Good to see Code Vein 2 in at number 11. I'm absolutely loving the game. It feels more open world than the first, and is an absolute joy to explore. Some of the boss fights are pretty tricky though...
I've been interested in Aphelion for a while now, @TuscanUK, and each time they show some more, my interest grows. Really looking forward to getting my hands on it...
Have to say, it is a shame to see Bluepoint treated this way. Hopefully they can remain together as a studio and put a game out that makes Sony realise their mistake in shutting them down.
I have my doubts as to Microsoft stepping in, not least because it seems that Microsoft has enough problems keeping hold of those studios they already have, without adding another to the mix.
Maybe Krafton or Tencent might be interested, though out of the two, I'd prefer it be Krafton...
Not for me, @Decimateh. I really dislike pixelated games, and very, very rarely play side-scrollers, which means it would have to score 100 on Metacritic for me to even contemplate playing it... 😉
Aphelion looks so good. Not sure whether I will buy it, or play it on Game Pass. As I basically play nothing on the Service, I guess it would be better to make use of it, but I do prefer to own my games. Decisions, decisions... 😂
Luna Abyss - Scourge Crater looks like something to keep an eye on too. Not sure I will want to pre-order it, but certainly may be something to pick up in a sale at some point if the reviews are decent...
Not interested, and never have been. I am curious to see the reviews but worry that reviewers, and probably many gamers, will fall over themselves in an effort to lavish praise that may well be undeserved. I have a feeling that GTA 6 may well end up being the gaming equivalent of the Emperor's new clothes...
I did actually look at the reviews of the Howl before I posted my comment, @awp69. I did say it 'looks' awful, and also that it looked 'cheap' both are actually true, I would suggest, though it is clearly a good game according to the reviews I read. It's the appearance I was commenting on, and it's appearance is enough to put me off completely...
Thank you, @Nightcrawler71. I do prefer to have multiple saves in a game so that I take it back if need be, but the truth is I very rarely do. Nice to have the option though, just in case you make a mistake...
Death Howl just looks cheap and awful, and I have absolutely no interest in College Football,
As for Witcher 3, I pre-ordered the best version of the game about 11 years ago when it first released, and whilst it is a fantastic game, surely the majority of us that were even remotely interested in the game would have bought it by now as it is often on sale for just £6.99. I really don't see this as a great get for Game Pass bearing in mind that you could buy the game twice over for the price of Premium...!
Thank you, @Nightcrawler71. Does quitting the game give you a different save each time? In other words, if you were to quit out (save one), start playing again, and then quit out again (save two), could you then load up save one if you wanted to take the game back for some reason...?
I don't see Microsoft selling even close to 20 million PCs if they cost above £1000 as is speculated, @Millionski. Indeed, some rumours have pushed the price up to £1500.
I think Microsoft will hope for 10 million sales over around a 10 year generation, but honestly, I think they will struggle to sell more than a couple of million in the first year. In all honesty, I think the PCBox will sell just couple of million, maybe three million in the first three years, and then Microsoft will basically abandon the project and move into solely being a publisher.
Too many people are disillusioned with Microsoft's handling of Xbox, and if you can afford a PS6 and the Steam Box for the same price as the PCBox, then I think as many people will opt to do that as buy the PCBox. It is almost certain that you could buy both the PS6 and the Switch 2 for the same price as the PCBox, and again, I think people will view that more favourably than just buying the PCBox.
I am happy to buy the PCBox if I can play my existing, and extensive, library of games on the system natively, but I do not want to have to stream my library, and for me that will be the deciding factor, I think...
The inability to play your back catalogue other than by streaming, is what I was trying to get at the other day, @HonestHick & @Millionski. My point was that Microsoft are trying to get developers to support Play Anywhere because they do not intend to enable us to play our existing, non Play Anywhere, titles natively. That is my concern regarding the PCBox, but I was not able to properly express myself when I was discussing it, and ended up confusing myself with what I meant, let alone say what I was thinking to everyone else.
My assumption is that only Play Anywhere titles, and new third-party games that you purchase on the PCBox, will be played natively. Is that how it works on the ROG Ally too...?
Ideal. Thank you, @RiverGenie. I'm terrible at returning to games once I've finished them, even if they then add more content. I'd rather wait and play everything than return to it to either just play the DLC or play through the entire game again (unless it is supremely good, that is!). So if that is basically it, then now would seem a good time to jump on in...
I know I am fortunate, @Decimateh, but in my defence I do not have any other hobbies. I don't drink, don't smoke, and don't do drugs! I don't tend to go out either, as my back is screwed, so I pretty much sit at home playing video games. It's an okay life were it not for the back pain... 😂
The game looks incredibly beautiful, and in all honesty, if you were not aware that it was in game footage, you'd be forgiven for mistaking the scenery for the real thing. It looks like it has just been filmed, not created by developers...
So basically Microsoft upped how many points you can earn (providing you have Ultimate), and told us how wonderful they are for doing so, and then upped the number of points you require in order actually make use of them. In other words, they gave with one hand, and took still more away with the other, only this time they remained silent and probably hoped no one would notice.
Microsoft are doing their darndest to destroy our loyalty to Xbox; they increase the cost of consoles, repeatedly, they increase the cost of Game Pass, repeatedly, and then they make earning points more of a chore, and lessen the benefits for doing so anyway. It's almost as if Microsoft want Xbox to fail so that they can just become a publisher.
Next thing you know, they'll release a PC that is so expensive that hardly anyone will want to afford it. Oh, wait...
I don't disagree, @Decimateh. My only issue is that I bought Resident Evil: Village, Space Marine 2, KCD2, Avatar and Witcher 3 by way of pre-order, and I bought Outlaws in a sale about a month before it went on Game Pass. So, I do not disagree that these are great additions to the service if you have not already played them, but if you look at the service and then subtract all those games that people are raving about, is Game Pass Ultimate still worth it? I'd argue not, though I have to accept I buy a lot of games and I will be in the minority in that regard. I don't mean people do not buy games on Xbox, by the way, I mean I buy more than most do.
The only big additions that I have not bought is the Yakuza games, but I bought Like A Dragon, as a pre-order, and whilst I enjoyed the game, I found the grind towards the end has put me off playing any of the others in the series...
I think you are right, @darylb24. If a game releases that I want to play, I don't wait around, I buy it, which means if it drops on Game Pass a few months (or years!) later, their value is worthless to me...
I already own the two big games in the list; Witcher 3 and KCD 2, which then make the rest of the list look very much less interesting. I guess it's good if you have not played these games, but utterly pointless is you have. Plus it means that the extra you are now paying for Game Pass is being used by Microsoft to pad out the Service with older stuff you have no interest in.
I know we are only a couple of months in, but thus far, Game Pass has been pretty poor in 2026...
Sales numbers are just one of the things that Microsoft do not reveal, @Nic-Noc20th-C. We know that the device has sold out in many regions, but not how many were made available in the first place, which only tells us that there was an insufficient number at release. If you don't make enough to meet demand, then the product is going to sell out, even if there wasn't all that much demand for the product in the first place (and I'm talking about any product here, not just this handheld). Telling everyone that your product has sold out is better for business, than telling everyone the product is still available to purchase. The first drums up interest in the product, the second suggest as lack of interest. It's just the basics of business...
I'm not quite sure what you are getting at in speaking to me about Spiderman, @DaPrince. The only thing I have said is that it will not come to Xbox. I totally agree that if it did that it would sell well. However, it won't be coming to the Xbox except via Steam, so the point is moot...
Right! Thank you, @Sakai. I did not realise that. I thought it was just a streaming device. That does, I suppose, make it more likely that games will be able to be downloaded on the PCBox too, once it releases. My worry was that Microsoft were testing the Cloud waters with the handheld, with a view to doing the same with the PCBox (i.e. making it a Cloud only device)...
My thinking is that if the PCBox has no capacity for native play, @awp69, and Microsoft make it Cloud only, that then Play Anywhere will come into its own for those games that you have already bought on current consoles that support the feature. Whether Microsoft would offer for sale a console that has no hard drive, save for the operating system, I don't know, but it would certainly be one way to keep the costs down for them and for us...
I do not own the Xbox handheld, @HonestHick, but I was under the impression that you streamed games to it rather than downloaded games on it, is that incorrect...?
Despite what @fatpunkslim would have you believe, @HonestHick, I am not trolling. I am merely expressing concern that Microsoft might make the PCBox a Cloud only system. I don't know enough about all the technology to fully understand what they are doing / making, but what I am saying is that I do not want a machine that is solely Cloud based, but regardless, not understanding something, and expressing concern, does not mean I am trolling...
I'm certainly not trolling, @fatpunkslim, and I never have. Not once. As I said above, maybe I am mixing up my terminology, but what I mean it I do not want a Cloud based system. I want to be able to download my games to the device as I can now. That is what concerns me. My fear is that they will push Cloud upon us. That's not trolling, that is a genuine concern. However you are right, I have said it multiple times because it concerns me, but as I say, it maybe me getting my phrasing wrong...
Maybe I mixing up my terminology here, @HonestHick, what I am getting at is if you cannot download the game to the PCBox, and everything has to be played through Cloud. Is that not streaming...?
My thinking is that Microsoft are pushing Play Anywhere now, @awp69, so that if you buy the game on console, you can then stream it on the PCBox, but not play it natively. I think Play Anywhere is going to enable Microsoft to say that those games you bought now will still be playable via your library on the PCBox because it will allow you to stream them...
I think the way in which it could help Microsoft, and how perhaps Microsoft are looking at it, @Cakefish, is that the PCBox will, in many ways, not be a console, but an entry point PC. What I think Microsoft are looking at is a way to differentiate themselves from their competitors, namely PlayStation. Of course, it is a difficult balancing act because they could just be seen as a PC instead and thus be compared to an even bigger market meaning they don't stand out from all other PCs at all.
Honestly, I think Microsoft are going to put out a premium quality device that will come with a premium price tag, and they expect to sell a pretty small number of devices (when compared to the PS6). I think they would be very happy with 10 million lifetime sales, maybe even fewer than that.
Of course, I also think Microsoft will withdraw from the console market 3 years after the release of the PCBox, but that is a whole other debate... 😉
I have just bought a PS5 Pro for this precise reason, @Gemini53. I suspect that we won't see the PS6 until 2028 or maybe even 2029, and having read how much the Pro will improve Resident Evil: Requiem, I decided to take the plunge now.
I have always been team green first and foremost, and yet I am uncertain as to whether I will get the PCBox. It all depends on whether we get to download our games on to the device, or whether we are expected to stream them. If it is stream only, then I'm not interested. My concern is that Microsoft is massively pushing Play Anywhere because they are looking to have the PCBox as a streaming device. Hopefully I am wrong about that though...
I think one big difference will be in the number of systems that need to be built. Sony will likely expect to sell probably 20 to 30 million PS6 consoles within the first 12 months, whereas Microsoft are probably looking at a maximum of 10 million lifetime sales of the PCBox
In other words, Sony would need to source an awful lot more components in a shorter time span than Microsoft, and this does benefit Microsoft in getting to market more quickly with the PCBox, than Sony can with the PS6...
I have said many, many times, that Sony will not play nice with Xbox just because Microsoft have been forced into a position where they have no choice but to port their once exclusive (and all future games) over to PlayStation.
Put simply, Microsoft have to, Sony don't.
Sony will likely release all their upcoming Live Service titles on Xbox, but not the likes of Gran Turismo. I can even foresee Sony releasing all their Live Service games day one on the Xbox in the future as although they could opt for a short period of exclusivity for these games, it makes more sense to release everywhere day one at the same time.
Although Helldivers 2 sold incredibly well on Xbox, part of the reason for its success could possibly be attributed to the fact that there was so much hype built up for the game, ironically mostly on PC. So it does not automatically follow that every Sony Live Service game would be as well received on Xbox, and so that may factor into Sony's decision making when it comes down to whether or not they will be day one releases on Xbox too.
However, when it comes to first-party solo games, I just don't see Sony releasing any of them on Xbox at all. The hirings that Sony made, in which Xbox was mentioned, is most likely for Live Service games, and not anything else...
I too think the days of Game Pass are numbered, @Millionski, particularly in its current guise. It may attempt first-party only about 3 years following the release of the PCBox, and that way it will chance its arm on PlayStation, but honestly, with the way Microsoft keep over-pricing things, I can see them asking too much for this new GP service, and people just won't be interested, which will mean it will come to an end in that form too.
I know Ultimate is probably good value if you play a lot of first-party games, and if you play a lot of third-party too, but if you only occasionally dip in and out of it, then you may as well buy, and own, your games. At least you will still have them if GP goes away. And yes, Microsoft has a lot of games lined up for the next 12 months, but I think this is likely to be an exceptional year, rather than the norm. I can foresee droughts every few months, like we experienced at the backend of last year where we got a couple of games, and where Microsoft supplemented the absence of first-party games with older third-party games that many of us had already played.
However I have said it many times before, I think GPs days are numbered, particularly so if they don't treat right those that transition from consoles to the PCBox. Strictly speaking, anyone that has Ultimate stacked on console, should have it converted to PC Game Pass, and that stacked period should be extended, but I just cannot see Microsoft doing this, partly because how will they tell if you have moved from console to PC, and do they do it right now if you move to PC? I don't believe they do, and I don't think they will in the future either...
Honestly, @Daffy-Duck, not many if you don't play competitive games. I don't, so for me it is just that I prefer the weight of the controller. It feels really solid in your hands. Obviously there is also the benefit of having paddles at the back of the controller that you can set up to help with certain games, but in all honesty, I don't really need it, I just like it...
Horses for course, I guess, though for me, nothing beats the Xbox controller, particularly not the Elite 2 (of which I have many).
I do own the equivalent of the Elite on the PlayStation, which I bought to go with my Pro, but I have not yet used either at the moment, and I won't until Resident Evil: Requiem releases. Until then, I am gaming on my Series X using my Pip Boy Elite 2 Collector's Edition controller.
I think it's good that there are options, but it's not for me...
I don't want to stream my games either, @OldGamer999. I live in a household with my two adult sons that also game, meaning that if we were all online at the same time, and having to stream our games, then even my excellent internet download speeds could find it challenging. If the PCBox does not offer native playing of my existing Xbox library, as well as future releases, then I don't think it will be for me.
Whilst everyone seems to be celebrating the Play Anywhere concept, which at face value, seems fantastic for those that want it (which does not include me!), it does, to my mind, offer a small red flag as to the possible direction of travel for the PCBox. It is just possible that it does mean that the PCBox will only stream games, and would go some way as to why Microsoft are pushing Play Anywhere so hard.
The short answer is that if it is stream only, I am far less likely to buy the PCBox because the Pro, then the PS6, and my current gaming PC will have me covered for new games, and my Series X will have me covered when it comes to my huge existing Xbox games library...
I get what you are saying, @Millionski, and in all honesty I am happy with my Series X experience (I haven't yet started a game on my Pro), so I don't know what more I will get from either the PS6 or the PCBox, truth be told.
In all honesty, chances are that if I do get the PCBox, I will only use it as a console to play Xbox games. I'm not particularly fussed about playing Steam games because I have an absolutely enormous back catalogue to which I am adding games all the time.
However, if the PCBox does offer a true console experience, but does it all better than the PS6 and the Series X, then I will happily buy it. If I have to jump through hoops in order to play it like a console, or there is any faff involved at all, I am far less likely to be interested. I want the simplicity of switch on and play that consoles give me, not the endless tweaking with settings to get a game running. At the end of the day, I have a gaming PC hooked up to my front room television meaning if I really need to be on Steam in order to play a game, then I can do so right now, and yet I haven't played a Steam game for a couple of years. And if my PC cannot play it at the highest settings in a few years time, so be it, I'll play it on whatever it can easily handle.
If the PCBox is just a case of pressing on an icon, and I'm in Steam, then I can handle that.
My only concern right now, with the little that we know about the PCBox, is the updates to Windows that my PC gets probably a couple of times a month, which sometimes take 15 minutes to download and install (and I have excellent download speeds), which means that if you turn on your PCBox in order to play a game of an evening, only to be forced to sit there whilst it installs a 15 minute update that prevents you from gaming, I can see that being immensely frustrating. Whether Microsoft can allow the PCBox to install these updates even when the system is on a low power mode (sleep) I don't know, but I certainly hope you can, because it is not possible now...
Soulsinger and Star Trek are of mild interest to me. Not enough to pre-order them, but I might pick them up later in a sale if the player reviews are good enough...
Going forward, pretty much every game I buy for the next year or so, will be bought on the PlayStation, @Millionski. When the PCBox comes out, providing it is to my liking, I will then buy it, and return to buying everything on the Xbox.
I have number of games I really like, and I have to keep telling myself I don't need to buy them again on the PlayStation, and no doubt when I get the PCBox, I will have to keep reminding myself I don't need to buy those games I bought on the PlayStation for the Xbox.
I will be getting the PS6, and 99% certain I will be getting the PCBox too, so it matters not where the games sit because I will still have access to them, and truth be told, I rarely return to a game once I have completed it. All I want is to play the most modern releases where they play best, which come the next generation, will probably be Xbox...
Forza 6 is not an intentional timed exclusive, @Millionski. Microsoft simply pivoted towards putting their games on PlayStation at a point where the Xbox version would be ready a few months ahead of the PlayStation version. Microsoft then had two choices, delay the Xbox version (in the 25th anniversary year of Xbox no less!) so as to release on both platforms at the same time, which meant leaving money on the table from the Xbox gamers, or release on the Xbox first (and get that early money from Xbox gamers) and put it on the PS5 when that version was ready. Microsoft just opted for the second option. The fact that it gives the impression of being a timed exclusive just plays well to us Xbox gamers...
Not sure I agree that older games will be stream only, @OldGamer999. It will either be everything stream, or everything native. The only thing that may be completely missing next generation for Xbox could be the disc drive, though I think the PS6 will offer this as an optional add-on. What I would be curious to know is whether the disc drive for this generation will also be compatible with the next generation, or whether Sony will be looking to fleece us further by making us buy a completely different one for the PS6.
I do entirely agree that the PS5 and the Series X (and maybe the Series S) will be supported by developers for the entire generation. From start to finish for the PS6 and the PCBox, the current generation of consoles will be getting the same games because both the PS5 and the Series X are very capable machines, and indeed, I think we are done with seeing night and day advances between generations too.
As for Games Pass, mine runs out in June 2027, and I am glad that I don't have it for longer than that. By next June I should know exactly what Microsoft are going to be doing, and what path I shall be taking. It also means that I don't have to be concerned about wanting to convert Ultimate over to PC Games Pass, which is obviously cheaper, and I'm not sure how Microsoft will do that because I don't see how they will know when a person is no longer playing on console, but on PC instead. In other words, if you stack GPU now for 3 years, you could well be wasting money if you then get the PCBox because you could have had PC Game Pass instead, which would have been cheaper. I think Microsoft will just say tough if that is where you find yourself because I don't think there will be a mechanism to covert from GPC to PCGP.
Right now, my plan is to buy the PCBox, and probably forgo Games Pass altogether because I barely use it. If I find myself in the position of having 3 or 4 games on GP that I want to play, then I will sub for a month, play them and then drop GP again. I cannot see me ever subscribing long term to a subscription service for either Xbox or PlayStation ever again as I simply do not get value from them...
I'll be continuing my Code Vein 2 run, which I am very much enjoying. Loving the exploration, and am finding the combat fun though I rarely seem to get my parries off, although that is normal for me as it's never been my strong point.
I'll also be doing another two afternoons of Horde runs on Master difficulty as a team of 3 in Gears 5. We've now managed to complete 16 of the 37 maps as just a trio on the hardest difficulty, which is meant for a team of 5, so pretty proud of our achievement. Some maps will be impossible to do, and we are starting to run out of manageable maps, but hopefully we can knock a few more out before we move on to E-Day. Also hoping that I can get to Re-Up 60 before then too, as I am currently on Re-Up 56, and it takes something like 3 weeks for each re-up...
I'm more likely to be found playing a game that takes 30 to 300 hours, @fatpunkslim. I never play small games at all. I wouldn't even know where to start...
I agree that the old E3 live shows were the best, @OldGamer999, and there was something excitingly special about Xbox first-party showcases when Xbox had exclusives. However, that little warm feeling about seeing Xbox score a win for our console has diminished somewhat now that Microsoft has made Xbox fully multiplatform. It is still good to see Microsoft doing a strong showcase, but it has just lost that little edge of feeling slightly good about Xbox now that they no longer have exclusives.
I have pretty much accepted now that Xbox exclusives are a thing of the past, but that doesn't mean that I like it, and also does not mean that I don't think it is a massive mistake to shed all our exclusives, because I really do, but being upset about it is not going to change anything so I have just learned to accept it.
Funny thing is though, I have always had both an Xbox and a PlayStation anyway, so no matter who had the exclusive I wanted to play, I had it covered, but the truth is, I just wanted Xbox to have some of the success enjoyed by PlayStation...
Comments 4,610
Re: Xbox Had The Best-Selling Multiplatform Game Of January 2026 In The US
Good to see Code Vein 2 in at number 11. I'm absolutely loving the game. It feels more open world than the first, and is an absolute joy to explore. Some of the boss fights are pretty tricky though...
Re: Four 2026 Game Pass Titles Get New Gameplay Showcases Ahead Of Landing On The Service
I've been interested in Aphelion for a while now, @TuscanUK, and each time they show some more, my interest grows. Really looking forward to getting my hands on it...
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From The Indie Fan Fest & Convergence Games Showcase 2026
No, @Decimateh. I've not played it, but I would be lying if I said I had not thought about it...
Re: God Of War Creator Suggests Xbox Should Get Involved In Bluepoint Games Situation
Have to say, it is a shame to see Bluepoint treated this way. Hopefully they can remain together as a studio and put a game out that makes Sony realise their mistake in shutting them down.
I have my doubts as to Microsoft stepping in, not least because it seems that Microsoft has enough problems keeping hold of those studios they already have, without adding another to the mix.
Maybe Krafton or Tencent might be interested, though out of the two, I'd prefer it be Krafton...
Re: God Of War Creator Suggests Xbox Should Get Involved In Bluepoint Games Situation
Sony never let them make a game after they acquired them, @InterceptorAlpha, though they obviously worked together prior to Sony acquiring them...
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From The Indie Fan Fest & Convergence Games Showcase 2026
Not for me, @Decimateh. I really dislike pixelated games, and very, very rarely play side-scrollers, which means it would have to score 100 on Metacritic for me to even contemplate playing it... 😉
Re: Four 2026 Game Pass Titles Get New Gameplay Showcases Ahead Of Landing On The Service
The only one that I have any interest in at all is Aphelion, which looks really good. Undecided whether to buy it or play it on the Service though...
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From The Indie Fan Fest & Convergence Games Showcase 2026
Aphelion looks so good. Not sure whether I will buy it, or play it on Game Pass. As I basically play nothing on the Service, I guess it would be better to make use of it, but I do prefer to own my games. Decisions, decisions... 😂
Luna Abyss - Scourge Crater looks like something to keep an eye on too. Not sure I will want to pre-order it, but certainly may be something to pick up in a sale at some point if the reviews are decent...
Re: Poll: As Things Stand, Will You Be Buying GTA 6 On Xbox This November?
Not interested, and never have been. I am curious to see the reviews but worry that reviewers, and probably many gamers, will fall over themselves in an effort to lavish praise that may well be undeserved. I have a feeling that GTA 6 may well end up being the gaming equivalent of the Emperor's new clothes...
Re: Three Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (February 19)
I did actually look at the reviews of the Howl before I posted my comment, @awp69. I did say it 'looks' awful, and also that it looked 'cheap' both are actually true, I would suggest, though it is clearly a good game according to the reviews I read. It's the appearance I was commenting on, and it's appearance is enough to put me off completely...
Re: These Eight Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (February 19 - March 3)
Thank you, @Nightcrawler71. I do prefer to have multiple saves in a game so that I take it back if need be, but the truth is I very rarely do. Nice to have the option though, just in case you make a mistake...
Re: Three Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (February 19)
Death Howl just looks cheap and awful, and I have absolutely no interest in College Football,
As for Witcher 3, I pre-ordered the best version of the game about 11 years ago when it first released, and whilst it is a fantastic game, surely the majority of us that were even remotely interested in the game would have bought it by now as it is often on sale for just £6.99. I really don't see this as a great get for Game Pass bearing in mind that you could buy the game twice over for the price of Premium...!
Re: These Eight Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (February 19 - March 3)
Thank you, @Nightcrawler71. Does quitting the game give you a different save each time? In other words, if you were to quit out (save one), start playing again, and then quit out again (save two), could you then load up save one if you wanted to take the game back for some reason...?
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
I don't see Microsoft selling even close to 20 million PCs if they cost above £1000 as is speculated, @Millionski. Indeed, some rumours have pushed the price up to £1500.
I think Microsoft will hope for 10 million sales over around a 10 year generation, but honestly, I think they will struggle to sell more than a couple of million in the first year. In all honesty, I think the PCBox will sell just couple of million, maybe three million in the first three years, and then Microsoft will basically abandon the project and move into solely being a publisher.
Too many people are disillusioned with Microsoft's handling of Xbox, and if you can afford a PS6 and the Steam Box for the same price as the PCBox, then I think as many people will opt to do that as buy the PCBox. It is almost certain that you could buy both the PS6 and the Switch 2 for the same price as the PCBox, and again, I think people will view that more favourably than just buying the PCBox.
I am happy to buy the PCBox if I can play my existing, and extensive, library of games on the system natively, but I do not want to have to stream my library, and for me that will be the deciding factor, I think...
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
The inability to play your back catalogue other than by streaming, is what I was trying to get at the other day, @HonestHick & @Millionski. My point was that Microsoft are trying to get developers to support Play Anywhere because they do not intend to enable us to play our existing, non Play Anywhere, titles natively. That is my concern regarding the PCBox, but I was not able to properly express myself when I was discussing it, and ended up confusing myself with what I meant, let alone say what I was thinking to everyone else.
My assumption is that only Play Anywhere titles, and new third-party games that you purchase on the PCBox, will be played natively. Is that how it works on the ROG Ally too...?
Re: These Eight Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (February 19 - March 3)
Excellent! Thank you, @Old_Man_Harper, and is that the same in the second game too...?
Re: These Eight Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (February 19 - March 3)
Out of curiosity, am I right in thinking that the first KCD had limited save options? Is it the same in the second game?
Re: Avowed Xbox Anniversary Update Now Live, Here's Everything Included In Patch 2.0
Ideal. Thank you, @RiverGenie. I'm terrible at returning to games once I've finished them, even if they then add more content. I'd rather wait and play everything than return to it to either just play the DLC or play through the entire game again (unless it is supremely good, that is!). So if that is basically it, then now would seem a good time to jump on in...
Re: Avowed Xbox Anniversary Update Now Live, Here's Everything Included In Patch 2.0
This game has been on my 'To Play List' since it was first announced. Now that all of this has been added, it seems an opportune time to play it.
Do we know whether Obsidian are done with the game now, @Kezelpaso? Or are there any expansions of DLCs planned? Thanks...
Re: These Eight Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (February 19 - March 3)
I know I am fortunate, @Decimateh, but in my defence I do not have any other hobbies. I don't drink, don't smoke, and don't do drugs! I don't tend to go out either, as my back is screwed, so I pretty much sit at home playing video games. It's an okay life were it not for the back pain... 😂
Re: Xbox Showcases Five Unique Biomes With 'Breathtaking Landscapes' In Forza Horizon 6
The game looks incredibly beautiful, and in all honesty, if you were not aware that it was in game footage, you'd be forgiven for mistaking the scenery for the real thing. It looks like it has just been filmed, not created by developers...
Re: Microsoft Rewards Quietly Increases Its Prices For Xbox Gift Cards
So basically Microsoft upped how many points you can earn (providing you have Ultimate), and told us how wonderful they are for doing so, and then upped the number of points you require in order actually make use of them. In other words, they gave with one hand, and took still more away with the other, only this time they remained silent and probably hoped no one would notice.
Microsoft are doing their darndest to destroy our loyalty to Xbox; they increase the cost of consoles, repeatedly, they increase the cost of Game Pass, repeatedly, and then they make earning points more of a chore, and lessen the benefits for doing so anyway. It's almost as if Microsoft want Xbox to fail so that they can just become a publisher.
Next thing you know, they'll release a PC that is so expensive that hardly anyone will want to afford it. Oh, wait...
Re: These Eight Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (February 19 - March 3)
I don't disagree, @Decimateh. My only issue is that I bought Resident Evil: Village, Space Marine 2, KCD2, Avatar and Witcher 3 by way of pre-order, and I bought Outlaws in a sale about a month before it went on Game Pass. So, I do not disagree that these are great additions to the service if you have not already played them, but if you look at the service and then subtract all those games that people are raving about, is Game Pass Ultimate still worth it? I'd argue not, though I have to accept I buy a lot of games and I will be in the minority in that regard. I don't mean people do not buy games on Xbox, by the way, I mean I buy more than most do.
The only big additions that I have not bought is the Yakuza games, but I bought Like A Dragon, as a pre-order, and whilst I enjoyed the game, I found the grind towards the end has put me off playing any of the others in the series...
Re: These Eight Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (February 19 - March 3)
I think you are right, @darylb24. If a game releases that I want to play, I don't wait around, I buy it, which means if it drops on Game Pass a few months (or years!) later, their value is worthless to me...
Re: These Eight Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (February 19 - March 3)
Another month of meh...!
I already own the two big games in the list; Witcher 3 and KCD 2, which then make the rest of the list look very much less interesting. I guess it's good if you have not played these games, but utterly pointless is you have. Plus it means that the extra you are now paying for Game Pass is being used by Microsoft to pad out the Service with older stuff you have no interest in.
I know we are only a couple of months in, but thus far, Game Pass has been pretty poor in 2026...
Re: ROG Xbox Ally X Gets Its First Price Increase, Limited To One Region For Now
Sales numbers are just one of the things that Microsoft do not reveal, @Nic-Noc20th-C. We know that the device has sold out in many regions, but not how many were made available in the first place, which only tells us that there was an insufficient number at release. If you don't make enough to meet demand, then the product is going to sell out, even if there wasn't all that much demand for the product in the first place (and I'm talking about any product here, not just this handheld). Telling everyone that your product has sold out is better for business, than telling everyone the product is still available to purchase. The first drums up interest in the product, the second suggest as lack of interest. It's just the basics of business...
Re: Insomniac Shares Cold-Hearted Response To The Chances Of Spider-Man 2 Coming To Xbox
I'm not quite sure what you are getting at in speaking to me about Spiderman, @DaPrince. The only thing I have said is that it will not come to Xbox. I totally agree that if it did that it would sell well. However, it won't be coming to the Xbox except via Steam, so the point is moot...
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
Right! Thank you, @Sakai. I did not realise that. I thought it was just a streaming device. That does, I suppose, make it more likely that games will be able to be downloaded on the PCBox too, once it releases. My worry was that Microsoft were testing the Cloud waters with the handheld, with a view to doing the same with the PCBox (i.e. making it a Cloud only device)...
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
My thinking is that if the PCBox has no capacity for native play, @awp69, and Microsoft make it Cloud only, that then Play Anywhere will come into its own for those games that you have already bought on current consoles that support the feature. Whether Microsoft would offer for sale a console that has no hard drive, save for the operating system, I don't know, but it would certainly be one way to keep the costs down for them and for us...
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
I do not own the Xbox handheld, @HonestHick, but I was under the impression that you streamed games to it rather than downloaded games on it, is that incorrect...?
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
Despite what @fatpunkslim would have you believe, @HonestHick, I am not trolling. I am merely expressing concern that Microsoft might make the PCBox a Cloud only system. I don't know enough about all the technology to fully understand what they are doing / making, but what I am saying is that I do not want a machine that is solely Cloud based, but regardless, not understanding something, and expressing concern, does not mean I am trolling...
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
I'm certainly not trolling, @fatpunkslim, and I never have. Not once. As I said above, maybe I am mixing up my terminology, but what I mean it I do not want a Cloud based system. I want to be able to download my games to the device as I can now. That is what concerns me. My fear is that they will push Cloud upon us. That's not trolling, that is a genuine concern. However you are right, I have said it multiple times because it concerns me, but as I say, it maybe me getting my phrasing wrong...
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
Maybe I mixing up my terminology here, @HonestHick, what I am getting at is if you cannot download the game to the PCBox, and everything has to be played through Cloud. Is that not streaming...?
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
My thinking is that Microsoft are pushing Play Anywhere now, @awp69, so that if you buy the game on console, you can then stream it on the PCBox, but not play it natively. I think Play Anywhere is going to enable Microsoft to say that those games you bought now will still be playable via your library on the PCBox because it will allow you to stream them...
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
I think the way in which it could help Microsoft, and how perhaps Microsoft are looking at it, @Cakefish, is that the PCBox will, in many ways, not be a console, but an entry point PC. What I think Microsoft are looking at is a way to differentiate themselves from their competitors, namely PlayStation. Of course, it is a difficult balancing act because they could just be seen as a PC instead and thus be compared to an even bigger market meaning they don't stand out from all other PCs at all.
Honestly, I think Microsoft are going to put out a premium quality device that will come with a premium price tag, and they expect to sell a pretty small number of devices (when compared to the PS6). I think they would be very happy with 10 million lifetime sales, maybe even fewer than that.
Of course, I also think Microsoft will withdraw from the console market 3 years after the release of the PCBox, but that is a whole other debate... 😉
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
I have just bought a PS5 Pro for this precise reason, @Gemini53. I suspect that we won't see the PS6 until 2028 or maybe even 2029, and having read how much the Pro will improve Resident Evil: Requiem, I decided to take the plunge now.
I have always been team green first and foremost, and yet I am uncertain as to whether I will get the PCBox. It all depends on whether we get to download our games on to the device, or whether we are expected to stream them. If it is stream only, then I'm not interested. My concern is that Microsoft is massively pushing Play Anywhere because they are looking to have the PCBox as a streaming device. Hopefully I am wrong about that though...
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
I think one big difference will be in the number of systems that need to be built. Sony will likely expect to sell probably 20 to 30 million PS6 consoles within the first 12 months, whereas Microsoft are probably looking at a maximum of 10 million lifetime sales of the PCBox
In other words, Sony would need to source an awful lot more components in a shorter time span than Microsoft, and this does benefit Microsoft in getting to market more quickly with the PCBox, than Sony can with the PS6...
Re: Insomniac Shares Cold-Hearted Response To The Chances Of Spider-Man 2 Coming To Xbox
I have said many, many times, that Sony will not play nice with Xbox just because Microsoft have been forced into a position where they have no choice but to port their once exclusive (and all future games) over to PlayStation.
Put simply, Microsoft have to, Sony don't.
Sony will likely release all their upcoming Live Service titles on Xbox, but not the likes of Gran Turismo. I can even foresee Sony releasing all their Live Service games day one on the Xbox in the future as although they could opt for a short period of exclusivity for these games, it makes more sense to release everywhere day one at the same time.
Although Helldivers 2 sold incredibly well on Xbox, part of the reason for its success could possibly be attributed to the fact that there was so much hype built up for the game, ironically mostly on PC. So it does not automatically follow that every Sony Live Service game would be as well received on Xbox, and so that may factor into Sony's decision making when it comes down to whether or not they will be day one releases on Xbox too.
However, when it comes to first-party solo games, I just don't see Sony releasing any of them on Xbox at all. The hirings that Sony made, in which Xbox was mentioned, is most likely for Live Service games, and not anything else...
Re: Silent Hill: Townfall Not Coming To Xbox At Launch, Along With A Few Other State Of Play Titles
I too think the days of Game Pass are numbered, @Millionski, particularly in its current guise. It may attempt first-party only about 3 years following the release of the PCBox, and that way it will chance its arm on PlayStation, but honestly, with the way Microsoft keep over-pricing things, I can see them asking too much for this new GP service, and people just won't be interested, which will mean it will come to an end in that form too.
I know Ultimate is probably good value if you play a lot of first-party games, and if you play a lot of third-party too, but if you only occasionally dip in and out of it, then you may as well buy, and own, your games. At least you will still have them if GP goes away. And yes, Microsoft has a lot of games lined up for the next 12 months, but I think this is likely to be an exceptional year, rather than the norm. I can foresee droughts every few months, like we experienced at the backend of last year where we got a couple of games, and where Microsoft supplemented the absence of first-party games with older third-party games that many of us had already played.
However I have said it many times before, I think GPs days are numbered, particularly so if they don't treat right those that transition from consoles to the PCBox. Strictly speaking, anyone that has Ultimate stacked on console, should have it converted to PC Game Pass, and that stacked period should be extended, but I just cannot see Microsoft doing this, partly because how will they tell if you have moved from console to PC, and do they do it right now if you move to PC? I don't believe they do, and I don't think they will in the future either...
Re: Review: Want A PS5 Controller For Xbox? Hyperkin's 'The Competitor' Is Good And Affordable
Honestly, @Daffy-Duck, not many if you don't play competitive games. I don't, so for me it is just that I prefer the weight of the controller. It feels really solid in your hands. Obviously there is also the benefit of having paddles at the back of the controller that you can set up to help with certain games, but in all honesty, I don't really need it, I just like it...
Re: Review: Want A PS5 Controller For Xbox? Hyperkin's 'The Competitor' Is Good And Affordable
Horses for course, I guess, though for me, nothing beats the Xbox controller, particularly not the Elite 2 (of which I have many).
I do own the equivalent of the Elite on the PlayStation, which I bought to go with my Pro, but I have not yet used either at the moment, and I won't until Resident Evil: Requiem releases. Until then, I am gaming on my Series X using my Pip Boy Elite 2 Collector's Edition controller.
I think it's good that there are options, but it's not for me...
Re: Silent Hill: Townfall Not Coming To Xbox At Launch, Along With A Few Other State Of Play Titles
I don't want to stream my games either, @OldGamer999. I live in a household with my two adult sons that also game, meaning that if we were all online at the same time, and having to stream our games, then even my excellent internet download speeds could find it challenging. If the PCBox does not offer native playing of my existing Xbox library, as well as future releases, then I don't think it will be for me.
Whilst everyone seems to be celebrating the Play Anywhere concept, which at face value, seems fantastic for those that want it (which does not include me!), it does, to my mind, offer a small red flag as to the possible direction of travel for the PCBox. It is just possible that it does mean that the PCBox will only stream games, and would go some way as to why Microsoft are pushing Play Anywhere so hard.
The short answer is that if it is stream only, I am far less likely to buy the PCBox because the Pro, then the PS6, and my current gaming PC will have me covered for new games, and my Series X will have me covered when it comes to my huge existing Xbox games library...
Re: Silent Hill: Townfall Not Coming To Xbox At Launch, Along With A Few Other State Of Play Titles
I get what you are saying, @Millionski, and in all honesty I am happy with my Series X experience (I haven't yet started a game on my Pro), so I don't know what more I will get from either the PS6 or the PCBox, truth be told.
In all honesty, chances are that if I do get the PCBox, I will only use it as a console to play Xbox games. I'm not particularly fussed about playing Steam games because I have an absolutely enormous back catalogue to which I am adding games all the time.
However, if the PCBox does offer a true console experience, but does it all better than the PS6 and the Series X, then I will happily buy it. If I have to jump through hoops in order to play it like a console, or there is any faff involved at all, I am far less likely to be interested. I want the simplicity of switch on and play that consoles give me, not the endless tweaking with settings to get a game running. At the end of the day, I have a gaming PC hooked up to my front room television meaning if I really need to be on Steam in order to play a game, then I can do so right now, and yet I haven't played a Steam game for a couple of years. And if my PC cannot play it at the highest settings in a few years time, so be it, I'll play it on whatever it can easily handle.
If the PCBox is just a case of pressing on an icon, and I'm in Steam, then I can handle that.
My only concern right now, with the little that we know about the PCBox, is the updates to Windows that my PC gets probably a couple of times a month, which sometimes take 15 minutes to download and install (and I have excellent download speeds), which means that if you turn on your PCBox in order to play a game of an evening, only to be forced to sit there whilst it installs a 15 minute update that prevents you from gaming, I can see that being immensely frustrating. Whether Microsoft can allow the PCBox to install these updates even when the system is on a low power mode (sleep) I don't know, but I certainly hope you can, because it is not possible now...
Re: These 10+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (February 16-20)
Soulsinger and Star Trek are of mild interest to me. Not enough to pre-order them, but I might pick them up later in a sale if the player reviews are good enough...
Re: Silent Hill: Townfall Not Coming To Xbox At Launch, Along With A Few Other State Of Play Titles
Going forward, pretty much every game I buy for the next year or so, will be bought on the PlayStation, @Millionski. When the PCBox comes out, providing it is to my liking, I will then buy it, and return to buying everything on the Xbox.
I have number of games I really like, and I have to keep telling myself I don't need to buy them again on the PlayStation, and no doubt when I get the PCBox, I will have to keep reminding myself I don't need to buy those games I bought on the PlayStation for the Xbox.
I will be getting the PS6, and 99% certain I will be getting the PCBox too, so it matters not where the games sit because I will still have access to them, and truth be told, I rarely return to a game once I have completed it. All I want is to play the most modern releases where they play best, which come the next generation, will probably be Xbox...
Re: Silent Hill: Townfall Not Coming To Xbox At Launch, Along With A Few Other State Of Play Titles
Forza 6 is not an intentional timed exclusive, @Millionski. Microsoft simply pivoted towards putting their games on PlayStation at a point where the Xbox version would be ready a few months ahead of the PlayStation version. Microsoft then had two choices, delay the Xbox version (in the 25th anniversary year of Xbox no less!) so as to release on both platforms at the same time, which meant leaving money on the table from the Xbox gamers, or release on the Xbox first (and get that early money from Xbox gamers) and put it on the PS5 when that version was ready. Microsoft just opted for the second option. The fact that it gives the impression of being a timed exclusive just plays well to us Xbox gamers...
Re: Silent Hill: Townfall Not Coming To Xbox At Launch, Along With A Few Other State Of Play Titles
Not sure I agree that older games will be stream only, @OldGamer999. It will either be everything stream, or everything native. The only thing that may be completely missing next generation for Xbox could be the disc drive, though I think the PS6 will offer this as an optional add-on. What I would be curious to know is whether the disc drive for this generation will also be compatible with the next generation, or whether Sony will be looking to fleece us further by making us buy a completely different one for the PS6.
I do entirely agree that the PS5 and the Series X (and maybe the Series S) will be supported by developers for the entire generation. From start to finish for the PS6 and the PCBox, the current generation of consoles will be getting the same games because both the PS5 and the Series X are very capable machines, and indeed, I think we are done with seeing night and day advances between generations too.
As for Games Pass, mine runs out in June 2027, and I am glad that I don't have it for longer than that. By next June I should know exactly what Microsoft are going to be doing, and what path I shall be taking. It also means that I don't have to be concerned about wanting to convert Ultimate over to PC Games Pass, which is obviously cheaper, and I'm not sure how Microsoft will do that because I don't see how they will know when a person is no longer playing on console, but on PC instead. In other words, if you stack GPU now for 3 years, you could well be wasting money if you then get the PCBox because you could have had PC Game Pass instead, which would have been cheaper. I think Microsoft will just say tough if that is where you find yourself because I don't think there will be a mechanism to covert from GPC to PCGP.
Right now, my plan is to buy the PCBox, and probably forgo Games Pass altogether because I barely use it. If I find myself in the position of having 3 or 4 games on GP that I want to play, then I will sub for a month, play them and then drop GP again. I cannot see me ever subscribing long term to a subscription service for either Xbox or PlayStation ever again as I simply do not get value from them...
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 14-15)
I'll be continuing my Code Vein 2 run, which I am very much enjoying. Loving the exploration, and am finding the combat fun though I rarely seem to get my parries off, although that is normal for me as it's never been my strong point.
I'll also be doing another two afternoons of Horde runs on Master difficulty as a team of 3 in Gears 5. We've now managed to complete 16 of the 37 maps as just a trio on the hardest difficulty, which is meant for a team of 5, so pretty proud of our achievement. Some maps will be impossible to do, and we are starting to run out of manageable maps, but hopefully we can knock a few more out before we move on to E-Day. Also hoping that I can get to Re-Up 60 before then too, as I am currently on Re-Up 56, and it takes something like 3 weeks for each re-up...
Re: Gorgeous Xbox Adventure South Of Midnight Wins 'Outstanding Achievement' Award At DICE 2026
I'm more likely to be found playing a game that takes 30 to 300 hours, @fatpunkslim. I never play small games at all. I wouldn't even know where to start...
Re: Silent Hill: Townfall Not Coming To Xbox At Launch, Along With A Few Other State Of Play Titles
I agree that the old E3 live shows were the best, @OldGamer999, and there was something excitingly special about Xbox first-party showcases when Xbox had exclusives. However, that little warm feeling about seeing Xbox score a win for our console has diminished somewhat now that Microsoft has made Xbox fully multiplatform. It is still good to see Microsoft doing a strong showcase, but it has just lost that little edge of feeling slightly good about Xbox now that they no longer have exclusives.
I have pretty much accepted now that Xbox exclusives are a thing of the past, but that doesn't mean that I like it, and also does not mean that I don't think it is a massive mistake to shed all our exclusives, because I really do, but being upset about it is not going to change anything so I have just learned to accept it.
Funny thing is though, I have always had both an Xbox and a PlayStation anyway, so no matter who had the exclusive I wanted to play, I had it covered, but the truth is, I just wanted Xbox to have some of the success enjoyed by PlayStation...