@Millionski Yeah and I find it specially frustrating that this generation Xbox really had a chance to compete just like in the 360 days or even exceed it as Sony has had a weaker PS5 generation compared to any previous one, but they just fumbled it time after time.
If this device ends up being just a fancy PC with all of Windows’ bloatware, which is looking increasingly likely, I will keep my Halo Series X for all my legacy library and just keep using a PS5/ PS6 as my main gaming device, I have zero interest in dealing with everything that comes with PC Gaming and Windows.
@eduscxbox That market already exists with the handheld PCs and those go for around $600-$1000 from different manufacturers, how much you think a high-performance desktop sold at profit would go for? $1,200? $1,500? $2,000?
The economics simply don’t work for that device to be below $1000 no matter the competition between manufacturers, and another aspect of it is actually to convince them to spend R&D into developing a niche device that only a few people will buy.
@eduscxbox One important note, those devs that want to develop for PC are interested in selling on Steam, not the Microsoft Store, I can bet right now that even if the PC Xbox ends up being real many games will only release on Steam, not the MS Store and the ones that do will sell vastly better on Steam, which also poses the question of how will MS profit from that device if most users get their games from other storefronts, unless they price it around $1,500.
Also, it’s just disingenuous to say it doesn’t matter that most devs want to skip Xbox and develop for PC, again, if the next Xbox ends up being real but the games are not optimized for it then it’s going to be a sh*tshow with performance even if the specs are good, and as a console user I’d hate having to tinker with a game just to be able to run it, so yes even if the next console is a PC we still NEED devs to be interested in it and optimize their games for it.
This is exactly the thing I feared ever since the “only 4 games” were announced, it’s a slow spiral of death that becomes unstoppable once developers stop caring about the platform and we’re at that point already, with many games just choosing to skip the platform altogether which will only result in shrinking user base and in turn more games skipping the platform, yet I remember I was insulted incessantly on Xbox forums by warning this and here we are.
@Fiendish-Beaver Agreed with everything you said, I had the same realization since 2024 and I even stopped buying games altogether for Xbox and been using the PS5 Pro as my main console mainly because all this uncertainty, being an ex-user of Windows Phone I know how bad Microslop can manage a brand and they’ve followed every single bad step possible with Xbox.
I completely see a scenario where what you say end up happening, because it has already happened, I remember how Lumia phones were abruptly killed that even engineers from Nokia (merged into MS) found out about the hardware shutdown the same day as the press and the rest of the world, and those sold more units in a more important market back then than Xbox consoles nowadays, with every quarter that goes by without that device being shipped and ready to sell the chances of it never seeing the light of day increases dramatically, it really only takes for Satya or any other AI-crazed suits to see all the money poured into hardware R&D and the abysmal revenue from hardware sales to scrap everything in a snap.
@OldGamer999 Yeah I agree, so much uncertainty around it has pushed me personally to currently buy every game on PS5 Pro, I don’t care about Play Anywhere as I really don’t want to migrate to a full Windows PC experience as I have tried twice and just end up very frustrated with it, which is why I have lots and lots of questions for this Xbox/PC device, if it ends up being just another Windows PC with an Xbox logo and requires the same amount of tinkering as any other PC (just as the Rog Xbox Ally) I’m out, I’d rather keep my Series X for its legacy library same as I did for the 360 or still do with my PS3 than dealing with Windows 11 bloatware.
The only way I’d consider moving into PC would be with steamOS whether in a Steam machine or I build a PC of my own with Linux but for the time being it’s just simpler to keep investing on my PS5 Pro, and I might keep it as my main gaming device, after all it’s currently the only one getting all games (as not even PC will get GTA 6 day one).
@fatpunkslim Lmao how can you say it’s too expensive and recommend waiting for the next Xbox when we don’t even know the price or launch window for NEITHER of them?
We also don’t know the actual features of that Xbox/PC device, how will it run the console library, performance levels, how much of that performance will be eaten up by the bloatware of Windows 11, how much tinkering you’ll have to do to play, the price, if it’ll be available globally or even going to launch at all, at least with Steam you know you’re getting into a solid platform unlike Microslop’s Windows and Xbox PC app.
Honestly, even having a Series X I will get it for PS5 Pro (on disc if possible) as I will for every other MS Gaming titles, even Forza Horizon 6 and Gears E-Day whenever they launch, I have no interest at all in Play Anywhere or Windows PC Gaming nor Game Pass Ultimate at $30/month.
@fatpunkslim It’s commendable you still have some faith on the Xbox of old but that quote probably means PC exclusive games, beta or early access releases, and further on when they stop releasing new titles on Series X|S consoles, he also literally said the games weren’t ready because the strategy shifted, which might also be the case for Gears E-Day, but after Fable being confirmed for PS5 day one and Forza dev saying on the Direct “it’ll release on PS5 as soon as it’s ready” do you really still hope something like the next Halo or any 2028 big tentpoles and on will be given some type of Xbox exclusivity? That age is really over.
Basically what many comments here have been saying, the games releasing first on Xbox do so just because the ports weren’t ready yet as the multi-platform pivot was very abrupt even on their internal teams.
For me it’s crystal clear that “consistency” is about releasing in all platforms at the same time, yet some still cling to the idea of “case by case” basis, that’s over.
It managed to be a very successful franchise for 25 years without releasing elsewhere, ironically the peak of the series was back when it truly was an Xbox exclusive and didn’t release in PC, I really doubt that releasing on other platforms will revitalize the saga, after failing for more than a decade I don’t even know if there’s something to save.
It’s a nice feature for the very niche audience that has both an Xbox console and a capable PC (and endures using the subpar Xbox PC app), but lets not kid ourselves by citing 3 tweets as a major trend making lots of gamers buying games on the Microslop Store, that just ain’t happening…
@ILuvGames What’s so hard to understand about time being the biggest factor? I personally have time to finish 2 or 3 ~20h games every month, what’s the point of paying to have 400 games available if I can only play 3 max every month?
I’d rather play 3 games from my backlog and/or buy $30 worth of games, get to keep them forever and build a long-term library opposed to renting games out hoping the corporate overlords don’t increase the price yet again, same thing with the $70 launch games, sure they don’t come cheap but now they’re worth just a bit more than 2 months of a subscription I’ll not fully utilize, I find it waaaay more justifiable to pay upfront for a game I really want to play and knowing I don’t have a time limit to fully enjoy it and replay it whenever I want, if it isn’t a must play just wait a couple of months for that same game to drop 30% in price and in most cases wait around 3-6 months and it already costs less than one month of Game Pass Ultimate.
At $30 it really is unjustifiable, at least for me.
At $30/month is simply unjustifiable, unless you’re playing games 24/7 there’s simply no time to take advantage of the service plus if I’m being honest most new additions are not appealing to me, I’d rather spend those $30 buying games I actually want to play on some deals to keep them forever.
@FraserG An important note from both Windows Central and Insider Gaming is that backwards compatibility will most likely be reserved for the Microslop branded PC, meaning that our console games will not suddenly be able to play on the Rog Xbox Ally or any other Xbox branded OEM device.
For every new rumor this console/PC device sounds less attractive and poses more questions, I really don’t look forward on having to rely on the subpar Xbox PC app and endure Windows 11 bloatware with its updates and infinite popups for Microslop services such as OneDrive, Teams, Game Pass, Copilot, Office, etc.
Rather than dealing with Windows I’d keep my Series X for its legacy library and keep using PS5/PS6 as my main console until I can build a PC of my own with steamOS or wait for a more powerful Steam machine, buying a $1000+ Microslop branded Windows 11 PC is out of the question.
@fatpunkslim Lmao why are you trying to normalize giving up on a generation just 5 years after launch? It’s not even remotely normal, and any other failed consoles at this point such as the Wii U or Dreamcast at the very least tried to turn the ship around with bundles, deals and exclusive games, none of which Microslop has even attempted in the last year.
This is worse than abandoning the generation or the market as they want to squeeze every single penny out of the loyalists that are still on the “ecosystem” as you call it, an what exactly is this “ecosystem”? The few titles available in Cloud Gaming (only via subscription even if you own them)? The fewer titles being Play Anywhere on the terrible Xbox PC app? The games or players on other platforms? Or just a fancy word Microslop likes to throw around to make us think they actually have a plan?
Nope. Forza Horizon 6 could be the best cars game ever made and will still be ignored and taken for granted, Gears of War will be good but it has never been an awards-seeking franchise, Halo Remake we just HOPE it can be good and isn’t plagued with a million issues at launch. I don’t see Fable or Clockwork releasing in 2026 at all but those are the best shots at getting a nomination.
In my opinion Doom The Dark Ages deserved much more praise and awards this year but most gaming journalists chose to outright ignore it.
This was the first good ad that I’ve seen for Xbox in a loooong time, but could’ve been even better if they focused on the games rather than the subscription as most people just finding out that the service is now $30 a month they immediately laugh it off.
Same reason why they now have the $1 deal back for new GP subscriptions and 50% discount for returning subscribers (the exact same price before the hike).
They know they have priced themselves too high and most people are not willing to pay that much.
The big 3. They have it so easy to start the 25th anniversary very strongly with Halo, Gears and Forza, I don’t think Fable is in this Direct or even coming out next year.
I do hope they provide solid dates and not end up saying just 2026 and release them all the same month.
First year that I don’t expect to even cross 100 hours on Xbox since more than a decade ago, been much busier and I have the whole platform in hiatus, not abandoning it but not investing in it either.
It’s smart as they’re showing people “PS5 has our tenpole exclusives plus all these third-party games including Xbox’s” while Xbox consoles are being outsold by the Switch 1 and even some Kinect-like startup…
With the amount of consoles they’ve been selling in the last few months (less than half the Switch 1, yes Switch 1) I wouldn’t be surprised if they just stop producing them instead of raising prices yet again as it’d only result in even more bad press for the brand after a brutal 2025.
@Questionable_Duck That device if it even ends up launching is already poised to be $1000+ and 2 years away with lots and lots of questions still up in the air, the Steam Machine is already a more tangible product and while not being able to play my Xbox library most old games are dirty cheap, newer ones are cheaper than on any console and you don’t need to pay a subscription to play online, so I would actually consider assuming the cost of switching platforms but saving so much more in the long term, all hanging in the actual price for this, if they can get it to around $499 I would personally have a big decision to make.
@themightyant Maybe not in the same level as Bungie, but it hasn’t been a success; YoY growth is minimal, just last quarter the overall gaming division went down 1% and sales/subscriptions only rose 1%.
Those are pretty abysmal numbers after spending nearly 80 billion dollars and why the entire division is in turmoil, not to mention the long-term damage for the brand and customer mistrust.
It’s funny how both Activision-Blizzard and Bungie acquisitions for Microsoft and Sony respectively ended up being a complete disaster and perhaps the worst business decisions they’ve ever taken.
@fatpunkslim That’s the biggest mental cope I’ve read this week…
I already expected Microsoft to sabotage themselves their own games launching Halo CE and Forza Horizon 6 on the same month (very likely November as it happened back in 2021), now they can either rush games to market, put them against GTA 6 or delay them into 2027.
Can’t see Gears of War E-Day and Fable launching next year at all, so the big 4 games that we expect for next year might get pushed to 2027 in classic “next year is the year of Xbox” energy.
Fable cancelled or delayed to 2027 in the best case scenario, Gears of War E-Day delayed to 2027 and somehow end up releasing both Halo and Forza Horizon 6 in the same month cannibalizing each other…
1% growth with Activision, King, Blizzard, Bethesda, Xbox Game Studios is more brutal than hardware down yet another 30%, I guess we can expect another studio closure within the next few months.
Next quarter will reflect if the price hike on Game Pass actually makes up for the lost subscribers, if it goes down it’d be significant.
Jez Corden openly mocked people for speculating about Forza, Gears or Halo making its way to PlayStation just a year ago, I wouldn’t take anything he says seriously, his article states the same speculation that we’ve been hearing for months, at this point it’s an expectation but there’s still nothing clear at how Xbox consoles games will run on PCs or how will they handle other launchers’ updates and drivers, if they under deliver or over price that hybrid console device it will be the final blow to the brand, yet if they pull it off it can have an interesting future.
At this point, nothing as it was expected since they confirmed Forza Horizon 5 on PS5.
Many of us assumed since the “only 4 games” were announced that Xbox was stepping into a spiral of death and irrelevance and just look at the brand now less than 2 years later after that announcement, being the most overpriced of all the big 3 with no exclusive games planned and the worst PR image the brand has ever had, Xbox’ mascot jumping to PlayStation after all this decimation in the last few months doesn’t even hit anymore.
It’s been obvious, all those hardware price hikes due to “tariffs” and price hikes for games and subscriptions citing “market conditions” it’s all a big BS excuse to increase their profit margins and with those completely unrealistic out of touch expectations we’ll keep seeing cancellations and studio closures every few months.
And it’s specially infuriating as they want to squeeze out every penny out of longstanding fans of the brand, the ones that stood with Xbox One and have been waiting since 2013 for “the year of Xbox” that never came.
No, and reviews only confirmed my expectations, Windows 11 just sucks for handhelds even with the Xbox overlay, you can’t skip all the updates, ads for MS services, drivers, launcher updates, game updates and a million other popups that just aren’t there with any console, and if you really want a PC handheld there’s a ton of better priced options with little to no difference in performance.
Also, I think it’s a very poor first attempt to “merge” Xbox with Windows, and still don’t know if or how they’re gonna pull off merging Xbox consoles’ library with PC and having Steam available too, I just don’t trust Microsoft to actually deliver on that.
This conversation repeats every 3 months because trust in the brand in at an all-time low deservedly so, also, even if the new hardware exists, are they actually going to care to distribute it and make an effort to sell it? Because Series X and S are technically not cancelled but are nowhere near as available as they were just a year ago.
Comments 696
Re: Xbox Series X|S Ranked 5th In List Of Platforms Developers Are Most Interested In
@Millionski Yeah and I find it specially frustrating that this generation Xbox really had a chance to compete just like in the 360 days or even exceed it as Sony has had a weaker PS5 generation compared to any previous one, but they just fumbled it time after time.
If this device ends up being just a fancy PC with all of Windows’ bloatware, which is looking increasingly likely, I will keep my Halo Series X for all my legacy library and just keep using a PS5/ PS6 as my main gaming device, I have zero interest in dealing with everything that comes with PC Gaming and Windows.
Re: Xbox Series X|S Ranked 5th In List Of Platforms Developers Are Most Interested In
@eduscxbox That market already exists with the handheld PCs and those go for around $600-$1000 from different manufacturers, how much you think a high-performance desktop sold at profit would go for? $1,200? $1,500? $2,000?
The economics simply don’t work for that device to be below $1000 no matter the competition between manufacturers, and another aspect of it is actually to convince them to spend R&D into developing a niche device that only a few people will buy.
Re: Xbox Series X|S Ranked 5th In List Of Platforms Developers Are Most Interested In
@eduscxbox One important note, those devs that want to develop for PC are interested in selling on Steam, not the Microsoft Store, I can bet right now that even if the PC Xbox ends up being real many games will only release on Steam, not the MS Store and the ones that do will sell vastly better on Steam, which also poses the question of how will MS profit from that device if most users get their games from other storefronts, unless they price it around $1,500.
Also, it’s just disingenuous to say it doesn’t matter that most devs want to skip Xbox and develop for PC, again, if the next Xbox ends up being real but the games are not optimized for it then it’s going to be a sh*tshow with performance even if the specs are good, and as a console user I’d hate having to tinker with a game just to be able to run it, so yes even if the next console is a PC we still NEED devs to be interested in it and optimize their games for it.
Re: Xbox Series X|S Ranked 5th In List Of Platforms Developers Are Most Interested In
This is exactly the thing I feared ever since the “only 4 games” were announced, it’s a slow spiral of death that becomes unstoppable once developers stop caring about the platform and we’re at that point already, with many games just choosing to skip the platform altogether which will only result in shrinking user base and in turn more games skipping the platform, yet I remember I was insulted incessantly on Xbox forums by warning this and here we are.
Re: Talking Point: Will The Next Xbox Console Be Revealed In 2026?
@Fiendish-Beaver Agreed with everything you said, I had the same realization since 2024 and I even stopped buying games altogether for Xbox and been using the PS5 Pro as my main console mainly because all this uncertainty, being an ex-user of Windows Phone I know how bad Microslop can manage a brand and they’ve followed every single bad step possible with Xbox.
I completely see a scenario where what you say end up happening, because it has already happened, I remember how Lumia phones were abruptly killed that even engineers from Nokia (merged into MS) found out about the hardware shutdown the same day as the press and the rest of the world, and those sold more units in a more important market back then than Xbox consoles nowadays, with every quarter that goes by without that device being shipped and ready to sell the chances of it never seeing the light of day increases dramatically, it really only takes for Satya or any other AI-crazed suits to see all the money poured into hardware R&D and the abysmal revenue from hardware sales to scrap everything in a snap.
Re: Talking Point: Will The Next Xbox Console Be Revealed In 2026?
@OldGamer999 Yeah I agree, so much uncertainty around it has pushed me personally to currently buy every game on PS5 Pro, I don’t care about Play Anywhere as I really don’t want to migrate to a full Windows PC experience as I have tried twice and just end up very frustrated with it, which is why I have lots and lots of questions for this Xbox/PC device, if it ends up being just another Windows PC with an Xbox logo and requires the same amount of tinkering as any other PC (just as the Rog Xbox Ally) I’m out, I’d rather keep my Series X for its legacy library same as I did for the 360 or still do with my PS3 than dealing with Windows 11 bloatware.
The only way I’d consider moving into PC would be with steamOS whether in a Steam machine or I build a PC of my own with Linux but for the time being it’s just simpler to keep investing on my PS5 Pro, and I might keep it as my main gaming device, after all it’s currently the only one getting all games (as not even PC will get GTA 6 day one).
Re: Talking Point: Will The Next Xbox Console Be Revealed In 2026?
@fatpunkslim Lmao how can you say it’s too expensive and recommend waiting for the next Xbox when we don’t even know the price or launch window for NEITHER of them?
We also don’t know the actual features of that Xbox/PC device, how will it run the console library, performance levels, how much of that performance will be eaten up by the bloatware of Windows 11, how much tinkering you’ll have to do to play, the price, if it’ll be available globally or even going to launch at all, at least with Steam you know you’re getting into a solid platform unlike Microslop’s Windows and Xbox PC app.
Re: Fable Likely To Be A Huge Hit On PS5 As Sony-Hosted Trailer Hits 1 Million Views
Honestly, even having a Series X I will get it for PS5 Pro (on disc if possible) as I will for every other MS Gaming titles, even Forza Horizon 6 and Gears E-Day whenever they launch, I have no interest at all in Play Anywhere or Windows PC Gaming nor Game Pass Ultimate at $30/month.
Re: Xbox Exec Explains Why Some Games Are 'Day One' For PS5, And Others Aren't
@fatpunkslim It’s commendable you still have some faith on the Xbox of old but that quote probably means PC exclusive games, beta or early access releases, and further on when they stop releasing new titles on Series X|S consoles, he also literally said the games weren’t ready because the strategy shifted, which might also be the case for Gears E-Day, but after Fable being confirmed for PS5 day one and Forza dev saying on the Direct “it’ll release on PS5 as soon as it’s ready” do you really still hope something like the next Halo or any 2028 big tentpoles and on will be given some type of Xbox exclusivity? That age is really over.
Re: Xbox Exec Explains Why Some Games Are 'Day One' For PS5, And Others Aren't
Basically what many comments here have been saying, the games releasing first on Xbox do so just because the ports weren’t ready yet as the multi-platform pivot was very abrupt even on their internal teams.
For me it’s crystal clear that “consistency” is about releasing in all platforms at the same time, yet some still cling to the idea of “case by case” basis, that’s over.
Re: Poll: How Would You Grade 2026's Xbox Developer Direct?
Fable alone makes it an A for me, amazing stuff.
Re: Halo Studios Admits That The Series Needs A Bigger Playerbase As PS5 Community Awaits
@swedetrap Every platform has toxic players, every single one.
Re: Halo Studios Admits That The Series Needs A Bigger Playerbase As PS5 Community Awaits
It managed to be a very successful franchise for 25 years without releasing elsewhere, ironically the peak of the series was back when it truly was an Xbox exclusive and didn’t release in PC, I really doubt that releasing on other platforms will revitalize the saga, after failing for more than a decade I don’t even know if there’s something to save.
Re: Xbox Play Anywhere Is Convincing People To Buy Their Multiplatform Games On Xbox
It’s a nice feature for the very niche audience that has both an Xbox console and a capable PC (and endures using the subpar Xbox PC app), but lets not kid ourselves by citing 3 tweets as a major trend making lots of gamers buying games on the Microslop Store, that just ain’t happening…
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Feel About Xbox Game Pass In 2026?
@ILuvGames What’s so hard to understand about time being the biggest factor? I personally have time to finish 2 or 3 ~20h games every month, what’s the point of paying to have 400 games available if I can only play 3 max every month?
I’d rather play 3 games from my backlog and/or buy $30 worth of games, get to keep them forever and build a long-term library opposed to renting games out hoping the corporate overlords don’t increase the price yet again, same thing with the $70 launch games, sure they don’t come cheap but now they’re worth just a bit more than 2 months of a subscription I’ll not fully utilize, I find it waaaay more justifiable to pay upfront for a game I really want to play and knowing I don’t have a time limit to fully enjoy it and replay it whenever I want, if it isn’t a must play just wait a couple of months for that same game to drop 30% in price and in most cases wait around 3-6 months and it already costs less than one month of Game Pass Ultimate.
At $30 it really is unjustifiable, at least for me.
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Feel About Xbox Game Pass In 2026?
At $30/month is simply unjustifiable, unless you’re playing games 24/7 there’s simply no time to take advantage of the service plus if I’m being honest most new additions are not appealing to me, I’d rather spend those $30 buying games I actually want to play on some deals to keep them forever.
Re: Report: Xbox Working On 'Major Updates' To PC App For Next Console's Dashboard
@FraserG An important note from both Windows Central and Insider Gaming is that backwards compatibility will most likely be reserved for the Microslop branded PC, meaning that our console games will not suddenly be able to play on the Rog Xbox Ally or any other Xbox branded OEM device.
Re: Report: Xbox Working On 'Major Updates' To PC App For Next Console's Dashboard
For every new rumor this console/PC device sounds less attractive and poses more questions, I really don’t look forward on having to rely on the subpar Xbox PC app and endure Windows 11 bloatware with its updates and infinite popups for Microslop services such as OneDrive, Teams, Game Pass, Copilot, Office, etc.
Rather than dealing with Windows I’d keep my Series X for its legacy library and keep using PS5/PS6 as my main console until I can build a PC of my own with steamOS or wait for a more powerful Steam machine, buying a $1000+ Microslop branded Windows 11 PC is out of the question.
Re: These 11 Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass, Including Two Major Additions (January 6-22)
Just saying, in some deal you can buy to own forever both Outlaws and RE Village for the same price as 1 month of Game Pass Ultimate…
Re: Xbox Console Sales 'The Worst On Record' In 2025 As Microsoft Shifts Focus (UK)
@fatpunkslim Lmao why are you trying to normalize giving up on a generation just 5 years after launch? It’s not even remotely normal, and any other failed consoles at this point such as the Wii U or Dreamcast at the very least tried to turn the ship around with bundles, deals and exclusive games, none of which Microslop has even attempted in the last year.
This is worse than abandoning the generation or the market as they want to squeeze every single penny out of the loyalists that are still on the “ecosystem” as you call it, an what exactly is this “ecosystem”? The few titles available in Cloud Gaming (only via subscription even if you own them)? The fewer titles being Play Anywhere on the terrible Xbox PC app? The games or players on other platforms? Or just a fancy word Microslop likes to throw around to make us think they actually have a plan?
Re: Poll: How Many Xbox Games Have You Actually Bought In 2025?
Nothing at all, just waiting to see how the future of Xbox shapes out (if there’s any) before investing $1 cent in Microsoft’s store.
Re: Talking Point: Will Any Of Xbox's 2026 Releases Become GOTY Contenders Next Year?
Nope. Forza Horizon 6 could be the best cars game ever made and will still be ignored and taken for granted, Gears of War will be good but it has never been an awards-seeking franchise, Halo Remake we just HOPE it can be good and isn’t plagued with a million issues at launch. I don’t see Fable or Clockwork releasing in 2026 at all but those are the best shots at getting a nomination.
In my opinion Doom The Dark Ages deserved much more praise and awards this year but most gaming journalists chose to outright ignore it.
Re: Gears Of War: E-Day Confirmed For 2026 In New Xbox Game Pass Ad
This was the first good ad that I’ve seen for Xbox in a loooong time, but could’ve been even better if they focused on the games rather than the subscription as most people just finding out that the service is now $30 a month they immediately laugh it off.
Re: Matt Booty Explains Why Xbox Ditched Its $80 Price Tag For Outer Worlds 2 & Other Games
Same reason why they now have the $1 deal back for new GP subscriptions and 50% discount for returning subscribers (the exact same price before the hike).
They know they have priced themselves too high and most people are not willing to pay that much.
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Hope To See From Xbox Developer Direct Next Month?
The big 3. They have it so easy to start the 25th anniversary very strongly with Halo, Gears and Forza, I don’t think Fable is in this Direct or even coming out next year.
I do hope they provide solid dates and not end up saying just 2026 and release them all the same month.
Re: Xbox Launches New $1 Game Pass Ultimate Offer For The Holidays
Pretty obvious that subscribers dropped more than they were expecting since the major price hike…
Re: Is 'Xbox Wrapped' Happening For 2025? Fans Clearly Want To See It
First year that I don’t expect to even cross 100 hours on Xbox since more than a decade ago, been much busier and I have the whole platform in hiatus, not abandoning it but not investing in it either.
Re: PlayStation Highlights Halo: Campaign Evolved As One Of Its 'Must-Play' Games For 2026
It’s smart as they’re showing people “PS5 has our tenpole exclusives plus all these third-party games including Xbox’s” while Xbox consoles are being outsold by the Switch 1 and even some Kinect-like startup…
Re: Clockwork Revolution Dev Shares New Message About Its Eagerly Anticipated Xbox RPG
Please don’t cancel this Microsoft…
Re: Digital Foundry Shares Awesome Unboxing Video Of An Untouched Launch Xbox 360
I got goosebumps from nostalgia, man what a great time that whole generation was!
Re: Xbox Series X|S Could Go Up In Price Again Due To Potential RAM Shortages, It's Claimed
With the amount of consoles they’ve been selling in the last few months (less than half the Switch 1, yes Switch 1) I wouldn’t be surprised if they just stop producing them instead of raising prices yet again as it’d only result in even more bad press for the brand after a brutal 2025.
Re: Roundup: All The Reveals From 2025's Xbox Partner Preview Showcase
Good thing I missed it lol
Re: Valve Announces New Hardware, Including A Steam Machine That'll Compete With Xbox
@Questionable_Duck That device if it even ends up launching is already poised to be $1000+ and 2 years away with lots and lots of questions still up in the air, the Steam Machine is already a more tangible product and while not being able to play my Xbox library most old games are dirty cheap, newer ones are cheaper than on any console and you don’t need to pay a subscription to play online, so I would actually consider assuming the cost of switching platforms but saving so much more in the long term, all hanging in the actual price for this, if they can get it to around $499 I would personally have a big decision to make.
Re: Sony's Purchase Of Former Xbox Studio Bungie Isn't Exactly Going To Plan
@themightyant Maybe not in the same level as Bungie, but it hasn’t been a success; YoY growth is minimal, just last quarter the overall gaming division went down 1% and sales/subscriptions only rose 1%.
Those are pretty abysmal numbers after spending nearly 80 billion dollars and why the entire division is in turmoil, not to mention the long-term damage for the brand and customer mistrust.
Re: Valve Announces New Hardware, Including A Steam Machine That'll Compete With Xbox
Forget about PlayStation, this is the Xbox killer.
Re: Sony's Purchase Of Former Xbox Studio Bungie Isn't Exactly Going To Plan
It’s funny how both Activision-Blizzard and Bungie acquisitions for Microsoft and Sony respectively ended up being a complete disaster and perhaps the worst business decisions they’ve ever taken.
Re: Halo Infinite's Final Major Content Update Arrives This Month
Halo: Finite
Lost count how many promises they broke with this one.
Re: The Timing Of Xbox's 25th Anniversary Just Got A Lot More Awkward
@fatpunkslim That’s the biggest mental cope I’ve read this week…
I already expected Microsoft to sabotage themselves their own games launching Halo CE and Forza Horizon 6 on the same month (very likely November as it happened back in 2021), now they can either rush games to market, put them against GTA 6 or delay them into 2027.
Can’t see Gears of War E-Day and Fable launching next year at all, so the big 4 games that we expect for next year might get pushed to 2027 in classic “next year is the year of Xbox” energy.
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Think Xbox's Release Schedule Looks Like For 2026?
@Darylb88 That’s what we all thought about Perfect Dark just a few months ago…
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Think Xbox's Release Schedule Looks Like For 2026?
Fable cancelled or delayed to 2027 in the best case scenario, Gears of War E-Day delayed to 2027 and somehow end up releasing both Halo and Forza Horizon 6 in the same month cannibalizing each other…
Re: Xbox Content & Services Revenue Sees Slight Increase In Q1 2026, Hardware Drops Almost 30%
1% growth with Activision, King, Blizzard, Bethesda, Xbox Game Studios is more brutal than hardware down yet another 30%, I guess we can expect another studio closure within the next few months.
Next quarter will reflect if the price hike on Game Pass actually makes up for the lost subscribers, if it goes down it’d be significant.
Re: Microsoft CEO Says Xbox 'Wants To Innovate' With Its Next-Gen Console
You missed the best quote to come out of this interview “you innovate by having good [profit] margins” 💀
Re: Huge Xbox Report Details 'Ambitious' Next-Gen Console With Free Online Play
Jez Corden openly mocked people for speculating about Forza, Gears or Halo making its way to PlayStation just a year ago, I wouldn’t take anything he says seriously, his article states the same speculation that we’ve been hearing for months, at this point it’s an expectation but there’s still nothing clear at how Xbox consoles games will run on PCs or how will they handle other launchers’ updates and drivers, if they under deliver or over price that hybrid console device it will be the final blow to the brand, yet if they pull it off it can have an interesting future.
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Feel About Halo: Campaign Evolved Launching Day One On PS5?
At this point, nothing as it was expected since they confirmed Forza Horizon 5 on PS5.
Many of us assumed since the “only 4 games” were announced that Xbox was stepping into a spiral of death and irrelevance and just look at the brand now less than 2 years later after that announcement, being the most overpriced of all the big 3 with no exclusive games planned and the worst PR image the brand has ever had, Xbox’ mascot jumping to PlayStation after all this decimation in the last few months doesn’t even hit anymore.
Re: Report: Xbox Has Been Asking Its Studios To Hit 'Higher Profit Margins' Since 2023
It’s been obvious, all those hardware price hikes due to “tariffs” and price hikes for games and subscriptions citing “market conditions” it’s all a big BS excuse to increase their profit margins and with those completely unrealistic out of touch expectations we’ll keep seeing cancellations and studio closures every few months.
And it’s specially infuriating as they want to squeeze out every penny out of longstanding fans of the brand, the ones that stood with Xbox One and have been waiting since 2013 for “the year of Xbox” that never came.
Re: Microsoft Is Reportedly Increasing The Cost Of Xbox Dev Kits In Latest Price Hike
Removed
Re: Poll: Are You More Interested In The ROG Xbox Ally Now That Reviews Are Out?
No, and reviews only confirmed my expectations, Windows 11 just sucks for handhelds even with the Xbox overlay, you can’t skip all the updates, ads for MS services, drivers, launcher updates, game updates and a million other popups that just aren’t there with any console, and if you really want a PC handheld there’s a ton of better priced options with little to no difference in performance.
Also, I think it’s a very poor first attempt to “merge” Xbox with Windows, and still don’t know if or how they’re gonna pull off merging Xbox consoles’ library with PC and having Steam available too, I just don’t trust Microsoft to actually deliver on that.
Re: Sarah Bond Shows Off Where Microsoft Is 'Prototyping For The Next Generation Of Xbox'
They really seem DESPERATE to gain at least some trust from fans… too little too late.
Re: AMD's Partnership On PS6 Will Benefit 'Every Gaming Platform', Says General Manager
The timing of the video is certainly interesting…
Re: Xbox Issues Statement Denying Rumour That Next-Gen Console Could Be Cancelled
This conversation repeats every 3 months because trust in the brand in at an all-time low deservedly so, also, even if the new hardware exists, are they actually going to care to distribute it and make an effort to sell it?
Because Series X and S are technically not cancelled but are nowhere near as available as they were just a year ago.