going multiplatform(on PC) in order to make more sales and improve profit margin.

Microsoft has clearly abandoned the console sales, and they don't care to compete against PS5. The new model is software based in which the main service is Game Pass. The only thing that matters is to increase the number of subscribers on game pass in any platform(pc, console, cloud). The XBOX Series consoles has just total 27 million sales, but the Game Pass subscribers is over 34 million in all platforms, which is the main service.

XBOX will become a multiplatform publisher in the near future because they need that extra revenue by selling their games to the consumer base in other consoles, which don't have gamepass and are not a part of xbox ecosystem. The transition is slow, they first release some indie and double A titles like Pentiment and Hi Fi Rush, but they will evenctually announce big releases like Starfield, Halo, Gears etc will come to Playstation as a full price games. Futhermore, companies like Bethesda and Activision Blizzard already have many popular IPs like Elder Scrolls, Call of Duty, Diablo which are multiplatform and they are making billions of dollars in PS5. These titles will be day one on game pass, but it doesn't make any sense to make them exclusive and stop selling them on PS5. Activision Blizzard(and Microsoft) will lose a lot of money by blocking PS users to spend money on microtransactions in Call of Duty. The live service games are most profitable while being multiplatform.

@HonestHick the hype train will seem big for the PS5 Pro online, in reality I can’t see it selling massive numbers. It’ll be a case of the minority being the loudest like always. The cost to me is the most interesting thing to look at, I do wonder what price point they’re going to sell this at come launch.

Don’t forget the people claiming the PS5 Pro is definitely coming are the same people that said the Switch Pro was definitely coming.

A mid-gen upgrade for the PS5 and Series X just isn’t needed this time around. Not to mention the current gen machine cost MORE now than when they released so how much would a Pro model have to be? £650, £700, more.

That’s a lot of money for a console that’s likely to be replaced with a new generation in 3 years. Or less.

@Phil-Spencer-Gate i understand that all well and good. But there is no sense in having a Xbox if the better platform is PS. I want Xbox to give me more reasons to care about their console is my only point. I ain’t leaving Xbox cause they don’t have a Pro model but it will make me buy more games on PS5 Pro for sure and i still think MS is sitting on their hands to much when GTA6 is going to be earth shattering in sales opportunities. It will be the first big truly next gen game by all looks of it. Kind of like how Red Dead 2 back in 2018 still looked better than most games to this day.

@armondo36 Just want to comment on this, as you're right, but there's one frustrating caveat:
Games still don't universally offer a 60fps option, as devs continue to push past the limits of even what the Series X can comfortably handle. So while I'm not a hardcore, premium user by any stretch (my screens are 1080p and lower!), I find myself needing to go with high-end, premium hardware just to get decent performance. Except it's too expensive, so I usually just skip it altogether!

PS: In a bizarre twist, games like Starfield don't even take full advantage of a 70-year-old CRT's capabilities. It's just bizarre how we're seeing higher and higher resolution targets (or at least were, until ray tracing came into play), but can't even match 20th century temporal resolution standards.

@Fenbops agreed it is a niche product for the more hardcore enthusiasts. But thats what i am and care for. So it has my interest big time. If it’s under $600 it will do well for a year or two and more than likely do the spilt like the PS4 and PS4 Pro did. Which is good enough to warrant its existence.

@HonestHick The only reason to have an XBOX console is to be gamepass subscriber. There is no other console in which you can have game pass. Other than gamepass, XBOX consoles are just an optional choice for a gamer. You can easily have a PS5 consoles and have gamepass on your pc. This is good way to have acces on both platforms without the need to buy two consoles. This is the Microsoft plan from the very beginning: focus on Game Pass growth, not console growth.

Microsoft is the biggest gaming publisher at the moment behind Tencent, with more than 40 studios and 20.000 employees. Sony has 23 studios and 5,000 employess while Nintendo has 7,000 employees along with partners.

XBOX has so much manpower that they can release so many new games, so much new content, that they could sale games in full price on PS5/Switch while having them day one on game pass. Multiplatform and Gamepass is a win-win scenario for XBOX Division to make a lot of money with high profit margin.

@HonestHick how much is PS5 in US?

It’s a tricky spot.

Coz I mean how often on here I read XBOX most powerful console!!!! By certain posters it’s obviously a bit of a big deal to some to have that tag.

I actually also think a ps5 pro puts MS in a tricky spot for next gen.(Personally I don’t think the rumours of 26 are true) but it would mean that it wouldn’t be as ‘big’ of a leap from the current machines.

But also it’s a lot of money on R&D if MS aren’t realistically going to shift many.

And then of course there is the problem that others have mentioned of Xbox studio games performing better on PS.

It absolutely matter whether or not Xbox has a pro (or releases a new generation of console much sooner than 2026). The reason is simple, we, as Xbox fans, are facing the very real possibility of seeing more, and more, one time Xbox exclusives releasing on a rival platform. So, if the likes of Starfield releases later this year on the PlayStation, and they can boast to having the game looking and running at its best on the PS5 Pro, better than it runs on the current gen Series X, that very, very much matters. Indeed, it would arguably be unacceptable.

It's bad enough that Xbox exclusives are releasing on the PlayStation, but if first-party Xbox games look and run better on the PlayStation, then that is a very real problem. I mean, why would you bother even owning an Xbox...?

It will not make a big difference. PS5 has sold x1.96 (not x3) more than Series S|X and its games are not selling as well as on PS4 last generation, not even first-party exclusives nor Final Fantasy indefinite exclusives. Sony will probably end up in the same situation as Microsoft, relying on other platforms to "survive" in this new scenario.

I think that GTA VI will launch in 2025 at the earliest and that it won't sell as well as GTA V. If Sony launches a PS5 Pro, Microsoft will probably launch a next-gen console the following year along with a handheld and the handheld will likely be a hit.

I don't think that Playstation's future is as bright as some people here believe. Consoles are here to stay, but high-end consoles are playing on PC field more than ever before and, paradoxically, that makes console sales more irrelevant than ever before, especially for Microsoft that sells Windows consoles and all PC games are Windows games. Microsoft also has deeper pockets and an excellent infrastructure. They can afford to keep selling Windows devices (consoles, handhelds, desktop computers, laptops and tablets).

Only Nintendo earned billions releasing the same games on weak hardware this generation, great for them, but that won't happen again so easily. These are weird times, consoles are becoming globalised like everything else, even more with digital distribution of software. It's not the market we know so well, so we should analyse it not like we have analysed previous generations. Nintendo's future is the most mysterious right now, because I don't think that Switch 2 and its software will be as cheap to make nor as lucrative.

@Kevw2006 A 'few' isolated games are not on PC but by comparison PC has a LOT more games available that aren't on 'current' Consoles at all. Not only do you have all those Steam games, but also thousands of games from old Consoles too.

Consoles were 'affordable' gaming systems and in fact, the OG Xbox was 'designed' and 'Built' to bring PC games to the more affordable Console masses. It even gets its name from its 'concept' as being a DirectX in living room 'Box.

Keeping that mantra in mind - MS still offer the more affordable Console at the more 'traditional' Console price point - that £200-£300. £4/500 is Premium' tier Console price already. Therefore, MS still have 2 Consoles on the market for those that 'prefer' the Console experience - but do they really need to 'compete' with PC's on higher tier 'visuals' and/or performance - who are they making it for? The PC gamer to play the 'few' games they can't play on their PC at visuals/performance they are accustomed to? The Series X isn't more 'popular' than the Series S, which to me indicates that most aren't bothered about having higher resolution/frame rate and content with 'Series S' despite the Series X offering 'enhanced' versions. A Series 'XL' (or whatever they called it) is only likely to enhance games so they 'compete' more in terms of visuals/performance to the higher end PC's...

Cost again may factor in - a locked device limiting what games you can play and even where you can buy from (digital purchases are only available from the Platform holder), having to buy a Subscription (even if its the most basic) to play all content you own/buy - just for a 'boost' in visual/performance may be harder to justify. During the PS4 Pro/XB1X life, they were both outsold by PS4/XB1S hardware despite offering 'enhancements' because the 'majority' are content to play on the 'cheapest' hardware.

MLB26 (for example) may look better and/or run at higher FPS on a PS5 Pro, may not be on PC, but will people spend £600+ on a Series XL just to play this on GPU at similar to PS5 Pro settings? Or just be happy to play on Series S/X and save money?

@Sol4ris I think the rumours getting into the territory of stuff like Halo and Gears on PS5 is why the next gen Xbox was teased last month. The only comparisons we have to a 1st party publisher going fully multiplatform are ones that gave up on hardware completely like SEGA in the early 2000s.

I don't want a PS5 Pro to play games that still keep releasing on PS4. But the fanboys will buy it.

I would give up hardware if I was Xbox.
February 2024 sales console wise is very poor yet again.

There has to be a point when the design, research and development etc. Then setting up manufacturing etc, which most cost so much that what’s the point with low console sales.
Also with the we make no money consoles added it almost seems pointless.

They are in a funny ole position Microsoft with Xbox console wise and even gamepass wise.
Will be interesting to see what comes of it all.

@OldGamer999 Nah, they still sell millions of consoles and make billions with Game Pass and software sales every year. Consoles are very profitable for Microsoft and they make other hardware and the same OS for PC, anyway. There is no point at all in abandoning the console market, unless Microsoft stops making hardware and Windows and that's impossible. It has nothing to do with Sega, as much as some people like to compare both.

@Grumblevolcano Yeah I still see "S replaced by handheld S" to be a solid potential, just based on how hard they've been courting the Switch market, and trying to carry that over into partnerships with Deck, Ally, etc. They seem to have a taste for Nintendo's huge handheld market and realize how useful that would be on their GP platform. It's a market that really fits in with their focus of market growth in a hot, growing market space that investors would love.

Though they COULD do 3 consoles. I don't think 360 is a good example because it was a very different era and there was an agenda behind that push. And X1 was discontinued, but some of that was based on parts and costs at the time where 1X was the big push but was rumored to cost a fortune to make with the bespoke cooling solution. I could see the handheld competing with Nintendo pricing and the S dropping to true bargain pricing with a redesign, if the handheld S doesn't truly replace the S at Nintendo pricing.

It would make for an interesting "next pre-next gen" if Xbox and Nintendo are going at it with Series N and Nintendo doing Switch 2 competing in the red ocean, while Sony's trying a blue ocean of "almost like PC but nowhere actually close" Pro upgrade path.

I kind of can't believe Sony would really do a Pro, it sold pretty poorly last time and doubtfully made actual money in the long run considering cannibalized new consoles sales via all the used trade-ins added costs of supporting the machine. But of course it's Jim's directionless PS who sees the short term gains only, so it's totally believable. Endless missteps over there.

@OldGamer999 The only question is do the consoles generate positive software and subscription sales? If yes, then the consoles are worthwhile. Right now I believe most of the GP subs are on console though PC was the fastest in growth. Steam isn't raking in cash on the Deck, but it's a valuable product for them.

The whole industry's in a mess really. Sure PS5 is outselling XSX handily, but PS5 is still stagnating in sales, and software sales performance keeps falling well below expectations, with Sony itself admitting it's not making much margin on its games relative to cost. Hardware sales only matter if you're converting them to software sales, and clearly even Sony isn't doing that in the numbers they expected. Seems like only Nintendo's ahead. Which goes back to Grumble's thoughts on the handheld Xbox.

I don't think the market needs a pro model. I'm happy as it is right now. And for the first time, I accepted that I love both. XBOX AND PS5.

@Banjo-
I never compare Sega with Xbox, totally different parent companies and worth and position in the market.
I hope Xbox stay in the console market.

Gaming seems such a small mess at the minute, not running true or sailing along, like it used to.

@Fenbops $500 or below pending where you go. But when the PS4 Pro came out we seen a small price cut on base PS4. Not sure if Sony can do that with the way parts and shipping cost are these days.

@OldGamer999 Not you but many do.

I'd rather Xbox go with a dedicated gamepass handheld that can download games locally on storage. i mean the series S specs should be easliy feasible on a handheld device now. Make a sweet 1080P with xbox controls and i would buy that so quick. more power is not the draw right now. PS fanboys will sing praises about frame rates but the ps5 pro won't have the big of an install base in reality.

@Phil-Spencer-Gate but i am an Apple computer user. I see no reason i would buy a PC to have a bloated malware OS. Xbox is the only MS product i use and like. I just want to know about Gears of War. That is my favorite IP on Xbox. But if it’s coming to PS5 then there isn’t much for me to get on Xbox. I know they have a lot of studios but if Redfall and Starfield are anything to go by that isn’t going to move GP numbers against the Last of Us and Spider-man. Avowed looks average, Perfect is in development hell and i have high hopes for Fable. Not sure what else is going to keep players engaged to GP. Unless in 10 years thats the only way you can access COD. I keep hearing GP GP GP, but there’s not a lot of killer must have games on it.

@Grippie i would for sure buy a handheld Xbox just cause us OG Xbox fans have wanted one for so long. Before we say the PS5 Pro won’t have a big install base. I would be willing to bet the Pro will outsell the Series X install base. Most of the Series console sales are S’s.

@Banjo-
I don’t know why, If nothing else it helps also keep the other two alert. We have to remember it’s not just the console threat but the trillions of dollars the competition is worth as a company.

@HonestHick do you think the Pro will be $600? I think no chance, more like $700 at least.

Just launch a Series X Digital for 400, go big on price reduction. Make the new Series X compatible with m2 SSD.

@Banjo- first and foremost you know i love you. But i see a few things i want to play devil’s advocate with. Nintendo outside of having to spend a little more money on maybe the next Zelda or Mario game could easily keep cost low by just remastering a back catalog of old hits. Think DS titles like Mario vs Donkey Kong type stuff and they will be making plenty of profit on those. They could do a cheap remake of Donkey Kong Country and make a bazillion dollars. Also i disagree that Sony is in trouble. Once they get back to releasing blockbuster AAA games that don’t have to give Marvel a huge cut i am sure they will be more than fine and the more consoles they sell the more of the 30% take in on games like GTA6 and others they will have. MS is a bag of mixed messaging at the moment. They had to hold a business meeting cause the internet thought they were leaving hardware and bringing all their games to PS. We don’t see Sony having that type of uncertainty with its marketing. I think MS is in a hole and they dug two tunnels to get out, Cloud or 3rd party on consoles and PC. The Series Consoles might not outsell the Xbox One and we will know how that started off. GP is a thing but it’s far from catching fire like a Netflix. I think MS is unsure of what they want to do even internally. Your thoughts on this buddy?

@Fenbops 0.01% chance it’s $700. They know in this market much like in the PS3 market they can’t sell consoles at that price. I wish we did have a console that was expensive like a PC and ran games at max settings. Think of it from a parts perspective. It’s the same CPU just overclocked, not a price increase. Same memory overclocked not a price increase. Using RDNA 4 for ray tracing a slight increase but not wallet breaking and Sony in house tech for upscaling. Not seeing where this is going to raise costs to insane highs. This is the advantage of a Pro console, it’s using tech that is older and cheaper than it was when the base PS5 came out. It won’t be a penny above $600 but my guess is they will try and come in at $550 and get the Base unit down $50 bucks as they see the sales on the base unit slowing a touch at the full price.

@HonestHick You play Gears with gamepass on Series console or buy it full price on PS5. Either way, you will give your money to XBOX, which is the only thing that matters when we are talking about revenue growth. It's a win-win scenario for Microsoft, because they make you spend money either on gamepass or buy full price games on PS5. I agree that you need quality games to increase gamepass value for subs growth, but I trust XBOX that will deliver good games. Hellblade 2, Avowed, Indianna Jones, all Activision Blizzard games will boost gamepass content, and I expect to see some serious subscription growth after all these new games coming to the service.

The PS5 pro will be a total waste of money as Sony will be hard pressed on releasing a PS6 sooner than expected.

Especially now that the new Xbox system devkit has been officially spotted in South Korea.

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/a-new-xbox-dev-kit-has-been-certified-in-south-korea/

I know and I love you, too 🤗. I don't mind having different opinions about certain things. Before you posted your comment, I replaced the word Sony with Playstation. I'm not saying that they are in trouble, they will be fine if they release games for other platforms such as PC and stop wasting millions in temporary exclusives for modest sales on PS5. Besides, the new CEO of Sony is not obsessed with exclusives and console supremacy, unlike Jim Ryan.

Nintendo is a complete mystery even though I can say that I know them well, because I have always followed their hardware and software career. You are right, they can find new ways of making cheap and overpriced hardware and software again and even re-sell the same games to the same suckers (myself included), but I really doubt that the Switch 2 will reach the level of success of Switch, so the hardware, accessories and software won't be as lucrative. The example I always use is Mario Kart 8, a new game that was relatively successful on Wii U, but whose port broke all the records on Switch. I like Nintendo's games, but not Nintendo as a company nor the hardware they are making since Wii, so if they start bringing their games elsewhere I'll be celebrating that and won't buy Nintendo hardware ever again.

It's the opposite on Xbox. On Xbox, people find great value and high-end hardware, not to mention they don't have to re-buy games every generation, so they are not looking forward to buy the software elsewhere. Play Anywhere and Game Pass makes possible to buy or pay once and enjoy games on several platforms. Xbox is perfectly fine, but their fans aren't as vocal. Microsoft reported that the gaming division is their third largest business, ahead of Windows. Xbox made $7.11 billion in Q2 2024. I have no doubt that they will stay in the console business as long as the console business exists, but of course they are expanding the scope of the gaming business thanks to Cloud and Game Pass. I honestly think that Xbox is better than what anyone reading video games sites may think.

I mentioned earlier that I think that Microsoft will release a new console not long after Sony because they like making high-end hardware. The rumoured handheld would be very popular, as proven by the affordable Series S, the handheld PCs and, of course, Switch. It wasn't a priority until now for them, but it makes more sense now. We just need a bit of patience and to enjoy our Series X in the meantime, because by the time that GTA VI is released, maybe there is a Series X2 more powerful than a PS5 Pro to play it on.

It depends on what specs the PS5 Pro has over the Series X and how long it will be between the release of the next new Xbox console. Not going to lie, if PS5 Pro specs are massively different to Series X and there is significant changes in GTA VI then I’d be complementing buying a PS5 Pro for it.

Dead like it currently is now

@Phil-Spencer-Gate i just want to know if Gears will or won’t be on PS5 was my question. I know it will be on GP and Xbox. I am hoping it’s only on Xbox so they can use those titles to get attention to the Xbox platform. As far as MS getting the cash for its games, i am all good with that but what does that do if we get Redfall and Starfield? Indiana Jones is an older character that younger kids today could care less about. While i think it will be a good game it won’t make many younger console player sub to GP. The older market that likes Indiana Jones is already on GP. Avowed i am interested in but it hasn’t show AAA wow factor, but i am sure it will be solid. That is the issue i have with Xbox at the moment there seems to be no postive momentum around the brand, only questions as to if more of their games are coming to PS. Thats just an odd look for a company to have. It can’t be making gamers around the world saying they are ready to invest into Xbox as a platform this gen or next. That scares me. PS5 Pro and GTA6 is going to widen the gap even further. Phil Spencer said it himself they can’t out console PS, but to have us all sitting around waiting to see if Gears and Halo are coming to PS isn’t what i thought he meant by it.

@Banjo- as for Nintendo i agree as we have stated on here before. I love their games but the direction they need or choose to take on the hardware and services is just not for me. But i think they are more than ok as they have a young player base that will always like Mario and the crew. I am not sure the Switch 2 will outsell the Switch but i wouldn’t be shocked to see it do extremely well. Even more so if it can have enough power to play some more modern games well say like PS4 ports. As for MS i want to be optimistic cause they have large pockets and some good tech. But man after all this talk of them bringing more games to other devices and the Series consoles selling less so far than Xbox one. I am just shaky on what it is they need or can do to at least be within the ball park of PS console sales and brand awareness. Xbox is mostly alive and well here in the USA tho trailing the PS5 by 6-7 million units but elsewhere in the world is it a beat down. If for some reason Sony runs out of money i could see them looking to an Apple, Google, Amazon etc etc. who wouldn’t want to be a part of a successful world wide known brand in PS? Someone would help them. So i think there is a spot for all 3. But MS is going to be pulling up the rear if they don’t stop shooting their own toes with bad marketing and bad PR speech that confuses the player base as to what they are going to do. Thats my take on it. But i just think MS could and should have done more this gen to win back gamers lost in the last gen. GP aside and buying studios it’s been a little odd messaging lately.

Just wish Xbox got hell divers 2 honestly

Not interested. They could have it be comparable upscaling or hopefully not.

But otherwise I have no reason to upgrade as it is. Sure family own a PS5 disk system/Series X and Gamepass gets used on occassion with it, but with how games aren't using them that well or many games aren't exciting enough to upgrade eh.

I barely use my Xbox One X/VCR and even then I use them still more than the Series X gets used. I find anime blu-rays or I find some fair games, 99% of them being back compat physical titles still though if not PS3 physical.

I myself don't want either console. I'm sticking to PS4/Xbox One for a bit till they actually make the consoles compelling not on price on actually not disappointing peripherals and actually exciting games.

I'm not buying them for a bunch of RPGs/certain other trends.

I have a few current gen due to particular genres/gameplay ideas but most I got on last gen anyways.

There isn't even more than 10+ games I want. Let alone less than 5 I want or had to get. PS5 or Xbox. I can wait or I have nothing I want.

Give me something gimmicky with the hardware not just ray tracing, formuliac games and load times, while quick resume is nice, it's digital only, doesn't suit me.

When was the last time a game used Impulse Triggers even? Last I played was Project Cars 3 or Gears 5.

More impressive animations, better gameplay/level design ideas, enemies that learn or unlearn their own, the player or another enemies moves.

Actually impress me than just whatever formulaic games, passable Indies in certain genres or nostalgic garbage Indies making fan game level safe games with weak ideas or only whatever hits did, actually think further outside the box or make broader characters, movesets, ANYTHING NEW and ray tracing.

Because I haven't seen anything exciting yet.

Not really interested in putting more money into the Xbox platform. It doesn’t have a good future under Phil Spencer and Satya Nadella.

I think the extra power isn't much of a problem here. It'll suck that Xbox is behind there but the upscale worries me more.

Frame rates have been a bit damming this gen. You can have Ray tracing or 60fps, you have have nice graphics or 60fps, you have full resolution or 60fps.

Having a PS on the market that says "why not both?" Is gonna look real bad. (Yes I'm aware it's not "real" performance, but from a sales point it is)

just make dev optimize their sh*t and it's gonna be fine, dont need new hardware

@HonestHick I disagree with you. XBOX has already a positive momentum with gamepass becoming bigger, while having better lineup in 2024 than Sony. Activision Blizzard games will come to gamepass. We had Hi Fi Rush, Redfall(which was failure), Forza and Starfield in 2023, and we are now having Hellblade 2, Indiana Jones and Avowed in 2024. XBOX started to show its muscles from 2023, and we have a long way until 2026 with a lot of games coming out. However, by going multiplatform, XBOX will achieve much more revenue growth and, at the same time, will have all the new games day one on gamepass for sub growth.

I just can't understand why you're so negative about multiplatform. If you are already a gamepass sub, you have nothing to lose from multiplatform. You will enjoy day one games as you do it right now. Nothing wil change. Multiplatform is just a growth plan for extra revenue and bigger profit margin for the first party titles.

Yeah and sonny have even stated they will continue to make the big games so for PlayStation having a super charge console kind of makes sense over Xbox’s potential cloud desire.

Two different mindset in the defaming sphere and I like my big games so will probably buy the ps pro. That said I love indies and have a Xbox series s for game pass so both consoles have merits.

PC is already an Xbox Pro if you want it to be and the reality is that this PS5 Pro is a smaller upgrade then even the PS4 Pro was. This 33tflops is nonsense, for RDNA3 they effectively double their numbers, so a 35tflops 7700xt performs the same as a 16tflop 6800

If they do come out with a refresh, or "Pro" or whatever I won't get it. I just finished paying off my Series X so am in no rush to upgrade for a marginal performance boost unless Microsoft allows you to trade in and upgrade for a small sum (which they'd never do).

Considering sales of Xbox in Europe are reportedly down 47% year on year in Europe, bringing out a refresh is pointless let alone bringing out a Pro model.

Xbox may as well have one last throw of the device. Get rid of the series S and release a handheld hybrid to see if they can claw back some sales.

Sadly, the harsh reality is that Xbox needs to get out of making consoles in the near future.

Phil Spencer gets a lot of credit from some but not from me. Xbox will go third party no matter what Bond etc say.

We already have two Series S and one series X so no. Only one ps5 though so might get a pro.

@Phil-Spencer-Gate "While having a better lineup than Sony". That is subjective. Sony has already released Helldivers 2, Finally Fantasy 7 Rebirth, about to release Rise of the Ronin, followed by Stellar Blade. MS will release hellblade 2 in the first 6 months. I know those aren't first party, but they aren't on xbox so it is part of Sonys lineup and those games are reviewing amazingly so far. I'm not sure how Avowed will be, it looked clunky to me, but I hope it is good. Indiana Jones will likely be the highlight for xbox this year.

Why do people care so much about what's going on over the fence? The current gen Xbox S and X are far from underpowered, they run fine, play games fine and games look stunning on them. Why waste so much time caring about the PS5 getting a refresh if you're happy gaming on your Xbox?

Besides, any mid-gen refresh is only going to make the most incremental of incremental changes to quality, I think the only people mid-gen refreshes really make sense for are people still on last gen consoles.

@FatGuyInLilCoat These are not first party titles from Sony. Microsoft has 3 first party titles in 2024, and many third party games which will come day one on gamepass.

Final Fantasy 16/Rebirth are second party games, which are time exclusive on PS5, and they come on PC in the following months. However, both FF 16 and Rebirth had poor sales during the launch on PS5, which is a sign that exlcusivity doesn't work anymore. Even Sony CEO admitted that he wanted to move on multiplatform strategy to improve sales and profit margin for AAA games, which have an enormous development budget.

Final Fantasy 16 sold only 3 million units on PS5, which is very low for AAA game. I am not even sure if Square Enix have made enough money to cover the development cost without making any profit. For AAA games, you need 10-15 millions sales to become high profitable for any company. Even with 10 million sales like Spiderman 2, Sony has made a small profit of 75 million dollars, which is not enough money for such a huge game that costed 300 million dollars budget during the development time.

@Phil-Spencer-Gate

FF16 sold 3million in its first week. So yeah it’s higher than that. Just an fyi.

No need for a new xbox, theres nothing on the current one that uses its full potential, and given the huge number of xbox studios, thats what they should be trying to address.
Sony are doing what Sony always do, handheld add ons, vr add ons, drive add ons for the slim, and now a more powerfull addition. MS are a software firm and need to get that right, they wont compete with Sony on hardware and would be stupid to try imo.

@Phil-Spencer-Gate I know, I said they are not first party, but they are only playable (console wise) on playststion. They are some of the biggest releases of the year not playable on xbox. And when Sony says multiplatform I belive they are referring to PC. They likely won't put any first party games on xbox. I do have high hopes for avowed and Indiana Jones, but right now the exclusives in the first half they year in PS are very good.

That said i am excited for Xboxs first party lineup going forward, I just feel like with their now like 30+ studios they should be pumping out high quality exclusives like a well oiled machine at this point

Some of you aren't even answering the poll, but rather read like you're projecting you're fanboyism and secret desire for one console to "win" and the other to "lose". It's almost as of you have zero ideas of what gaming is really about. So cringe.

@themightyant From wiki:
PlayStation Studios (formerly SCE Worldwide Studios and SIE Worldwide Studios) ... Number of employees. ≈4,000 (2022).

@FatGuyInLilCoat
Of course they are referring to PC while going multiplatform. I didn't say that they will bring their games on XBOX. The reality is that Sony doesn't make enough sales on PS5 alone that justify the 300 million dollar budget investment to AAA games. Making 10 millions sales is not enought anymore for Sony. They need to reach 15-20 millions units to make a decent profit from their AAA games.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner The last report showed it had 3 million sales during launch, which is very poor sales for a AAA game. We don't have any recent report about sales, which shows that FF16 hasn't made any significant improvement in sale numbers. The game probably is still under 5 millions in sales, which is very low for AAA standards. The only way to boost sales is by porting the FF16 on PC in the following months.

@Phil-Spencer-Gate Well I guess MS wins by default this year then? Cause I don't think Sony has a single first party release that I know of. But if we are counting 2024 console exclusives, it is subjective who has the better lineup.

I currently only have an Xbox but lately been thinking about getting a PS cause I think those games interest me a bit more. Plus if I own both it's a win win.

It's a win win for xbox. Xbox doesn't need to do anything, in my opinion. They have the games. This ps5 pro version looks to me that it has this "sony fragrance" on it, that sony has lately with their products. No matter how good the hardware will be, i think it's destined to fail. Look at other hardware than sony released recently. PSVR2 ? They official paused the production. PS Portal? Haven't heard anything about it lately. New ps headphones? Dualshock elite for 250 €/$ ? Most people need many and good games to play to affordable prices. Also, in previous gens the middle - gen consoles sold only a smaller percentage of the total market sales which proves that. Gamers don't need extra hardware with no new games. There are some hardcore fans that are going to buy it or even "kill" their "old" ps5 on ebay or other marketplaces first and then buy it to have the best hardware which probably will play for 99% of the games the same version as the base ps5 version, cause most developers and studios won't even bother releasing another version of their game for the pro version. It's good though for people owning an xbox and looking for a ps5 because they want to play some of their exclusives, cause if and when this pro version is released, there will be some people selling their used ps5 base models very cheap.

@Phil-Spencer-Gate then why is Xbox hardware down and in Europe it’s like 44-46% down. This shows me they have missed on something somehow. I love my Series X, i want to know they aren’t going multi platform with their titles so there is a reason for players to buy an Xbox. It’s that simply. If they say Halo and Gears and others are coming to PS then Xbox sales will be worse than the Dreamcast or Wii-u and now all we have is PS at the high end and Nintendo. I want all 3 doing well and MS is just not doing well with hardware right now and it concerns me. Not trying to be negative but we have to call the numbers like we see them. They must turn their hardware sales around and the only way to do that is great games that people must buy into Xbox or PC to play and not PS. GP as it gets more and more games might grow some more but subscription services are down all over right now. People seem to be burning out on them. I hope GP grows more tho as it is a great service.

@FatGuyInLilCoat If you have the option to have both consoles, then you don't have any problem. However, even if you only PS5, it doesn't matter to Microsoft from the moment you're gamepass subscriber in other platforms(PC, cloud). If you have PC, then you're the ultimate winner, because you can have both gamepass and Sony's games that will come on PC in the near future.

@HonestHick I just told you: it doesn't matter if Microsoft has low sales. The only thing that matters is the number of subscribers on Game Pass. As a XBOX user, you have the privilege to enjoy day one first party releases on Game Pass with zero cost, while PS user have to pay full price 70$ for the same games. Microsoft has nothing to lose by going multiplatform. You can have playstation as the main console, and have Gamepass on PC or cloud. Microsofft will make money from software with any way.

That's the thing you don't understand my friend. It's all about money and high profit margin. If XBOX could make a lot of money and record revenue by going multiplatform and have high sub growth on gamepass, you should be happy. It doesn't make any economic sense to have exclusive games anymore because the sales are too low in one platform. Even Sony is considering for going full multiplatform in the next year.

@Phil-Spencer-Gate i get it, but i would hate to lose my Xbox consoles in the future. I really like their platforms even tho they aren’t selling so well. I like my PS5 but the controller is uncomfortable for me at times. I understand MS’s position with selling software and making loads of cash, heck just the money they will make from ABK will be insane. Throw in all the other teams and there is little reason not to think they will be the market leader in revenue across the industry. I just hope they stick around as long as consoles are a thing. I believe we will see Sony bringing more and more titles to PC, but they will not share with Xbox. They just won’t do it as it would give players a reason not to get a PS. In a perfect world i could play the Last of Us on Xbox, cause at the moment that is the only series i really love on PS. GOW and Spider-man are good but not sure i would buy a PS just for those 2.

@HonestHick You're right, Sony won't bring her games on XBOX. They will go multiplatform by releasing the games on PC/PS5. XBOX won't quit console market because they need subscriber for gamepass coming from console gamers. XBOX has already announced that they will make a next gen console. However, Game Pass is the main service for XBOX gamers.

@Phil-Spencer-Gate as long as i get more and more Xbox Hardware life is good. I do agree Sony at some point will need to be on PC and it could even become day and date at some point. That i am not sure about but wouldn’t surprise me either way they go about it. GP should get loads better when all the ABK stuff hits not to mentioned more and more day and date games. The service in 3-4 years should have a load of titles on it from first party and of course the rotation of 3rd party. I am all good as long as they continue to push Xbox Hardware. Now if this handheld rumor is true i would snag that up real fast also.

DF just shot down all the PS5 Pro fanbois by stating GTA6 most likely will not run at 60 fps on the Pro. I mean, that's a real kick in the balls if it turns out to be true. GTA6 is going to be THE measure of any new console's worth. If it can't run at 60 fps, what in the world is the point of new hardware? The CPU bottleneck is still huge with only a 10 percent uplift if you choose to even use that mode for the CPU.

Imagine GTA6 running at the same frame rate on the Pro as the Series X. We all know Rockstar don't cater to hardware so they certainly aren't going to add extra features for the Pro's GPU. It may run at a higher res but probably won't look much different at all in that case.

Then a new Xbox possibly shows up in 2026 and will almost certainly run GTA6 at 60 fps. Interesting times.

I listened to the DF breakdown yesterday and the upgrade sounds disappointing. Will you get higher resolutions? Yes. Better Ray tracing? Yes. Higher framerates? Possibly if the game isn’t hindered by the CPU.

PSSR sounds interesting, moving away from FSR2, which let’s admit is dogshit, can only be good. My takeaway was you’re going to get games looking sharper and less noisy but at much the same frame rates we’re getting now.

They predict this thing will cost around $600/£600 which is less than I expected, but makes sense now I understand what it will be offering.

If Microsoft doesn't do something. Sony will be running laps around Microsoft with Machine Learning capabilities as Microsoft touted it with their paper launch promising Direct Input and Velocity Architecture and did nothing with it. Sony is going all in on what Microsoft dropped the ball on.

It leaves Microsoft needing to pull their socks up. At the moment, after their baffling PR reaction, or lack therof, to the rumour mill of games coming to other systems (which obviously makes good business sense, not adverse to that at all) & my general experience with their naff Windows Xbox Games app, I think they need to work on communication, tidy up what they have in place & be clear about their strategy going forward, rather than leave their fan base in limbo. This generation feels like it has had more downs than ups; sure, Covid, manufacturing issues & greedy big business layoffs have all contributed, but besides the good support of games like Sea of Thieves, we've not seen a lot of the Microsoft IP that makes owning an Xbox exciting. Same goes for PS5 - most of the great experiences there come from ports and a small handful of sequels. Most of the better experiences have come from indies across the board.
Overall, I don't think it's neccessary to answer with a new updated model, but concentrate on game output. Guessing Microsoft's investments are still yet to come to fruition though.

I hope they don't do a mid-gen and invest in a handheld Xbox (not cloud based) instead.

We don't need a new console, current games don't even use all the power the current ones have, just look at lots of third-party still releasing on Xbox One and PS4.

There is no need for a 'Pro' console in any side. Not Sony, and definitely not Xbox.

Also, the industry is laying off a bunch of people because game development costs went up, and what they do? Create a more powerful console that will require even more resources to develop to? It is stupid.

Invest in handheld. It is working. Worked for Nintendo, is working for Steam, is working with Rog Ally, just do a Xbox handheld as powerful as the Series S and watch sales soar.

No need for a Pro PS5, they have next to No current gen AAA exclusive titles even for the current console and won't be releasing one until after April 2025, combine that with Digital Foundry saying the Pro only has a 10% CPU increase.
The Xbox is plenty powerful enough and has plenty of First Party exclusives for it including at least 4 AAA games this year.

CPU is gonna be bottleneck city, and looks to be another half step for these consoles. MS looks to be doing it the right way and coming out with next gen in a few years. I'm good now that I have my Series X and my Steam Deck OLED. It's ALL GOOD.

There are so many things in current Xbox Series X that need improvement! For example, having only USB 3.0 with 5Gbps speed and USB-A connector is a joke. Considering that every major game for Xbox requires 150GB of free disc space (with updates getting to 200GB), 2TB discs as well as Thunderbolt port for external disc is needed.

Also updating the CPU and the GPU to standards for 2024 would be desirable, considering how many games are not able to achieve 4k/60Hz in full quality mode, not to mention 4k/120Hz and 8k/60Hz resp on current Series X.

I'm still happy with my Series S and GTA 6 isn't a must play for me. I'm only just now getting around to playing GTA 5. Once a game runs well enough I'm usually happy. Doesn't have to be cutting edge for me to enjoy it.