Looks good, i wish PS did more pics and logos. They still have mostly PS3 avatars and next to no new ones. I would love some different ones and some classic PS1-PS3 logos.
These look really good on my Oled with it being mostly black. It’s a nice touch for sure.
Wow that is an impressive list of updates. I do not have a ROG Ally X yet as i suppose i don’t have a true need for it. But it’s good to see them making such improvements as this will all come back around for a greater Helix and Xbox handheld down the road one would like to think.
@Questionable_Duck I love your takes. It’s so spot on. I admire your ability to do it in a way you don’t get attacked like I do on Push Square. Both fan bases have some serious moments of stepping in it and then acting like it smells like flowers. Gaming is gaming and platform loyalty isn’t a bad thing until it attacks other gamers and makes the whole industry toxic. I love reading what you have to say and I just wanted to share that.
That’s awesome news. I know it’s been a long time ago. But a dev said we got a chance to see this game and it was the best looking video game he ever seen. Now take that with a grain of salt sure. But this studio is the master of Unreal Engine. I look for this to really push what’s possible. If the gameplay is there and I believe it will be, this has a chance to bring Gears of War back to its fanbase in a big big way.
@TheGameThrifter most of what you listed is all true in that it had a negative effect on the console. But notice how most of this happened once Satya Nadella and Amy Hood started making decisions. So much so Phil stopped talking and retired early. I ain’t here to say Phil didn’t have his miscues on some stuff. But his vision is very different then when those 2 suits got involved. Phil is very well liked around the industry, actually plays games and once those two took over i think he gave in cause he knew many things were not going in the favor of the gamer. Satya is the one on record saying he don’t like exclusives and then poof they are gone. I mean you can see that right? Again i understand your frustration with the brand, i am there with you. But it wasn’t all Phil and now all of a sudden Asha is going to save us. I like some of the things she is doing and she wants to get off on a good start with the gamers. So far I’d like to say she has. But she has a long way to go to turn things around and thats IF a big IF Amy Hood and company stay out of her way. Which i am not sure will be the case.
@TheGameThrifter that was some fixes to the Ui, the achievements update I was talking about was mentioned by Phil a good while back that the team was looking at achievements and a few other hardware plans he (Phil) was excited about. Most of what happens in 2026 from a software and hardware side was seen by past leaderships. Not to say she won’t prioritize or change something’s here and there. But we will really she what she is doing more in 2027 than now. I like her so far and hope she continues to do well for the brand cause we all win. But to say something so STUPID as to he ruined the brand, the brand was dead and about to be folded before Phil. No he wasn’t always perfect and MS higher up’s got in his way and vision after the ABK deal. But you are wrong in saying he ruined the brand. Xbox One reveal ruined the brand. Anyone with a Xbox 360 and 2 working brain cells knows that.
@Fiendish-Beaver im there with ya friend. I will be playing it as well non stop. For sure on Xbox as i like the controller better. Maybe PS6 will slim down the Dual Sense and i can use it a little longer without the thumb fatigue and then i might double dip a few games and E-day would be one of them. The talks around Xbox right now is exciting and confusing all the same. Hope we get some clear answers soon.
@Fiendish-Beaver I agree and most of what you said I have been saying and thinking as well. All of a sudden now people are beating their behinds on it being Xbox and PC only. So I don’t know what to think anymore with all the rumors and idea’s going around. This is the part that Asha needs to iron out and make sure there’s clear cut answers for the strategy going forward. To much mystery at the moment. I hear what you are saying tho, it makes and made sense to me up until about a week ago. Time will tell friend. June showcase should tell us all we need to know. I still feel Halo and Gears are coming to PS5 but I could be wrong.
Tim dog said he will leave the internet and shut down his social media if Gears of War E Day isn’t exclusive, that is how much he has heard internally at MS. He is 100% sure E-day is not coming to PS5. I am just not that sure on anything MS. So that’s a bold claim. But MS might really try and go back to it cause only two titles really sold all that well on PS. This will be interesting to see how it plays out. Console sales aren’t growing tho and i think the bet is on PC continuing to gran market share as the data shows it will surpass console in software sales dollars. Xbox is just more whip cream on top. Whether that works or not, i am not sure. But things could get interesting in this final lead up to the next gen console release.
@TheGameThrifter all the updates you are seeing now was done by Phil. Those take time to work on. Not like she came in and in one month they did all this. We will know what she is working on more in 2027 than this year. Most of what comes out this year if not all is thing that were in place under Phil. Not taking sides either, that’s just how these hand off’s in management work.
@Qozmyk there’s no way for it not to be supported cause the games in Dev will be on windows PC’s and the next Xbox get’s that copy cause it’s a windows PC. This will be a easy to support console cause the work is already done. How well those games will run, cheating etc that comes with PC is my concern. Otherwise this will be the first Xbox that can play the biggest library of any platform in the world.
@Banjo- couldn’t agree more my friend. The trigger shortcuts are so good when i am on another console and it don’t have it. It just feels outdated to the Xbox Ui. PS5 has to many button presses to get to the end. Xbox is normally around half as many, yes i counted HAHA. I am happy to see them asking what they can do to the console to better the player experience . They are really on the right track with the new leadership. I have always love my Series X since day one but any improvements are welcomed and in my opinion furthers the gap as to why it’s my main platform.
@Banjo- i have been saying HDR on the dashboard and achievements page for years now. I have a high end OLED TV so anything not high def looks out of place. I would add to remove the add’s from the home screen and then this UI is near a 10/10 for me.
@Fiendish-Beaver for sure buddy, yeah it ain’t cheap. But if it works for you and you like it, then it’s worth it. But for me i thanked my friend for letting me try it and get a headache to know i an’t paying a dollar for it. It’s cool tech for sure. But my eyes and head didn’t care for it. I hear headache is common from it, but it’s also able to make people sick or have a seizure. I honestly can’t see PS continuing to support it into PS6 as it’s not selling much and software support is limited. But i hear GT7 is excellent on it. Good luck with it my friend !
@Fiendish-Beaver it gave me a headache in about 30 mins or less and to go with my sore left thumb from the Dual Sense controller my PS5 hurts my body HAHA. I would try it and return it in the return policy if it messes with you. You will know in a short time if it’s for you or not.
@VisitingComet1 yeah i know what you mean, the console itself was good but all the mess they added and said just did it no justice. Still love that controller to this day. I played so much TitanFall at launch.
Yeah that online CO-OP for sure will be a good time. Beating it on Legendary together. I am looking forward to it. Just wish it had the online MP as i love that part of Halo. I played a lot of Halo Infinite. Around 200 hours. While it wasn’t perfect. It was so much fun. But i always wanted it to be more. It lacked a punch so to say. But was still very fun. Excited for what’s to come from Halo Studios.
@VisitingComet1 i agree with you. I hope they continue to show the console some love and that they do have a plan for it. Like you said stick to it and no backing out all the time and starting over. I think they are going to focus more on Xbox seeing as they want momentum heading into Helix. I loved the Xbox One, i didn’t think much was all that wrong minus the TV TV TV. The console and controller i really enjoyed and played the heck out of it. Most of what it did then the consoles now all do. But going on Stage talking TV was so lame. This is an Xbox was even dumber i must agree with you. Here’s hoping things are going in the right direction as we need all 3 fighting for our dollars.
@Fiendish-Beaver Phil mentioned that Jason’s team was working on upgrades to achievements a while back. A lot of this is starting to roll out and i am sure the new CEO is placing what she thinks will be the most exciting news and how much time that news does or doesn’t get. But i knew for a while now there was something planned for achievements. Happy to learn about it today tho. Xbox is starting to put together a lot of good announcements and that scares me cause isn’t this when they step on the rake most times?
@Balaam_ i have to agree with you on this. First i will say at least we can now hide them. That’s better than what we had. But to your point. I want total control over my achievements and games. I want to be able to delete it like it never happened. I also think you are spot on in saying put some pressure on devs to make better achievements. You may or may not agree with me on this, but i always said 40-50% of achievements should be just finishing the campaign. Then if they want to be stupid with the collect 32,000 hard to see pieces of nothing for 100G, go for it i guess. It gives bragging rights to those that want to hunt every corner of the game to find a worthless gem. I am not saying make 100% a game easy. But respect my time and the game. Make it to where the games natural fun is how you earn them and not killing 1 million rare creatures and such. I am happy today to see some improvements coming and I think now is our time to be loud and say what works from this update and what doesn’t. Maybe they will continue to listen to how we want control over our digital media and achievements.
Stinks there’s no MP, but i get it as to why. But i still would have loved to played it. I will pick this one up day one if it’s $50, no more since no MP. But will be fun to play and see Halo in true next gen visuals. Audio should really be great too.
That’s a great list and someone that had around 1500 hours in Gears 5 multiplayer. I really want the multiplayer to play a tad different. I will start by saying Gears of War is a top 3 all time series for me. Hence the hours played on just Gears 5 online. The Gnasher is the key weapon in multiplayer to the point of if you can’t use it you likely quit playing. We need more weapons to matter. But still make it feel like Gears of War. That is hard to pull off. It’s a big ask to not put off the players that love to wall bounce and kill you with the shotgun but have less of a skill gap that someone can get a few kills with other styles. Something else I am interested in. The Gears don’t know the power and threat of the locust. They are new and just appeared. Maybe you don’t have a Gnasher or Lancer we have come to know. Maybe those were made later to deal with the threat that are these huge monsters. So a new set of weapons is all they would have to use against the threat. That could carry over into multiplayer. I got a ton of questions as anytime a Red Dead, Gears of War or Diablo game come out I know I will be around 1000 hours or more into them. Can’t wait for the show. Brothers till the End!!!
Finally get to see Gears of War E-Day. This is my most wanted game. I can’t wait to see what changes they have to it. On a high end PC i suspect this will have the best graphics of the year. Leakers that saw it a year ago called it the best looking game they ever seen. That’s high praise, but i think it will be great. Can’t wait for the show.
@Lanmanna i would love to see an add on for Xbox and Sony into the future for sure. I am just not sure that will happen at some point due to components and manufacturing. Sony has already been rumored to have an Add on for PS6 so that is good for those that like to buy physical. Xbox i am not so sure, but I’d like to see it for those that like to both 1/3 to a 1/2 the game on disc and download the rest. Which in itself is a crime to physical buyers.
@FishDude glad you like it. It’s not a bad controller. I just really don’t like in line stick and it’s a tad too wide for my liking. For some reason it really hurts my left thumb using it. So i tend to play in small sittings on PS5. I like the haptics. They feel good in some games for sure. But the Xbox controller fits me like a glove and i really like the Switch 2 Pro controller as well. I really strongly perfer the off set sticks.
@GeminiX53 i went digital towards the end of the 360. I didn’t want to as i liked the disc and the cases for them. But i was in college and room was tight. I made the switch as i knew there would be a day we don’t need discs. I never said i don’t want physical around. I wish it would be for those that like it. But retailers are carrying less and less of it. Disc parts are less in rotation. Even Phil Spencer said getting the parts is becoming more rare. Know why? Cause only video games mass produce it still. Cars, no, laptops no , PC gaming no. So it’s not this evil ploy to make players switch, it’s a reaction to the market. We can’t expect Sony and MS to continue to support something a small percentage of its player base uses. Remember you are the small piece of the pie of money now.
Even collectors editions now come with a digital code. That upsets me and i don’t even like disc base media anymore. I think yall get screwed on those and i complain towards that. For those prices they can please the collector. Yet they don’t. So why would they in the next 5, 10 and 15 years.
@OneArmedGiant i don’t care how people like to consume their content. I am only showing the point of video games and it’s cry baby logic of i won’t buy anything if it doesn’t have a disc is slowly at the point of actually having to do just that and that’s quit gaming as it's closer and closer to being digital only, and as much as I’d love the industry without some of whining the truth is it’s not a good thing to lose options and have big collections not able to be used. But many older people have had to make that change and leave a medium behind. But to my knowledge they didn’t stomp their feet and cry and say they would never buy watch play or listen to anything again. They adopted and you will too or you will have a new hobby and yes it sucks. But it’s closer than you think.
@GeminiX53 @Lanmanna no bleeping kidding i can get her things to use in her home for music, all tho that 4 and 6 disc cd players are in fact getting harder to find. But my point was what does she do in her car? Look up a 2023 BMW M5 and show me how her tapes and CD’s are suppose to be easily played. They aren’t and soon neither will your games on discs. It’s not a get mad at the messenger thing it’s more like take a hint to start buying digital a little more or slam into the brick wall that in a few more years there are even less disc driver devices made. I have said on this very post it’s sad for the physical collector and i hope you all get a add on for one more console cycle, but that would be the best case, as many retailers have shrunk their non Nintendo physical game aisles. CD’s and physical movies are gone from most US major retailers. So it’s a life support situation. I ain’t saying i am happy about it, nor do i think less options are good. But most games aren’t even on the disc, you download it anyways.
Last point I’d like to make is everyone says well MS is taking away our discs, and not prioritizing physical games. Well on PS that does a little more with physical releases, last release cycle they showed only 18% of their revenue was physical. So clearly it’s a consumer trend as much as a corporate one
I’ve been 100% digital since it became an option of purchase. So i have no discs but i would like to see an Add on for those that like physical and have collections. However i see a lot of people moaning about the thought of no disc drive. I have a few questions for you. When you go to buy a new vehicle do you say you won’t buy it cause it don’t come with a CD player? When you need a new laptop do you not buy it cause 95% of them don’t come with one anymore. my point is game consoles are the last consumer device that even has a disc drive and the parts and manufacturing for disc drives is almost dead. I am sad for the collections everyone has and likes to use. But the writing is on the wall. Think of someone my mom’s age that used to collect records, than tapes and then CD’s and now has very little ways to listen to that music as technology changed. That is a big reason as soon as digital purchases became an option i hopped on it as i knew it was my only chance at keeping my collection of media to some sort. So far all my 360, Xbox One, Series X and PS3-PS5 digital library is there for my access.
This is normal. She will want her people in those spots if she thinks those spots are even needed. I am liking the shake up so far. But have a lot left to see.
@GuyinPA75 the demos Nvida is showing is using not one but TWO RTX 5090 cards. No console is going to have that power. That is around $5000 in just GPU’s. Now it’s rumored the next Xbox will have 20x the ray tracing power of Series X. Which is a huge leap. But not two 5090’s power.
@FishDude i never said it wasn’t a PC/Console hybrid. In fact that is what we have all known it will be. It will play your PC and XBOX games. The same way the Steam Machine will be a console/PC you hook up to your TV. It’s never not been known to be that and that’s what many of us are exciting for. Myself included!!
I don’t care what PS has cause it has something i don’t like to us and that is it’s controller. So it could have every game ever made on it but i rarely play mine cause i don’t enjoy the controller. They fix that to something I enjoy using and then i will reconsider.
@Banjo- i agree, and the refund for digital purchases on Nintendo and Sony is embarrassingly bad in year 2026. Banjo you know when Xbox does something stupid we are hear to say WTF. But there are post making fun of Xbox on post about nothing related to corporate mistakes and it turns into Xbox is Dead and there goes my library i am going to say something. For those that don’t want the next Xbox, that’s cool, don’t buy one. But stop with the phony claims that MS is out of hardware and not supporting your collection of Xbox games. That is simply not true.
@nomither6 the games and Ui, i played a insane amount of TitanFall, so much so that i wish i had waited longer to pick up my PS4. Cause i didn’t play it hardly at all in year one. There were things on the Ui for Xbox one that i really liked and really hated at first. PS has yet to have a Ui i think is good. I really like the design of both Xbox Ones, i know that won’t be a popular opinion but i liked it. I liked the PS4 as well that Gen.
@GeminiX53 thanks, it isn’t a bad name. For as much as i liked Xbox One and Xbox One X. The name was just so bad. I loved the hardware and controller way more than the other consoles of the time. But that name was a mistake and they need to make sure this name makes sense and has easy marketing tie in’s.
@Fiendish-Beaver Me and you both are BIG Xbox fans. I will get that point out of the way. But the one thing i see on here a lot and not saying you, is MS taking bad comments when they aren’t stepping on rakes. When they do i blast them as well. The price hike to GP was STUPID and they did more things that i thought were dumb as well. But some on here are just throwing shade at the fact Xbox is still even around and doing things. Now for your point.
Xbox has been the ONLY company in the past and just this last week that talks about game preservation. They have a dedicated backwards compatibility team. They always talk about your WHOLE Xbox collection coming forward with you and they have already started talking about that with Helix. So why all the Doom and gloom about we spent all this money and Xbox is pulling the rug on us. They ain’t, they are the only company respecting your past purchase history and makes it run better for free. Ask Nintendo if they do that? Ask Sony if they give free updates to older classic PS titles. Hell Sony only has 2 generations of games on a box. So my comment of go over to that side and see how you are treated stands for everyone reading this. Most of us have all 3 consoles and we know this is an area Xbox destroys the competition in. The issue is is anti Xbox fan’s make videos all the time on Xbox is Dead and leaving hardware and they are stopping support of this and that when MS has never said that not to mention keep saying and showing they have more in store for the future. There were people on here a few weeks ago saying next gen XBox would be cancelled and here it is they are giving hints to it coming in 2027 and what it will do. People saying this is the last console, how do any of us know that for sure? Anti Xbox fans are laying rat poison and rat traps all over and Xbox fans are eating it and walking into it to stay up with the trend. Again MS has made many mistakes with Xbox, known fact. The one thing they never did was say screw your past titles and we are done in Hardware.
Good idea in practice as we have more tech in today’s world to meet gamers in different places and platforms. But the marketing behind it and just the way it sent a message i think was wrong. Glad to see it retired and on to the console/PC hybrid messaging.
@MaccaMUFC on Moores law is Dead, they have the leaked chips at around 20X ray tracing performance on Helix over the Series X. It will be a night and day difference. Both next gen consoles will use ray tracing to be the standout graphic bump. I am excited to see it. Wish Helix was this holiday season.
@BacklogBrad The 'xbox is dead' crowd won't like this.
HAHA you beat me to it. I was going to say this. There will be videos on YouTube today with this interview spinning it into Xbox is Dead. A cat has 9 lives, a Xbox has 25 years of being dead and still alive.
@themightyant i am not saying i have the answers nor know what they will or should do. But a few idea’s i think that would at least be a good start.
1 advertise the Xbox more and Better
2 Drop the online paywall
3 get Gamepass ultimate to $20 a month
Just those 3 make the console more felt by players. Don’t mean it will light the world on fire for sales. That ship for this console cycle has sailed. But it’s good press leading up to the next console.
@BIG3 if she let us delete a game we tried and didn’t like but scored 5G on it and let us delete it from our list. I would send her three fifty to her banking account. I hate that I can’t control my achievements and get rid of games I didn’t even like.
@Millionski I talk about today’s Xbox all the time. It has better services than the completion in consoles. It has a WAY better refund for digital purchases than current other consoles. It has free cloud saves over current consoles. It has better Ui features than current consoles (Quick Resume) etc. I am unapologetic for saying I like my Series X better than current consoles today.
I remember reading on here from some that Phil needs to go. Well he gone! So now we have to see what is next. This week has been a doozy for the industry, we need something exciting to be a pick me up. The industry really is having a hard time recovering from those inflated Covid lockdown numbers. The red line that must go up is driving everyone to forget that was a once in a 100 year event that inflated numbers across more than just gaming,
Sad to see Phil go tho, I was always a Phil guy. I liked that he was a gamer and really loved video games. It showed and the last year or so he has been distant and you could tell the love of the business was a little lost in his eyes and voice.
@Zenszulu you are correct and thats why MS get’s roasted over it daily on the inter webs. I guess Sony didn’t want to be left out in making poor upper management decisions this generation. This isn’t a he did she did thing. They are both making big mistakes and throwing money away.
@themightyant they HAD a lot of multiplayer add on’s to single player games in the PS3 generation for sure. I always liked that balance for them. PS4 was a lot less focus on multiplayer cause they just paid COD for marketing rights and stayed away. Which was smart to some degree. COD was massive and they didn’t want to put the time and money into multiplayer for it to be ignored. I respect that. But then the change happened and that was razor thin profit margins on single player games and the industry focusing on monthly returning investments, such as services and in game loot etc etc. Sony wants and needs that money and Jim the Tim Tim Nid Rod Ryan was just the guy to push it hard. While he was out flying the PS private jet trying to block MS from getting ABK he also had the time to refocus Sony in house software projects and it’s been a train wreck to put it nicely. If Marathon flops, and it might not flop but it won’t be a cash cow. It could last 6 months to a year maybe at best before player count drops. We are talking Billions in investments to chase this software cash cow and again go for it if that’s what the company needs to please investors and such. But don’t close down BP which could have been easy money and also why in the world were they working on GOW live service. Why would anyone do that? Herman Hulst claimed in his email Sony don’t have enough IP, well give BP a chance to make a new one, they wanted to do something new and original. Anyways i just think there is no way around it, Sony has been a mess this generation upper management wise and one more move like this and they will over take MS as the worse management in gaming and that is something i never thought I’d say HAHA
@GamingGod Steam has very little employees. Run’s a highly profitable business and is pro gamer and has as loyal of fans as Nintendo if not more. So it can be done. It’s a matter of know how and smarter planning. To much waste in the world and then they want to blame the system instead of themselves. Accountability is lost, that is where your worry should be in my opinion.
I mean i would be ok with this. But it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they were on team Red, Nintendo. That’s super unlikely to happen of course. But i would be happy about it. But i do hope BP lives on.
@themightyant i don’t know as i am no insider into Sony. One thing i do know is they did a heavy pivot from single player to live service and i ain’t talking like one to two studios. I am saying dang near all of them outside of the marvel team insomniac. I am not so sure that didn’t come from Sony higher up’s. Especially since many of them cancelled and supposedly didn’t have a big enough team to support the title into the future. Well somewhere along the way Communication and planning was thrown out the window. I was looking forward to the live service push in the beginning as i grew very bored with Sony first party titles. They all played the same in the PS4 generation to me. So I welcomed it. But it tanked hard and took a lot of money, time and teams down with it.
Comments 2,564
Re: Xbox Adds Backgrounds, Profile Themes & Gamer Pics Based On New Logo Designs
Looks good, i wish PS did more pics and logos. They still have mostly PS3 avatars and next to no new ones. I would love some different ones and some classic PS1-PS3 logos.
These look really good on my Oled with it being mostly black. It’s a nice touch for sure.
Re: Xbox Unveils Tons Of New ROG Ally Features, Including The Long-Awaited Auto SR
Wow that is an impressive list of updates. I do not have a ROG Ally X yet as i suppose i don’t have a true need for it. But it’s good to see them making such improvements as this will all come back around for a greater Helix and Xbox handheld down the road one would like to think.
Re: Xbox Is Officially 'Reevaluating' What To Do About Exclusivity
@cragis0001 HAHA well thanks. I try too anyhow. I am really excited for what looks to be a huge come back to the Xbox console. This was needed.
Re: Xbox Is Officially 'Reevaluating' What To Do About Exclusivity
@Questionable_Duck I love your takes. It’s so spot on. I admire your ability to do it in a way you don’t get attacked like I do on Push Square. Both fan bases have some serious moments of stepping in it and then acting like it smells like flowers. Gaming is gaming and platform loyalty isn’t a bad thing until it attacks other gamers and makes the whole industry toxic. I love reading what you have to say and I just wanted to share that.
Re: Gears Of War E-Day Direct Length Detailed As Xbox Games Showcase Reveals Get Locked In
That’s awesome news. I know it’s been a long time ago. But a dev said we got a chance to see this game and it was the best looking video game he ever seen. Now take that with a grain of salt sure. But this studio is the master of Unreal Engine. I look for this to really push what’s possible. If the gameplay is there and I believe it will be, this has a chance to bring Gears of War back to its fanbase in a big big way.
Re: Talking Point: Are You Happy With The New Updates Coming To Xbox Consoles So Far?
@TheGameThrifter most of what you listed is all true in that it had a negative effect on the console. But notice how most of this happened once Satya Nadella and Amy Hood started making decisions. So much so Phil stopped talking and retired early. I ain’t here to say Phil didn’t have his miscues on some stuff. But his vision is very different then when those 2 suits got involved. Phil is very well liked around the industry, actually plays games and once those two took over i think he gave in cause he knew many things were not going in the favor of the gamer. Satya is the one on record saying he don’t like exclusives and then poof they are gone. I mean you can see that right? Again i understand your frustration with the brand, i am there with you. But it wasn’t all Phil and now all of a sudden Asha is going to save us. I like some of the things she is doing and she wants to get off on a good start with the gamers. So far I’d like to say she has. But she has a long way to go to turn things around and thats IF a big IF Amy Hood and company stay out of her way. Which i am not sure will be the case.
Re: Talking Point: Are You Happy With The New Updates Coming To Xbox Consoles So Far?
@TheGameThrifter that was some fixes to the Ui, the achievements update I was talking about was mentioned by Phil a good while back that the team was looking at achievements and a few other hardware plans he (Phil) was excited about. Most of what happens in 2026 from a software and hardware side was seen by past leaderships. Not to say she won’t prioritize or change something’s here and there. But we will really she what she is doing more in 2027 than now. I like her so far and hope she continues to do well for the brand cause we all win. But to say something so STUPID as to he ruined the brand, the brand was dead and about to be folded before Phil. No he wasn’t always perfect and MS higher up’s got in his way and vision after the ABK deal. But you are wrong in saying he ruined the brand. Xbox One reveal ruined the brand. Anyone with a Xbox 360 and 2 working brain cells knows that.
Re: Xbox Is Having 'Very Big Discussions' About Exclusivity, Says Reporter
@Fiendish-Beaver im there with ya friend. I will be playing it as well non stop. For sure on Xbox as i like the controller better. Maybe PS6 will slim down the Dual Sense and i can use it a little longer without the thumb fatigue and then i might double dip a few games and E-day would be one of them. The talks around Xbox right now is exciting and confusing all the same. Hope we get some clear answers soon.
Re: Xbox Is Having 'Very Big Discussions' About Exclusivity, Says Reporter
@Fiendish-Beaver I agree and most of what you said I have been saying and thinking as well. All of a sudden now people are beating their behinds on it being Xbox and PC only. So I don’t know what to think anymore with all the rumors and idea’s going around. This is the part that Asha needs to iron out and make sure there’s clear cut answers for the strategy going forward. To much mystery at the moment. I hear what you are saying tho, it makes and made sense to me up until about a week ago. Time will tell friend. June showcase should tell us all we need to know. I still feel Halo and Gears are coming to PS5 but I could be wrong.
Re: Xbox Is Having 'Very Big Discussions' About Exclusivity, Says Reporter
Tim dog said he will leave the internet and shut down his social media if Gears of War E Day isn’t exclusive, that is how much he has heard internally at MS. He is 100% sure E-day is not coming to PS5. I am just not that sure on anything MS. So that’s a bold claim. But MS might really try and go back to it cause only two titles really sold all that well on PS. This will be interesting to see how it plays out. Console sales aren’t growing tho and i think the bet is on PC continuing to gran market share as the data shows it will surpass console in software sales dollars. Xbox is just more whip cream on top. Whether that works or not, i am not sure. But things could get interesting in this final lead up to the next gen console release.
Re: Talking Point: Are You Happy With The New Updates Coming To Xbox Consoles So Far?
@TheGameThrifter all the updates you are seeing now was done by Phil. Those take time to work on. Not like she came in and in one month they did all this. We will know what she is working on more in 2027 than this year. Most of what comes out this year if not all is thing that were in place under Phil. Not taking sides either, that’s just how these hand off’s in management work.
Re: Former Xbox Exec Says Project Helix Is 'Very Similar' To Microsoft's Plan For The OG Xbox
@Qozmyk there’s no way for it not to be supported cause the games in Dev will be on windows PC’s and the next Xbox get’s that copy cause it’s a windows PC. This will be a easy to support console cause the work is already done. How well those games will run, cheating etc that comes with PC is my concern. Otherwise this will be the first Xbox that can play the biggest library of any platform in the world.
Re: 'What Do You Want Added?' - Xbox Engineer Requests Ideas For New Console Features
@Banjo- couldn’t agree more my friend. The trigger shortcuts are so good when i am on another console and it don’t have it. It just feels outdated to the Xbox Ui. PS5 has to many button presses to get to the end. Xbox is normally around half as many, yes i counted HAHA. I am happy to see them asking what they can do to the console to better the player experience . They are really on the right track with the new leadership. I have always love my Series X since day one but any improvements are welcomed and in my opinion furthers the gap as to why it’s my main platform.
Re: 'What Do You Want Added?' - Xbox Engineer Requests Ideas For New Console Features
@Banjo- i have been saying HDR on the dashboard and achievements page for years now. I have a high end OLED TV so anything not high def looks out of place. I would add to remove the add’s from the home screen and then this UI is near a 10/10 for me.
Re: Preview: We've Played Forza Horizon 6, And It's Potentially The Best Entry To Date
@Fiendish-Beaver for sure buddy, yeah it ain’t cheap. But if it works for you and you like it, then it’s worth it. But for me i thanked my friend for letting me try it and get a headache to know i an’t paying a dollar for it. It’s cool tech for sure. But my eyes and head didn’t care for it. I hear headache is common from it, but it’s also able to make people sick or have a seizure. I honestly can’t see PS continuing to support it into PS6 as it’s not selling much and software support is limited. But i hear GT7 is excellent on it. Good luck with it my friend !
Re: Preview: We've Played Forza Horizon 6, And It's Potentially The Best Entry To Date
@Fiendish-Beaver it gave me a headache in about 30 mins or less and to go with my sore left thumb from the Dual Sense controller my PS5 hurts my body HAHA. I would try it and return it in the return policy if it messes with you. You will know in a short time if it’s for you or not.
Re: Xbox Achievements Are Getting A 'Refresh' With Multiple New Improvements
@VisitingComet1 yeah i know what you mean, the console itself was good but all the mess they added and said just did it no justice. Still love that controller to this day. I played so much TitanFall at launch.
Re: Rumour: Xbox To Release Halo: Campaign Evolved In July 2026, Early Access Included
Yeah that online CO-OP for sure will be a good time. Beating it on Legendary together. I am looking forward to it. Just wish it had the online MP as i love that part of Halo. I played a lot of Halo Infinite. Around 200 hours. While it wasn’t perfect. It was so much fun. But i always wanted it to be more. It lacked a punch so to say. But was still very fun. Excited for what’s to come from Halo Studios.
Re: Xbox Achievements Are Getting A 'Refresh' With Multiple New Improvements
@VisitingComet1 i agree with you. I hope they continue to show the console some love and that they do have a plan for it. Like you said stick to it and no backing out all the time and starting over. I think they are going to focus more on Xbox seeing as they want momentum heading into Helix. I loved the Xbox One, i didn’t think much was all that wrong minus the TV TV TV. The console and controller i really enjoyed and played the heck out of it. Most of what it did then the consoles now all do. But going on Stage talking TV was so lame. This is an Xbox was even dumber i must agree with you. Here’s hoping things are going in the right direction as we need all 3 fighting for our dollars.
Re: Xbox Achievements Are Getting A 'Refresh' With Multiple New Improvements
@Fiendish-Beaver Phil mentioned that Jason’s team was working on upgrades to achievements a while back. A lot of this is starting to roll out and i am sure the new CEO is placing what she thinks will be the most exciting news and how much time that news does or doesn’t get. But i knew for a while now there was something planned for achievements. Happy to learn about it today tho. Xbox is starting to put together a lot of good announcements and that scares me cause isn’t this when they step on the rake most times?
Re: Xbox Achievements Are Getting A 'Refresh' With Multiple New Improvements
@Balaam_ i have to agree with you on this. First i will say at least we can now hide them. That’s better than what we had. But to your point. I want total control over my achievements and games. I want to be able to delete it like it never happened. I also think you are spot on in saying put some pressure on devs to make better achievements. You may or may not agree with me on this, but i always said 40-50% of achievements should be just finishing the campaign. Then if they want to be stupid with the collect 32,000 hard to see pieces of nothing for 100G, go for it i guess. It gives bragging rights to those that want to hunt every corner of the game to find a worthless gem. I am not saying make 100% a game easy. But respect my time and the game. Make it to where the games natural fun is how you earn them and not killing 1 million rare creatures and such. I am happy today to see some improvements coming and I think now is our time to be loud and say what works from this update and what doesn’t. Maybe they will continue to listen to how we want control over our digital media and achievements.
Re: Rumour: Xbox To Release Halo: Campaign Evolved In July 2026, Early Access Included
Stinks there’s no MP, but i get it as to why. But i still would have loved to played it. I will pick this one up day one if it’s $50, no more since no MP. But will be fun to play and see Halo in true next gen visuals. Audio should really be great too.
Re: Five Things We Want To See From Xbox's Gears Of War: E-Day Direct
That’s a great list and someone that had around 1500 hours in Gears 5 multiplayer. I really want the multiplayer to play a tad different. I will start by saying Gears of War is a top 3 all time series for me. Hence the hours played on just Gears 5 online. The Gnasher is the key weapon in multiplayer to the point of if you can’t use it you likely quit playing. We need more weapons to matter. But still make it feel like Gears of War. That is hard to pull off. It’s a big ask to not put off the players that love to wall bounce and kill you with the shotgun but have less of a skill gap that someone can get a few kills with other styles. Something else I am interested in. The Gears don’t know the power and threat of the locust. They are new and just appeared. Maybe you don’t have a Gnasher or Lancer we have come to know. Maybe those were made later to deal with the threat that are these huge monsters. So a new set of weapons is all they would have to use against the threat. That could carry over into multiplayer. I got a ton of questions as anytime a Red Dead, Gears of War or Diablo game come out I know I will be around 1000 hours or more into them. Can’t wait for the show. Brothers till the End!!!
Re: Xbox Games Showcase Announced For June 2026, Featuring Gears Of War: E-Day Direct
Finally get to see Gears of War E-Day. This is my most wanted game. I can’t wait to see what changes they have to it. On a high end PC i suspect this will have the best graphics of the year. Leakers that saw it a year ago called it the best looking game they ever seen. That’s high praise, but i think it will be great. Can’t wait for the show.
Re: Talking Point: Do You Think Project Helix Will Support Physical Xbox Games?
@Lanmanna i would love to see an add on for Xbox and Sony into the future for sure. I am just not sure that will happen at some point due to components and manufacturing. Sony has already been rumored to have an Add on for PS6 so that is good for those that like to buy physical. Xbox i am not so sure, but I’d like to see it for those that like to both 1/3 to a 1/2 the game on disc and download the rest. Which in itself is a crime to physical buyers.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Call Its 'Project Helix' Console?
@FishDude glad you like it. It’s not a bad controller. I just really don’t like in line stick and it’s a tad too wide for my liking. For some reason it really hurts my left thumb using it. So i tend to play in small sittings on PS5. I like the haptics. They feel good in some games for sure. But the Xbox controller fits me like a glove and i really like the Switch 2 Pro controller as well. I really strongly perfer the off set sticks.
Re: Talking Point: Do You Think Project Helix Will Support Physical Xbox Games?
@GeminiX53 i went digital towards the end of the 360. I didn’t want to as i liked the disc and the cases for them. But i was in college and room was tight. I made the switch as i knew there would be a day we don’t need discs. I never said i don’t want physical around. I wish it would be for those that like it. But retailers are carrying less and less of it. Disc parts are less in rotation. Even Phil Spencer said getting the parts is becoming more rare. Know why? Cause only video games mass produce it still. Cars, no, laptops no , PC gaming no. So it’s not this evil ploy to make players switch, it’s a reaction to the market. We can’t expect Sony and MS to continue to support something a small percentage of its player base uses. Remember you are the small piece of the pie of money now.
Even collectors editions now come with a digital code. That upsets me and i don’t even like disc base media anymore. I think yall get screwed on those and i complain towards that. For those prices they can please the collector. Yet they don’t. So why would they in the next 5, 10 and 15 years.
Re: Talking Point: Do You Think Project Helix Will Support Physical Xbox Games?
@OneArmedGiant i don’t care how people like to consume their content. I am only showing the point of video games and it’s cry baby logic of i won’t buy anything if it doesn’t have a disc is slowly at the point of actually having to do just that and that’s quit gaming as it's closer and closer to being digital only, and as much as I’d love the industry without some of whining the truth is it’s not a good thing to lose options and have big collections not able to be used. But many older people have had to make that change and leave a medium behind. But to my knowledge they didn’t stomp their feet and cry and say they would never buy watch play or listen to anything again. They adopted and you will too or you will have a new hobby and yes it sucks. But it’s closer than you think.
Re: Talking Point: Do You Think Project Helix Will Support Physical Xbox Games?
@GeminiX53 @Lanmanna no bleeping kidding i can get her things to use in her home for music, all tho that 4 and 6 disc cd players are in fact getting harder to find. But my point was what does she do in her car? Look up a 2023 BMW M5 and show me how her tapes and CD’s are suppose to be easily played. They aren’t and soon neither will your games on discs. It’s not a get mad at the messenger thing it’s more like take a hint to start buying digital a little more or slam into the brick wall that in a few more years there are even less disc driver devices made. I have said on this very post it’s sad for the physical collector and i hope you all get a add on for one more console cycle, but that would be the best case, as many retailers have shrunk their non Nintendo physical game aisles. CD’s and physical movies are gone from most US major retailers. So it’s a life support situation. I ain’t saying i am happy about it, nor do i think less options are good. But most games aren’t even on the disc, you download it anyways.
Last point I’d like to make is everyone says well MS is taking away our discs, and not prioritizing physical games. Well on PS that does a little more with physical releases, last release cycle they showed only 18% of their revenue was physical. So clearly it’s a consumer trend as much as a corporate one
Re: Talking Point: Do You Think Project Helix Will Support Physical Xbox Games?
I’ve been 100% digital since it became an option of purchase. So i have no discs but i would like to see an Add on for those that like physical and have collections. However i see a lot of people moaning about the thought of no disc drive. I have a few questions for you. When you go to buy a new vehicle do you say you won’t buy it cause it don’t come with a CD player? When you need a new laptop do you not buy it cause 95% of them don’t come with one anymore. my point is game consoles are the last consumer device that even has a disc drive and the parts and manufacturing for disc drives is almost dead. I am sad for the collections everyone has and likes to use. But the writing is on the wall. Think of someone my mom’s age that used to collect records, than tapes and then CD’s and now has very little ways to listen to that music as technology changed. That is a big reason as soon as digital purchases became an option i hopped on it as i knew it was my only chance at keeping my collection of media to some sort. So far all my 360, Xbox One, Series X and PS3-PS5 digital library is there for my access.
Re: Two Xbox Executives Announce Their Departures From Microsoft
This is normal. She will want her people in those spots if she thinks those spots are even needed. I am liking the shake up so far. But have a lot left to see.
Re: Bethesda Says Starfield Looks 'Amazing' With Nvidia's DLSS 5, But Don't Expect It On Xbox
@GuyinPA75 the demos Nvida is showing is using not one but TWO RTX 5090 cards. No console is going to have that power. That is around $5000 in just GPU’s. Now it’s rumored the next Xbox will have 20x the ray tracing power of Series X. Which is a huge leap. But not two 5090’s power.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Call Its 'Project Helix' Console?
@FishDude i never said it wasn’t a PC/Console hybrid. In fact that is what we have all known it will be. It will play your PC and XBOX games. The same way the Steam Machine will be a console/PC you hook up to your TV. It’s never not been known to be that and that’s what many of us are exciting for. Myself included!!
I don’t care what PS has cause it has something i don’t like to us and that is it’s controller. So it could have every game ever made on it but i rarely play mine cause i don’t enjoy the controller. They fix that to something I enjoy using and then i will reconsider.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Call Its 'Project Helix' Console?
@Banjo- i agree, and the refund for digital purchases on Nintendo and Sony is embarrassingly bad in year 2026. Banjo you know when Xbox does something stupid we are hear to say WTF. But there are post making fun of Xbox on post about nothing related to corporate mistakes and it turns into Xbox is Dead and there goes my library i am going to say something. For those that don’t want the next Xbox, that’s cool, don’t buy one. But stop with the phony claims that MS is out of hardware and not supporting your collection of Xbox games. That is simply not true.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Call Its 'Project Helix' Console?
@nomither6 the games and Ui, i played a insane amount of TitanFall, so much so that i wish i had waited longer to pick up my PS4. Cause i didn’t play it hardly at all in year one. There were things on the Ui for Xbox one that i really liked and really hated at first. PS has yet to have a Ui i think is good. I really like the design of both Xbox Ones, i know that won’t be a popular opinion but i liked it. I liked the PS4 as well that Gen.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Call Its 'Project Helix' Console?
@GeminiX53 thanks, it isn’t a bad name. For as much as i liked Xbox One and Xbox One X. The name was just so bad. I loved the hardware and controller way more than the other consoles of the time. But that name was a mistake and they need to make sure this name makes sense and has easy marketing tie in’s.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Call Its 'Project Helix' Console?
@Fiendish-Beaver Me and you both are BIG Xbox fans. I will get that point out of the way. But the one thing i see on here a lot and not saying you, is MS taking bad comments when they aren’t stepping on rakes. When they do i blast them as well. The price hike to GP was STUPID and they did more things that i thought were dumb as well. But some on here are just throwing shade at the fact Xbox is still even around and doing things. Now for your point.
Xbox has been the ONLY company in the past and just this last week that talks about game preservation. They have a dedicated backwards compatibility team. They always talk about your WHOLE Xbox collection coming forward with you and they have already started talking about that with Helix. So why all the Doom and gloom about we spent all this money and Xbox is pulling the rug on us. They ain’t, they are the only company respecting your past purchase history and makes it run better for free. Ask Nintendo if they do that? Ask Sony if they give free updates to older classic PS titles. Hell Sony only has 2 generations of games on a box. So my comment of go over to that side and see how you are treated stands for everyone reading this. Most of us have all 3 consoles and we know this is an area Xbox destroys the competition in. The issue is is anti Xbox fan’s make videos all the time on Xbox is Dead and leaving hardware and they are stopping support of this and that when MS has never said that not to mention keep saying and showing they have more in store for the future. There were people on here a few weeks ago saying next gen XBox would be cancelled and here it is they are giving hints to it coming in 2027 and what it will do. People saying this is the last console, how do any of us know that for sure? Anti Xbox fans are laying rat poison and rat traps all over and Xbox fans are eating it and walking into it to stay up with the trend. Again MS has made many mistakes with Xbox, known fact. The one thing they never did was say screw your past titles and we are done in Hardware.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Call Its 'Project Helix' Console?
@Banjo- Just me or is this site now mostly upset Xbox fans that should go buy a PS5 and leave the chat? Anyhow
My idea’s i wanted to share with you friend.
1 Xbox Fusion
2 Xbox Surface
3 Xbox PC
Nothing fancy something easy and yet ties into the hybrid concept.
Re: Microsoft's 'This Is An Xbox' Post Taken Down As Fans Wonder If The Controversial Ad Is No More
Good idea in practice as we have more tech in today’s world to meet gamers in different places and platforms. But the marketing behind it and just the way it sent a message i think was wrong. Glad to see it retired and on to the console/PC hybrid messaging.
Re: Crimson Desert Has Three Different Performance Modes On Xbox Series X
@MaccaMUFC on Moores law is Dead, they have the leaked chips at around 20X ray tracing performance on Helix over the Series X. It will be a night and day difference. Both next gen consoles will use ray tracing to be the standout graphic bump. I am excited to see it. Wish Helix was this holiday season.
Re: Microsoft CEO On Xbox's Future: 'We'll Always Invest In Gaming'
@BacklogBrad The 'xbox is dead' crowd won't like this.
HAHA you beat me to it. I was going to say this. There will be videos on YouTube today with this interview spinning it into Xbox is Dead. A cat has 9 lives, a Xbox has 25 years of being dead and still alive.
Re: Xbox Head Doubles Down On The Importance Of Console, Says It's A 'Reference Experience'
@themightyant i am not saying i have the answers nor know what they will or should do. But a few idea’s i think that would at least be a good start.
1 advertise the Xbox more and Better
2 Drop the online paywall
3 get Gamepass ultimate to $20 a month
Just those 3 make the console more felt by players. Don’t mean it will light the world on fire for sales. That ship for this console cycle has sailed. But it’s good press leading up to the next console.
Re: New Xbox Head Suggests Bringing Back The Blades Dashboard In First Social Media Posts
@BIG3 if she let us delete a game we tried and didn’t like but scored 5G on it and let us delete it from our list. I would send her three fifty to her banking account. I hate that I can’t control my achievements and get rid of games I didn’t even like.
Re: 'We Have Good Reasons To Believe In What's Ahead', Insists New Xbox Chief Content Officer
@Millionski I talk about today’s Xbox all the time. It has better services than the completion in consoles. It has a WAY better refund for digital purchases than current other consoles. It has free cloud saves over current consoles. It has better Ui features than current consoles (Quick Resume) etc. I am unapologetic for saying I like my Series X better than current consoles today.
Re: New Xbox Boss Makes Official Statement As She Takes Over From Phil Spencer
I remember reading on here from some that Phil needs to go. Well he gone! So now we have to see what is next. This week has been a doozy for the industry, we need something exciting to be a pick me up. The industry really is having a hard time recovering from those inflated Covid lockdown numbers. The red line that must go up is driving everyone to forget that was a once in a 100 year event that inflated numbers across more than just gaming,
Sad to see Phil go tho, I was always a Phil guy. I liked that he was a gamer and really loved video games. It showed and the last year or so he has been distant and you could tell the love of the business was a little lost in his eyes and voice.
Re: God Of War Creator Suggests Xbox Should Get Involved In Bluepoint Games Situation
@Zenszulu you are correct and thats why MS get’s roasted over it daily on the inter webs. I guess Sony didn’t want to be left out in making poor upper management decisions this generation. This isn’t a he did she did thing. They are both making big mistakes and throwing money away.
Re: Sony's Bluepoint Games Might Be Gone, But We'll Never Forget Their 'Impossible Port' For Xbox 360
@themightyant they HAD a lot of multiplayer add on’s to single player games in the PS3 generation for sure. I always liked that balance for them. PS4 was a lot less focus on multiplayer cause they just paid COD for marketing rights and stayed away. Which was smart to some degree. COD was massive and they didn’t want to put the time and money into multiplayer for it to be ignored. I respect that. But then the change happened and that was razor thin profit margins on single player games and the industry focusing on monthly returning investments, such as services and in game loot etc etc. Sony wants and needs that money and Jim the Tim Tim Nid Rod Ryan was just the guy to push it hard. While he was out flying the PS private jet trying to block MS from getting ABK he also had the time to refocus Sony in house software projects and it’s been a train wreck to put it nicely. If Marathon flops, and it might not flop but it won’t be a cash cow. It could last 6 months to a year maybe at best before player count drops. We are talking Billions in investments to chase this software cash cow and again go for it if that’s what the company needs to please investors and such. But don’t close down BP which could have been easy money and also why in the world were they working on GOW live service. Why would anyone do that? Herman Hulst claimed in his email Sony don’t have enough IP, well give BP a chance to make a new one, they wanted to do something new and original. Anyways i just think there is no way around it, Sony has been a mess this generation upper management wise and one more move like this and they will over take MS as the worse management in gaming and that is something i never thought I’d say HAHA
Re: Sony's Bluepoint Games Might Be Gone, But We'll Never Forget Their 'Impossible Port' For Xbox 360
@GamingGod Steam has very little employees. Run’s a highly profitable business and is pro gamer and has as loyal of fans as Nintendo if not more. So it can be done. It’s a matter of know how and smarter planning. To much waste in the world and then they want to blame the system instead of themselves. Accountability is lost, that is where your worry should be in my opinion.
Re: God Of War Creator Suggests Xbox Should Get Involved In Bluepoint Games Situation
I mean i would be ok with this. But it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they were on team Red, Nintendo. That’s super unlikely to happen of course. But i would be happy about it. But i do hope BP lives on.
Re: Sony's Bluepoint Games Might Be Gone, But We'll Never Forget Their 'Impossible Port' For Xbox 360
@themightyant i don’t know as i am no insider into Sony. One thing i do know is they did a heavy pivot from single player to live service and i ain’t talking like one to two studios. I am saying dang near all of them outside of the marvel team insomniac. I am not so sure that didn’t come from Sony higher up’s. Especially since many of them cancelled and supposedly didn’t have a big enough team to support the title into the future. Well somewhere along the way Communication and planning was thrown out the window. I was looking forward to the live service push in the beginning as i grew very bored with Sony first party titles. They all played the same in the PS4 generation to me. So I welcomed it. But it tanked hard and took a lot of money, time and teams down with it.