Banjo-

@masofdas Google, Apple, Sony and Nintendo are all facing anti-trust laws that could potentially force them to include third-party alternatives on their systems. This is a long process, but I don't think that consoles as we know them are going to exist for much longer.

@Globo I'm 100% sure that they are not dropping the Xbox logo, but if the keep the Helix name, the Xbox logo morphing into the Helix logo when you boot up the console is a possibility.

@Globo Pricing is just speculation at this point. Firstly, Microsoft can get better components deals than the PC manufacturers. Secondly, a PC with the same specifications will be outperformed by a console. Finally, Microsoft can somehow eat a little part of the costs or cover them with something else.

@Globo I can see Xbox lowering the commission compared to Steam. EU loves protecting the consumers, but of course Microsoft would do it as a business strategy. It will also make a lot of sense to match Steam prices on the same system. Sales are already great on Series X|S, but they won't let Steam have the better deals on the same system. Like you said, it's just a few pounds/euros/dollars at best.

Funnily, the only thing that "worries" me about the next Xbox is the name. I prefer Magnus or Helix than One or Series.

So, I guess a closed ecosystem that abuses their users is better for customers than a fixed hardware configuration that is backwards compatible with Xbox games, plays like an Xbox console, but have other options available.

@Ryu_117 Exactly! By that logic, we should also consider Xbox One and PS4 PCs and not consoles.

@Gabrie For publisher, I bet they will lower the commission that they pay to Steam. That aside, I don't know why would any publisher abandon the Xbox store, when Series X|S is the most supported Xbox console ever. The key here is Play Anywhere, and that Xbox and PC games will be the same build next generation. Publishers won't need to develop ports for the Xbox store.

This is not a PC, but a backwards compatible console that runs Xbox and PC games. Don't forget that Windows has been running on Xbox since Xbox One. They should, however, make the Full Screen Experience a built-in Windows feature. Windows should and will have a gaming profile on all systems, so it will be flawless and efficient.

The PC market is the biggest and the only one growing, but Xbox won't cater to the big spenders only. Their console will be premium and expensive - I say $1000 - but it will give you more for the same money than the PC market equivalent, and you will have cheaper options in the ecosystem, even if those are manufactured by third parties like Asus. Remember, also, that games are optimised for these fixed hardware configurations. In the beginning, Cloud was an Ultimate perk, now it's included in all Game Pass tiers. It's clear that they are targeting the PC, console and mobile players and will find an audience in each segment.

In regard to the exclusives, it's not necessary for Xbox to port all their games to PS and/or Nintendo on day one. PS is a closed ecosystem with its own OS that requires the porting work and Sony's 30% commission. It's not where Microsoft will find their biggest growth nor audience, and just a couple of Xbox exclusives have found remarkable success on PS, so it will still be on a case by case basis.

Launch date? 2027 or 2028.

@UnlimitedSevens The PC market is the biggest and the only one growing, but Xbox won't cater to the big spenders only. Their console will be premium and expensive, but it will give you more for the same money than the PC market equivalent, and you will have cheaper options available, even if those are manufactured by third parties like Asus. In the beginning, Cloud was an Ultimate perk, now it's included in all Game Pass tiers. It's clear that they are targeting the PC, console and mobile players and will find an audience in each segment.

@Juanalf "why wouldn't someone just get a gaming PC?"

Two reasons. Firstly, PCs are not as well optimised for gaming and give you less for more money. Secondly, PCs don't have backwards compatibility with (some) Xbox, (some) Xbox 360, (all) Xbox One and (all) Series X|S games. More reasons could be that it's an easier setup, that it does not stop being a console, that it's overall better value, that games will be optimised for this hardware configuration, etc.

@cragis0001 That's a very interesting point that we should not underestimate, since it affects Google and Apple, the mobile giants and, of course, will affect all digital stores eventually. EU does not want the big companies to abuse their consumers. Eu does not want them banning other stores on their systems nor allowing them while establishing abusive commissions. That will have a positive impact worldwide.

@cragis0001 That also makes a lot sense. There is this app, Full Screen Experience, that turns Windows resources not related to gaming off, but it makes more sense to have that game profile built in, so it's flawless and efficient.

@Ryu_117 Absolutely. There are only some Xbox games that have been ported to PS and only two of them have found remarkable success on PS. Xbox will only port games to PS and Nintendo if it makes sense to them, knowing that the biggest market is PC. I don't know why PS fans need to know exactly what games and when, we don't know what PS games are ported to PC and when. If all Xbox games are on Xbox and PC on day one but not PS, it would benefit the Xbox brand. I'm not against porting games, but it's not necessary for Microsoft to port all Xbox games to PS on day one. PS is a closed system with its own OS (requiring the porting work), exclusives and business strategies, like porting some games to PC and a few to Xbox. Microsoft won't prioritise that.

@WildConcept6 As someone that was a Nintendo fanboy and had a PS before an Xbox, the conclusion is that the console gamers that sticked to the least popular option like I did since Xbox One will be the ones with more freedom to play and the biggest library, because it's not a PC like some say, it's the Xbox experience with the Xbox library plus the PC stores.

@TheGameThrifter @Fragpiper And that's exactly why all games will be on the Xbox store. I don't know how anyone can doubt this, when Series X with its Xbox ports is the most supported Xbox console.

The next Xbox will always be more optimised for gaming than a PC, so it will be perfect for playing your library and buy the new games. All games will be Play Anywhere and will be the same build. I think that the next Xbox will cost $1000. Expensive, maybe, but still more accessible and a better deal than the equivalent PC configuration. A no-brainer. Besides, if it's not subsidised, then I'm going to guess that online will be free. It just does not make sense to charge for online services when there are other PC stores on the same system

This sounds exactly what I said makes the most sense: a powerful next-gen console that is backwards compatible with Xbox and plays PC games, and future Xbox games will simply be PC games. In other words, all games will be Play Anywhere and be the same build for console and PC. The next Xbox will always be more optimised for gaming than a PC, so it will be perfect for playing your library and buy the new games. Expensive, maybe, but still more accessible and a better deal than the equivalent PC configuration. A no-brainer. I'm excited about this, but I know that Series X (and S) still has a lot to offer.

@Coletrain Since last generation, I find Xbox exclusives more interesting than Sony's, not just because of the variety but because they are more "gamey". Sony publish titles with mediocre gameplay, huge production value and a cinematic feel, and that's what critics generally seem to prefer.

@Scoopz I have watched enough videos to know that that's not the rule. Oliver is always downplaying any criticism towards Switch and Switch 2. John is the most genuine and says the truth, whatever the platform. This doesn't have anything to do with me.

@Gemini53 Yeah, but then you read comments stating that Switch 2 is on par with Series X and PS5 because it has modern features that make up for the power gap, or that the visual differences are not perceptible, or that Switch 2 is more capable than Series S because of a port of a fighting game. 🤦

Until Gamecube, I was happy with my Nintendo console running all games. Wii changed Nintendo's priorities, so why would I buy games that are more expensive, play worse, look worse and are usually attached to an specific console, like Wii U-Switch-Switch 2 paid upgrades? It makes no sense. Nintendo hardware is for exclusives, and wishing they were playable on Series X.

Note, yes.

The Xbox store is the most responsive and enjoyable to browse because it's built in, but I've always wanted this option added, that is typical of sites like Xbdeals.net. Most wishlisted is a bonus.

@Coletrain Yes, people say that all Xbox games are on PS, but it just got a few. Time is not a problem with ports, because Forza Horizon 5 launched on PS5 four years later and it's the most successful Xbox port on PS. Xbox players won't be buying a PS5 to play a PS game and PS players won't be buying an Xbox to play an Xbox game, but if they eventually come, they will get attention, like Forza Horizon 5 on PS and Helldivers 2 and Death Stranding on Xbox. Besides, although Sony has only published a game for Xbox, things might be quite different on the next Xbox and PC will be more tied to Xbox than ever.

Watching both Digital Foundry videos, the work that Capcom has done in technical terms is excellent, but Switch 2 shows once again last-gen performance and graphical power that is literally compared to PS4 and its version of Resident Evil 4 Remake, the unstable frame rate being the thing that would break the deal for me. Series S also has some graphical downgrades, but it's a solid 60fps performer. Series X and PS5 show amazing results. It's also unusual to see a developer make the most of the GPU upgrade of PS5 Pro.

The differences between the Series S and Switch 2 versions are more about how the graphics are upscaled. John says that, at first, he thought that the Series S version was the Switch 2 version, and that the Series S is blurrier than the Switch 2 version, but then he says that there are some Series X/PS5 features in the Series S version, and that performance is flawless on both Xbox consoles, while the Switch 2 version has massive frame rate drops. They also explain that the native resolution in handheld mode is 360p, 540p in docked mode, while on Series S is 720p.

Side note, it's funny how Oliver is so optimistic about anything Switch (2) in every video, overstating its memory and downplaying his colleagues' complaints about graphical sacrifices, while constantly making fun of Series S.

I don't think that the RAM crisis will dictate when the next-gen consoles will be released, because nothing tells you that RAM will be cheaper later and for how long AI demands are going to pile memory modules. What I think is that Asha has time to tune the features of the next Xbox and that's intriguing. I think that she's doing the business side of things, but also learning and considering what Xbox and PC gamers appreciate the most. There will be several ways to play Xbox games next generation, but I'm sure that one of them is a high-end console that will last the whole generation with great software results like Series X.

@Coletrain I agree, but what she's saying make sense. Analyse and decide what's better in the long term. I'm assuming that Xbox exclusives include PC releases, I'm even assuming that next gen the game builds will be the same for Xbox and PC. I think that she's referring to PS and Nintendo ports, that are not as important. It's a second life for sales capitalising on Sony and Nintendo fans that don't play elsewhere. Releasing some games on PS and Nintendo one year later seems the right thing for the biggest publisher that also has not just hardware, but a subscription with day one releases.

@Globo It also annoys me that he modulates every sentence as a question and does not pronounce well. The most genuine and the ones that give better insight are always John Linneman and Alex Battaglia.

@betterthings It's more about how the graphics are upscaled in both ports. Answering your question, John says that, at first, he thought that the Series S version was the Switch 2 version, and that the Series S is blurrier than the Switch 2 version, but then he says that there are some Series X/PS5 features in the Series S version, and that performance is flawless on both Xbox consoles, while the Switch 2 version has massive frame rate drops. They also explain that the native resolution in handheld mode is 360p, 540p in docked mode, while on Series S is 720p.

Watching both Digital Foundry videos, the work that Capcom has done in technical terms is excellent, but Switch 2 has once again last-gen performance and graphical power that is literally compared to PS4 and its version of Resident Evil 4 Remake, the unstable frame rate being the thing that would break the deal for me. Series S also has some graphical downgrades, but it's a solid 60fps performer. Series X and PS5 show amazing results. It's also unusual to see a developer make the most of the GPU upgrade of PS5 Pro.

Side note, it's funny how Oliver is so optimistic about anything Switch (2) in every video, overstating its memory and downplaying his colleagues' complaints about graphical sacrifices, while constantly making fun of Series S.

@Gemini53 Like other users said, Xbox is the one that replies the most and expose themselves, but the three of them change plans and strategy over time, especially PS. Microsoft too, but the difference is that Microsoft replies and communicates openly, show DF their hardware before release, etc., while Sony and Nintendo are very ambiguous when they "don't have anything to say."

The power of the Playstation brand is very strong, indeed, and what drives their hardware sales. PS4 was de facto the casual console of the last generation for the big sellers, that were third-party (FIFA, Madden, Call of Duty, GTA...), but this was to a large degree because of Microsoft messing up the launch of Xbox One with the expensive Kinect bundle and futuristic features and Nintendo releasing a home console that was not cheap and almost a generation too late.

@Gemini53 Microsoft really doesn't have a reason to drop hardware, especially if Windows and Xbox games become one as I think they will. If we compare hardware sales, Series X|S have struggled compared to PS5, but in terms of software and subscriptions is very profitable. On top of that, for some reason, developers are supporting Xbox more than ever before. Console sales is just part of the equation.

Sony is becoming more unpredictable. I watched the recent DF Direct and it's true that Sony is making bad decisions related to their studios and service games, even in the eyes of Sony fans, so it's not clear what kind of games they want to produce this and next generation. What I mean is that you can't be sure about what Sony will be doing, besides a PS6, while Xbox, for better or worse, like it more or less, is pretty clear.

@Lanmanna Not 100% as I specified in my first comment, but yes, they did. They were advisors for the components, ergonomics and hardware design and developed the software. They also sell them on their site, like Asus.

He uses Rog Xbox Ally X as example because it's the last console they have worked on and the one to start the Full Screen Experience that they have recently developed. He could have mentioned Series X, but that was released in 2020, so wouldn't say much about their current plans. We'll have to wait until they reveal their next console/hybrid that will be 100% developed by Xbox and will run all Xbox games (unlike Xbox Rog Ally), but I don't think that it will be revealed sooner than one year before the launch, so a bit of patience and go play on your PS5, I mean, your Series X, in the meantime. 😜

I'm one of the biggest fans of classic Resident Evil games, not so much of 7 and Village, but of course Requiem belongs to my collection for me to own, play and judge.

7 basically killed what I love the most about Resident Evil games, and relied on first-person gore and disconnected boring characters and story, although the demo was terrifying as its own thing, more than the game. Village was kind of a joke, with some very bad segments and, unlike 4, the action parts were boring. Village is the only Resident Evil game that I haven't replayed. The remakes, 5 and 6? Once every 1 or 2 years.

This is probably why I'm most excited about the rumoured Code Veronica remake and, next month, the remake of Fatal Frame II comes out!

Let's let her try. She seems genuine and maybe what the business and marketing side of Xbox needs. She won't be managing game development and she doesn't need to be a gamer. I know that negativity and prejudices are common on the internet and that 99% of the negativity surrounding Xbox doesn't come from genuine Xbox users anyway, but let's wait and see for once, instead of declaring the death of Xbox for the 435th time. 😉

@FraserG I couldn't agree more. Despite Playstation's popularity never ever shrinking whether it's being better (PS4) or worse (PS5) in regard to business decisions and games, Xbox has been great for many years now in terms of software and hardware, and a big part of that is thanks to Phil Spencer.

My first Xbox console was Xbox One, and I thought it was better than PS4, that I also had, in many ways. I knew that if I dropped Xbox One or Series X, I would miss all the things I was loving about them in terms of hardware, software and features. Although I have a soft spot for the old Nintendo home consoles and Nintendo 3DS, Series X is probably my favourite console.

@General-Foley Yes, I think that the next step is making Xbox games, backwards compatible catalogue included, playable not just on the next Xbox, but through the Full Screen Experience that Rog Xbox Ally X started.

Console + PC = Play Anywhere will be 100% beneficial for the Xbox ecosystem next generation, because I assume that there won't be Xbox ports, but all PC games will also be Xbox games. Game Pass, as long as you can purchase the games (except Retro Classics) is a successful and well-received idea. Cloud is right as a bonus and for mobile devices. The This Is an Xbox was an embarrassing and confusing marketing campaign that launched when only the top-tier Game Pass Ultimate had Cloud gaming. Marketing is what is failing at Xbox. Series X|S consoles are very well supported in terms of software by first and third parties, but for some reason not manufactured and distributed enough. So keep doing all this and market Xbox consoles/hybrids better, which is what they will be doing according to Asha. I said it yesterday, Xbox has become the biggest publisher, so it needs one seamless ecosystem with the same game builds for console and PC, plus whatever PS/Nintendo ports are profitable, because the port of Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 was very lucrative and better marketing than This Is an Xbox.

@Gemini53 Right, AI is an old thing and video games use a lot of pre-baked solutions, anyway. Creating music or the main art in a video game, besides maybe tuning code, graphics or whatever, is a crime and the point where it stops being art, but AI as a set of tools used by talented developers should be useful in many ways.

@Gemini53 No worries and yes, I understand. I still play on old consoles (basically, Nintendo's) and of course on Series X. Series X is the only Xbox console I own because I sold the Xbox One and the Xbox One X and never had any Xbox before that. I think I'll be fine playing the new games on Series X. I'm curious about the next Xbox and I know that I'll get it because it will be backwards compatible, whatever it will be, but I don't think that I really need more systems now. Heck, I am jealous of Rog Xbox Ally X owners, but I don't need it either, and it's not backwards compatible with Xbox games unlike the next Xbox.

I know that PC is objectively the best gaming platform, but Xbox covers that for me and the prices are also cheap on digital sales and getting a bit of free credit via Microsoft Rewards. Because I'll get the next Xbox before you, you'll be able to ask me then, but honestly, Series X is still fantastic in 2026. One thing that amazes me is that I don't know when it's on because of the lack of noise.

@Gemini53 They also make customised high-end Surface devices like Apple, and Microsoft and Apple don't sell as much as the Chinese manufacturers. Microsoft won't be losing any money because the level of engagement and subscribers on Xbox consoles is huge. You lose money with big software projects that aren't successful enough and not bringing games to a wider audience. Microsoft is reaching a wider audience combining console, PC, Cloud and the Sony/Nintendo ports, which is exactly what they need to do now that they have become the biggest publisher. The highest costs are maintaining those studios and developing those expensive games.

@Gemini53 I don't know if you read my last comment, but the next Xbox console does not need to be a huge seller to be profitable as the console piece of the Xbox puzzle (ecosystem).

@Gemini53 They have confirmed that there will be a powerful next-gen console. Expensive, probably, but PS5 Pro is not cheap either. If the next Xbox doesn't sale many units it won't really matter, since Xbox and Windows games are being merged, and the console will be to keep the console players engaged and subscribed, $ billions are spent yearly on Xbox software and subscriptions. PC has always been the biggest market outside the casual mobile market, but it's getting even bigger, so this combination makes a lot of sense. Finally, Cloud is mostly for casual players on mobile devices, although Game Pass users launch it because it's included.

@Gemini53

Xbox and PlayStation these days are little more than closed wall PCs. Microsoft seem intent on breaking down that barrier.

That is right and it's exactly why I think Xbox is the better of the two, and also because of all that @Fragslayer said and everything previously discussed: cross-buy, free cross-save, free remasters, free backwards compatibility, etc. If people think that PS is the best just because it's the most popular, they haven't been following Sony lately, but it's okay, I understand preferences and Sony has a bigger fanbase. We see them everyday, even on Xbox sites (you know what I mean because you were collateral damage). Nintendo is completely unpredictable. So far, I have every Nintendo console since SNES until Switch, but I'm a much bigger fan of the part of their staff that is not involved in development anymore, and it shows.

Another thing that is very interesting because it's like a broken record since 2013 is how some users discuss the business side of Xbox pictured as an utter mess and an irrecoverable flop when it's the opposite, and it's used as means to damage the gaming aspect of Xbox, when that's also completely fine so far in terms of support, software and even hardware if you consider the quality and how the only metrics can't be console sales, especially since Play Anywhere, but also software output, sales and engagement, basically, money spent on the Xbox ecosystem. All that while picturing Sony as the perfect entity focused on gamers that creates the best games in the industry and ignoring their failures and red numbers.

@IssaBrvndo Right, I don't think that plans are going to change. The fusion of Xbox and Windows with no boundaries is 100% going to happen and will keep Xbox strong in the industry, with consoles being one of those devices that run the same build of Windows PC games. I expect backwards compatibility to also become part of the Full Screen Experience. This is good news, because Xbox has become huge and needs bigger foundations.

I don't know her, but the little I've seen and read denotes a spontaneous and unambiguous character, and she didn't have a clue about Xbox until one month ago, so maybe she will be straightforward and not afraid of saying the wrong things like other executives? We'll see. It could be fun.

@Jaxx420 Time will tell, but I don't think that plans are going to change, at all. The fusion of Xbox and Windows with no boundaries is 100% going to happen and will keep Xbox strong in the industry, with consoles being one of those devices that run the same build of Windows PC games. She won't manage the studios, she wouldn't know. She will run the business side of things, but the strategy is already devised. This is good news, because Xbox has become huge and needs bigger foundations.

I don't know her, but the little I've seen and read denotes a spontaneous and unambiguous character, and she didn't have a clue about Xbox until one month ago, so maybe she will be straightforward and not afraid of saying the wrong things like other executives? We'll see. It could be fun.

@IssaBrvndo Yes and, honestly, I don't think she is going to change any plans, but probably provide her unrelated insight for expanding the brand across devices and platforms. The plans of ubiquity and fusion of Xbox and Windows are clear, and the studios won't be managed by her.

@Sol4ris That she started playing on Xbox this year according to other users, her initial statement and this fan service. As I said, the outcome is unknown, but replying to various fans and Xbox-related accounts is a positive thing, as long as she keeps listening to the Xbox community.

@FraserG What do you think about the new Xbox boss?

So she Googled or Binged what Xbox 360 fans loved the most. She seems inexperienced and reckless, but perhaps the outcome is positive? No idea.

@RegnumSolipsi Yes, Microsoft only worked on the software and provided some external advice for the hardware. I consider the ROG Xbox Ally X as a check point in the middle of the process, the first Full Screen Experience, with Xbox backwards compatibility being the destination. The final product will be both things, and the Microsoft and Xbox stores will become one.

Sony has not been consumer-friendly and has tried to harm Xbox, but they have new presidents now that are more open-minded than Jim Ryan and they even hired people including the word "Xbox" in the job title.

Like you said, Xbox has become the top publisher, there are some Xbox games on PS5, not as many as I thought there would be, but there are also a few Sony games on Xbox, something that seemed impossible. There will be a PS6, of course, but since they are releasing their games on Steam, will Sony have their own PC store? If the next Xbox is what people think that will be, Sony games will be available on it, whether it's on the Xbox, Steam or Sony store.

@ElectricWizard That's the interesting part, she comes from the AI area, but she is praising and promoting the human talent and rejecting AI slop in video games, but she just started playing video games... It's intriguing. We'll see if she means what she says, but she disagreed with Nadella's initial love for AI or its apparent profitability. I think that AI, that has existed for decades and will exist in the future, will stop being the main focus of everything soon, because it will be rejected as the main way to solve everything, and it's not cheap. Actually, Microsoft has already stepped back on disproportionate AI plans, and so will the others.

I knew that it was Phil's decision. For once - and maybe I'm being naive - I like an statement by Nadella, not just acknowledging what Phil means to Xbox, but also gaming as an essential part of Microsoft. It seems that he chose Asha because of the new challenges and how the industry is changing in general, with Sony not being as traditional as it was and becoming multiplatform to some extent, and Microsoft obviously pursuing an expansive Xbox ecosystem. Time will tell if her unrelated experience is relevant and if it was the right choice, but at least her advisor Matt has a long experience in this business.