It seems that video games, consoles and accessories are getting more expensive across the board and, of course, development takes a longer time. There are some shocking disparities between regions depending on the company and product if you look at the chart above, like some having bigger differences than others between USA and the rest of the world.
Because of this generation when prices have increased steadily and whatever the next generation brings, I don't know if competing platforms and games getting more expensive are going to work as well as before or if the future of this industry will be homogeneous and focused on PC, handhelds included. I grew up playing on consoles and I love them, but are traditional consoles going to remain unchanged? These multiple luxury walled gardens don't seem to have their future guaranteed long term. Is this why PC is growing immensely this generation? I think so.
Bias against Xbox on an Xbox site and naive 90s mindset aside, consoles are no longer enough for Microsoft and Sony. Nintendo can survive within an isolated ecosystem even after a failure, because of the low development budget, big margin, conservative approach and family-friendly IPs with broad appeal.
Microsoft and Sony will be able to keep consoles as another way to play their games and earn money via subscriptions. The main difference, besides Microsoft being more successful with software because of its growth and Sony more successful with hardware, with few games and many flops and cancellations this generation, is that Microsoft is already fully multiplatform and has free cloud saves, cross-play and cross-buy, while Sony just started approaching the PC platform.
You can think whatever you want, that Xbox is dying no matter the reported facts and that Sony is crushing Xbox. I wouldn't blame you because of the articles elsewhere that paint it like that. The truth is that PC is the king of sales and that Xbox is better than ever before, so future Xbox consoles will be a combination, PC boxes, just like Xbox One and Series X|S but even more, running the same version of Windows and software build. Sony can keep supporting both platforms separately and make ports as long as it works for them, but it wouldn't surprise anyone if they keep walking the PC path just like Microsoft, because no longer being the same Playstation that they used to be and not being Nintendo either.
Xbox ending the quarter as the top publisher on both Xbox and PlayStation consoles for pre-orders and pre-installs.
Crazy.
Also, content and services revenue grown by 8%, considering the current size of Xbox, is gigantic. For gamers, the best news is how the acquired studios are making great games and how can they be either purchased or enjoyed on Game Pass. Until 2017, they only had Rare, Mojang, Turn 10, 343 Industries and The Coalition. Now, there are huge studios, but also small ones that develop excellent titles. This is what I think they wanted Game Pass to be.
I haven't played it yet. There are too many great games on Game Pass that I want to play which is wonderful,. because I don't mind playing games after release (as it should be).
@jesse_dylan The Game of The Year should be renamed to My Game of the Year. Right, the best Mario Kart entries are Super Mario Kart and Double Dash, best in terms of gameplay, controls, physics and actual racing, at the very least.
I said it on Tuesday, Oblivion Remastered is described as a remake by the developer during the full reveal (8:59 and 13:57). It seems that the word "remake" is being dropped lately, favouring "remaster", whatever they both currently mean.
@Scrubchub Right! It's impossible to find better value unless you only want to play a couple of games per year. If you are really into gaming, Game Pass is a dream that came true.
So, I spent around 100 hours on Avowed. I still haven't started South of Midnight, then there's Oblivion Remastered, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Doom The Dark Ages. All of them are Game Pass must-play titles, so I'm not rushing any of them. Another Call of Duty has been added, whose campaign I will play for sure. 2025 will be fondly remembered by Xbox gamers.
I greatly enjoyed the two Bethesda games I've played, Starfield and Skyrim, so I'm looking forward to playing this. South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Doom The Dark Ages, Oblivion... Wow.
I got the three of them for little money. I haven't played them yet, but look great and the horror and shooter combination seems interesting. I remember watching the graphical upgrades Exodus received on Series X and they are awesome.
@Utena-mobile Can't beat Xbox unless you're into PC gaming and that requires time and additional investment in hardware, and still it doesn't have the backwards compatible games! I like that they're being made available on Cloud, so everyone will enjoy them in one way or another. I'm curious about the Asus Xbox handheld that supposedly launches this year and intrigued by the next-gen console and handheld.
Dear Dead Rising triple bundle, when are you going down again? I became a fan after playing the Xbox One remaster this year. It was given to me as a Game with Gold.
Well, Nintendo still does not include the DLC of a Wii U game in the 2025 port and no longer discounts games like they used to. Hard to complain about anything on Xbox, considering their first-party sales, Game Pass including first-party games at launch and free and enhanced backwards compatibility.
Cool! Let me see what I find. The preview had Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition (Series X|S version) at its lowest price ever. Is it really live on console yet?
I don't get it. Torture and extreme violence are all fine in our absurd society, but nudity is not. Ancient Greece was more coherent thousands of years ago. They are now making some characters uglier on purpose, e.g., Joanna Dark.
I expect the Asus Xbox handheld to be revealed and released this year, not the Xbox handheld that is rumoured for 2027 along the next-gen Xbox.
Regarding games, what I'd love to see presented anywhere is Project Zero/Fatal Frame trilogy remastered after getting 5 and 4 on all consoles. Regarding Xbox Studios, Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie remakes are topping my lists.
@WildConcept6 You are absolutely right. As a long-time Nintendo fan, I wrote on NL that Switch 2 is combining the worst things of every other company, while not improving Nintendo's own shortcomings. Regarding employment, obviously, Nintendo doesn't hire as many employees as other developers, but they also outsource development a lot since Switch and some of those studios say that are not well paid. Obviously, a Japanese studio would never say such a thing, but ex-employees of the Metroid Dread developer did.
At the end of the day, the good things about Nintendo were the affordable hardware, the innovative games and the consumer-friendly deals, like dodgy yet free online. Switch 2 has PS4 level of power according to Digital Foundry. Like Sony's, Nintendo's console is a walled garden where even cloud saves and resolution upgrades are behind a paywall, not to mention the phone app and the tech demo.
Nintendo's games, that cost less to develop and don't need to pay extra for royalties and cartridges are more expensive than any other. I think that the new president has a lot to do with all this and I predict significantly lower sales for Switch hardware and software. Early sales will be impressive like Switch and Wii U, but no way Nintendo is bound to repeat the success of Switch, and that's actually good news for console fans.
@Vidorra The "Deals with Game Pass" and the early access to special sales are exclusive.
There are also perks with Game Pass Ultimate, like the DLC for Persona 3 Reload that was a permanent giveaway for subscribers when the game was still new. That's a very special reward for Game Pass subscribers.
Here you can check the cheapest price of every Xbox game if you want to know if the current sales are good enough:
@HonestHick Yep I think the problem is the price of games, accessories, repackaged games and upgrades and they know it. A console is something people buy once a lustrum, although in this case the price difference between the Japanese version and the international version is massive and difficult to digest.
@DJKingaling I think it's one of those cases of indie developers prioritising the platform that sells more indie games, which was Switch, not so sure about Switch 2 repeating the pattern.
I loved Starfield and Skyrim, the two Bethesda games I've played, so of course I'm excited for these remakes, not just because of the graphics being updated, but mostly because of the frame rate improvements and the addition of quality of life features.
Honestly, I don't mind. Playing the first game on Game Pass was the best way I could have imagined for this fun, short and repetitive game (that I enjoyed). This is assuming that the second one will be included in Game Pass. If not, maybe I'll get it on a future Xbox sale, some day.
@JoyfulFire @Elbow The store says take a peek at the spring sale preview or something like that when I checked it earlier today, so I assume that more deals will arrive in a few days/one week when the sale is available to everybody.
Even for home console gamers like me, the best thing about Xbox is this: "making sure all of your games are available, all of your save games, all of your entitlements are available wherever you go." That's what makes Xbox the most user-friendly and future-proof option outside pure PC gaming.
I think that Microsoft's focus now is unifying the PC and console libraries with additional ports and that the future games will only have one version that can be run with different settings on each device (console, PC, handheld) and Cloud, unifying a capped Windows build for gaming in the process.
@sixrings I'm also a Nintendo fan and Switch 2 is almost the opposite of what you, I and many others would like, it's a premium reiteration with repackaged games, like Switch did after Wii U, but what's Nintendo's excuse now? it's pretty obvious that Nintendo has changed and it's greedier than ever before. The president is an accountant, after all.
I'm a Nintendo boy since SNES. Nintendo Switch was the first Nintendo console I didn't get (or request) at launch. It's also the most disappointing Nintendo console ever (Virtual Boy didn't exist here). I watched the Nintendo Direct and even Digital Foundry's long video. Everything about Switch 2 is a disappointment, especially paying extra just because the original Switch was not able to play first-party games at 60fps! I don't like how the new Donkey Kong game plays. I'm only interested in Mario Kart World and Metroid Prime 4, but I'm willing to wait a long time for that while I'm playing my backlog and new games on Series X... and old Nintendo games on Switch, Wii U, SNES Mini and New Nintendo 3DS.
Side note: I predict an even more expensive model with an OLED screen and 512GB of internal storage.
I expect cheap and expensive Xbox systems. Do you remember the leaked plans during the ABK trial? Sure, plans change and they were drafts back then, but they have been planning several devices at different price points for years.
@Sol4ris Actually, the problem with Xbox is that they answer everyone and, as time goes by, the judgemental internet users reprimand them vocally, as if Microsoft's priority was to lie about the plans that might change. Nintendo is super secretive and everyone seems to understand that. Sony only says what they want to say, even Mark Cerny when officially revealing PS5. Perhaps, Xbox is too eager to answer and share their strategies, but the three of them change their strategies and plans. The difference is that Nintendo hides them and Sony is wary.
The partnership with a third party is wise even if the resulting handheld/hybrid is not more popular than other handheld PCs, because it's the way to fine-tune the future Xbox handheld, that will be popular because of the native Xbox experience and Game Pass and does not need to have the same impact as Switch on the market. As we all know, all this is part of a bigger business and environment. It's not the 90s nor Nintendo's walled garden.
Exactly what I was saying on the other thread. Xbox One and Series X|S are x86 console-computers that run Windows, obviously, without all the PC features to make consoles faster and more efficient than a similarly built PC.
Microsoft was able to translate the Xbox 360 game code from a PowerPC console. I have no doubt after seeing what Microsoft's engineers have done with Xbox One that they will be able to easily run the whole backwards compatible catalogue on future consoles that are basically Windows computers, maybe even letting the door open for stores other than Microsoft Store, like Steam, thus including Sony's games in the process.
Dropping Windows OS has zero probability, in my opinion. The version of Windows for Xbox will run on future consoles, with regular computers being able to run the console version of Windows, too. Microsoft has already confirmed that they are bringing the Xbox experience to handheld PCs. Everything else falls into line with that. Windows and Xbox together makes the most sense for Microsoft because of several essential reasons:
1) they own Windows,
2) they keep the full Xbox and Play Anywhere library intact,
3) they keep the backwards compatible catalogue,
4) and Xbox Cloud is based on Series X.
On the other hand, starting from scratch and using a third-party OS like Steam OS makes zero sense for Microsoft and the Xbox ecosystem.
@eduscxbox That's exactly what I think that will happen: the version of Windows that has been built for Xbox will run on future console-computers, with regular computers being able to run the console version of Windows, too. Microsoft has already confirmed that they are bringing the Xbox experience to a handheld PC, everything else falls into line with that. This makes the most sense for Microsoft because of several essential reasons:
1) they own Windows,
2) they keep the full Xbox and Play Anywhere library intact,
3) they keep the backwards compatible catalogue,
4) and Xbox Cloud is based on Series X.
@Millionski Obviously, Xbox One and Series X|S don't have all the Windows features because they don't need them at all and would make them slower and less efficient, but that's another reason for not doubting that the next console will play backwards compatible games. Dropping Windows OS has zero probability, in my opinion. Replacing it with a third-party OS and dropping the full Xbox and Play Anywhere catalogue on top of the backwards compatible catalogue makes no sense for Microsoft and for the Xbox ecosystem.
@Millionski Xbox One and Series X|S are x86 console-computers that run Windows. Microsoft was able to translate the Xbox 360 game code from a PowerPC console. I have no doubt after seeing what Microsoft's engineers have done with Xbox One that they will be able to easily run the whole backwards compatible catalogue on future consoles that are basically Windows computers, maybe even letting the door open for stores other than Microsoft Store, like Steam, thus including Sony's games in the process.
@themcnoisy Fair enough. I wasn't hyped about it and I played it recently. It's very satisfying after the first ten hours. When I started Ryujin's story, I didn't feel comfortable because of what it entails, but after a while I was hooked on it. There is a lot of wasted potential though, and I'm not sure about scanning all the planets, which is the weakest part in my opinion, but I found myself enjoying the freedom and gameplay variety until the end of all the stories and the unique side quests, which translates to hundreds of hours. Like another player said, the sound is also memorable. Two things I need to say is that the ship builder is awful, like Tears of the Kingdom, and I can't help repeating how great Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts (2008) truly is in this regard. Another weird thing about Starfield is that almost all the important characters are women.
Oh yes, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is perfect. I have no doubts about this one.
@themcnoisy The first ten hours are the worst, but it is huge and still worth playing. My complaints about it are along those lines, the tutorials and explanations are either late or poor and even navigating the user interface, setting an outpost up and progressing are not clear. However, after those ten hours, it is a wonderful experience and, in some ways, better than Skyrim.
It's not flawless, but I really enjoyed the game unlike some overrated games, despite the first hours that I considered boring. The faction stories are fascinating. You need to take your time with this game, it's not one to rush.
With high software tie ratio and subscription numbers, Xbox is very profitable. The profit is made with software sale, 90% of overall Xbox sales and excluded from the charts posted by gaming sites like NL, that posts that the Xbox version of the latest game has sold 2% on Xbox, plus subscribers. Xbox is profitable, but Series S is often out of stock, let alone Series X. People are speculating about this with thousands of comments, but the real reasons only Microsoft knows.
One possibility is that the next generation is closer than expected and initially planned or that they are expanding the Cloud servers. We'll see. In the meantime, all Xbox players I know are happy with the platform and services.
If the future and I don't mean the next generation consists of PC-like consoles, at least Xbox is already prepared for that: Windows OS, Play Anywhere, cross-platform saves, etc. I really don't think that consoles will remain walled gardens forever, not even Nintendo's, but PC-like devices with access to different stores and subscription services, similar to what happened to the film and music industries.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is one of my favourite games ever, I got 100% and still wanted more. After enjoying hundreds of hours in Starfield, I started Avowed. This is the first Obsidian game that I've played that I'm enjoying from the start. Great game so far. I'm impressed by the graphics and performance mode.
Comments 7,812
Re: Talking Point: With Forza Horizon 5 Now On PS5, Do You Expect To See Horizon 6 Anytime Soon?
I think it's better to leave Forza Horizon 6 for the next generation and work on great and neglected Xbox IPs in the meantime.
Re: Here's How The New Xbox Prices Compare To PS5 & Nintendo Switch 2
It seems that video games, consoles and accessories are getting more expensive across the board and, of course, development takes a longer time. There are some shocking disparities between regions depending on the company and product if you look at the chart above, like some having bigger differences than others between USA and the rest of the world.
Because of this generation when prices have increased steadily and whatever the next generation brings, I don't know if competing platforms and games getting more expensive are going to work as well as before or if the future of this industry will be homogeneous and focused on PC, handhelds included. I grew up playing on consoles and I love them, but are traditional consoles going to remain unchanged? These multiple luxury walled gardens don't seem to have their future guaranteed long term. Is this why PC is growing immensely this generation? I think so.
Re: Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (May 1)
Modern Warfare II. ✌🏻
Re: Xbox 'Beyond' Spring Sale Now Live, Hundreds Of New Discounts Available
Weird, I saw different "just for you" deals on Series X and on Xbox.com.
Re: Xbox Achieves Record-Breaking Results In Latest Earnings Report
Bias against Xbox on an Xbox site and naive 90s mindset aside, consoles are no longer enough for Microsoft and Sony. Nintendo can survive within an isolated ecosystem even after a failure, because of the low development budget, big margin, conservative approach and family-friendly IPs with broad appeal.
Microsoft and Sony will be able to keep consoles as another way to play their games and earn money via subscriptions. The main difference, besides Microsoft being more successful with software because of its growth and Sony more successful with hardware, with few games and many flops and cancellations this generation, is that Microsoft is already fully multiplatform and has free cloud saves, cross-play and cross-buy, while Sony just started approaching the PC platform.
You can think whatever you want, that Xbox is dying no matter the reported facts and that Sony is crushing Xbox. I wouldn't blame you because of the articles elsewhere that paint it like that. The truth is that PC is the king of sales and that Xbox is better than ever before, so future Xbox consoles will be a combination, PC boxes, just like Xbox One and Series X|S but even more, running the same version of Windows and software build. Sony can keep supporting both platforms separately and make ports as long as it works for them, but it wouldn't surprise anyone if they keep walking the PC path just like Microsoft, because no longer being the same Playstation that they used to be and not being Nintendo either.
Re: Xbox Achieves Record-Breaking Results In Latest Earnings Report
Crazy.
Also, content and services revenue grown by 8%, considering the current size of Xbox, is gigantic. For gamers, the best news is how the acquired studios are making great games and how can they be either purchased or enjoyed on Game Pass. Until 2017, they only had Rare, Mojang, Turn 10, 343 Industries and The Coalition. Now, there are huge studios, but also small ones that develop excellent titles. This is what I think they wanted Game Pass to be.
Re: Poll: What Score Would You Give Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 So Far?
@JonBoyJ I enjoy both styles, real time and turn based, but Avowed has one of the best real-time combat that I have ever played.
Re: Poll: What Score Would You Give Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 So Far?
I haven't played it yet. There are too many great games on Game Pass that I want to play which is wonderful,. because I don't mind playing games after release (as it should be).
@jesse_dylan The Game of The Year should be renamed to My Game of the Year. Right, the best Mario Kart entries are Super Mario Kart and Double Dash, best in terms of gameplay, controls, physics and actual racing, at the very least.
Re: OG Oblivion Dev Not Sure Bethesda's 'Remaster' Title Actually Does It Justice
I said it on Tuesday, Oblivion Remastered is described as a remake by the developer during the full reveal (8:59 and 13:57). It seems that the word "remake" is being dropped lately, favouring "remaster", whatever they both currently mean.
Re: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Is Now Available On Xbox Game Pass
@Scrubchub Right! It's impossible to find better value unless you only want to play a couple of games per year. If you are really into gaming, Game Pass is a dream that came true.
Re: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Is Now Available On Xbox Game Pass
So Morrowind is next, right? 😉 Virtuos France made Oblivion Remastered, so it didn't stop the development of VI.
4:03: you can see the massive upgrade in this remaster/remake.
Funny, Oblivion Remastered is described as a remake by the developer (8:59 and 13:57).
Re: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Is Now Available On Xbox Game Pass
So, I spent around 100 hours on Avowed. I still haven't started South of Midnight, then there's Oblivion Remastered, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Doom The Dark Ages. All of them are Game Pass must-play titles, so I'm not rushing any of them. Another Call of Duty has been added, whose campaign I will play for sure. 2025 will be fondly remembered by Xbox gamers.
Re: Bethesda Officially Announces Oblivion Remastered, Full Reveal Coming Tomorrow
I greatly enjoyed the two Bethesda games I've played, Starfield and Skyrim, so I'm looking forward to playing this. South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Doom The Dark Ages, Oblivion... Wow.
Re: Metro 2033 Redux Team Vows To Fix Issues With Free Xbox Giveaway
I got the three of them for little money. I haven't played them yet, but look great and the horror and shooter combination seems interesting. I remember watching the graphical upgrades Exodus received on Series X and they are awesome.
Re: Microsoft Is Handing Out Free Xbox Gift Cards For The Spring Sale 2025
Better not give a sense of false hope. This is an old Xbox tradition... for USA users/accounts. We also can get free credit via Rewards, though. 👌
Re: Xbox Spring Sale 2025 Now Live In Full, 1000+ Games Discounted
@Utena-mobile You are right! It's much easier and convenient.
Re: Xbox Spring Sale 2025 Now Live In Full, 1000+ Games Discounted
@Utena-mobile Can't beat Xbox unless you're into PC gaming and that requires time and additional investment in hardware, and still it doesn't have the backwards compatible games! I like that they're being made available on Cloud, so everyone will enjoy them in one way or another. I'm curious about the Asus Xbox handheld that supposedly launches this year and intrigued by the next-gen console and handheld.
Re: Xbox Spring Sale 2025 Now Live In Full, 1000+ Games Discounted
Dear Dead Rising triple bundle, when are you going down again? I became a fan after playing the Xbox One remaster this year. It was given to me as a Game with Gold.
Re: Xbox Spring Sale 2025 Now Live In Full, 1000+ Games Discounted
Well, Nintendo still does not include the DLC of a Wii U game in the 2025 port and no longer discounts games like they used to. Hard to complain about anything on Xbox, considering their first-party sales, Game Pass including first-party games at launch and free and enhanced backwards compatibility.
Re: Xbox Spring Sale 2025 Now Live In Full, 1000+ Games Discounted
@FraserG Thanks. 😊
Re: Xbox Spring Sale 2025 Now Live In Full, 1000+ Games Discounted
Cool! Let me see what I find. The preview had Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition (Series X|S version) at its lowest price ever. Is it really live on console yet?
Re: Xbox Seemingly Blocks Upcoming Release Due To 'Provocative' Content
I don't get it. Torture and extreme violence are all fine in our absurd society, but nudity is not. Ancient Greece was more coherent thousands of years ago. They are now making some characters uglier on purpose, e.g., Joanna Dark.
Re: Xbox Games Showcase 2025 & Outer Worlds 2 Direct Announced For June
I expect the Asus Xbox handheld to be revealed and released this year, not the Xbox handheld that is rumoured for 2027 along the next-gen Xbox.
Regarding games, what I'd love to see presented anywhere is Project Zero/Fatal Frame trilogy remastered after getting 5 and 4 on all consoles. Regarding Xbox Studios, Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie remakes are topping my lists.
Re: Nintendo's Doug Bowser Just Channelled One Of The Most Infamous Xbox Quotes Ever
@WildConcept6 You are absolutely right. As a long-time Nintendo fan, I wrote on NL that Switch 2 is combining the worst things of every other company, while not improving Nintendo's own shortcomings. Regarding employment, obviously, Nintendo doesn't hire as many employees as other developers, but they also outsource development a lot since Switch and some of those studios say that are not well paid. Obviously, a Japanese studio would never say such a thing, but ex-employees of the Metroid Dread developer did.
At the end of the day, the good things about Nintendo were the affordable hardware, the innovative games and the consumer-friendly deals, like dodgy yet free online. Switch 2 has PS4 level of power according to Digital Foundry. Like Sony's, Nintendo's console is a walled garden where even cloud saves and resolution upgrades are behind a paywall, not to mention the phone app and the tech demo.
Nintendo's games, that cost less to develop and don't need to pay extra for royalties and cartridges are more expensive than any other. I think that the new president has a lot to do with all this and I predict significantly lower sales for Switch hardware and software. Early sales will be impressive like Switch and Wii U, but no way Nintendo is bound to repeat the success of Switch, and that's actually good news for console fans.
Re: Xbox Spring Sale 2025 'Sneak Preview' Now Live, 400+ Games Discounted
@Vidorra The "Deals with Game Pass" and the early access to special sales are exclusive.
There are also perks with Game Pass Ultimate, like the DLC for Persona 3 Reload that was a permanent giveaway for subscribers when the game was still new. That's a very special reward for Game Pass subscribers.
Here you can check the cheapest price of every Xbox game if you want to know if the current sales are good enough:
https://xbdeals.net/us-store
You can change the country.
Re: Nintendo's Doug Bowser Just Channelled One Of The Most Infamous Xbox Quotes Ever
@HonestHick Yep I think the problem is the price of games, accessories, repackaged games and upgrades and they know it. A console is something people buy once a lustrum, although in this case the price difference between the Japanese version and the international version is massive and difficult to digest.
Re: Nintendo's Doug Bowser Just Channelled One Of The Most Infamous Xbox Quotes Ever
He should have said that people ought to get an additional job to afford Switch 2. 😂
Re: Hades 2 Fans Will Have To Wait A Bit Longer For The Xbox Version
@DJKingaling I think it's one of those cases of indie developers prioritising the platform that sells more indie games, which was Switch, not so sure about Switch 2 repeating the pattern.
Re: Talking Point: How Excited Are You For A Potential Oblivion Remake This Month?
I loved Starfield and Skyrim, the two Bethesda games I've played, so of course I'm excited for these remakes, not just because of the graphics being updated, but mostly because of the frame rate improvements and the addition of quality of life features.
Re: Hades 2 Fans Will Have To Wait A Bit Longer For The Xbox Version
Honestly, I don't mind. Playing the first game on Game Pass was the best way I could have imagined for this fun, short and repetitive game (that I enjoyed). This is assuming that the second one will be included in Game Pass. If not, maybe I'll get it on a future Xbox sale, some day.
Re: Xbox Spring Sale 2025 'Sneak Preview' Now Live, 400+ Games Discounted
@JoyfulFire @Elbow The store says take a peek at the spring sale preview or something like that when I checked it earlier today, so I assume that more deals will arrive in a few days/one week when the sale is available to everybody.
Re: Xbox Spring Sale 2025 'Sneak Preview' Now Live, 400+ Games Discounted
Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition (the Series X|S version): 75% off. Cheapest price ever.
Resident Evil Remake Trilogy, 2 Deluxe + 3 + 4 Gold: 45% off.
Rise of the Tomb Raider 20 Year Celebration, the best of the modern trilogy in my opinion, for a few pounds/euros/dollars.
Re: Phil Spencer 'Very Excited' About Xbox Handheld Plans For 2025
Even for home console gamers like me, the best thing about Xbox is this: "making sure all of your games are available, all of your save games, all of your entitlements are available wherever you go." That's what makes Xbox the most user-friendly and future-proof option outside pure PC gaming.
I think that Microsoft's focus now is unifying the PC and console libraries with additional ports and that the future games will only have one version that can be run with different settings on each device (console, PC, handheld) and Cloud, unifying a capped Windows build for gaming in the process.
Re: Former Xbox Exec Throws Shade At Switch 2, Says It's A 'Hard Pass'
@sixrings I'm also a Nintendo fan and Switch 2 is almost the opposite of what you, I and many others would like, it's a premium reiteration with repackaged games, like Switch did after Wii U, but what's Nintendo's excuse now? it's pretty obvious that Nintendo has changed and it's greedier than ever before. The president is an accountant, after all.
Re: Former Xbox Exec Throws Shade At Switch 2, Says It's A 'Hard Pass'
@GADG3Tx87 My best wishes to you!
Re: Former Xbox Exec Throws Shade At Switch 2, Says It's A 'Hard Pass'
I'm a Nintendo boy since SNES. Nintendo Switch was the first Nintendo console I didn't get (or request) at launch. It's also the most disappointing Nintendo console ever (Virtual Boy didn't exist here). I watched the Nintendo Direct and even Digital Foundry's long video. Everything about Switch 2 is a disappointment, especially paying extra just because the original Switch was not able to play first-party games at 60fps! I don't like how the new Donkey Kong game plays. I'm only interested in Mario Kart World and Metroid Prime 4, but I'm willing to wait a long time for that while I'm playing my backlog and new games on Series X... and old Nintendo games on Switch, Wii U, SNES Mini and New Nintendo 3DS.
Side note: I predict an even more expensive model with an OLED screen and 512GB of internal storage.
Re: Report: Xbox Series X Successor Will Be 'Closer To Windows Than Ever'
@cragis0001 Right, Windows and Xbox are closer than ever and it makes perfect sense, all things considered.
Re: Microsoft Is Reportedly 'Partnering' On An Xbox Handheld Device To Launch In 2025
I expect cheap and expensive Xbox systems. Do you remember the leaked plans during the ABK trial? Sure, plans change and they were drafts back then, but they have been planning several devices at different price points for years.
Re: Report: Xbox Series X Successor Will Be 'Closer To Windows Than Ever'
@Sol4ris Actually, the problem with Xbox is that they answer everyone and, as time goes by, the judgemental internet users reprimand them vocally, as if Microsoft's priority was to lie about the plans that might change. Nintendo is super secretive and everyone seems to understand that. Sony only says what they want to say, even Mark Cerny when officially revealing PS5. Perhaps, Xbox is too eager to answer and share their strategies, but the three of them change their strategies and plans. The difference is that Nintendo hides them and Sony is wary.
Re: Microsoft Is Reportedly 'Partnering' On An Xbox Handheld Device To Launch In 2025
The partnership with a third party is wise even if the resulting handheld/hybrid is not more popular than other handheld PCs, because it's the way to fine-tune the future Xbox handheld, that will be popular because of the native Xbox experience and Game Pass and does not need to have the same impact as Switch on the market. As we all know, all this is part of a bigger business and environment. It's not the 90s nor Nintendo's walled garden.
Re: Report: Xbox Series X Successor Will Be 'Closer To Windows Than Ever'
Exactly what I was saying on the other thread. Xbox One and Series X|S are x86 console-computers that run Windows, obviously, without all the PC features to make consoles faster and more efficient than a similarly built PC.
Microsoft was able to translate the Xbox 360 game code from a PowerPC console. I have no doubt after seeing what Microsoft's engineers have done with Xbox One that they will be able to easily run the whole backwards compatible catalogue on future consoles that are basically Windows computers, maybe even letting the door open for stores other than Microsoft Store, like Steam, thus including Sony's games in the process.
Dropping Windows OS has zero probability, in my opinion. The version of Windows for Xbox will run on future consoles, with regular computers being able to run the console version of Windows, too. Microsoft has already confirmed that they are bringing the Xbox experience to handheld PCs. Everything else falls into line with that. Windows and Xbox together makes the most sense for Microsoft because of several essential reasons:
1) they own Windows,
2) they keep the full Xbox and Play Anywhere library intact,
3) they keep the backwards compatible catalogue,
4) and Xbox Cloud is based on Series X.
On the other hand, starting from scratch and using a third-party OS like Steam OS makes zero sense for Microsoft and the Xbox ecosystem.
Re: Xbox Reporter 'Pretty Sure' New Console Is Set To Launch In 2027
@eduscxbox That's exactly what I think that will happen: the version of Windows that has been built for Xbox will run on future console-computers, with regular computers being able to run the console version of Windows, too. Microsoft has already confirmed that they are bringing the Xbox experience to a handheld PC, everything else falls into line with that. This makes the most sense for Microsoft because of several essential reasons:
1) they own Windows,
2) they keep the full Xbox and Play Anywhere library intact,
3) they keep the backwards compatible catalogue,
4) and Xbox Cloud is based on Series X.
Re: Xbox Reporter 'Pretty Sure' New Console Is Set To Launch In 2027
@Millionski Obviously, Xbox One and Series X|S don't have all the Windows features because they don't need them at all and would make them slower and less efficient, but that's another reason for not doubting that the next console will play backwards compatible games. Dropping Windows OS has zero probability, in my opinion. Replacing it with a third-party OS and dropping the full Xbox and Play Anywhere catalogue on top of the backwards compatible catalogue makes no sense for Microsoft and for the Xbox ecosystem.
Re: Xbox Reporter 'Pretty Sure' New Console Is Set To Launch In 2027
@Millionski Xbox One and Series X|S are x86 console-computers that run Windows. Microsoft was able to translate the Xbox 360 game code from a PowerPC console. I have no doubt after seeing what Microsoft's engineers have done with Xbox One that they will be able to easily run the whole backwards compatible catalogue on future consoles that are basically Windows computers, maybe even letting the door open for stores other than Microsoft Store, like Steam, thus including Sony's games in the process.
Re: Starfield Has Possibly The Best Single-Player Narrative Of All Time, Says God Of War Director
@themcnoisy Fair enough. I wasn't hyped about it and I played it recently. It's very satisfying after the first ten hours. When I started Ryujin's story, I didn't feel comfortable because of what it entails, but after a while I was hooked on it. There is a lot of wasted potential though, and I'm not sure about scanning all the planets, which is the weakest part in my opinion, but I found myself enjoying the freedom and gameplay variety until the end of all the stories and the unique side quests, which translates to hundreds of hours. Like another player said, the sound is also memorable. Two things I need to say is that the ship builder is awful, like Tears of the Kingdom, and I can't help repeating how great Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts (2008) truly is in this regard. Another weird thing about Starfield is that almost all the important characters are women.
Oh yes, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is perfect. I have no doubts about this one.
Re: Starfield Has Possibly The Best Single-Player Narrative Of All Time, Says God Of War Director
@themcnoisy The first ten hours are the worst, but it is huge and still worth playing. My complaints about it are along those lines, the tutorials and explanations are either late or poor and even navigating the user interface, setting an outpost up and progressing are not clear. However, after those ten hours, it is a wonderful experience and, in some ways, better than Skyrim.
Re: Starfield Has Possibly The Best Single-Player Narrative Of All Time, Says God Of War Director
It's not flawless, but I really enjoyed the game unlike some overrated games, despite the first hours that I considered boring. The faction stories are fascinating. You need to take your time with this game, it's not one to rush.
Re: CoD Leaker Doubles Down On Belief That Xbox's Next Console Will Arrive In 2026
With high software tie ratio and subscription numbers, Xbox is very profitable. The profit is made with software sale, 90% of overall Xbox sales and excluded from the charts posted by gaming sites like NL, that posts that the Xbox version of the latest game has sold 2% on Xbox, plus subscribers. Xbox is profitable, but Series S is often out of stock, let alone Series X. People are speculating about this with thousands of comments, but the real reasons only Microsoft knows.
One possibility is that the next generation is closer than expected and initially planned or that they are expanding the Cloud servers. We'll see. In the meantime, all Xbox players I know are happy with the platform and services.
If the future and I don't mean the next generation consists of PC-like consoles, at least Xbox is already prepared for that: Windows OS, Play Anywhere, cross-platform saves, etc. I really don't think that consoles will remain walled gardens forever, not even Nintendo's, but PC-like devices with access to different stores and subscription services, similar to what happened to the film and music industries.
Re: Avowed New Update Now Live For Xbox, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
@HonestHick I just started the game so can't know, but I'm reading this. Maybe it will help you.
https://www.ign.com/wikis/avowed/Things_Avowed_Doesn%27t_Tell_You
It seems to address all those challenges and more.
Re: Xbox Game Pass: All Games Coming Soon In March 2025
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is one of my favourite games ever, I got 100% and still wanted more. After enjoying hundreds of hours in Starfield, I started Avowed. This is the first Obsidian game that I've played that I'm enjoying from the start. Great game so far. I'm impressed by the graphics and performance mode.