@m0m0 Original Xbox games are much easier to bring to Xbox and PC than Xbox 360 games technically, but without the owners of the rights authorising the digital release, it's impossible to bring them back.

Just last Monday I posted

I'd argue that Xbox is the only store that would survive the hypothetical death of the consoles thanks to Xbox on PC, which I suspect it's getting the backwards compatible games soon.

Excellent news and more of the flexibility that Xbox provides on console, PC and cloud! ✌️

@Kilamanjaro Nice. I also love Starfield for those reasons... and others. The side quest are fun and the dialogues are more natural and credible than in other RPG. The beginning is boring, but it becomes a lot of fun after a while.

The original Vita has an OLED screen, so this is a big deal! It's small, but good enough for some games.

The new Xbox team is doing the maths and based on that they will change the content and tiers on Game Pass.

It's a difficult topic for us to discuss because we don't have the essential information they do. Of course, we like day one, but maybe it's not the best strategy in the long term for certain titles like first-party AAA games. A big marketing push at launch on Xbox and PC might be more advantageous, mostly because the total number of subscribers seems to depend more on price than content.

@Markatron84 It's like genres, some games belong to different genres at the same time, regardless of what Wikipedia and Google say. There are edit wars by obstinate fans on Wikipedia, so I gave it up entirely. At least, now I now how it works.

@Mr-Cage Some games like the ones people are referring to here have a solid (not a tiny addition) single-player mode whose content doesn't rely on regular additions despite having a store that sells cosmetics and small elements, and also have a multiplayer mode built as a live service.

There are titles like Sea of Thieves, Fortnite and Final Fantasy XIV that not only have a store that sells cosmetics, but the content itself, including the world and characters, are updated regularly whether they are free (Fortnite), included in the price (Sea of Thieves) or part of the game and its expansions (Final Fantasy XIV).

@Coletrain explained it well.

@Mr-Cage You are too kind for the internet.

@Browntrouser I'd argue that Xbox is the only store that would survive the hypothetical death of the consoles thanks to Xbox on PC, which I suspect it's getting the backwards compatible games soon. Nope, I don't think that consoles will completely disappear, just following that theory.

@FreasurePlanten PS6P sounds logical. In theory, it would be PSP Go 2 because that was the first digital-only Sony handheld.

The future will be a combination of proper hardware and streaming. Hardware is not disappearing, it's getting more flexible: Xbox/Rog Xbox Ally X/Xbox on PC, Steam Deck/Steam Machine, all kinds of computers... Even walled gardens like Nintendo and Sony are more flexible with Nintendo Switch 2 and the rumoured Switch-PS6 (or PSP6), although Sony apparently did a U-turn regarding multiplatform support.

@FreasurePlanten The Pixel Remaster collection has an absolutely wonderful soundtrack. That Series S was a great deal, indeed!

@FreasurePlanten I haven't downloaded it yet. I'm busy with Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster after completing the other four earlier this year. I love it. It may be my favourite in this collection so far. After VI and VII I'll start VII Remake Intergrade.

@FreasurePlanten I have the Series X, but the Series S is a little wonder!

I got Final Fantasy Remake Intergrade. I almost have all of the entries on Xbox now.

@bert0503 Cool. It looks and plays great on Series X (60fps 4K). It took me a while to get used to the mechanics and combat, but I loved it once I did.

@DonkeyKongBigBoy At launch, yes. Within the first year, on Game Pass Premium. Same for every first-party release except Call of Duty.

I pre-order the most expensive version only when it's a niche game or IP that I like and I know that it needs the extra support, or when there's additional content that justifies the investment. Goodies are good, but sometimes they are not enough, especially if they are digital. I'd need at least a full soundtrack and a proper art book, in that case.

That said, if some people want to support a game by giving a little extra money for playing a little bit earlier and getting the extra goodies, that's absolutely fine, because I suspect that the base games would be more expensive without the deluxe/premium editions.

@Millionski

i feel like same people just feed over doom & gloom discussions.

Exactly that. As a positive note, it's obvious when the criticism aimed at Xbox is genuine because it doesn't come across as fake or hypocritical. I enjoy the fair criticism by reasonable users (like you) because it shows me other sensible points of view.

Xbox is not as popular as PS or Nintendo, but I know that many Pure Xbox users have stopped visiting the site because of that. Don't see the point in being negative about everything, not offering constructive feedback or a better solution. This is a gaming business. There are much more important things in the world to be so intensively concerned about. Let's enjoy this little entertainment oasis a bit more.

They could do without the negativity that comes from rumours and ex-workers. I'm sure that Id is absolutely fine after hearing them, and I'm sure that Asha is intelligent and fully aware of what the great teams and IPs are, even though some of the staff of some teams had to be laid off. It's worth mentioning that most of the Xbox studios have grown considerably during Phil's tenure. We are going to see a more successful and efficient Xbox from now on, exactly what the Microsoft CEO asked of the new Xbox CEO. There is no other way forward.

I'm glad that @FraserG is replaying Halo: Combat Evolved while @HelloCraigo is more than ready for Halo: Campaign Evolved. I'm sure that a review is coming. 😊

I have beaten (100%) Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster I-IV so far, so playing V now. Awesome music as usual, very nice graphics, intuitive mechanics and the kind of story I like. I want to play VI and VII before Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. I started VII on PC back in the day, but one of the discs was scratched and could not continue. All of this on Series X, but I also play stuff on New Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch OLED.

Happy weekend!

@Sol4ris It almost sounds like thieves complaining about not stealing enough.

Obviously, Rewards is not designed for the users that hate Microsoft, Xbox and Bing and I'd argue they're wasting their time on it.

I enjoy the Bing mobile app. Bing search engine has improved massively since it started and I find myself actually searching stuff and reading the news (thankfully no Sam's stories so far 😜) while getting points naturally. I don't use the desktop dashboard as much and the new one seems somewhat confusing.

As explained in the article, just playing Xbox games on console and PC and launching the Xbox mobile app daily gives you extra points, a lot if you are subscribed to Game Pass Ultimate or Premium.

Nice bundle and price, and it's Play Anywhere.

It would be silly to spoil now the impact of Asha announcing the game as exclusive at the corresponding Xbox Games Showcase. Like others said, "exclusive" includes PC, at the very least the Microsoft Store or the hybrid console/PC Xbox store of the next generation. "Helix exclusive" do not exist and you'll never read that anywhere. "Console exclusive" and "Xbox exclusive" mean Xbox and PC, and exclude PS and Switch 2.

Good to know that the studios have a clear roadmap and that they are working on remasters, DLC for Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI, not to mention Obsidian's new Fallout. All of this sounds exciting.

Incredible graphics, interesting story and fun gameplay.

Fake news as this article says, but I'm sure that Asha is keeping an eye on this and the PlayStation drama. Releasing an external disc drive does not require modifying Helix hardware at all nor does it increase its cost and price. It's a likely possibility. They should market the disc-to-digital program with this, putting a lot of Xbox 360 games artwork on the add-on box.

There are two things I love about Final Fantasy. You can really start anywhere except, obviously, multi-entries like XIII – that I loved on Series X where it looks and plays best – and each game title, even within a trilogy or duology, has different gameplay.

I was about to buy this game on PS4 back in the day, a version that has blurry textures, and here I am now getting the expanded remake for a console that it seemed would never get it, although I always knew Final Fantasy would get to Xbox eventually, something I discussed here years ago with my NL friend NEStalgia.

A little trivia, Final Fantasy XIII were the first and only games as far as I know, that were Xbox One-enhanced, Square Enix restoring the higher quality cutscenes of the PS3 version that, unlike the Xbox 360 version, shipped on BD. This means that the backwards compatible Xbox 360 versions have those cutscenes restored and are also 4K and the two sequels support FPS Boost (60fps).

@kelomaniack Indeed. It's also very unusual of Square Enix to go beyond 50%, 60% after their soft reboot. In short, let's buy it. 😁

EDIT: It's also Play Anywhere.

I love the Xbox dashboard. It's packed with features like any other, yet it's intuitive and looks clean unless you press down and start navigating the Netflix-like tiles, which to be honest I don't mind at all. Yes, there is one tile on the right side which is an ad, I know, but lately it hasn't displayed off-topic stuff but a video game, at least on my console. The best way to navigate the dashboard is using the Xbox button on the controller or up for the shortcuts. My favourite recent improvement is how the game library is displayed and filtered, although I also have My groups, each of them belongs to a different genre.

This model has everything I want in a handheld.

No doubt about Helix being a very important part of the Xbox ecosystem as the console for Xbox fans and trying to appeal to certain PC players. On PC, I consider Microsoft Store more appealing than Steam because of Play Anywhere and the similar policies between the two (DRM, refunds, generous sales...). GOG is, technically, the best game store on any platform or, at the very least, the most consumer-friendly, but the big publishers are walking away from it. More than I imagined. Epic seems a smaller and worse Steam with occasional freebies and timed exclusives. Xbox being the only one (besides Epic owning Epic) having first-party studios, they could even use that to gain leverage.

Regarding the success of Helix, I think it's obvious that the Xbox ecosystem includes PC now. It does since Xbox One, but now more than ever, and getting third parties on board. Next generation, the Xbox store and the Microsoft store will basically be merged and that's what Xbox will focus on, the store being their "platform", rather than Helix. The console business is still important and profitable, especially when you sell subscriptions, games and there aren't extra costs involved because the OS and software is becoming the same as on PC. That's why Helix don't need to (and won't) outsell PS6.

@ilyn Exactly, not to mention that Series X still is sold out in most European countries because the stock is minimal. I wonder is Asha is going to address that.

Congratulations! Regarding the studio, based on the available information and not knowing for sure, Xbox Studios might be instructed to use the same in-house engine for shooters as logic would recommend, and the creative minds that worked on the Doom trilogy will still be making great games.

Xbox is currently maintaining Id Tech, IW (based on Id Tech) and an Id Tech fork used by Machine Games. It's much more efficient to keep developing one engine and it would allow teams to share knowledge and progress. Halo Campaign Evolved runs on Unreal Engine but was outsourced, which is something Asha will not approve in the future.

I'm getting more excited after reading these previews, because I think that the gameplay of Eternal is better, and they are comparing this expansion with Eternal and describing a gameplay evolution.

@TrollOfWar Another user posted with a source that the total ratio of this generation favours Series X, but during Series X stock shortages it was 75% of Series S.

@McKeownPlayz I'm sure that at least the disc drive is being discussed as we speak, and that it will likely be an optional add-on. The technology will still be top-notch and will play "PC games" because Asha confirmed these two features, which doesn't necessarily mean include third-party storefronts. I think that "top-leading console" it's the right approach, because Series X is a technical success that didn't even need a mid-gen upgrade. Helix won't be cheap, but PS6 won't either, not to mention gaming PCs with equivalent graphical (not raw specs) capabilities. Because of the hardware customisation and optimisation, Helix will be perceived as good value compared to computers and stuff like Steam Machine. Xbox will be playable on other devices and any computer to appeal to casual players, but Helix will be that combination of premium console and accessible PC that Xbox fans and certain PC players will be interested in.

@Millionski Trying to be positive and not knowing for sure, Xbox Studios might be instructed to use the same in-house engine for shooters as logic would recommend, and the creative minds that worked on the Doom trilogy will still be making great games. Xbox is maintaining Id Tech, IW (based on Id Tech) and an Id Tech fork used by Machine Games. Halo Campaign Evolved runs on Unreal Engine but was outsourced, which is something Asha will not approve in the future.

@Millionski Don't blame yourself. We all thought that Xbox and Sony would become multiplatform publishers because that was Phil and Sarah's strategy, and Sony posted job listings with the word "Xbox", and the new CEOs supported the multiplatform strategy beyond PC when they joined Sony. Even people that thought that Sony would not do it failed to predict that Xbox would go back to exclusives. Nobody really knew everything because Xbox and Sony didn't know either.

Asha is looking at this business much more objectively and wisely than the previous management:

1) Nintendo and Sony ("other platforms") have exclusives and are doing fine.

2) Xbox business is at 3% profitability (not counting ABK) because the expenses are massive and we have many studios and as many hits as flops.

3) Let's go back to a leaner Xbox with the games that players want and to a business model that can afford having exclusives and become a differentiated platform. This is a progressive process, it doesn't happen in one day. Mark my words, Halo will also be exclusive.

4) Let's tinker with Game Pass so that not everything depends on it. If we need filler, we can sign third-party deals.

Very complicated topic that is purely based on the business side of things and affects all the big publishers. Player Voice should not be used for this, in my opinion. If you want to support a studio, buy their games at launch, as I do with games that are considered niche. Crying, assuming it's sincere, won't solve anything.

Trust the Developers - Negotiate in good faith with unions and developers, so they can better represent the needs of both developers and gamers.

That's exactly what Phil Spencer did. Some studios are better and more efficient than others, it's that simple. 7 years and $100m for South of Midnight is insane.

Layoffs are a Failure of Leadership.

A failure of the studio's leadership in this case and matching the previous point.

Regarding the general idea, of course, I'd love Microsoft and the rest of the big companies and people in the world to be nice with everybody and that Earth was a better and less polluted planet to live on.

@Nalverus Well explained. Also, the PC version (Microsoft Store) is Play Anywhere (Xbox + PC).

I'm looking forward to this, Gears of War E-Day and Fable. Great times.

Congratulation, Xbox! It's an absolute miracle that an overrated indie game hasn't taken the crown again, though. Regardless of its score, I think that Gears of War E-Day may be my game of the year.

@datamonkey @Markatron84 Wave Race Blue Storm was my first GC game and I love it. I still play it. The series was championed by Nintendo Software Technology (USA), but Nintendo ordered them to make Mario vs. DK titles after that 🥲. 1080º and F-Zero are other cool Nintendo IPs in limbo, but my favourite will always be Wave Race.

No joke, I need my monthly retro fix.

@KayUK No problem in using passwords as long as you activate additional security like two-step sign-in or, the easiest to me, Microsoft Authenticator on your phone. You only need to use it for logging in on a new device, but not on your console after the first setup. I know that having a password is completely safe like this because I checked on https://account.microsoft.com/ (Security, View my sign-in activity), and all the sign-in attempts were made by me, while a friend had dozens of failed attempts every week across the world because his account was not protected until he realised this.

@Mr-Cage The review has a point, though. We should have got the remaster of the remaster of the remaster of The Last of Us instead, which is another beloved PS3 game.

I’m all for ports, remasters, and remakes of old games, but even I’m struggling to rationalise why the first Call of Duty: Black Ops has landed on PS5 in 2026.

@Mr-Cage Not to mention Push Square rated these ports 4/10 and 5/10.

@Porridge2215 And to avoid having two accounts using the digital licence at the same time, that licence will likely require an online check like a Game Pass licence.

@FraserG

Xbox is going to make an absolute fortune on them though. Interest seems to be sky-high over in the world of PlayStation today.

Indeed. Both ports are topping the charts on the PS store.

@Porridge2215 According to the report, you need an Xbox One or Series X console to read the disc code in order to link the licence to your Xbox account and, after that, you will be able to download and play that game on Xbox One, Series X|S or Helix without the disc and using the same account. If you or someone else tries to run the disc with another profile, the licence transfers to that account.

@BIG3 2026 counts as two years of good-quality AAA content.