Banjo-

Wow, I like it one thousand times more than the current one. I can't be the only one. I got used to the former one as I joined Xbox during the Xbox One generation, but it resembles the thick lines of Windows 8. This change reminds me of when they reverted the Rare logo to the golden one after the Kinect games. Rare then had a very, very ugly logo.

The startup animation will very likely show this and morph into the Helix logo, because they should keep the Helix logo and name for the next generation. Any other idea will waste this marketing momentum they are enjoying.

@Coletrain I hope that they realise that there are potential customers not just in China, but also in Europe. 🤣

@Coletrain Yes, I know 😊. I just added a sentence to my last comment. It doesn't make any sense to not manufacture and distribute consoles when most of your subscribers are on console and when the Xbox community is so engaged and spend a lot on subscriptions and software. Yes, PC is huge and Xbox needs it now that it's the biggest publisher, no doubt about it, but why reduce the console market potential? It's just stupid. They seemed to realised that.

@Coletrain Series X|S is almost impossible to find in this part of the world. No idea about US stock. They have not prioritised manufacturing and distributing consoles, who knows why. Because they believed Sarah about phones being an Xbox? Still, it didn't make sense, because most Game Pass subscribers are playing on console.

This is the first time I read this kind of statements happily and paying attention because she has proven that she takes action quickly. Actually, Xbox already has excellent software and a much larger output than Sony and Nintendo. It's the marketing what was failing the most, and how they didn't seem to appreciate Xbox as much as we do. That seems to be changing as well. Besides, an interesting point for discussion considering that 80% of readers voted they want at least partial exclusivity back, is a certain level of exclusivity something that could work well for the reborn Xbox and this PC-console Xbox ecosystem that started on Xbox One but will be completed with Helix? Likely.

EDIT: Yes, there are more things besides the marketing, but I mentioned them on other threads, like how Game Pass Ultimate was bloated and expensive or how silly was to cancel Perfect Dark 3 instead of letting Crystal Dynamics finish it. I'm just trying to see the big picture here.

@FraserG Sure. A family member with EUR account, previously subscribed to Ultimate, got this today. Let's see if more people found this offer. You can also see the new prices in € here.

@FraserG It seems that the £€$1 offer (Essential and Premium) is back for some users, even those that have been subscribed before. Great marketing to go along the recent price reduction, if you want to write something about it.

Funny the hate-you-Xbox-whatever-you-do users here, an Xbox site, rushing with a sense of urgency. I welcome this change because Ultimate is bloated. I didn't expect PC Game Pass to be any cheaper. Arguably, it's the best deal and it will likely disappear next generation, but it's also losing Call of Duty on day one, so it makes sense.

I would love to customise my Game Pass plan.

@ZYDIO Not just it's correct, but it's also the original spelling.

EDIT: Kudos to you for admitting a mistake, something almost impossible to find here. 😉

@darylb24 Same. My PS4 controller battery died (definitely) much sooner than I expected. Another advantage of the Xbox controller is that they have less input lag wirelessly.

I have all Metro games on Xbox, waiting in my backlog. I remember DF being impressed with the Series X version of Metro Exodus. Right now, I'm choosing my next adventure. I just beat Final Fantasy IV 100% and will take a break before V.

@Retrokingdan Cool, thank you.

@Retrokingdan If you play the Astérix games, please let me know how good or bad they are. There's one for Master System that is great, but I haven't played the others.

If next generation PC and Xbox game builds are the same with no Xbox ports required, considering also that Nintendo's hardware is not guaranteed to get all third-party nor Xbox games for technical reasons, and PS5 doesn't have as many Xbox games as expected, the (console) exclusivity discussion must be a heated topic at Xbox right now. Will there only be specific ports for the other consoles? Timed exclusives, perhaps? Is PC and Xbox enough and brings the marketing benefits of console exclusivity as a side effect?

The most obvious thing would be flexible plans and separate Call of Duty, Fortnite Crew, etc. Call of Duty is the best-seller on all platforms, just like GTA, Minecraft, EA Sports and Fortnite DLC, but they are also raising the price of Ultimate. Fans buying Call of Duty at launch don't mind paying extra for it, same for Fortnite Crew. Microsoft already made an exception for Call of Duty. It's the only first-party game not guaranteed to join Premium within a year. They should also separate EA Play and Ubisoft+.

I think that online services will be free on Helix, so it's the perfect time to introduce flexibility and make more people subscribe, even if they pay less. The gap between Premium and Ultimate is too big if you don't use Rewards Points nor conversion ratios for upgrading.

@Runex2121 Yes. They all are PC - mobile in Nintendo's case - parts that run an OS and then games on it.

The great thing about Helix is that it will run PC games natively with higher compatibility than Steam's Proton software layer running Windows games as it does, and all Xbox One, Series X|S and backwards compatibility games will be available on top of that, which is something that I said years ago wouldn't be that difficult if they managed to run Xbox (x86) games on Xbox One (Power PC) in higher resolution and double frame rate, like Grabbed by the Ghoulies. Xbox has excellent engineers.

Like @FraserG, I expect the Xbox Mode, that disables all Windows background processes not related to gaming, to completely be console-like by the time that Helix launches.

@Martsmall Yeah, definitely one of that Jeff's repeated phrases is "but plans changed" when he guess something wrong, often. 🤣

Guessing that a game might be delayed because of GTA is like saying that the Earth will keep spinning tomorrow.

@Nexozi I agree. 2026 is full of important Xbox releases, It might be better to polish it, add a bit of content like another set of side quests and release if simultaneously for Series and Helix.

Please, don't rush it. This is my most anticipated game, even more when they revealed you could build your own character. Fable is one of my favourite IPs. When I played the first one on Xbox One, I got immediately hooked.

Phil looks relaxed. He was exhausted during the ABK acquisition. I like his replies because insisting so much on the Xbox 360 generation is so repetitive and absurd. The questions are kind of bad. I also love how Asha seems delighted to be part of a new era, unlike Sarah Bond that looked like a saleswoman that didn't believe her own words, and almost didn't know what was going on with Xbox, despite being closer to being a gamer than Asha.

I enjoy reading these updates, even though I skipped it looking forward to Helix, the Rog Xbox Ally X is the handheld I'd buy instead of others. It seems to cover all areas very well.

@Cherip-the-Ripper True, plus a lot of pleasing aimed at their current supporters who aren't Xbox fans, according to their newborn disdain towards the brand. Only John and Alex sound genuine whatever the topic is.

Halo Infinite, Rare Replay, Gears of War 1, Forza Horizon 4 or 5, Fable 1, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle... Also, Sea of Thieves and State of Decay 2, two games that started weak but were patched and became two of the best I've played last generation.

@CallMeDuraSouka Absolutely.

@HonestHick The dashboard would be perfect with a few tweaks. The achievement settings would also be welcomed and the advertisement tile will probably go away because nobody likes it. If you really want to see what's going on with Xbox, that's well covered with most played, recently added, most wishlisted games, etc. I don't consider those ads, only the unrelated sponsored tile. One thing I really appreciate is how responsive the store is compared to other consoles because it's built in and how well the top of the dashboard and the controller's Xbox button work for shortcuts.

Some requests like HDR dashboard make a lot of sense. Others like multitasking and social features are more questionable. They removed Kinect and multitasking to boost performance on Xbox One besides the marketing strategy.

@Balaam_

Balaam_16 mins ago
A disc drive. No drive equals an automatic no buy.

It won't have a built-in disc drive, but I don't think that would change a thing. The only Xbox you got near launch was the original Xbox 25 years ago because you didn't like their vision after that and you have bought all Playstations at launch.

@Coletrain It may be the ordinary LCD/LED TVs. They make unstable frame rates and input lag more noticeable and annoying than CRT and OLED. They can make people dizzy and even get headaches when playing video games because they are more focused than when watching shows and films.

@Coletrain Yeah, do that ha ha. Have a look at older OLED TVs, like LG models from.the last year. It's the best upgrade I made in 2019 and haven't looked back. I have three now. 😁

@Coletrain I always wonder why I'd do if I had kids. Would I build a fence around all my things? Probably. 🤣

@Coletrain I have played 99% of the time in performance mode on Series X because the excellent variable refresh rate support of Xbox looked smooth on my OLED TV for the most part.

Good customer service. Me? Lately, I've been playing wired.

@Sol76 That's also the one thing I didn't enjoy, too many collectibles and too long to read. I was actually thinking about doing a second playthrough ignoring them or New Game Plus or whatever.

I'm not much into modern Nintendo's output, but yes, many Nintendo systems that I still play, Xbox One when Rare Replay started the backwards compatibility and every Xbox at launch since Xbox One X, the slickest console ever released. Series X instead of S, because of course. The one that disappointed me the most was Nintendo Switch.

The one I was the most excited about was N64, because I was still a kid and I had been watching Nintendo's N64 VHS tape which showed us something we had not seen before, the first proper 3D games. Super Mario 64 and Goldeneye 007 were unbelievable. I think that the most remarkable N64 releases were Rare's games, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. The first Xbox game (compilation) I bought was Rare Replay. One thing I really loved about Xbox One was the build quality, user interface and the controller.

EDIT: I completely forgot I also got a PS4 a few months after launch, but I played much more on Xbox One.

@fatpunkslim Yeah, I will. I play a lot of backwards compatible games because Xbox One was my first Xbox, but I also play new releases like Fatal Frame II Remake. Only owning Nintendo consoles until Wii U, I'm happy to have played every Gears of War and Halo game, including the strategy ones, all the Persona games, Soul Hackers 2 - one of the most stylish game I've played, half of the Final Fantasy entries, completed 100% of most games in Rare Replay, half of all the Assassin's Creed games and I managed to get all the Forza Horizon games digitally except the first one...Then, add tons of first and third-party games I've played on Game Pass Ultimate. It's been a wild ride 😁. The first two games I bought for Xbox were two compilations: Rare Replay and The Master Chief Collection.

I played it on Xbox One and loved it. I also watched the amazing embedded film. I still have to play the Alan Wake and Control games, that I also own.

I love how Ubisoft has supported Xbox One X and Series X. All games are 60fps (on Series) except Black Flag which will come back as a remake. I have enjoyed all the titles so far. Next one is Origins because I have been playing in release order, although I purchased them years ago.

@DeadmeatSWE I know what you mean and I'm looking forward to seeing next-gen games running on the next-gen hardware, but at the end of the day, Steam runs Windows games through a compatibility layer. Optimising Windows games for Helix is extremely simple, as Windows games are built with different hardware configurations in mind. If Xbox One and Series X have been extensively supported, even Xbox One X, there is no reason to not support a next-gen console running Windows games.

@betterthings It's not clear if Sony will subsidise PS6 or not. It's also not clear what will Microsoft do. When the Rog Xbox Ally X released, it was reported that it was slightly subsidised, all the other handhelds with the same chip being more expensive. We still don't know how much each console will cost and if they will be subsidised or not. Yes, Sony has more reasons to, but it doesn't mean they will. The PS5 Pro is just a GPU upgrade of a 2020 console and look at its price. Sony might trust the early adopters to pay anything for the latest model and keep selling their games and subscriptions on PS5. We will see, it's too early to know what will happen.

Another thing that was reported in 2020 is that Sony was waiting for Microsoft to announce the price of Series X. It was not until Microsoft revealed the price of Series X that Sony revealed the price of PS5, and that Sony had a higher price planned but wanted to wait until the last minute and match the Xbox. Now, we don't even know if one of the consoles will release earlier, but just another thing to keep in mind is that Sony is not interested in low prices if they can avoid them.

@DeadmeatSWE Parity with PS won't be necessary, because PS has its own OS and will require specific ports of PC games, while Helix and PCs will run the same games, optimised for the fixed hardware of Helix, in a similar way to Steam Deck and Rog Xbox Ally X. Heck, not even Xbox One X had parity with PS4 Pro and it received better ports.

Considering how much PCs, mobile phones and even the PS5 Pro cost right now, it's hardly surprising. Nintendo is the only one that can avoid the unpopular price tag, although with dated mobile chips and exorbitant software prices, such as the $80 Nintendo Switch 2 ports. At the end of the day, you save money keeping your library and with good digital sales. One expensive console every 7 years - like 2020-2027 - is not that bad. In the console space, Xbox is the most future-proof library. Since Helix will run Xbox and PC games and will be more optimised and better value than an equivalent PC build, is a no-brainer for new and old games.

Play Anywhere and next-gen games being the same on PC and Xbox is what tells us that the Xbox library is the most future-proof in a future where PC will be the main gaming platform.

Besides Fatal Frame II Butterfly Remake, I'm busy with my first (and 100%) Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster playthrough, currently playing IV. Both options are awesome.

@Benjamin OK, you just reminded me that Asha needs to give the cancelled Perfect Dark 3 to Crystal Dynamics so they can finish it. Somebody email her.

@Globo It's funny when in the same video, Oliver mocks Series S and becomes extremely positive - downplaying his colleagues' complaints - when reviewing the Switch 2 docked version of any game. Series S is cheap, compact and plays current-gen decently, and does share the library with Xbox and Play Anywhere. I know Switch and Switch 2 are portable, but as a docked experience, with paid upgrades and downgraded yet expensive multiplatform ports, they are not exactly the best deal in gaming. I just find it illogical being so critical of Series S and praising Switch 2 at the same time!

Oh and very funny the complaints about the slightly longer loading times on Series S compared to X or PS5, have they played Bowser's Fury? 😂 I mean, this generation you can't complain about loading times on any Xbox (or PS) console. That and Quick Resume are my favourite current-gen features.

@BattleMonkey It's interesting because GTA VI is supposedly launching one year before Helix, but it's a game that keeps selling constantly, if we use V as reference. Series S will be the cheapest platform to play it on, but Helix would be the most powerful console one year later, so they have different targets covered: the casual that wants to pay little and the dedicated gamer that wants the most powerful platform.

@abe_hikura

But we must never underestimate MS' ability to find a rake to step on.

Perhaps, Asha is the common sense they needed? I hope so.

@Globo Because this is the first generation when consoles get more expensive, I don't know if the next-gen consoles will be seen as a better deal comparatively. We'll see. What you guys think?

@Globo You're absolutely right. I remember they using the price of the Galaxy Black Special Edition as the one for comparisons, when it's a limited edition. Until now, PS5 had the better deals in USA, which was unfair because the last tariffs were also related to that region, but PS is more popular in Europe, so they made us pay more. Now, it's more expensive in all regions and the hike is significant. When it was Xbox, they blamed Xbox, but now it's the politics and we all gamers are affected and it's sad for everyone...

I don't think that Microsoft will raise their prices. I even thought that Asha was tempted to lower them, but now they'll stay like this. It could be their chance to sell more Series consoles, if they make them available, of course. They are sold out in many markets.

I, for one, appreciate your lack of hypocrisy and being straightforward and honest.

@IOI At no extra cost for those subscribed, obviously. That's what at no extra cost means.

It's great to get Hades II at no extra cost. I played the first one on Game Pass and I loved it, despite not being a fan of the genre.

The problem with it is that smartphones were not really an Xbox, but they played some Xbox games on Cloud and only with an excellent internet connection and the top tier of Game Pass that no casual gamer had. Then, of course, it made Xbox consoles look pointless. You can pay millions and still get silly marketing.

@kmtrain83 If it has a desktop mode like Rog Xbox Ally X yes, you could use it as a PC and run everything, including Office and emulators. It would, actually, be both a console and a PC.

I also think that Helix and not a PC is the best choice for gaming. No worries at all.