Microsoft CEO Says Xbox 'Wants To Innovate' With Its Next-Gen Console

, but from our perspective, the console hinges on how well Microsoft can bring Windows and Xbox together.

I think the entire thing sinks or swims based on price, like every console before it. $200 killed the ps3 and $100 killed the Xbox one.

They all want to innovate... But can't because innovation is risky. They have shareholders to appease.

So did the Dreamcast

I don't like two of them saying that the competition is short-form media. I don't Doom scroll at night coz I can do that in the day, I play video games at night.

I sometimes wish that these execs would just shut up and talk when something exciting can be announced. So rather than say "we see our competition as this thing" just say "here's our freaking awesome hardware coming out, we hope you love it and buy it"

"gaming's competition is short form video"

One needs to consider that Microsoft or Xbox isn't just a console platform anymore. This comment doesn't come from the perspective of a platform holder, it's from the perspective of the largest gaming publisher, it's from the perspective of the Call of Duty & World of Warcraft publisher.

Thinking with Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo and in general live-services in mind, these games trained us to expect ongoing fresh content. These games fail without a steady supply of new content (like for example the Halo Infinite multiplayer). But TikTok, YouTube, Instagram are not constrained by the resources of the platform owners, as fresh, new content is being created by the users, which is much more captivating than what a live-service game can offer. Microsoft basically needs their own platform for user-generated-content with a huge social impact, kind of like "Roblox".

At least that's how I understand this topic.

What many 'Console' gamers fail to remember (or never knew) the history of 'Xbox' - so called because MS wanted to bring 'PC' gaming, where they started game development, and Direct X to mainstream gaming so built 'affordable' hardware and created DirectX in a Box (or Xbox as it became known)

Both a Windows PC and Xbox console have a Microsoft OS at its core and both have DirectX API's. A PC is the 'original' Xbox (DirectX in a Box). MS was making games for their Windows Platform before they got into 'Consoles' and their Flight Sim IP is older than Xbox.

When the OG Xbox released, there was a LOT of Console gamers that thought MS were mad to release a 'PC' in a Box, something that big and bulky as it required HDD's and internet connectivity (like PC's), not small and attractive under the TV like console of that era.

A decade ago, Xbox merged into MS and Xbox stopped being 'just' the console and became their gaming Brand. That was also the point that MS stopped focussing on 'just' the Console too and rebranded their OG Windows PC platform - hence 'Every' game since has released Day 1 on PC, Console and 'Cloud' to.

It doesn't matter if you play on a PC, Console or Cloud, if you plat a MS game, you are playing an Xbox game. Doesn't matter if you buy a Console or Windows PC, you are still buying a MS Operating System, so a customer of MS. The only difference really is that a PC has other Platforms as its an 'Open, Multi-platform' device compared to a closed Platform they fully have you locked into on a console.

As tech has improved, yyou can now get 'affordable' gaming PC's so much more accessible than 25yrs ago, much more mainstream.. Is it any wonder that they would 'merge' or streamline their Platforms on PC and Console, try and get them 'both' running the same version of the game instead of having to make multiple versions of the exact same game.

That's where 'innovation' will come - the Software to merge' their two platforms, the 'break' from traditional 'locked' platform devices etc will be innovative, but 25yrs ago, it was 'innovative' for MS, a PC developer to make a Console, built like a PC, to work and become the 'massive' brand 'Xbox' is today across many devices.

It’s a good thing Windows is becoming more gamer-friendly — we can only welcome that.

I’m not particularly a fan of the guy, but when he says “It’s kind of funny that people think of console and PC as two different things,” he’s absolutely right. The concept of a console is being redefined — what is a console, really? For me, it’s simply a machine that plays games easily and in a plug-and-play way. Nothing more, and nothing to do with its internal components.

Plus, the next Xbox console will be natively backward compatible all the way to the first Xbox One games, and it’ll give access to the entire PC game catalog — including PlayStation titles. Who wouldn’t want that?

That said, there’s still work to be done to improve Windows performance for gaming and make it even more user-friendly. But the current Xbox Full Experience and its roadmap already look very promising.

With this console, PC, windows hybrid approach I can imagine this may be their chance to stop doing physical media.

@Coletrain You also reply to articles on video game websites. You're not the person they're trying to attract. They already got you. And me. And everyone else on this comment board. Their "competition" is short form video because the audiences of potentional NEW gamers, the ones that are not gaming (and not growing the market) are the ones glued to their phones.

Short-form video has created an entire generation of ADD and people with extremely short attention spans. Which is bad for gaming and audience retention.

I wish these executives would be quiet for a little bit.

Lots of mitigating reasonings in this comment thread. Maybe this vision will succeed and play out as hoped. I’m more interested in what will happen if Microsoft’s next gamble here doesn’t pan out. If this fails too, will it be more goalpost moving and mitigation in the comments, or will that finally be enough for the apologists to start pointing fingers and laying blame?

@EdgarTheBug This is a false debate — the PC world moved away from physical media years ago, and most console players now buy their games digitally. Let’s not flip the narrative: it’s not Microsoft dictating player behavior, it’s the other way around. These companies adapt to what players want.

PlayStation added its disc drive as an optional accessory, and the next Xbox will likely allow an external drive too. That’s easy to implement. There’s no reason to force a higher base cost for something only a minority of users still need. Making it optional just makes sense — economically and practically.

@XxEvilAshxX I don't disagree that short-form media is a toxic cancer on humankind. I wish it would die.

But it's not any more of a competition for Xbox than work/school, playing sports, watching TV, talking on the phone, going to the park etc. Gaming is always competing for your free time, but using tik tok as an example of competition just because they can measure time used more accurately than other forms of free time is totally out of touch (in my opinion)

Not once did this man say the word Xbox.
And brought up margins and said that leads to innovation. Innovation takes RISKS, regardless of margins!

You missed the best quote to come out of this interview “you innovate by having good [profit] margins” 💀

@fatpunkslim Exactly and if it's primarily windows based than that will give them a chance to stop doing it even more but if they can give people the option than that would great but money is money, the cloud is their dream ambition and people obviously buy more games digitally compared to physical so let's see how it goes.

Im interested to see how they get a system that plays pc and all xbox games. Windows gaming on the rog couldn't do it. If they use the same line of you get all games because you can stream them then yeah, I dont think thats gonna cut it.

But if anything, we got conformation that they see themselves as a publisher now. Man couldn't even say xbox out loud.

Gaming's competition is literally every other hobby

@Smackosynthesis wrong. They compete with other consoles and pcs whether they want to admit it or not.

Great. Now could you do great games ? Like Perfect Dark ? Banjo Kazooie ?

@TheMule1983 yes directly but also what I said indirectly

So them saying their biggest competition being anything other than other consoles/PC/mobile just sounds dumb

"At the end of the day, console has an experience that is unparalleled. It delivers performance that is unparalleled, that pushes, I think, the system forward."

...so the next console we make will be a PC...! 😂

The drama around XBOX is getting ridiculous. XBOX has transitioned from a traditional hardware platform holder to a multiplatform publisher with hybrid consoles that will have an open ecosystem and give access to multiple PC stores and services. The new "gaming windows" will merge with XBOX OS, which will combine the ΧΒΟΧ console library with Steam and Game Pass, and be free online.

The reason why XBOX transitioned to a multiplatform approach was that they realized it was more profitable than competing within the "console war" concept that favored Sony, which dominated the market.

I’ve already explained why XBOX couldn’t compete with Sony under the "console war" model, where exclusive games and hardware consoles were the main focus. The rules of the "console war" heavily favored Sony, which became the dominant leader during the PS4 era. XBOX couldn’t keep up, and it would have been unwise to invest a huge amount of money in exclusive games, knowing they wouldn’t generate significant sales on the smaller XBOX console user base, ultimately leading to heavy losses and potential bankruptcy.

Phil Spencer highlighted why the Xbox One/PS4 era was the "worst generation to lose." During that time, most gamers established their libraries on the PS4, which dominated the market and locked players into the PlayStation ecosystem for future generations. Even with GOTY-level exclusives, the Xbox Series S/X struggled to compete with the PS5 in hardware sales. Many gamers are hesitant to abandon the libraries they built during the PS4 era to start fresh in a new ecosystem.

This isn’t the end of Xbox; it’s the beginning of an innovative era with the creation of a hybrid console and a new optimized gaming Windows that bridges PC gaming with the console market. The new "console war," so to speak, is between the open system of hybrid consoles and traditional consoles like the PS6 or Switch, which operate in closed ecosystems and rely on exclusive games.

The new XBOX hybrid console will hit the market with Steam and Game Pass integrated into a gaming-focused Windows system that will incorporate the XBOX OS. It will include the entire console library with free online play, just like on PC. This is a change that's happening. The upcoming hybrid XBOX console will also offer more valuable third-party titles and even PlayStation games through Steam, which has lower prices, along with day-one releases on Game Pass. It will compete with the PS ecosystem, which remains more expensive due to Sony's $80 full-price model, necessary to profit from its 30% revenue cut on third-party sales.

@Smackosynthesis That's what you say when you're losing the race. I mean, everything is competing with TikTok now, even what I'm watching on TV.

I for one hope that the PCBox comes resplendent with a Blu-ray player, @fatpunkslim, because every now and again the Collector's Editions I buy come complete with a disc (Doom: The Dark Ages, for example), but also because whilst I buy 99% of my games digitally, I buy 95% of the films that I watch on a Blu-ray (mostly 4k). I have around a 1000 Blu-rays, and really do not want to invest in another device beneath my television just for the purposes of watching films...

It’s obvious that Nadella and his dear shareholders friends always wanted to ditch the Xbox anyway. Phil Spencer used to be the Xbox guy but now Nadella is slowly taking his place in the public eye. I really don’t like him or his vision.

And if their next « Xbox » doesn’t support physical Xbox games AND the ability to play Steam games without having to switch between the Xbox UI and Windows PC mode, I’m 100% out.

@Striker21 Exactly ! The shift from a dedicated console to a hybrid PC is the best move they’ve ever made: playing xbox games, PC games (and playstation games), a full native backwards compatibility for xbox console games, ...inside an Xbox full Experience, who don't want that ? It's just a dream for millions of pc and consoles gamers, simple as that !

That said, there’s still room for improvement, of course , but features like Auto Super Resolution, Auto Frame Generation, Default Game Profile, and native support for backward-compatible titles all the way back to the original Xbox are already on the roadmap. Let’s be honest: no other console maker is doing that , not Nintendo, not PlayStation.

@Fiendish-Beaver if you watch blu-rays HD and 4k on Xbox Series X, depending on your TV set, upgrading to a dedicated reader is worth it. On my OLED I couldn’t stand the macroblocks, banding, color conversion and the broken 24p mode on 4k discs with the Blu-ray app on SX.

It’s now much better with a Sony Blu-ray 4k player.

I absolutely agree with you, @Coletrain. There are always other things that compete with how you occupy your time, and honestly, I think this is Microsoft basically admitting that they have lost the competition against the PlayStation, and so are telling us that they no longer see that as competition so that they can attempt to move the conversation along.

Why have they picked Tik Tok as their target now though? My guess is because you cannot lose against something you cannot actually compete against. PlayStation versus Xbox is something measurable. Xbox versus Tik Tok is not. Someone playing a game on the PlayStation rather than the Xbox is measurable. However, someone watching a video on Tik Tok might never have even considered playing a game at all, let alone Xbox, so how do you compare the two?

It's a ridiculous and false narrative that Microsoft are spouting here. Yes, I'm sure that Microsoft would love to convert people from Tik Tok to Xbox, but they would probably have a better chance of persuading someone to depart PlayStation for Xbox...

@Fiendish-Beaver I think they’re just using Tik Tok as an example. They want to attract NEW gamers. People that spend more time watching movies or other forms of entertainment. That’s what they are saying is that there are so many different forms of entertainment competing for views. And they’d like to tap into some of that non-gamer market. I don’t see anything wrong with that.

@Weebleman

Im interested to see how they get a system that plays pc and all xbox games. Windows gaming on the rog couldn't do it. If they use the same line of you get all games because you can stream them then yeah, I dont think thats gonna cut it.

Technically it would be possible to play Xbox console games via emulation. It's already possible to emulate Xbox 360, PS3 and Switch games with unlicensed emulators on the Xbox Rog Ally X.

Microsoft managed to add backward compatibility emulation to the Xbox One after launch. Maybe (or hopefully) they will do the same for these Windows-based gaming handhelds, at least to the same degree as it's the case on Xbox One & Series consoles.

@Fiendish-Beaver if I had to really call something a rival, maybe people watching let's play stuff on YouTube (especially kids, my friends all have kids that watch Roblox on YouTube) but that would simply be competition for all gaming devices!

Instead I just think they should do what playstation does and show us why we should buy their hardware and games, not why they haven't sold more in the past

@TheMule1983

@Smackosynthesis wrong. They compete with other consoles and pcs whether they want to admit it or not

As Microsoft is now releasing all their new games on other consoles and PC store fronts, and deemphasize their own console business, are they still competing with PlayStation, Nintendo and Valve? Or are they business partners now? 😁

@TrollOfWar I do think they'll find a way as basically they have to. Its not gonna be straightforward though.

As articles on the ROG point out, its absolutely not a console and its frustrating some people who were led to believe it was. Thats a big obstacle to get over and no easy feat once you put PC in the mix as thats part and parcel of it.

It’ll be weird not seeing Xbox products on store shelves.

We haven’t had a 2-man race in the console wars since the Atari and Intellivision days

@TrollOfWar those companies still make games right? You’ve answered your own question. 😘

Innovation is great but people don't like nor want change. You must innovate slowly and get the public to change in small steps.

I would love to have a console/PC hybrid gaming system, and I think it would be great. But pricing is very important, and I'm not going to pay more than $800 for a next gen console and I don't think many others will either.

Pricing almost destroyed the PS3, the Xbox 360 was launched $200 cheaper and it was winning that generation. Xbox One was launched at $100 more than PS4 and it lost badly. And it's why Series X/S has lost this generation.

I do think Microsoft and Xbox need to innovate, but they must do so with pricing in mind and think about affordability for their customers.

Sony has already won the next generation with PS6.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, @awp69, but tell me this, how will they know when they have done that? When you compare how many consoles you have sold, you can see how you are doing up against your competitors. When you compare where a third-party game is being played, you have stats for that too. When you compare MAUs, you can see how you are doing when compared to the likes of PlayStation. How do you know when you have stopped someone watching Tik Tok, and converted them into an Xbox gamer? And that goes to my point, Microsoft have moved away from statistics that show how they are doing, and over to something that cannot be measured. You cannot fail at something, when there is no proof one way or another...

@Weebleman

As articles on the ROG point out, its absolutely not a console and its frustrating some people who were led to believe it was. Thats a big obstacle to get over and no easy feat once you put PC in the mix as thats part and parcel of it.

True, I think the big problem or challenge for Microsoft is to clearly say what the Xbox is or will be going forward. The "This is an Xbox" ad was an interesting attempt, but didn't quite deliver the message. People still associate "Xbox" with "console".

I think (my opinion) going forward, Microsoft Xbox's gaming future is on Windows PCs. There will be no "hybrid PC console", only gaming PCs with the new Xbox UI trying to emulate the streamlined experience of a gaming console.

The questions are, how much compatibility can they offer to previous console generations, how hassle-free (console-like) will the experience be on those devices and which console features can they migrate to Windows OS (Quick Resume, switching or adding gamer profiles, console peripheries, etc.)? It seems that Windows 11 is the biggest problem at the moment. What will happen if a new Windows (12?) gets released, how will it impact this "Xbox PCs"?

@themightyant

@TrollOfWar Emulation is a pretty flawed solution. i.e. Even on the highest-end PCs you can only emulate up to two generations ago (PS3/X360) and even then most games don't work. Xbox One and newer emulation basically doesn't work yet.

I'm thinking more of the solution which is implemented in Xbox One and Series consoles for emulation of Xbox and Xbox 360 games. It uses a combination of emulation and virtual machines to emulate the games. If an Xbox One can run those games, so should more powerful PCs.

Back in June when Xbox and AMD announced their multi-year partnership Sarah Bond mentioned "maintaining compatibility with your existing library of Xbox games". Would be interesting to know what that means for console games compatibility.

@TrollOfWar completley agree with everything you said there. Partly, and this is just my opinion, I dont think MS itself knows what it wants xbox to be at the minute. The hybrid box is great in theory but it brings so many questions as well. Access to old games as we both said is one. The other, bigger, challenge for me is that consoles were subsidised as you made the money back through software sales, etc... in the walled garden. MS will be cutting themselves off from a massive revenue stream by opening to steam, epic, gog, etc... that money has to be pulled back from somewhere.

The whole report from Jez the other day felt like they were just saying positive quotes to change the focus. Free online is a brilliant thing, but how many people got merged from gold to GP and only want online play. If that goes free, its more money that will likely be heaped on the cost of the box.

It just feels a bit like they are throwing ideas around to see what will stick and instead of a great machine to play games, you end up with a box that does everything but just alright, if that makes sense.

Time will tell on it all I suppose.

@Weebleman

The other, bigger, challenge for me is that consoles were subsidised as you made the money back through software sales, etc... in the walled garden. MS will be cutting themselves off from a massive revenue stream by opening to steam, epic, gog, etc... that money has to be pulled back from somewhere.

The whole report from Jez the other day felt like they were just saying positive quotes to change the focus. Free online is a brilliant thing, but how many people got merged from gold to GP and only want online play. If that goes free, its more money that will likely be heaped on the cost of the box.

I think the "subsidized console price" business practice only works as long as the people who buy your console also invest in many games, services and licensed peripherals over the years. If, this is just a guess, half of the 30 million Xbox Series console purchases were made by people who only bought 1-2 games and maybe subscribed to GamePass to play games, and maybe bought games they liked on other platforms then Xbox has lost a lot of money on those subsidized consoles. Does the active playerbase spend enough to compensate for the non-active playerbase? Not sure if my thinking is accurate, but I guess Microsoft has the necessary that to see how profitable their Xbox userbase is and it influenced their decision for going multiplatform.

In that sense, if they sell the new hardware at a small profit, then at least they have the hardware and releated licensing costs covered, no matter what the owners plan to do with the device. Microsoft will anyways sell their games on Steam and PlayStation, where more people will buy their games than on Xbox.

But as an avid gamer and consumer this also concerns me, as I don't like how prices are increasing and gaming is becoming less affordable for many people. Gaming should be more accessible for new comers, not harder. This will just push people to mobile and free-to-play games.

I know I'm often seen as the outlier here, but I'm massively excited for the next Xbox. I think every little piece of info and hints and teases we've gotten so far (throwing in MS' constant insight to how they want to reinvent the wheel) points to a very tasty picture indeed. I've said it a thousand times but I think next Xbox will absolutely be a defining moment in gaming and I think it's going to turn a lot of heads.

@Kaloudz you're not alone in your thinking, I think the hardware is going to be exceptional (the Series X already is the best console from a hardware standpoint, IMO) but the question marks are around MS delivering something compelling enough (and cheap enough) that both developers and consumers support it.

That's my worry, but I share your excitement too. It's going to be real interesting to watch it all unfold

@Kaloudz I am very excited for this console as well. I’m a pretty diehard Xbox guy as well. I like their games and their hardware. Big fan of Gamepass and throwing in Steam and other storefronts, getting rid of paid online play and getting some extra horsepower will all be worth the price. I am optimistic but it’s a long wait.

@themightyant

Re: using the XBox One BC solution... I sincerely hope NOT. That only accounts for a small proportion of the Xbox 360 & OG Xbox libraries. From memory this is about 25% for 360 and 6% for OG Xbox. That is not a decent solution. Imagine not being able to play 75% of your series X games on neXtbox... not going to happen.

To be honest, I don't know how Microsoft Xbox is planing to achieve compatibility to Xbox One and Series consoles, but from a technical point of view I think they can achieve it. The hardware and software architecture of Xbox One and Series consoles are closer to modern Windows PCs than the previous Xbox generations, so maybe a translation layer and the compatibility planned with AMD might solve the compatibility of Xbox One and Series games. Some modders already developed a translation layer for Windows, which allows Xbox One games to run on a PC by translating Xbox-specific calls into Windows equivalent, rather than through hardware emulation. If modders can do it then Microsoft developers can also do it. My suggestion for emulation is for the og Xbox and Xbox 360 games. I think those work fine on Xbox One.

But the problematic part is regarding 3rd party licensing, just as it was the case with backward compatibility on Xbor One consoles. 3rd party games where the license owners don't agree with having the game licenses meant for consoles made available to PC for free, might probably not work.

I agree that "Play Anywhere" games is a decent solution going forward, but not good enough for backward compatibility if it doesn't apply to old games.

@Fiendish-Beaver When you say "How do you know when you have stopped someone watching Tik Tok, and converted them into an Xbox gamer?"

First of all, TikTok was just an example — he could’ve said social media more broadly. He also included movies and TV shows, which is absolutely valid. People spend more time on those forms of entertainment than on PlayStation — that’s an undeniable fact.

But the goal isn’t to convert a TikToker or a social media user into an Xbox gamer. People are free to enjoy multiple things and will continue to do so. The idea is simply to capture a bit more of that time so they spend more of it on Xbox and a bit less elsewhere. What he said isn’t groundbreaking — TV executives say the same thing. They’re trying to win back audiences who now spend more time on social media than watching TV. It’s a challenge shared across the entire entertainment industry.

The key metric is simple — it’s the same as today: MAUs (Monthly Active Users). Console sales mean nothing, especially when engagement among console owners is low — which is exactly the case with PlayStation, whose engagement is lower than Xbox’s.

What game industry professionals care about is user engagement. And it’s a metric they track and share. It’s just false to say they’re hiding those numbers — especially when they clearly favor Xbox.

As for console sales, they’re meaningless in a world where gamers play across multiple devices. Should we also count people who buy PCs to play Xbox games? Or handheld consoles that run Xbox titles? That wouldn’t make sense, because those devices are used for other things too. Just like counting PlayStation sales doesn’t mean much if the console ends up gathering dust — which is the case for millions of units.

@themightyant @ILuvGames @Coletrain The price is exactly my concern too. I think between the Pro 5 and the Rog (and MS saying the other day about the next Xbox being premium) we could see a very hefty price tag next gen - which might even throw me off. I wont spend more than £600 on a console. No matter how great it is. I'll wait for a sale or get refurbished lol.

That said, I'm optimistic too. I agree that having barriers removed such as online play going away and having more storefront access is only a good thing in my book. However, I do think MS need to step carefully and listen to feedback - which they're usually good at fortunately - if indeed it takes a while for the penny to drop lol.

$1,200 USD( minimum) PC/Console hybrid incoming

@Kaloudz yeah £600 isn't happening man! But maybe if we trade our Series X consoles towards it then it'll be that price...hmm....

@Balaam_

If this fails too, will it be more goalpost moving and mitigation in the comments, or will that finally be enough for the apologists to start pointing fingers and laying blame

Yes because pointing fingers and laying blame, will magically bring back the X360 heydays or whatever else you want to entertain...

"It's kind of funny that people think of console and PC as two different things"

No, it's really not. The PC has Windows, which is a disgusting mess - among many other barriers to ease of use.

I too was using TikTok as an example, @fatpunkslim, I fully appreciate that they really meant any other form of entertainment. However the same issue still applies, how do you know when someone has been converted from any other form of entertainment into a MAU? Yes, MAU can go up or down, but what's to say that is because it's a new user, or someone leaving?

As an example, every day that I play on my Xbox is counted individually. I am the same person every single day, but I am counted as 30 days in a month. However, if I go on holiday for a month, then the MAU goes down by 30. When I return, it goes up by 30, that's how it works. And if someone sells their PlayStation, and buys an Xbox, and games every day, then PlayStation's MAU will go down, and Xbox's goes up.

My point is, if he had simply said, "we need to grow our MAUs, and how much they spend", then fine, but it's ridiculous to say that PlayStation is not competition for Xbox because it absolutely is! If someone is gaming solely on a PlayStation (and not playing an Xbox game) then Microsoft want them to come over to Xbox just as much as they want someone to stop watching TikTok, in fact that is probably preferable to them as someone leaving PlayStation means Sony lose an MAU, and Xbox gains one.

That is the crux of what I am saying; it is disingenuous to say that PlayStation is not competition because it absolutely is, and more importantly it is something that can be easily compared and evaluated, whereas it is impossible to say whether a person has weaned themselves off TikTok and become an Xbox user. Yes, you can say you've added one more MAU, but it is impossible to say what they were doing prior joining Xbox.

Truthfully though, even the term MAU is misleading because it is not just about the number of people you have using your systems because if Microsoft have 500 million people as MAU's and they all spend just $1 a month, then that amounts to $500 million a month. However, if Sony have 100 million MAU's and they all spend $10 a month, then they are bringing in $1000 million a month. The point being that even MAU's is a misleading metric in itself...

@Sindayl yeah it’s a great point, both the Steam and Xbox backwards compatibility integration need to be seamless. Having some awkward dual boot system where your Xbox library is confined to a deprecated legacy OS that never gets updated whilst all the new games and Steam lives on the Windows side wouldn’t be a very elegant solution at all. One OS, one login (well aside from Steam obviously), all the games seamlessly integrated - that’s the dream!

@themightyant the five year old XSX is £500 already. No chance whatsoever that the next one will be £600 (sadly). I think it’ll very likely be even more than the PS5 Pro. If all the rumours come true (Steam plus no multiplayer paywall) then they won’t be willing to subsidise the hardware. It’s going to be sold for a chunky profit margin.

Could be $999 so that the famous quote that Phil Spencer made last year about not selling $1000 consoles stays technically correct lol. Looking at Xbox Ally X currency conversions that would mean £800! I think that’s a much more realistic number to expect.

@Tdx oh absolutely, they are objectively different. If they weren’t then the whole Play Anywhere thing would be entirely redundant. The very fact Play Anywhere exists and is needed demonstrates that PC and console are very much separate platforms (for now).

"We just want to make sure the games are being enjoyed by gamers everywhere; consoles, PC, mobile, cloud, or TV."

And there it is.

I don't think anyone has any faith in Xbox by this point.

If software sure like quick resume, hardware, ok then.

Windows/Xbox sure if they can like many prior times. Whatever shareholders and other say I guess. Customers will make up their minds depending on the factors laid out.

Also where is the Xbox equivalent of WarioWare? If they want micro length content where is their minigame/microgame party game? That would fit on gamepass right? That audience they crave. XD

Where is TV TV TV the 2013 to 2017 feature that was Windows 8 like? That's not there. How are they supposed to get their attention span multi tasking audience instead and not on their phone but dual wielding apps/games on Xbox.

Give us the dual screen apps/game features we always wanted, or Edge browser and gaming side by side functionality dual screen phones can that Wii U, Portal/Vita/Playlink and Xbox One didn't achieve.

These leaders I swear. XD

Isn't the reason Microsoft made Xbox in the 1st place is to provide competition to Playstation and Nintendo? Never heard of "We built the console, because we wanted to build a better PC...."

In terms of "innovation". This so-called hybrid console/PC will prevent players from actually playing games. With constant Win11 updates, Xbox updates, Microsoft Store updates, download / install games and then their updates. For those with limited time, this will eat up all their available time constantly.

@themightyant haha yes, probably will age just as gracefully as his other 2024 quote about how their exclusivity strategy won’t be fundamentally changing. Only for Xbox to proudly announce that Halo is a PlayStation franchise from here on out just the following year. Zero consistency! Phil’s quotes do seem to age like milk.

@Cakefish

Having some awkward dual boot system where your Xbox library is confined to a deprecated legacy OS that never gets updated whilst all the new games and Steam lives on the Windows side wouldn’t be a very elegant solution at all. One OS, one login (well aside from Steam obviously), all the games seamlessly integrated - that’s the dream!

I think a dual boot OS system would be totally unnecessary, as technically it is already possible to solve it with a translation layer to get Xbox One games running on Windows, and as you mentioned Microsoft would want to avoid that situation where they need to update a legacy OS separately.

Also I wonder what other can of worms they would open with a dual boot system. How much space do they need to reserve on the SSD for both systems? Since a dual boot hybrid system is both a console and a PC, how does licensing of new Xbox Series games work? Are they licensed for a PC or a console? Or will "Play Anywhere" be mandatory for new games going forward and a game license will apply for both the console and PC? What if you bought a "Play Anywhere" game on such a dual boot hybrid devices, can you download it twices (once for the legacy console OS and once for Windows)?

@themightyant I believe Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond do care about gaming and growing the market and I guess it was Phil's idea to have a cheaper Xbox Series S console to lower the entry price into this generation. But aver since the ABK acquisition they aren't really in charge of making decisions anymore. Those are done on a level above them. I appreciate Phil's "gamer" comments which clearly shows that he cares about gaming, but those comments are often at odds with what the Microsoft corporation is communicating and mandating.

Well at the very least hearing that another console is coming from the head honcho of Microsoft itself is reassuring. Silver lining of some kind.

Trying to see it with good intentions, but I dont trust Microsoft anymore. Cannot give value to their words because every couple of months they change their strategy. I bought Series X to play Starfield, Everwild etc. Thing is that Starfield is on PS5, Everwild canceled without explanation and all studios are going multiplatform. Sorry but... I am out.

@Fiendish-Beaver the reason PS is no longer competiton to Xbox is cause PS consoles can play Halo Gears and Forza. So as long as you aren’t on social media and playing PS there is money to be made for MS studios there. Forza Horizon 5 sold big numbers for MS on PS. Halo will likely do the same. So it’s other forms of media they can’t make a dollar off of.

@Cakefish I would honestly be amazed if the machine comes in at £800. I personally think as a bare minimum it will have to be around the £1000 mark if they want it to be even somewhat competant as a console and Windows machine.

I would suspect MS are even aware of that which is why they are already seeding the idea of High End, Super Premium and Bespoke when talking about it.

@ilyn yeah with the PS5 Pro already at £700 it wouldn’t surprise me either if this were £1000.

Whilst I partly agree with you, @HonestHick, both Sony and Microsoft do still want to sell consoles. Sony want to poach as many Xbox gamers as possible, and they can do that by both releasing an attractive console that is priced effectively against the PCBox, and so they are competing in that regard. Sony can also do that by making compelling games, games that Xbox gamers want to play thus attracting them to the PlayStation. Sony want you to buy third-party games on their platform, and not the Xbox or the PC, so again, they are competing with Microsoft in that regard.

As for other forms of entertainment, Sony and Microsoft have always been in competition with them. That will never, ever change. However, again, both companies are competing against one another to win those people over and on to their platforms. Sony do not win if someone gives us watching TikTok and buys an Xbox! Microsoft can win if the situation is reversed by virtue of their games being on the PlayStation, but even then they would far rather those people joined Xbox instead.

Upshot is that both companies do still regard each other as competition, and they are also competing with every other pastime out there...

Definitely sounds like Microsoft will no longer due gaming consoles.