Gabrie

Have they added a difficulty selector or changed anything in this regard? The original had some really frustrating moments and bosses that made me give up on it.

I hope so. In general, I much prefer the Xbox ecosystem to what PlayStation and Nintendo offer. I'm convinced that if I buy another console, it will be the most powerful one, and honestly, I'd like that to be an Xbox.

@Kezelpaso Yes, you're right, it must be complicated because of the CPU, and probably other things too.

Although visually I don't notice a clear difference between the previous and current generations, apart from higher resolution, some more impressive lighting effects... and little else. It's not like with the X360 and the Xbox OG, where you could clearly see why an X360 game couldn't be played on the previous one.

The only exception I would mention is Flight Simulator, which I think is the only game that I can clearly see would not be possible on the XOne/PS4.

The difference between current and previous generation consoles is not very significant, at least in practice.

I believe that any current XSeries/PS5 game, by lowering the resolution and optimizing some effects, works without major problems on XOne/PS4.

Personally, I think that these types of devices are not worth it in the lower price ranges. Usually, people want to play the latest releases and do so at frame rates that allow them to enjoy them.

This is truly impressive performance for these devices. While it is not a significant improvement over the ROG Ally with the Z1 Extreme, it is a substantial leap forward compared to a Steam Deck.

The Xbox Ally X is likely one of the best options, even in terms of price, if you want to play the latest releases on this type of “console.”

I think it's fine that they clarify the language, although in practice it feels like buying a game, it's not really.

Once you're aware of that, I don't think it's a bad thing. I have a large collection of games on Xbox and Steam, and I see that in general they make an effort to maintain those licenses over time even if I change devices, so to a certain extent I feel secure having a digital library there.

A while ago, I would have said yes, definitely. But nowadays there are many brands that are making really spectacular controllers. I'm particularly impressed with Gamesir, I love their controllers, and they're not expensive at all.

So I'd say I'm interested in a Series Elite 3, but it has to be really good and offer some distinctive new features.

Day 1 for me, it's one of my favorite games from my childhood

I still have faith in Phil Spencer. I've heard him speak in many interviews in the past, and you can really tell that he loves this industry.

So I'm forced to think that all the disasters and incompetence plaguing Xbox come from executives in suits above him and the terrible financial pressure that comes with belonging to a titanic company like Microsoft.

@Fiendish-Beaver I agree, it's a shame that PlayAnywhere has so little use beyond indies and MS's own games.

But even so, games without PlayAnywhere, all those native versions for Xbox Series, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and even the old Xbox OG, are based on Directx libraries, which makes it much easier to run them on many different devices by only emulating the OS part.

So I think the continuity of the Xbox library is more or less guaranteed over time, although I also think MS still has a lot of work to do here.

@Fiendish-Beaver To create a digital library right now, Xbox or Steam seem much more secure to me than PlayStation or Nintendo. They don't have ecosystems as such, but rather closed platforms on specific hardware, which greatly complicates the continuity of digital libraries.

Xbox is in utter chaos, but at least the basis of creating an open ecosystem based on multi-platform libraries provides greater security for preserving purchases across devices. In fact, I think that before long we may see the Xbox console library running on Windows.

@themightyant There will be something, but I don't think we'll see anything beyond Xbox-Next and PS6 in terms of traditional consoles. I don't dare talk about Nintendo because in 2025 they still have cartridges, so anything is possible with them

I think what we're seeing right now in the video game industry is its own particular scenario, equivalent to what happened in the music industry before Spotify, or in the film industry before Netflix.

If there is an Xbox Next-Next or PS7, I think they will be very niche products, for people who are still playing games at an advanced age and forty-somethings like me xD

It doesn't matter much what they say at this point, I think it's a fact:

Xbox-Next will be the last Xbox console.
PlayStation 6 will be the last PS console.
Switch-Next could be last Nintendo console.

Whether we like it or not, I think that in 10 years very few people will still be buying a device to put next to their TV specifically for gaming. The younger generations are no longer interested in consoles, and I think we are heading straight for the cloud, apps on smart TVs, tablets, smartphones... as gaming devices.

In my opinion, EA Play added a lot of value to the service. But Ubisoft+ feels a bit irrelevant, with games that are of little value and not very appealing.

If titles like Assassin's Creed Shadow arrive in the coming months, I may change my mind. But in general, Ubisoft as a developer feels very exhausted, as if it can no longer release interesting titles.

Well, I find this quite interesting, it could be the gateway to Xbox for many users.

For example, I use Spotify for free with ads. Obviously, the ads are annoying, but since it's free, it allows me to access a music service that I wouldn't otherwise use. I think this could be the equivalent of Xbox for many casual users.

Although I think the 5 hour limit per month is ridiculous, if this model becomes established, it should be much more.

@jolteon23 On October 30, Microsoft will release a new quarterly report. Whether we like it or not, it will surely report large profits, with an increase in revenue from gaming related services.

It's a great idea, but the problem I see with it is that it complicates the choice too much, it's like a car configurator.

Those of us who are really into this hobby would appreciate it, but for most casual users, it's an additional layer of decision-making that puts them off.

If brands like Apple and Tesla have taught us anything, it's that simplifying options and treating the end user like a “*****” (no offense intended) is usually a good idea.

The service is amazing, I have no doubt about that, but no matter how good it is, it has become accessible only to a few.

It's like a Ferrari—no one doubts that they are amazing cars, but only a few can own one.

Gamepass was excellent for day-one games at an affordable price, but now the affordable tiers have lost the feature that made it most worthwhile.

GPU is still the best service, light years ahead of the competition, but now it's only for a select few. They have broken what made it so great.

Yesterday I was testing how the cloud is working after the update, and at 1440p it really seems indistinguishable from playing locally.

For some reason it makes me a little sad, but I think it's becoming increasingly clear that this will end up being the future of the industry.

I am very disappointed, but not because of Gamepass or the price increase specifically, but because of Xbox's management over the last two years or so, which has been an absolute disaster.

Until now, I had Ultimate and rarely bought games.

Now I'll continue with Ultimate, but I don't think I'll buy any more games on Xbox.

I'm still on Xbox because I have no other choice. I'm “held hostage” on Xbox. My entire gaming life is here: my profile, my achievements... But if I had the chance to export all this to Steam or PlayStation, I'd leave and never come back.

I don't know if they expect the number of Xbox Cloud players to skyrocket, but I've never had to wait to play in the cloud. I've always had the feeling that the number of players who have accepted the cloud as their usual way of playing is negligible.

In Europe, we have always had figures that are slightly higher or similar to those in the US. Applying a 1:1 conversion rate from dollars to euros, it was something we had accepted, whether fair or not,, but lately it is the US that is seeing high numbers. The Xbox Ally X, for example, costs “only” €899 here.

The truth is that right now the available game library is impressive, light years ahead of what other subscriptions can offer, I won't argue with that.

But they need to do something about the PC versions. Ubisoft doesn't even add Xbox achievements to the games, and that's unacceptable. Now more than ever, we have the right to complain and demand that they take care of these details.

Let me see if I understand this, it's confusing.

Basically, Ultimate gets Ubisoft+ Classic in exchange for costing $10 more?

I hope she doesn't mean that we should create a Steam profile and play the Steam versions, because we could do that anytime without needing to buy a PC with an Xbox skin.

What we really need is for these games, and many others, to come to the Xbox ecosystem and have Xbox versions, and whether it's through a console, the cloud, or the PC store, Xbox is still alive as a platform, and they shouldn't take us for fools by selling us a device that has games thanks solely to the Steam or Epic versions.

Honestly, it looks like an impressive machine, which is to be expected given the price.

If they can get developers to stop ignoring the Windows Store once and for all, it will be a truly impressive console.

I imagine that there will be a new controller for the next Xbox, and I imagine that the Elite 3 will be the premium version of that controller.

Although in my opinion they achieved perfection with the Xbox One controller, which for me is the best “traditional” controller out there, I think it's already perfect in terms of ergonomics and possibilities, at least for shooters and the most common genres.

The new features being added to modern controllers (back buttons, share button, touch surfaces, LED lights, etc.) detract more than they add, increasing weight and energy consumption, but nothing I consider truly useful.

For me, Expedition 33 is practically Lost Odyssey 2, or the closest thing we're going to get.

I've seen it in an unboxing here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYbbHu8M8N0

It's a classic reaction video, something I don't usually like very much, but you can see the unboxing.

In the end, subsidizing a device means losing money on hardware sales and then recouping it with software sales; it's a long-term investment.

But Microsoft can't do this if 90% of the games sold on the platform are Steam games, because Valve takes the commission on software sales and they don't see a penny.

Microsoft still has too much work to do to position the Windows Store/Xbox ecosystem on PC to sell this type of device. It feels like they're putting the cart before the horse, but I guess the idea is that in the long term, Xbox on PC will be a real alternative to Steam and all games will end up there, although I find it hard to imagine that day coming.

@Runex2121 If games from those other stores don't have Xbox achievements and features, they're not Xbox games.

If we end up playing Steam games with a Steam profile and Steam achievements because the games aren't released on the Windows/Xbox Store, then Xbox will be dead, and they'll sell us a device with a Xbox skin to try to convince us that Xbox is still there in some way.

Until games stop bypassing the Windows/Xbox Store, this gadget makes no sense to me.

As long as games continue to bypass the Windows Store, I cannot consider this device an Xbox, and it is not for me.

I'm sorry to be so blunt, but the situation with the Xbox platform is becoming critical. Either PlayStation games start coming to Xbox, or Xbox will be dead. It just doesn't make sense. Maybe Gamepass is still a draw for some, but given the disastrous Xbox Series sales, it's clear that it's only for a few.

I'm starting to think that the best thing they can do for fans is to reach an agreement with PlayStation or Steam to export our Xbox achievements and progress to these platforms and shut down Xbox once and for all.

I think that the model we are all interested in is the Ally X.

Until SH2 is released, I'm not going to buy anything from the series. I'm really tired of Xbox players being treated like second-class users.

It's the worst generation of consoles ever. I'm increasingly convinced that we'll probably never see an Xbox after the next Xbox, or a PS7.

@GamingFan4Lyf I think we'll have it soon, next year if not sooner. After all, these consoles use the same Windows 11 as other PCs.

I think Series S is a great idea that has been very poorly managed.

It's not just that there's absolutely no marketing, and many people don't even know it exists, but there's no stock either. In my country, it's been out of stock for months and you can't find it in any store.

If it's optional, I think it's fine. Other games like Control, Celeste, or Alan Wake 2 have similar options, and I don't think that has prevented anyone from enjoying them.

@themightyant Short-pressing: game bar.
Long-pressing: task view.
Pressing and holding: controller off.

I can't blame them; it seems that the younger generations aren't attracted to single-player campaigns. For whatever reason, they can't tear themselves away from Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft, GTA Online, COD...

If Xdefiant hasn't managed to break into that list, they'll try with FarCry. It saddens me, but it seems to be essential for survival in this industry.

@MaccaMUFC Yes, just like any other PC, even with resolutions up to 4K, as long as the GPU can handle the game.

I'm enjoying it. After all the bad reviews, I imagined it would be much worse.

It's true that there are some strange scenes, they're a bit forced and even a little unintentionally funny. But they only make up 1% of the game and don't prevent you from enjoying the remaining 99%

For me, it's a 7/10, and I hope the poor reception doesn't scare EA away from making more games.

I find 1080pHQ more interesting than 1440p.

I can play well at 1080p, I think it's the ideal resolution for most devices running Xbox Cloud. The current problem is the bitrate, which is too low. If HQ means they improve this, the service will start to be a really good option.

I've had a lot of problems with Borderlands 3. The game needed a lot of patches before it became stable, and even today it still has bugs that haven't been fixed.

If I play Borderlands 4, it will be a long time from now, when they've released a lot of patches and it's on sale.

@Lrapsody I've read that on Switch 1 it will run at 720p/30fps, so either it's more technically complex than it appears, or the Nintendo port is pretty weak.

Yesterday I loaded my game hoping they had fixed the bug that blocked my progress, but it's still there. If I can't complete the base game, I'm obviously not going to buy any DLC