Gabrie

I still trust Phil. I truly believe he loves this industry. But I also believe that right now his hands are tied, and he has to obey the guidelines imposed on him from above.

We'll see how it goes. It's a game that I would have appreciated seeing on Gamepass.

I think it's just an update to include more content. It doesn't look like they're going to touch anything related to graphics or performance.

When you have access to your Xbox profile and achievements to play games, I understand that this device is indeed an “Xbox.” Whether it's a good Xbox is another matter, and well, at present, any device that uses Xbox PC to become an Xbox is a rather poor Xbox, with a very limited game catalog.

I suppose this will improve over time, but in my opinion, this direction makes sense: platforms no longer have to be hardware, but rather an ecosystem. Playstation and Nintendo also have to start moving in this direction, or I think they will disappear over time.

The pace Obsidian is setting is truly incredible, three games in one year while maintaining quality is something few studios can do.

In the end, we users are going to pay for the acquisition of ABK...

@RegnumSolipsi For better or worse, I don't think there have been many service cancellations. You know how it works: a minority makes a lot of noise on social media, but then reality is a whole different story.

Just like what happened with Netflix, I think the quarterly report will come out and they will break records for gaming service revenue :'(

It's a handheld PC console, which isn't necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it may be one of the most logical alternatives for the evolution of consoles in the coming years.

But there's still a lot of work to be done, in terms of the operating system, of course, but also in terms of the ecosystem. It can't be that if the device is called Xbox, you need to use Steam to play the wide range of games available.

Otherwise, it's an amazing machine. I'm playing Geras of War with high graphics, and it runs incredibly well (60fps). It seems like magic that such a small device can be so powerful.

It's been an outstanding month, especially thanks to Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2, both released on day one. But it had to be, after the price increase. Let's see how November goes.

I have a feeling that the next generation of consoles could be the last, at least for me. And if it is the last generation, I think I'll get the most powerful console, and honestly, I'd like that to be Xbox.

I think it can also affect how you value a game based on how much it costs you to access it.

Xbox users get it with a subscription at no additional cost. PS users have to pay a very high price to purchase a license.

What Sony needs to allow once and for all is the ability to purchase codes and digital games from external stores, so you're not forced to buy at the only price they impose on you. Right now, for me, the PlayStation and Nintendo digital stores are the worst in the entire industry. If digital stores already have a concept that is difficult to trust, I don't trust these two at all.

I think it's the right decision. Asus has done an impressive job with Xbox Ally. As hardware, it's better than anything Microsoft could have done, and I think it's also better than anything Sony or Nintendo could do.

But that's the hardware. Now they need the software, and they have a lot of work to do here and are behind their competitors' offerings. Fortunately, this part can be worked on over time, delivering improvements with updates and convincing developers to publish their games on Xbox PC. But they have to work hard, and they'd better do so, because Xbox users aren't up for any more half-baked experiments.

@Exerion76 Yes, you can turn your PC into an Xbox if you use the Xbox ecosystem, and I think it's a great idea. With Xbox PC, you can take your Xbox profile with you, including your achievements, saves, library... It's basically an Xbox, and if you have great hardware, it's a super Xbox.

The problem? Right now, Xbox PC is like a beta. The console library still needs to be migrated somehow, and above all, there is a lack of support from developers. The number of games available on Xbox PC is ridiculous.

I think it's the way forward, and if they do it right, it will be incredible. But today it's more of a promise than anything else. Anyone who buys an Xbox Ally or wants to turn their PC into an Xbox should know that Microsoft has a lot of work to do to fulfill that promise. We're beta testers once again.

Having used my ROG Xbox Ally X over the last few days, I have to say that I think the price is actually quite reasonable. I think they've done a spectacular job with the hardware; it's an amazing machine.

Its biggest problems lie precisely in the software, and this is precisely the part that Microsoft is responsible for. The full-screen experience is very immature, and the Xbox PC catalog is puny.

I think Asus has done an excellent job; it's Microsoft that has some work to do here.

The other day I was talking to my dad about how bad movies are these days. He was complaining that everything is remakes, reboots, sequels, prequels...

I had to tell him, thank goodness you don't like videogames xD

Jusant is wonderful, and can be completed in about 4-5 hours. It's worth playing before it leaves Gamepass.

I finally bought one, and well, it's great on the one hand and disappointing on the other.

The hardware is wonderful, powerful, comfortable, and quiet, and the battery life is quite acceptable. It even makes me think that the price is justified for the technology it has.

But for me, the disappointing part is Xbox PC. It simply doesn't have enough games, neither the Xbox console games nor the ones that come to Steam. As a result, you have to install different stores, use other profiles, other achievement systems... As an Xbox ecosystem experience, this machine is hugely disappointing. They still have a lot of work to do here.

Oh no, I didn't know this controller existed before, now I need one.

I think that videogame reviews should disappear, as they serve more to confuse than to guide. Evaluating videogames is extremely subjective, and if you are guided by someone else's criteria, it is easy to end up investing money in a game that you don't enjoy, or worse, avoiding games that you might have loved.

That said, I hope to try it at some point, and hopefully it will make its way to Gamepass eventually.

I get the feeling that when a game doesn't get enough visibility, someone comes out and says something stupid in the media, they let it make noise, and then they clarify it later.

Before they mentioned Xbox, I didn't even know this game existed.

I grew up playing his games, Xbox OG and Xbox 360 would not have been the same without him, rest in peace.

Well, it makes sense. We live in the age of TikTok. Today's audience is oversaturated with stimuli, and the battlefield, no longer just video games, but all forms of entertainment, is to hold the user's attention for as long as possible and then find ways to monetize it.

If it doesn't add noticeable input lag, Auto SR could be very interesting, especially on these devices, where there is quite a difference in performance between running a game at 1080p or, for example, 720p.

For me, the big problem with Xbox Ally, or Xbox PC, is that too many games skip the platform. This creates the need to have multiple stores, mainly Steam, to access the full catalog, and this leads to the very unpleasant situation of having multiple profiles and games with different achievement systems. For me, this is a huge step backwards compared to an Xbox console.

If they find a solution to this, perhaps by encompassing the achievement system across all stores, linking accounts between Steam and Xbox, or simply convincing developers not to skip Xbox PC, this machine will be one of the best gaming devices on the market, far above what Sony or Nintendo offer, although of course, also at a significantly higher price.

@Friendly No idea, but it makes sense that it counts. If the 70 games are going to be on par with most Xbox/Activision/Blizzard/Bethesda titles, and games like Expedition 33, Persona, or Hollow Knight Silksong, the service should cost $100 or more to be profitable.

Wow, those are really impressive sales for Xbox, and quite moderate for PS5, given the console base. It makes you wonder.

Great review. Let's see if they reduce the price a little in the November sales, and I'll go for one.

Double Fine is proof of quality for me, I'll give it a try.

For me, making their exclusives multiplatform while others haven't put the Xbox platform in a situation of extreme mistrust, any move they make—layoffs, price increases—becomes a drama, while for other brands it's nothing more than a footnote in the news.

The thing is, I think they're right. The industry is seeing how everything points to exclusives and even traditional consoles disappearing. But we're not there yet. If it happens, it will be in 5-10 years, and it seems like they're determined to do it now. Xbox's timing with its decisions is terrible.

My opinion of this game is quite unpopular. For me, it's one of the most overrated games in Xbox history.

I think I completed it on my third or fourth attempt; I gave up on the first few tries out of sheer boredom. I never understood what was so special about it. It's a classic open-world sandbox mission game that doesn't seem to stand out in any way, except perhaps in its aesthetics and humor, but even then, not by much.

@Mastlander98 The sticks on the previous ROG Ally were pretty good, so I would be confident about that aspect.

@darkswabber Correct, day 1 on GPU and GP-PC.

I imagine it could also reach the other tiers, but after some time.

What I like about these games is the campaign, and no campaign justifies the excessive price, but when it's on Gamepass/EA Play, I'll give it a try.

Really, given how the industry has changed and how prices have gone up across the board, this Xbox Ally X is very attractive, very powerful with the Z2 Extreme, very ergonomic, with the new Xbox interface experience... And the price is relatively reasonable.

If the screen were 8 inches...

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.