Fiendish-Beaver

I could have sworn I saw a comment for @FraserG pop up and then promptly disappear, @Markatron84...! 😂

Except it is not 12%, @fatpunkslim. Sorry, my man, but you appear to have misunderstood where that 12% comes in.

Now, it is entirely possible that Microsoft only asked 12% or so from Sony in order to entice them to put Helldivers on Xbox, though we will never know. However, the more likely scenario is that because Sony probably charge Microsoft the full 30% for them to release their games on the PlayStation, Microsoft may well have just afforded Sony exactly the same courtesy and charged them 30% too.

The point is that few games qualify for the 12% 'tax' you refer too. Very, very few.

As for the Xbox community migrating to PC (presumably you mean via the PCBox), that will entirely depend on price. If it does indeed come in at the rumoured £1500 price tag that is currently doing the rounds, and if the PS6 comes in at half that then I think you will find far more Xbox gamers either remaining on their current consoles, and thus not entering the world of PCs, or they will gravitating towards PlayStation.

Honestly, the price of the PCBox will mean it will be exceptionally niche, and whilst the PS6 will not as capable as the PCBox, most gamers that want to remain gaming on a console, rather than a PC, or those that are simply priced out of owning a PCBox, will be more than happy with the capabilities of the PS6.

I know you and I will buy the PCBox come what may because we are both Xbox enthusiasts, but I don't think it follows that everyone else will, indeed, I'd be surprised if as many as 20% of Xbox gamers buy the PCBox. Very surprised indeed...

Xbox, meanwhile, has a huge advantage almost nobody talks about: a 12% revenue cut, compared to Steam’s 30%. That alone is a massive incentive for developers.

You make it sound like that is what Microsoft offers everyone that puts their games on Xbox, @fatpunkslim, and that is far, far from the truth!

In order to qualify for that 12% 'tax' developers have to jump through various hoops, including the likes of being part of ID@Xbox, or maybe Game Pass deals. I cannot find how many games released as part of ID@Xbox in 2025, but it is likely to be fewer than 50 games, maybe even only half that. Also, when we talk about games being part of ID@Xbox, we are talking about games that are mostly of a smaller scale, though that is not meant to denigrate their quality.

Steam, because they are such a juggernaut on PC actually charge up to 50%, though more usually it is 30%, which is the industry standard, and that includes the amount that Microsoft charge most of the time. Steam have charged as little as 25% on those rare occasions when games sell stupid quantities.

Basically, how much each Store front can charge is determined by the exposure they give the games that are sold on them. That's why Steam does not have to bend to the will of others because it is by far and away the biggest Store front there is...

I'm an old dude too, @Weebleman & @GuyinPA75. 62 years young!

I only started gaming on a PC in 2010, and at that point it was all new to me, and I understood nowt. Not much has changed with regard to my know how, when it comes to PCs, but it is undoubtedly slightly more straightforward now than it was even back in 2010.

That said, I will always take the console experience over gaming on a PC because I like to keep things simple, and PCs are still far from that.

If the PCBox does actually come out, can you imagine just how chaotic Microsoft Customer Services will be for the first few months after its release? Oh, boy...!

I have been saying for a while that Microsoft themselves may never make another console after the Series consoles, @eduscxbox, and instead they will simply the Xbox logo on consoles/PCs made by other manufactures.

Now, whilst I absolutely agree that competition will drive down the price of these machines, the problem is that these manufacturers will cut costs in order drive down their asking price. In other words, if Dell produce a PCBox that costs £1500 and ASUS make one that costs £1000, the probabilities are that the Dell PCBox will be the more capable machine as the components within are likely to be of higher quality (and thus cost more).

The second issue is whether people will want to buy an Xbox that is not really an Xbox, where all it is is a PC with the Xbox OS and an Xbox logo?

Having the PCBox made by companies other than Microsoft may well be very off-putting to many people, particularly long time Xbox enthusiasts...

Couldn't agree with you more, @GuyinPA75. I wouldn't be so bold as to suggest that things would be vastly better if Spencer was the one calling the shots, but you only have to look at all the games that would have been fully exclusive over the past couple of years to see that things could have been quite different...

This has been my point from the outset, @Naughtyottsel92. The PCBox will be exceptionally niche and Microsoft will lose billions in revenue to people buying games on Steam rather than the Xbox Store. How people think this will save Xbox is beyond me. The best it can do is prolong the agony. I have said multiple times now, should the PCBox actually come out, then Microsoft will stop making them (and withdraw from the console market) within 3 years after its release...

You and I both have been given a hard time for suggesting that Xbox is in a slow death spiral, @IOI. I think I said this exact statement about 2 years ago, and no one can convince me that things have not become worse since then...

You are right in the respect that more games will be available for the PCBox, @eduscxbox, but what I do not think you are taking into account is the cost of the PCBox. If it does indeed come in at £1500, and the PS6 is half that, more Xbox gamers will likely swap to PlayStation than buy the PCBox.

It matters not how many games are available on the PC or the PCBox if you simply cannot afford to buy one, and that is what I think Microsoft will be looking at. If they can only sell between 5 and 10 million PCBoxes, is that going to be enough for them to want to do it...?

Oh, wow, @ilyn! You did much better than I. I paid £610 for the Pro and £60 for the disc drive, so literally £110 more than you. I also got mine on Amazon, meaning I didn't get any cashback. Funny enough, I did look at Very, but the consoles looked much more expensive there. My address is already registered with Very, so I don't think I could have got the discount you got. Regardless, well done you. Enjoy...!

Sorry to say, but this is yet another reason why there is a growing possibility of the PCBox never actually happening. Yes, I know that the PCBox will be a PC in all but name, but the number of people that buy it will likely be pretty small mostly due to its cost, and I have seen speculation now that it will cost in excess of £1500 due to the increase in price of all the components.

So yes, whilst a PC Xbox will have a larger number of games available for it, a lot of Xbox gamers will remain on existing consoles where potentially fewer and fewer developers will be making games for them.

With that in mind, I believe that if the PCBox is internally delay into 2028 or beyond, that as time moves on, and even more games decide to skip Xbox, and the situation for Xbox grows increasingly dire, that Nadella will simply pull the plug on the PCBox before it ever sees the light of day...

There are a few games of varying interest for me here, though only one game I think I will definitely buy:

Will definitely buy:

Resident Evil Requiem

Will probably buy:

Disciples: Domination as I enjoyed the last game.

May buy, depending on reviews:

Carmageddon: Rogue Shift
Soulslinger: Envoy of Death
High on Life 2

You know, if you look at the upcoming games for this year that have definite dates, then the upcoming games list looks pretty barren, truth be told. Just Kiln and Forza Horizon 6.

I'm sure there will be others, but actually with confirmed dates paints a completely different picture...

Fable? Locked in, @Kezelpaso? I think it safe to say that it is planned for this year, but until they actually specify a date I think that 'locked in' is a bit of a stretch. Hopefully it will be here this year, but I certainly would not bet my house on it... 😉

Sales of the PS5 were down 12% in the UK in 2025, @Godot25, Nowhere near down 40%. In the US, sales of the PS5 were apparently down a13% in 2025.

It was Xbox that was down near 40%. It was actually down 37%. That is probably where you are remembering that number from...

Totally agree, @Millionski. I have pointed out a number of times that everything Microsoft are doing indicates where they see their future, and that includes PC Game Pass, which gets better treatment every month (when compared to console GP), and has done for a year or more now.

There is a clear direction of travel, and I think the evidence tends to suggest that direction is away from the console experience...

I don't drink anyway, @ilyn, due to the amount of medication I take, which is close to 50 tablets a day! This means I have money for my only hobby, which is obviously gaming. A big part of the reason why I opted to get the Pro now is because I think both the PS6 and (if we do get one) the PCBox will be delayed into 2028 at the very earliest, and probably beyond that. So, if you have the funds, I say treat yourself, matey. You only live once and your a long time dead...!

I think if we do see the PCBox, @Millionski, there is a very strong chance that it will be made by someone other than Microsoft.

As for the contracts with AMD, they can be rewritten, amended, cancelled, sold to other entities, and indeed, have clauses written into them that make any or all of the above entirely possible. I think some people get hung up on the idea that just because a contract has been signed, that there is no way out of it, and that simply is not the case. Heck, Microsoft have the financial clout to simply breach it if they wanted too, though that is an unlikely outcome. Point being that these contracts may have clauses wherein if market conditions make the PCBox unviable, that they can be ripped up. We just don't know exactly what the contract entails, so it is not inevitable that the PCBox will be made just because a contract has been signed...

I agree, @ILuvGames. It could either be revealed at the Summer Showcase, or at the Game Awards, but I honestly believe that if they don't show it to us this year, then there is a strong prospect of it not coming at all...

I agree, @Jenkinss. I stopped caring about my actual gamer score along time ago. I still like to pop those achievements that are not overly ridiculous, but if I miss one or two, so be it. However, if there was a Platinum achievement, then I would most likely chase down those missing achievements...

I totally agree about Play Anywhere, and I think you may well be right, @Millionski. I fear that the PCBox will be looking to drive people towards Cloud gaming too, which is not something that interests me. We'll see, though right now I have my doubts as to whether it will ever see the light of day, hence my decision to swap to PlayStation, which is not something that I expected to do even yesterday morning...

Thank you, @Millionski. It's been a while! I do much prefer the console experience, and what I am looking for is a level of certainty, which I just cannot find with Xbox right now. Don't misunderstand me, I will still make some purchases on the Xbox (I think) but only where they make sense. Also, if at any point Microsoft come out and show us the PCBox, and tell us when we will be getting it, then I am happy to pivot back to fully Xbox. Unfortunately though, I really don't expect them to do that any time soon...

I just wish we could get the equivalent of the Platinum Trophy...

I've just bought the first two games on the PS5, @Questionable_Duck. Not sure if you have seen, but I have just bought myself a PS5 Pro, and as both games are currently at the lowest price they have ever been on the PlayStation, and both are also Pro enhanced, it seemed only sensible to get them there. Plus I have had over £200 just sitting in my PlayStation account waiting to be spent, so it all just made sense to get them both there...

I'm with you, @Coletrain. For me consoles are the best place to enjoy gaming, and I say that despite owning a decent gaming PC. I just don't enjoy gaming on PC, unfortunately, mostly because I'm not particularly adept at changing all the setting etc. I basically don't understand computers, and it hinders my enjoyment of gaming on mine. I'm hoping that the PCBox simplifies things to console levels, although I suspect it will be a little more involved that that...

It's all those what if's that I am finding difficult to deal with, @ilyn. My loyalty to Xbox is being tested purely because Microsoft just don't seem to understand our need for certainty...

I keep a complete record of everything I buy, @ilyn. Date, platform and cost. I found that I was buying way too many games (I have 1757 games in my Xbox library, for example), but I also found that I was not playing probably 50% of them (maybe even more, but it hurts to admit that!).

So since 2024, I have tried to cut back, and one way that I have tried to do that is keeping a full record of my purchases. It is quite unbelievable though to think that in 2024, I spent £1300.44 on games, and in 2025 it was £1566.37, and yet that is me supposedly cutting back...! 🤪

That is my thinking, @Feffster. I believe that it will be sensible for me to begin buying my third-party games (and indeed, Xbox first-party titles) on the PlayStation from here on out. As I have said, I genuinely fear that the PCBox could be cancelled, and as you say, there will definitely be a PS6 and probably a PS7 too, so purchasing to game on the PlayStation feels like it has long-term certainty, whereas it is completely the opposite for Xbox whom I have been with since day one.

I have said many, many times on these forums that if Microsoft can get to PCBox out the door a year or two prior to the release of the PS6 that it will give them the greatest possibility of success, @GeeEssEff & @Coletrain.

Now, whilst going up against the PS6 with a far more powerful system might sound appealing to some, I think the price points will then come into sharp focus, with the probabilities being that the PCBox will cost upwards of twice as much as the PS6, which will put most people off, particularly when balanced with Sony actually having some exclusives compared to Xbox having none.

No, in my opinion if Microsoft can get the PCBox out next year, then that puts them in the strongest position possible because for at least a year or two they will undeniably have the best place to play games (outside PCs generally). Many, including myself, will happily pick the PCBox up upon first release for that reason alone...

Thank you, @Questionable_Duck. I'm one of those that likes to all the side-quests and go everywhere. The only thing that I sometimes get bored of is talking to everyone because more often than not the conversations are utterly pointless...

Thanks, @Questionable_Duck. That does make it a little easier to cope with. Is that doing everything, or would that add considerably to the overall time...?

Thank you, @Feffster. I won't be picking up any of the subscription services on the PlayStation. I have Game Pass Ultimate and it is a waste of money for me as I buy all my games, including Xbox first-party games, and only use GP for online access to play Gears 5 Horde with my mate each weekend.

Funny enough, from that entire list you gave, I already own all of them except:

Sword of the Sea
Until Dawn
Wipeout Omega Collection

My neighbour raves on about Astro Bot, and although I have not played Astro’s Playground, which I think came with my original PS5, I think I will pick it up now. As for GT7, I was only talking about the game yesterday telling him that I will probably buy it because my first experience of any racing game was the original GT back when it first released all the way back when it first came out in 1997. Yes, I am that old...! 😂

You make a good point, @themightyant. I may have to think my buying habits, which is absolutely wild to me. Every year I buy just the big exclusives on PlayStation, and everything else on Xbox. Last year I spent £442.49 on PlayStation buying just 4 games, which included 2 Collector's Editions that cost a total of £420. Conversely, I bought 37 games on my Xbox, spending in excess of £1123.88, though that also included one Collector's Edition that cost £200. So, if I am to take advantage of the Pro, I may well have to switch around where I buy my games.

Oddly, I feel really disloyal... 🤪

Exactly, @Decoy_Snake. I think the idea that people play on multiple platforms has been slightly misinterpreted. It does not automatically mean that everyone is able to use Play Anywhere.

Undoubtedly it is great for all those that use it, but I truly believe that they are very much in the minority at the moment. Over time it will increase, providing that Microsoft keep doing it, which if they do withdraw from the console space is perhaps doubtful, but regardless, it is of zero benefit to me personally...

Thing is, @Decoy_Snake, I guess I would be counted in these figures that @fatpunkslim mentions because I own multiple platforms, though were they are derived from, I have no idea.

However, and this is the big point that I think is being overlooked; playing on multiple devices is not the same as being in a position to use Play Anywhere. Many of those people in the figures that fatpunkslim mentions will game on:

• Xbox and a Switch
  or
• Xbox and a PlayStation
  or
• PlayStation and a Switch
  or
• PC and PlayStation
  or
• PC and a Switch

And, for all we know, people gaming on a console and a mobile may be counted in these figures.

The point is twofold; firstly without context, the figures are pretty meaningless, and without being able to read the same article that fatpunkslim has read so as to better understand what is being said in order to make sense of the numbers. I'm not for one moment suggesting that these figures are fabricated, just that they do not tell the whole story. Secondly, in every scenario I mentioned above, Play Anywhere is entirely irrelevant. Until the day that you can buy a game on the Xbox and then play it on the PlayStation or Switch, Play Anywhere is basically meaningless to most other platforms...

I totally understand that, @Jenkinss, and I cannot make up my mind how to go about this. I do sometimes get bored in very long games, and I wasn't really thinking about playing through all 3 in one go. However, maybe I should just settle for one game at a time and buy them separately. I just thought having them in a bundle maybe the cheapest way to go about it, but then maybe it's not worth waiting either. My issue is my memory; I often forget what has happened in a game, and so when it comes to the sequel, I feel compelled to replay the previous game just to refresh my memory. Hence I thought buying them in a bundle might be the solution, but if one game is 100 hours, then I may have to rethink this...

Honestly, @themightyant, I am a little shocked at myself too. It really was a sudden dawning that not only might the PCBox not happen, but even if it does, it could potentially be 3 or 4 years away. 2 at best, I think, with the issues RAM is causing. And then I realised that if I continue to buy games like E-Day on the Xbox, then I will not be getting the best version of the game. It genuinely was a sudden realisation.

Now I need to decide whether I want to get a disc drive for the Pro, and also whether the get the PlayStation equivalent of the Elite controller. Any suggestions in that regard...?

Thank you. I do indeed have a 'top tv', @OldGamer999. 120HTZ etc. I bought it just prior to the release of the Series consoles to take advantage of the new consoles, though in reality few games push for that 120HTZ. Hopefully the Pro can do a slightly better job...

Love the look of the game. Hopefully it is as good as it looks. If so, I'll definitely pick it up at some point...

The uncertainty, and lack of information, over what is happening with the PCBox has made me do something today that I honestly never even contemplated until yesterday, @IOI & @OldGamer999.

The issue I have, indeed my fear is, Microsoft are going to withdraw from the console market, but they may not even tell us that is what they are doing until it becomes patently obvious that is what they have done. I think they will see the RAM price crisis, and look to push the PCBox back further and further, and in the meantime sales of the Series consoles will dwindle into insignificance (and I would suggest they're not far off that now, to be honest).

I think there will come a time when Nadella will look at the potential cost of the PCBox versus the Xbox console market share, and just pull the plug on the project, seeing it as financially unviable. However, until then, I think it entirely possible that they will string us along by remaining silent on the subject. They will leave us wondering when the PCBox will arrive, having already made the decision to cancel it. They will do so in the knowledge that so long as we think the PCBox is coming, we will keep subscribing to Game Pass, and we will keep building our Xbox libraries. It is somewhat underhanded, but I do think that may happen.

Back to yesterday where I read this article:

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2026/01/resident-evil-requiem-sounds-like-a-proper-ps5-pro-showpiece#reply

Having read about all the enhancements for Resident Evil: Requiem it was clear to me that the best place to play the game would be on the PS5 Pro. Add to that, I realised that the best place to play Fable and E-Day will also be on the Pro. I also checked today, and Microsoft made PlayStation Collector's Editions for both Doom: The Dark Ages and Indiana Jones meaning it is highly likely that the will make one for both Fable and E-Day too. In other words, I can still get the Collector's Editions for the Microsoft games that I want, and they will perform best on the PS5 Pro.

So, I have gone from firmly being against getting a PS5 Pro yesterday morning, to reading the article, having a sudden realisation regarding where the games I want to play will perform best, to today purchasing a PS5 Pro. Quite the transformation, I have to say!

Now, I will say that I will retain my Series X as my main console, but I think I'll be buying all those big titles that I would have bought on Xbox before, on PlayStation instead. Those smaller games that do not take advantage of the Pro, I shall continue to buy on my Xbox (at least that is my plan, though it could change if I am seriously impressed with the Pro).

Ultimately though, if the PCBox does come out, I'll happily buy it and have it as my main because I think it will probably be more powerful than the PS6, and Xbox is where I prefer to game...

Totally agree with you, @Bob_Tempura. I think the Steam Machine could well negatively impact the prospects of the PCBox ever seeing the light of day...

In 2024 and early 2025, I was pretty convinced that we would see the PCBox in around September this year. Then as last year progressed, I became more convinced that it would be September 2027 that it would arrive.

However, towards the end of 2025 and now, in early 2026, the RAM pricing crisis, and some rumours regarding delays for the PCBox, has me thinking that we will be lucky to see it in 2028.

My concern is that the longer the RAM price problems continue, the further I think that both the PS6 and the PCBox will be pushed into the future, but whilst I feel totally assured that we will see the PS6 in maybe 2028 or 2029 or even 2030, I don't feel the same about the PCBox. Basically, the longer we are kept waiting for the arrival of the PCBox, the more starkly dismal the sales of the Series consoles will appear to the suits at Microsoft, and I feel that as each month and year passes whilst we await news of when the PCBox will arrive, the chances increase exponentially of the PCBox being simply cancelled altogether. In other words, I think if sales of the Series consoles continue to dwindle into insignificance, I think Nadella will pull the plug, and just tell the Xbox management to concentrate on being the biggest and most successful publisher there is, which is something they are already well on the way to achieving.

Ultimately, I think the longer we are kept waiting for the arrival of the PCBox, the greater the prospect of it being cancelled there is...

I loved the first game, and thanks to @Cakefish I got the Deluxe Edition at the erroneous price of £55, for which I am very grateful.

I think it is one of those games that if you enjoyed the first game, you will enjoy the sequel, thus I am cool with the reviews being all over the place because I will play it anyway...

Unfortunately I think you are absolutely right, @FraserG, and as I have said elsewhere, I think the further that the PCBox slips into the future, the more the chances of it never releasing become a reality, though I hope I am wrong about that.

Have to say, such is my despondency with the direction of travel for Xbox, and my genuine concern that we may never see the PCBox, that I am actually considering getting a PS5 Pro, and I never thought I would do that.

The trigger for my sudden interest in a Pro is actually the article on Push Square regarding Resident Edit: Requiem, and how much better it sounds like it will play there over the base PS5 (and thus presumably the Series X, which I already own). If I knew for certain that the PCBox is coming and when, and what it is capable of, I might be prepared to wait, but the nagging feeling I have that we will never see the PCBox does mean that I could be denying myself the prospect of playing games where they will play at their best, which will be the Pro until the eventual PS6, which itself sounds like it could be delayed by quite some time.

I'm in a real quandary what I should do right now, partly because I do not know what the future holds for Xbox, but also because I don't know whether the improvements the PS5 Pro offers are really worth it over the Series X...

Absolutely right, @themightyant, the PCBox will solve these problems, though it will mean buying it via Steam rather than on the Xbox so you will miss out on all those perks that we see people advocating so often when discussing Xbox.

News of when the PCBox is coming, and exactly what it entails cannot come soon enough...

I'm holding off for the bundle that will contain all 3 games, though looking at the price for the bundle containing the first two games, I may well have to wait for a deep cut in price for it because at full price the bundle for the first two games costs around £110, so goodness knows what the 3 games will cost. The bundle for the first 2 games has cost as low as £55 for the Deluxe Edition, and bought individually (on the PlayStation) they cost £28 for Remake and £42.49 for Rebirth, so the bundle is definitely the cheapest way to go.

I just need to show some patience. Be strong! That said, I could have bought them on the PlayStation ages ago had I wished too, so I don't think my strength is in question... 😂

I read about the cancellation of 1348 Ex Voto yesterday on Push Square, and have to admit that this is disappointing as I was quite looking forward to the game.

Have to say this isn't the first time, and most certainly won't be the last. Unfortunately, I think this will get worse as time marches on as we will see this more and more often. I think it has to do with the much smaller install-base on the Xbox, when compared to the PlayStation, but also the fact that comparatively, we buy fewer games on the Xbox thanks to Game Pass.

Unfortunately this kind of thing, plus the fact that Xbox will most probably have no first-party exclusives going forward, does potentially make PlayStation the better place to game (and I say that as an avid Xbox gamer) particularly if you do not use Game Pass all that much, or use Cloud or Play Anywhere. I think this is a real problem for Xbox. I wish this wasn't the case, but I think the facts speak for themselves...

Bearing in mind that both Halo and Gears of War are (were) tentpole franchises for Xbox, @OldGamer999 & @darylb24, I think it would be pretty disappointing if they do not come out this year. That said, as I have mentioned before, the lack of any revealed gameplay for E-Day is a huge red-flag for me suggesting that the game is still aways from releasing. Thus, I would not be shocked if the game slipped into early 2027, particularly so if GTA 6 does come out this year (which I doubt for the same reason), but I would still be mightily disappointed because E-Day is easily my most anticipated game for this year even though I would rather we saw a conclusion to Gears 5 first...

I think it's a pretty safe bet to say that GTA 6 will be delayed until 2027, but I suspect that there is a chance that Fable will be delayed too...

Is it just PvP, @FraserG, or is there a PvE mode too...?