I don't think butting heads is such a bad thing as long as there is some overall successful result. Sometimes you need someone to give an honest truth when tunnel vision sets in.
Heck, the whole Xbox legacy was built because some engineers at Microsoft butted heads with Bill Gates!
@GADG3Tx87 ...and yet Sony still thrives. So that "strategy" didn't work either - probably because despite the fact Microsoft COULD spend Sony out of the industry, it knows it wouldn't get that money back. So, what would be the point - especially with regulatory commissions on its back left right and center?!
And I feel like that reality is starting to hit Sony. All this money it's been spending on domination isn't coming back like it wants to. Hence, PC releases, Switch releases, $30 console stands, $700 Pro console without a stand or disc drive, $80 mountable disc drives, $60 PSVR PC adapters, $200 streaming device, etc. etc.
@Tyrant_T103 Sony is spending its way into dominance. Unfortunately, it's also the reason PlayStation budgets are skyrocketing to the point that it needs to put games on PC in order to get a better ROI as well as continue to add more weight on the consumers back.
The funny thing is, it all gets defended because it's PlayStation.
"Sony cares about its platform." Yes it does. It just doesn't care about the consumer.
It won't be so funny when Sony dominates completely, and people are paying $90 for PS6 games and $1000 on the console itself.
"Economic times," they say - while shareholders are collecting their record profits.
Not saying Microsoft is any better. It certainly has its share of blood collection from consumers. But Microsoft has spent its money to secure a future for Xbox rather than knock out the competition.
@Nintendo4Sonic Multiplayer became the focus and the single player campaign took a back seat. There was like an intensity to the single player campaign that got lost to a brainless shooting gallery.
I did try Ghost when the PS4 released and I couldn't get into it.
I had zero doubt this game would be just fine on last-gen. Other than the larger environments, there really wasn't much of an improvement over the first game graphically.
Sure, some bells-and-whistles were added for current-gen release, but it's all window dressing that can be paired back.
Those load times on last-gen are insane though - and is really one of the biggest "game changers" for consoles this generation.
@BacklogBrad Yeah, I foresee myself maybe getting a different motherboard in a couple of years (mine is a B650 and doesn't have PCIe 5.0 support). But my 7800X3D will probably last for quite a while before needing an upgrade.
I know AMD said that AM5 is support through 2027, so maybe a MOBO with PCIe 5.0 will be pretty cheap by then. But even still, I won't need new RAM or PSU, or Watercooler, etc. for quite some time. But I will at least have support for like a future Nvidia card should my 4070 Super start chugging (though I suspect it will be quite a long time before that happens).
Since PlayStation is the lead platform, perhaps developers will actually look beyond base PS5 and actually use that 20% extra power the Series X has over base PS5 during the process of tapping into the PS5 Pro - especially if the PS5 actually has true RDNA 2.0 support that the Series X has had...Day 1.
It won't move the needly in Xbox favor - unless of course it can somehow advertise that Series X can do almost as much as a PS5 Pro at $200 less - but at least it could mean that Series X actually gets "used" properly.
The only "deal" I foresee with Sony for this game is that optimization work was still being done on Xbox that would have resulted in a delay and Sony provided some kind of help or incentive that caused Game Science to simply put Xbox work on the backburner to focus on PlayStation (and PC) releases - which were already the closest to being finished.
This is why Microsoft can't comment on "deals" made because, honestly, Microsoft probably doesn't know what was decided between Sony and Game Science. All Microsoft can say is that it's working with the developer to get the game out and that's it.
I have slowly lost interest in the game (and I am only in Chapter 2). It was cool at first, but the whole "boss rush" nature of it is starting to get old. I still fire it up from time to time, but my hype has dissipated, and I find myself going back to older games instead.
I hope Microsoft is realizing that its support teams aren't as up to snuff as they should be - all this restructuring is causing balls to drop left and right.
It shouldn't take public outcry for Microsoft to step up and help developers when there is a team dedicated to helping developers - especially on a platform that is getting skipped by developers more and more often.
I tried game development once about 10-ish years ago. I was doing an XNA-based project (sprite-based schmup) and at one point it ran at like 10fps at 1080p. I don't remember how I fixed it or if I ever actually got it running right..the endeavor didn't last too long as I hate doing it!
The point I am trying to make...if people knew all the ins and outs of game development, they would wonder how games work at all on any hardware.
@Neither_scene When I got my gaming PC a few weeks back, I got a 27" LG Nano IPS monitor. It supports HDR10 (albeit "only" 400 nits - but HDR provides more than just peak brightness benefits), 165Hz, G-Sync, and is 1440p. It has 2 HDMI and 1 DisplayPort. The only drawback is that there are no built-in speakers.
I am seriously considering moving my PS5 into the computer room as I feel like games look better on that than they do on my 55" Vizio M7 Quantum 4K TV - then again, that could also be attributed to the fact I can run games on significantly higher presets on PC more so than the display itself.
@NEStalgia Even with DLSS?! That seems...surprising. I mean, sure, one can argue it's not running "true 4K", but that was entirely the reason why DLSS was invented - because native 4K is also incredibly taxing on hardware (well, with RT enabled anyways).
@NEStalgia RT can be quite heavy but not “runs like hot garbage on a 4090” heavy.
I have a 4070 Super. I can run Lords of the Fallen at 1440p/DLAA/Ultra/no Frame Gen and get 70+ fps.
Control at 1440p native High preset (max) and High RT (max) can sits around 65fps (but can dip below 60). If I turn off MSAA (which isn’t really all that great in Control anyways) the framerate gets into the 75+ fps range.
No reason Avowed couldn’t run a decent framerate even with RT.
@ExtremeGamer I guess what confuses me is this idea of "end support"
The old games still work! So, the hardware can still translate MT Framework titles and run them with no issues in the backwards compatibility layer.
Does "end support" mean that Microsoft told Capcom they can't use it anymore?!
"end support" to me would mean, "It can't run games that use it." That is absolutely not the case.
So if "end support" just means "don't use it anymore", then, again, it's a policy change for Microsoft that can easily be rectified.
The whole situation is just dumb, really, and further solidifies my decision to ditch consoles all together in favor of the open PC platform where this kind of garbage either doesn't exist or is fixed by the community to ensure people can enjoy the games they love (where "support" ended - e.g. 3DFX, older DirectX titles, etc.).
@ExtremeGamer It is an odd state of affairs given that current backwards compatible titles using the MT Framework still work on Series X|S. Plus, only 2 years ago the Capcom Fighting Collection released on Xbox One using MT Framework.
So...something has changed in those 2 years...but what?!
There is a better way to saying "You know, I don't think what you are saying is entirely accurate due to [X]" without being a [expletive] about it - especially since I don't follow all the ins and outs of retro Capcom releases.
I thought I had read a few times that Microsoft required that all new releases had to have a "native" Series X|S version.
Since Series X|S don't natively support the framework - and Capcom has little interest in doing the work due to perceived little to no ROI - that was the reason why MT Framework-based titles are skipping the platform.
@Fiendish-Beaver I wonder about Game Pass sustainability as well. I can actually take it or leave it. I have Game Pass Ultimate until at least 2026, but if it were to ever go away, I'd be fine with it.
In the meantime, I will definitely take advantage of it while I have it.
Personally, I'd love to see a day when no paid services are offered from platform holders and simply offer better game deals to entice people to spend.
I do feel bad for life-long and hardcore Xbox fans. It all must be incredibly frustrating to see this total lack of direction from the platform holder.
As for me, I am just looking for the best option to play the games I want to play and PC feels like the best route forward in today's landscape.
It's a good thing there is a Revisited version of Haunted Castle because I certainly wouldn't consider the original version a selling point - the game is just ridiculously hard to the point of not being fun (though, I guess when actual quarters aren't at stake - no pun intended - there is a lot less to lose).
@Fiendish-Beaver Moreso replacing the Xbox as I still have PS5 games on the backlog from this past Christmas to play. Plus, I am currently playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and it isn't available on PC, yet.
I have zero plans to buy a game for Xbox console ever again. The only reason I haven't sold my Series X off is because I plan to get Shadow of the Erdtree (after I finish my PS5 backlog) -
I am not putting another 120 hours on a PC version when I have a perfectly good character ready for it on Xbox - and to play the remaining Alan Wake II DLC (since I already paid for it all).
The only new PS5 game I see getting is Astro Bot which I know will never come to PC (because it simply doesn't make sense on the platform being a giant advertisement/homage/museum for the PlayStation brand).
But I did cancel my PS5 pre-order of Silent Hill 2 and plan to get the PC version, instead.
The only console I plan buying in the foreseeable future is Switch 2. I don't plan to get either PlayStation 6 or NextBox when they come around.
The types of games Sony makes need to be released on more than just PlayStation to be profitable in the way Sony wants and I foresee the release window between PlayStation and PC being much shorter (if not day and date) and I think all Sony games going forward will get a PC release.
Gaming costs have ballooned too much for the exclusive route to be sustainable.
The only exception is Nintendo, which has figured out how to keep development costs low enough to the point of being profitable on one system (but Nintendo also doesn't sell consoles at a loss, which helps).
@Fiendish-Beaver My new PC that I got a couple weeks back.
And to answer the memory leak question - basically there is something that continues to slowly use up memory and can lead to an out of memory error. Usually in some kind of looping logic in the code that either doesn't deallocate memory or runs infinitely to the point of causing a crash.
Though, I would think if it was specific to the game, all platforms would have the problem, so my guess it something in Xbox specific APIs is the culprit.
@OldGamer999 I think it's going to continue to be a problem until developers start shipping games using Unreal 5.4
I remember Alex of at Digital Foundry showed off The Matrix demo using Unreal 5.4 and the performance gains were pretty significant (50 - 60% boost in performance) when CPU limited - which, is probably the case for a lot of UE5 games on consoles as it's very single-threaded right now.
@JON22 Something is very weird with the Xbox console these days.
HDMI-CEC used to work perfectly and for like the past 6 months or so, it hasn't worked at all. I even tried turning it off, rebooting the console, re-enabling it and rebooting the console and it still doesn't work.
I don't use the machine anymore since getting a PC. Only reason I turned it on recently was to get the list of digital games I own so I could compile an Excel spreadsheet of all the console games I own so I can eventually replace them with PC versions (when they are like a super discount).
If it wasn't for my 120 hours of Elden Ring (planning to get Shadow of the Erdtree at some point) and waiting for all the Alan Wake 2 DLC to come out, I would have just sold the system after I got the PC.
Also, the voice of Son Wukong in the intro sequence is incredibly annoying. Sounds like a cocky [expletive] and not a hero.
Though, maybe that's the point?
I am only vaguely familiar with Journey to the West.
Most PC players hate getting games through the Microsoft Store (which is probably another reason Game Pass isn't as popular on PC).
Sometimes they are missing features. Sometimes there are bugs and crashes that don't exist anywhere else. Sometimes performance is worse than Steam. And, of course, you can't use unofficial mods on Microsoft Store versions of games because the directory is read-only.
"It's definitely true inside of Microsoft that the bar is high for us in terms of the delivery that we have to give back to the company - we get a level of support from the company that's just amazing in what we're able to go and do."
To me, this is the key part of this statement. Xbox has a much bigger target on its back from Microsoft proper. It needs to appease the financial gods. Going multi-platform is the only way it can do that without some serious consequences to Xbox by corporate.
@NEStalgia I posted results over on Push Square from a "quick and dirty" test of the PC version on my new machine:
Ryzen 7800X3D, 32GB RAM, Nvidia 4070 Super, and running off a Samsung 990 Pro M.2 drive (up to 7.4GB/s Read speed)
Running Ultra settings (which the game defaulted) and Native 1440p/DLAA/Frame-gen Off I get anywhere from 58 - 75fps (sometimes 80fps and at one point dropped to 40s).
The game seems to do the exact same thing as the PS5 in Performance Mode where combat encounters perform higher and then drop when exploration kicks back in.
If I turn on Frame-Gen but still keep the game at native resolution with DLAA, it also seems to get into the 90 - 100+ fps range.
If I turn on DLSS Quality, it seems to be in the 90fps range.
Dynamic Resolution Scaling is also an option, but I had my framerate set to 165 and I think it was trying to scale to meet that framerate and the image got incredibly soft.
I am sure I could probably drop to 60 instead and get a much better image closer to 1440p and get a locked 60 - but I would have to play with settings a little more.
Cutscenes are locked to 30fps (and I had one that ran at 59fps for some reason).
Bottom line, the game is actually quite heavy on resources without looking any different from the PS5 version (will need Digital Foundry to point out any enhancements over the console version).
It does run better than the PS5 (with the right settings), but it certainly will require leveraging reconstruction to keep things 60+fps at all times (and rendering resolution doesn't end up being any better than the PS5 version in Performance Mode - at least when using a 4070 Super). Thankfully DLSS does a significantly better job of making the game look native resolution.
On topic: It's good to know that the director wants to have the game on Xbox!
I have been playing Lords of the Fallen - native 1440p/DLAA/Cinematic Quality settings/Frame-Gen Off - at around 70fps. Sometimes it dips below 60fps when things get a little too intense, but since my monitor has a 20Hz - 165Hz VRR range, those dips to like 58fps aren’t even noticeable.
I don’t keep the FPS monitor on all the time, though - I mostly use it to get settings right so I’m not stretching my GPU above RAM limits and ignore it.
Just for fun, I ran Alien Isolation without V-Sync and it ran about 500fps. 🤣
Heck even Immortals of Aveum I can run maxed out and get above 60fps.
@Kezelpaso Creative Assembly should use the Alien: Isolation engine. I swear that was the greatest horror game ever made - literally had me sweating by the end!
Most horror games are able to achieve the vibe of horror, but never actually end up "scary". Alien: Isolation is downright terrifying.
@Glassneedles I know Ultimate Doom had the Rerelease folder before it updated to this collection - but those WADs for Ultimate Doom had the edited Medical Kits with the Green Cross from the Unity version as opposed to the Red Cross of the DOS version.
I just like that my copy of Ultimate Doom on Steam updated to Doom 1 & 2.
I do need to see if the original DOS version of Doom II is included as I only had access to the original version of Ultimate Doom - especially since I can't just buy Doom 2 on Steam now with this being combined.
Comments 2,188
Re: Is Silent Hill 2 Remake Coming To Xbox? Here's Everything We Know So Far
@FatGuyInLilCoat Sure, if you define "Xbox" as the plastic box rather than the name of Microsoft's gaming ecosystem.
Re: Xbox's Sarah Bond Initially 'Clashed' With Phil Spencer When Working Together
I don't think butting heads is such a bad thing as long as there is some overall successful result. Sometimes you need someone to give an honest truth when tunnel vision sets in.
Heck, the whole Xbox legacy was built because some engineers at Microsoft butted heads with Bill Gates!
Re: Is Silent Hill 2 Remake Coming To Xbox? Here's Everything We Know So Far
@GADG3Tx87 ...and yet Sony still thrives. So that "strategy" didn't work either - probably because despite the fact Microsoft COULD spend Sony out of the industry, it knows it wouldn't get that money back. So, what would be the point - especially with regulatory commissions on its back left right and center?!
And I feel like that reality is starting to hit Sony. All this money it's been spending on domination isn't coming back like it wants to. Hence, PC releases, Switch releases, $30 console stands, $700 Pro console without a stand or disc drive, $80 mountable disc drives, $60 PSVR PC adapters, $200 streaming device, etc. etc.
Re: Is Silent Hill 2 Remake Coming To Xbox? Here's Everything We Know So Far
@Tyrant_T103 Sony is spending its way into dominance. Unfortunately, it's also the reason PlayStation budgets are skyrocketing to the point that it needs to put games on PC in order to get a better ROI as well as continue to add more weight on the consumers back.
The funny thing is, it all gets defended because it's PlayStation.
"Sony cares about its platform."
Yes it does. It just doesn't care about the consumer.
It won't be so funny when Sony dominates completely, and people are paying $90 for PS6 games and $1000 on the console itself.
"Economic times," they say - while shareholders are collecting their record profits.
Not saying Microsoft is any better. It certainly has its share of blood collection from consumers. But Microsoft has spent its money to secure a future for Xbox rather than knock out the competition.
I'll be enjoying this game on PC, thanks!
Re: Call Of Duty: MW3's Spooky Season 6 Update Now Live On Xbox Game Pass
@Nintendo4Sonic Multiplayer became the focus and the single player campaign took a back seat. There was like an intensity to the single player campaign that got lost to a brainless shooting gallery.
I did try Ghost when the PS4 released and I couldn't get into it.
Plus, it just turned into a consumer ATM machine.
Re: Call Of Duty: MW3's Spooky Season 6 Update Now Live On Xbox Game Pass
@Nintendo4Sonic Just because I don't like it, doesn't mean I am not interested in knowing what's going on with it.
Who knows...maybe one day I will take a dive and play it again. I haven't played a COD game since Modern Warefare 2...on X360.
Re: Call Of Duty: MW3's Spooky Season 6 Update Now Live On Xbox Game Pass
Love Art the Clown.
Hate Call of Duty.
Re: Here's Your First Look At Star Wars Jedi: Survivor On Xbox One, And How It Compares To Series X
I had zero doubt this game would be just fine on last-gen. Other than the larger environments, there really wasn't much of an improvement over the first game graphically.
Sure, some bells-and-whistles were added for current-gen release, but it's all window dressing that can be paired back.
Those load times on last-gen are insane though - and is really one of the biggest "game changers" for consoles this generation.
Re: 'Reynatis' Dev Explains Lack Of Xbox Version, Says There's Not Enough Demand In Japan
At least they're honest about it and don't come up with some PR song and dance to build up some kind of false hope.
Re: Poll: How Much Would You Pay For An Xbox Series X Pro?
@BacklogBrad Yeah, I foresee myself maybe getting a different motherboard in a couple of years (mine is a B650 and doesn't have PCIe 5.0 support). But my 7800X3D will probably last for quite a while before needing an upgrade.
I know AMD said that AM5 is support through 2027, so maybe a MOBO with PCIe 5.0 will be pretty cheap by then. But even still, I won't need new RAM or PSU, or Watercooler, etc. for quite some time. But I will at least have support for like a future Nvidia card should my 4070 Super start chugging (though I suspect it will be quite a long time before that happens).
Re: Poll: How Much Would You Pay For An Xbox Series X Pro?
I bought a $1700 PC to basically replace the Xbox Series X (and mostly PS5, too).
It's essentially my XSX Pro...and PS5 Pro...put together...basically a PlayNextBoxStation 6. 😂
Re: Sony's PS5 Pro Seems Unlikely To Get An Xbox Equivalent This Holiday
This could benefit Series X.
Since PlayStation is the lead platform, perhaps developers will actually look beyond base PS5 and actually use that 20% extra power the Series X has over base PS5 during the process of tapping into the PS5 Pro - especially if the PS5 actually has true RDNA 2.0 support that the Series X has had...Day 1.
It won't move the needly in Xbox favor - unless of course it can somehow advertise that Series X can do almost as much as a PS5 Pro at $200 less - but at least it could mean that Series X actually gets "used" properly.
Re: Black Myth: Wukong Xbox Delay Reportedly Tied To PS5 'Exclusivity Deal'
The only "deal" I foresee with Sony for this game is that optimization work was still being done on Xbox that would have resulted in a delay and Sony provided some kind of help or incentive that caused Game Science to simply put Xbox work on the backburner to focus on PlayStation (and PC) releases - which were already the closest to being finished.
This is why Microsoft can't comment on "deals" made because, honestly, Microsoft probably doesn't know what was decided between Sony and Game Science. All Microsoft can say is that it's working with the developer to get the game out and that's it.
I have slowly lost interest in the game (and I am only in Chapter 2). It was cool at first, but the whole "boss rush" nature of it is starting to get old. I still fire it up from time to time, but my hype has dissipated, and I find myself going back to older games instead.
Re: Enotria Dev Publicly Thanks Xbox & Phil Spencer For Helping To 'Resolve' Delay Situation
I hope Microsoft is realizing that its support teams aren't as up to snuff as they should be - all this restructuring is causing balls to drop left and right.
It shouldn't take public outcry for Microsoft to step up and help developers when there is a team dedicated to helping developers - especially on a platform that is getting skipped by developers more and more often.
Re: Stalker 2 Hits The Headlines For Apparently Running At '25FPS' On Xbox Series S
I tried game development once about 10-ish years ago. I was doing an XNA-based project (sprite-based schmup) and at one point it ran at like 10fps at 1080p. I don't remember how I fixed it or if I ever actually got it running right..the endeavor didn't last too long as I hate doing it!
The point I am trying to make...if people knew all the ins and outs of game development, they would wonder how games work at all on any hardware.
Re: Poll: Are You Buying Star Wars Outlaws For Xbox Series X|S?
Eh, I'm not that interested in this.
Maybe if it ever goes on a very deep sale one day in the far future on PC (like $5), I could be tempted.
Re: Xbox Series X And S Tech Specs Revealed For Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2
@Neither_scene When I got my gaming PC a few weeks back, I got a 27" LG Nano IPS monitor. It supports HDR10 (albeit "only" 400 nits - but HDR provides more than just peak brightness benefits), 165Hz, G-Sync, and is 1440p. It has 2 HDMI and 1 DisplayPort. The only drawback is that there are no built-in speakers.
I am seriously considering moving my PS5 into the computer room as I feel like games look better on that than they do on my 55" Vizio M7 Quantum 4K TV - then again, that could also be attributed to the fact I can run games on significantly higher presets on PC more so than the display itself.
Re: Reminder: Three Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass This Weekend
Atomic Heart had promise, but man, was it tough (and not the fun kind).
Re: Ubisoft's XDefiant Reportedly 'On Borrowed Time' Due To Shrinking Playerbase
Let me find my surprised face.
Just goes the show that even if a GaaS starts off with some popularity, anything can change to simply kill it off.
Re: Obsidian Says Avowed Is Running 'Really, Really Well' On Xbox Series X, Despite 30FPS Target
@NEStalgia Even with DLSS?! That seems...surprising. I mean, sure, one can argue it's not running "true 4K", but that was entirely the reason why DLSS was invented - because native 4K is also incredibly taxing on hardware (well, with RT enabled anyways).
Re: Obsidian Says Avowed Is Running 'Really, Really Well' On Xbox Series X, Despite 30FPS Target
@NEStalgia RT can be quite heavy but not “runs like hot garbage on a 4090” heavy.
I have a 4070 Super. I can run Lords of the Fallen at 1440p/DLAA/Ultra/no Frame Gen and get 70+ fps.
Control at 1440p native High preset (max) and High RT (max) can sits around 65fps (but can dip below 60). If I turn off MSAA (which isn’t really all that great in Control anyways) the framerate gets into the 75+ fps range.
No reason Avowed couldn’t run a decent framerate even with RT.
Re: Capcom Fighting Collection 2 Not Announced For Xbox, But Don't Lose Hope Yet
@ExtremeGamer I guess what confuses me is this idea of "end support"
The old games still work! So, the hardware can still translate MT Framework titles and run them with no issues in the backwards compatibility layer.
Does "end support" mean that Microsoft told Capcom they can't use it anymore?!
"end support" to me would mean, "It can't run games that use it." That is absolutely not the case.
So if "end support" just means "don't use it anymore", then, again, it's a policy change for Microsoft that can easily be rectified.
The whole situation is just dumb, really, and further solidifies my decision to ditch consoles all together in favor of the open PC platform where this kind of garbage either doesn't exist or is fixed by the community to ensure people can enjoy the games they love (where "support" ended - e.g. 3DFX, older DirectX titles, etc.).
Re: Capcom Fighting Collection 2 Not Announced For Xbox, But Don't Lose Hope Yet
@ExtremeGamer It is an odd state of affairs given that current backwards compatible titles using the MT Framework still work on Series X|S. Plus, only 2 years ago the Capcom Fighting Collection released on Xbox One using MT Framework.
So...something has changed in those 2 years...but what?!
Re: Capcom Fighting Collection 2 Not Announced For Xbox, But Don't Lose Hope Yet
@BlueSheepz Wow, rude.
There is a better way to saying "You know, I don't think what you are saying is entirely accurate due to [X]" without being a [expletive] about it - especially since I don't follow all the ins and outs of retro Capcom releases.
I thought I had read a few times that Microsoft required that all new releases had to have a "native" Series X|S version.
Since Series X|S don't natively support the framework - and Capcom has little interest in doing the work due to perceived little to no ROI - that was the reason why MT Framework-based titles are skipping the platform.
That was my basis of my comment.
Re: Capcom Fighting Collection 2 Not Announced For Xbox, But Don't Lose Hope Yet
Microsoft could fix this easily: remove the mandate that new releases require a Series version if the game targets X1.
Done.
Re: Rumour: Black Myth: Wukong 'Memory Leak' Has Caused Xbox Series X|S Delay
@Fiendish-Beaver I wonder about Game Pass sustainability as well. I can actually take it or leave it. I have Game Pass Ultimate until at least 2026, but if it were to ever go away, I'd be fine with it.
In the meantime, I will definitely take advantage of it while I have it.
Personally, I'd love to see a day when no paid services are offered from platform holders and simply offer better game deals to entice people to spend.
I do feel bad for life-long and hardcore Xbox fans. It all must be incredibly frustrating to see this total lack of direction from the platform holder.
As for me, I am just looking for the best option to play the games I want to play and PC feels like the best route forward in today's landscape.
Re: 'Castlevania Dominus Collection' Just Got Shadow Dropped On Xbox Series X|S
It's a good thing there is a Revisited version of Haunted Castle because I certainly wouldn't consider the original version a selling point - the game is just ridiculously hard to the point of not being fun (though, I guess when actual quarters aren't at stake - no pun intended - there is a lot less to lose).
Re: Rumour: Black Myth: Wukong 'Memory Leak' Has Caused Xbox Series X|S Delay
@Fiendish-Beaver Moreso replacing the Xbox as I still have PS5 games on the backlog from this past Christmas to play. Plus, I am currently playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and it isn't available on PC, yet.
I have zero plans to buy a game for Xbox console ever again. The only reason I haven't sold my Series X off is because I plan to get Shadow of the Erdtree (after I finish my PS5 backlog) -
I am not putting another 120 hours on a PC version when I have a perfectly good character ready for it on Xbox - and to play the remaining Alan Wake II DLC (since I already paid for it all).
The only new PS5 game I see getting is Astro Bot which I know will never come to PC (because it simply doesn't make sense on the platform being a giant advertisement/homage/museum for the PlayStation brand).
But I did cancel my PS5 pre-order of Silent Hill 2 and plan to get the PC version, instead.
The only console I plan buying in the foreseeable future is Switch 2. I don't plan to get either PlayStation 6 or NextBox when they come around.
The types of games Sony makes need to be released on more than just PlayStation to be profitable in the way Sony wants and I foresee the release window between PlayStation and PC being much shorter (if not day and date) and I think all Sony games going forward will get a PC release.
Gaming costs have ballooned too much for the exclusive route to be sustainable.
The only exception is Nintendo, which has figured out how to keep development costs low enough to the point of being profitable on one system (but Nintendo also doesn't sell consoles at a loss, which helps).
Re: Rumour: Black Myth: Wukong 'Memory Leak' Has Caused Xbox Series X|S Delay
@Fiendish-Beaver My new PC that I got a couple weeks back.
And to answer the memory leak question - basically there is something that continues to slowly use up memory and can lead to an out of memory error. Usually in some kind of looping logic in the code that either doesn't deallocate memory or runs infinitely to the point of causing a crash.
Though, I would think if it was specific to the game, all platforms would have the problem, so my guess it something in Xbox specific APIs is the culprit.
Re: Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake Tech Specs & Frame Rate Revealed For Xbox
@OldGamer999 I mean...I don't disagree...but honestly, multi-threading has been underutilized since the day multi-core processors were created.
Re: Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake Tech Specs & Frame Rate Revealed For Xbox
@OldGamer999 I think it's going to continue to be a problem until developers start shipping games using Unreal 5.4
I remember Alex of at Digital Foundry showed off The Matrix demo using Unreal 5.4 and the performance gains were pretty significant (50 - 60% boost in performance) when CPU limited - which, is probably the case for a lot of UE5 games on consoles as it's very single-threaded right now.
Re: Rumour: Black Myth: Wukong 'Memory Leak' Has Caused Xbox Series X|S Delay
@JON22 Something is very weird with the Xbox console these days.
HDMI-CEC used to work perfectly and for like the past 6 months or so, it hasn't worked at all. I even tried turning it off, rebooting the console, re-enabling it and rebooting the console and it still doesn't work.
I don't use the machine anymore since getting a PC. Only reason I turned it on recently was to get the list of digital games I own so I could compile an Excel spreadsheet of all the console games I own so I can eventually replace them with PC versions (when they are like a super discount).
If it wasn't for my 120 hours of Elden Ring (planning to get Shadow of the Erdtree at some point) and waiting for all the Alan Wake 2 DLC to come out, I would have just sold the system after I got the PC.
Also, the voice of Son Wukong in the intro sequence is incredibly annoying. Sounds like a cocky [expletive] and not a hero.
Though, maybe that's the point?
I am only vaguely familiar with Journey to the West.
Re: Rumour: Black Myth: Wukong 'Memory Leak' Has Caused Xbox Series X|S Delay
I guess this can put all the "it's because of Series S" comments to bed.
Hopefully this gets fixed soon so people on the Xbox side of things can enjoy the game.
I am really enjoying it. I wouldn't call it GOTY material (though that opening sequence it pretty epic), but it's fun!
Re: Towerborne Dev Explains Why Early Access Is Debuting On Steam Rather Than Xbox
Most PC players hate getting games through the Microsoft Store (which is probably another reason Game Pass isn't as popular on PC).
Sometimes they are missing features. Sometimes there are bugs and crashes that don't exist anywhere else. Sometimes performance is worse than Steam. And, of course, you can't use unofficial mods on Microsoft Store versions of games because the directory is read-only.
So, this the most sense on the PC side of things.
Re: Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Comments On Indiana Jones PS5, And Microsoft's Plan Moving Forward
"It's definitely true inside of Microsoft that the bar is high for us in terms of the delivery that we have to give back to the company - we get a level of support from the company that's just amazing in what we're able to go and do."
To me, this is the key part of this statement. Xbox has a much bigger target on its back from Microsoft proper. It needs to appease the financial gods. Going multi-platform is the only way it can do that without some serious consequences to Xbox by corporate.
Re: Directive 8020: A Dark Pictures Game Promises 'Edge Of Your Seat' Horror On Xbox In 2025
Yay! The Dark Pictures Anthology "Season 2"!
I can't wait!
Re: Nvidia Comparison Shows How PC Ray Tracing Will Look In Xbox's Avowed
So glad I decided to move to PC! I love playing games using Nvidia's tech.
Re: Final Fantasy 16 Director Says He'd Like To See The Game On Xbox
@NEStalgia I posted results over on Push Square from a "quick and dirty" test of the PC version on my new machine:
Ryzen 7800X3D, 32GB RAM, Nvidia 4070 Super, and running off a Samsung 990 Pro M.2 drive (up to 7.4GB/s Read speed)
Running Ultra settings (which the game defaulted) and Native 1440p/DLAA/Frame-gen Off I get anywhere from 58 - 75fps (sometimes 80fps and at one point dropped to 40s).
The game seems to do the exact same thing as the PS5 in Performance Mode where combat encounters perform higher and then drop when exploration kicks back in.
If I turn on Frame-Gen but still keep the game at native resolution with DLAA, it also seems to get into the 90 - 100+ fps range.
If I turn on DLSS Quality, it seems to be in the 90fps range.
Dynamic Resolution Scaling is also an option, but I had my framerate set to 165 and I think it was trying to scale to meet that framerate and the image got incredibly soft.
I am sure I could probably drop to 60 instead and get a much better image closer to 1440p and get a locked 60 - but I would have to play with settings a little more.
Cutscenes are locked to 30fps (and I had one that ran at 59fps for some reason).
Bottom line, the game is actually quite heavy on resources without looking any different from the PS5 version (will need Digital Foundry to point out any enhancements over the console version).
It does run better than the PS5 (with the right settings), but it certainly will require leveraging reconstruction to keep things 60+fps at all times (and rendering resolution doesn't end up being any better than the PS5 version in Performance Mode - at least when using a 4070 Super). Thankfully DLSS does a significantly better job of making the game look native resolution.
On topic: It's good to know that the director wants to have the game on Xbox!
Re: Black Myth: Wukong Debuts To Impressive Reviews Ahead Of Delayed Xbox Launch
@Mustoe I plan to slowly replace my PlayStation and Xbox library over time. But it will be when I see games on deep discount first.
I still have my Xbox and PS5, but I rarely use them now.
Any new games I want I will get on PC.
Re: Black Myth: Wukong Debuts To Impressive Reviews Ahead Of Delayed Xbox Launch
@Mustoe Oh yeah! The thing is a total beast!
I have been playing Lords of the Fallen - native 1440p/DLAA/Cinematic Quality settings/Frame-Gen Off - at around 70fps. Sometimes it dips below 60fps when things get a little too intense, but since my monitor has a 20Hz - 165Hz VRR range, those dips to like 58fps aren’t even noticeable.
I don’t keep the FPS monitor on all the time, though - I mostly use it to get settings right so I’m not stretching my GPU above RAM limits and ignore it.
Just for fun, I ran Alien Isolation without V-Sync and it ran about 500fps. 🤣
Heck even Immortals of Aveum I can run maxed out and get above 60fps.
Re: Black Myth: Wukong Debuts To Impressive Reviews Ahead Of Delayed Xbox Launch
I got this game for "free" since the gaming PC I bought last week had an Nvidia 4070 Super.
I can't wait to give it a go!
Re: Blizzard's Overwatch 2 Is Integrating With Xbox Game Pass Next Month
In other words, Overwatch 2 bonuses will get integrated into the Game Pass Perk system just like other Live Service games.
Re: The Mortuary Assistant Dev 'Unbearably Upset' As Game Suffers Xbox-Exclusive Delay
Stupid clerical errors messing things up for Xbox fans!
I am going to check out the demo on Steam later today.
Re: Two 'Halloween' Games Are In The Works, One In Development Using Unreal Engine 5
@Kezelpaso Creative Assembly should use the Alien: Isolation engine. I swear that was the greatest horror game ever made - literally had me sweating by the end!
Most horror games are able to achieve the vibe of horror, but never actually end up "scary". Alien: Isolation is downright terrifying.
Re: Despite Xbox Woes, Capcom Wants More Classic Fighting Games On 'Modern Consoles'
Why couldn't Capcom just release its entire arcade library on the Arcade Stadium over time?!
Capcom had the perfect avenue to release everything in one place using a DLC pack structure.
I always thought that Arcade Stadium 2 was odd as Capcom could have just continued adding games to the first one.
Oh wait...money.
Re: Two 'Halloween' Games Are In The Works, One In Development Using Unreal Engine 5
"and series creator John Carpenter will be "intimately involved" with the project"
He needs to be "intimately involved" in getting a 4K release of In the Mouth of Madness!
Will this be another asynchronous horror title that won't be able to beat Dead by Daylight's popularity and die within a year?
Re: Xbox's Hi-Fi Rush Studio Tango Gameworks Revived, Acquired By PUBG Publisher
I am glad this all worked out in the end for Tango and I can't wait to see what else it makes!
Re: Surprise! Bethesda Has 'Enhanced' The First Two DOOM Games On Xbox Game Pass
@Glassneedles I did confirm, both DOS versions of DOOM and DOOM II are available.
Though the DOOM 1 & 2 version is amazing in its own right. Played it at 165 FPS (only because I forgot to turn VSync off on my computer).
Re: Surprise! Bethesda Has 'Enhanced' The First Two DOOM Games On Xbox Game Pass
@Glassneedles I know Ultimate Doom had the Rerelease folder before it updated to this collection - but those WADs for Ultimate Doom had the edited Medical Kits with the Green Cross from the Unity version as opposed to the Red Cross of the DOS version.
Re: Surprise! Bethesda Has 'Enhanced' The First Two DOOM Games On Xbox Game Pass
I just like that my copy of Ultimate Doom on Steam updated to Doom 1 & 2.
I do need to see if the original DOS version of Doom II is included as I only had access to the original version of Ultimate Doom - especially since I can't just buy Doom 2 on Steam now with this being combined.
Why does this matter?!
To use the original WADs for other Source Ports!