Who actually uses it with any regularity when so many other options are available? Even when they had their awesome aggregator on the X1 I barely used it. Consoles aren't media centers and I'm glad MS is moving away from the idea. And you still can download most streaming apps to the console anyway.

Honestly, if I had an S instead of an X, I wouldn't care. You get what you pay for. Both look great.

I miss the 360 blades. I wish they made an overlay. Otherwise, the current home screen doesn't bother me. I don't really get the hate for it.

I've decided to end my dual console approach next gen. I'll probably just sign up for Nvidia and/or Steam for any non Xbox games. God of War has drifted so far from its original form I'm over it. For me, that leaves Ratchet & Clank, which rumor has it is no more as a franchise, and Death Stranding. I expect DS2 will come to Xbox later on.

They are desperate to save the game they ruined.

Another day, another rumor. Yawn

@RedDuck9 it picks up after the first map

Still playing Death Stranding 2 and No Man's Sky. Started the remaster of Space Marine.

@Ricky-Spanish yeah, where were all her critiques then? Lol

MS knows they screwed themselves over on that one. The then execs got greedy. It is the main reason they lost market share. There were calls to folks the division, but smarter minds prevailed.

People forget Sony started it and had the same plans but pulled a 180 last minute. I've always wondered it was a deliberate ruse to ruin MS.

Any excuse for people to pile on.

Was this the same failed executive who supported the disasterous XOne release? Lol Next.

yawn Another exec failure talking sh*t. Color me surprised...

Death Stranding 2 on PS and replaying MGS:V on Xbox.

@Weebleman oh now I'm a fanboy? 😂 I'm a fan of whomever makes it easier for me to play. I have both consoles. And I want them competing, not Sony just resting on its market share...

And remind me who went scorched earth over CoD? And who got busted paying devs not to develop for the competition? Yeah, you have a nice one too, mate.

@Weebleman first, neither company is magnanimous in their actions. No one thinks MS is doing this "for us". But finding ways to make more money while making gamers happy is a win win scenario no matter how hard you argue. Numbers don't lie. Devs are moving away from exclusives out of sheer economics. Oh, they'll be around for awhile yet, but while Sony is sitting on its current market share doing little to nothing else. MS is maneuvering to gobble it up piece by piece. Traditional consoles are doomed as a primary draw for new players. We might see one maybe two more generations before they are all hybrids or relegated to a nitch market. Meanwhile, MS is expanding availability "everywhere" it can. Sony "moving" consoles won't matter for very much longer.

@LogicStrikesAgain yeah, I was wrong on the acquisition of AKB. As a stockholder in both Sony and MS, I pay attention to their financials. MS as a whole did acquire AKB, not just the Xbox division. Facts matter and happy to admit I was wrong. But I think Sony could have gobbler up AKB, excepting it would have been more of a merger vs an acquisition. Sony isn't about to do that and give up control though. I could argue this is karma for Sony's underhanded tactics for years though.

@Ilyn while I was wrong on the acquisition, the Xbox division is making money hand over fist, all without selling as many consoles. MS doesn't even count console sales as a metric anymore.

@Balaam_ because they are sadly still fixated on exclusives. Since they can't get game sales from other platforms, they won't cannibalize their profit margins. Exclusives are actively hurting their growth nowm. Lol

@LogicStrikesAgain except the parent company MS hasn't subsidized the gaming division since the 360. Sony could easily add its own IPs day 1 to PSN. They choose not to purely put out of greed.

Now if you want to discuss how their fixation on exclusives is actually hurting them now, we can.

NMS is especially susceptible to this. If you play elsewhere like xcloud on steamdeck and then resume on console, you have to fully close the game again, even if you get the pop up "sync screen", the console game is still using the old save file. This drove me nuts until I figured it out.

I'll probably buy it again if/when it comes out on Xbox. Not going to wait though. Totes excited to start playing this week!

I'm shocked the survey is showing most folks only play on one device. 😂

I do like you when the option to turn it off. Options are always nice.

I actually like it. It's a nice insight into the game, plus if you're looking for an add-on or DLC it's right there. Sure it's one extra click, but so what. Sony kind of does the same thing as well.

I'll just wait until they announce more details....

Any perks that makes them stand out is good. This gen's consoles are basically the same and so it boils down to which ecosystem you're already most invested. MS knows they lost a huge % of their user base over the XOne debacle. This is how they build it back...one brick at a time.

Great news. And if you think bout it, it sort of already has "multiple stores". You can currently access Ubi and Epic stores indirectly thu GP. Granted in a limited format, but this seems to be a broader extension of that.

If Sony keeps pushing games to PC, I'll never need to be a 2 console household again! Having access to my Xbox library and Steam ha an always been a dream.

@J_Mo_Money yup

Not sure how you see a Death Stranding reference.

I guess I'm the odd one out. I thought the "little girl" was utterly creepy. Maybe once the larger trailers come out it will be less so. Design looks excellent though.

I'm glad to be wrong that the devs had finished with any major updates to NMS. This is awesome news! Every time I sort of run out of things to do they pump out a major update, and for free!

@-taco as described it's an action adventure. It's a blend of exploration, RPG, and mild shooting. You go on quests, aquire resources to build, gain equipment to help efficiency and skill, etc. There are different approaches as well that allow you to focus on difficulty or exploration. It's truly an excellent game, so if you like any of that it's worth a try. It's also available on GP.

Any chance to pile on with "Xbox is dying". Funny how it keeps not happening. 🤣😂

People still think console sales determine success. It doesn't anymore. MS has always lost money on consoles, usually until about mid generation. However, they keep releasing great titles on multiple platforms now. Several Xbox games are in top selling list on PS5. GP is still going strong, even if new subs are slower,. They are going gang busters in software sales. The "optics" may look like a poor choice, but I doubt they care. MS is laughing all the way to the bank.

Translation: Be as greedy as possible before providing quality products to consumers.

The current elite is definitely an improvement over the first. I'm hoping they finally add a dedicated share button like the regular XSX controllers. They are pricey but the extended battery life makes it so worth it.

@GeeEssEff lol I got my committees mixed up! I restate as the Flailing Toddler Committee

@darylb24 therein lies the point so many are missing. With subscription services, it's not just about sales numbers anymore.

Having just finished it, excellent! I had rerservations about the shield, but it only added to game play IMO. Great modern take on the whole franchise. I definitely enjoyed it more than Eternal, which felt like it just pandered to the nostalgia of the franchise.

The campaign was longer than expected. The weapon wheel is a bit sluggish and there were times when a random weapon would be selected that I didn't switch to, but minor quibbles. Play on hard mode vs regular if you're a veteran of the games. The weapon upgrades integration was done well and easy to understand once you started unlocking upgrades.

I kind of just assumed that what would happen. I avoid it completely.

Part of me loves the shield. It's definitely more offensive than defensive. However, the game is clearly designed to require the use of the shield. You cant just hack and shoot to survive.

Part of me doesn't like it as it doesn't "feel" very Doom. Maybe thats my nostalgia kicking in. You definitely cannot progress well without using the shield often.

The game feels like a cross between Darksiders and Doom. It still has the Doom feel and style. The music is enjoyable. The story so far seems to be a confusing mess. It's the "dark ages" but the level of technology isn't dark ages at all. Lol. My only real complaint is the weapon wheel is sluggish for fast pace game play, but it auto switches if you run out of ammo for a particular weapon.

It's still very fun, if you are a Doom fan. I'll definitely keep playing. I'm having a blast playing it.

Slow news day....The level of "outrage"...it's dozens I tell ha, dozens! Lol

Sue them out of existence.

More devs every day are realizing exclusives won't pay the bills anymore. Economics and greed are the death knell for exclusives. Oh we'll still see exclusives for awhile yet, but MS is playing the long game and it's working.

Let me put on my shocked face. A company known for nickel and diming their customers is "thinking" of charging more money...., 😂 😆

Have the switch 1, but honestly barely play it. The primary hurdle obviously was different ecosystems and I've already built years into an Xbox library. A few stellar games made it a worthwhile purchase but I'm not really interested at them moment, considering I have the OLED Steamdeck. It looks like a solid upgrade though. My spouse is big into Nintendo and got it on preorder.

I love a good story but H2 was a snooze fest. Hopefully this one blends story and some action better.

@Lup Im with you. I'll never understand why that game is so popular...

I'm here for it!

But...but....but...Xbox is dying!! 😂 🤣

MS might have screwed the pooch with the XOne debacle, but they've seen the light. Being in a position to buy some market share didn't hurt, but all their efforts are paying off. They realized traditional consoles are moving toward a niche market and adapted.

However, I'm eager to see the next console in production and their in house portable. The Surface team could be instrumental in creating a solid portable experience.

I like the Titanfall franchise but so was not interested in an extraction shooter version. Sad to see folks losing their jobs but maybe cancelling this game was a good decision.

It's always sad seeing writer's interject bias in their articles. 😓

I have purchased so many games because of GP than I ever would have on my own. It doesn't work for everyone, but it it does work for many. As game prices continue to increase solely to pay investors, I think we'll see more SaaSs not less. Who cars if it's the primary methods or not. Having a choice is always better than no choice at all.

I eemember the "analyst" that claimed smart phones wouldn't catch on as well.

This just seems like a bored rep needing something to stir up attention. 😂

Yeah, I'm probably going to skip the S2. I already done with the whole Mario franchise. They keepilkikg it for all its worth. 😂

I might end up getting it later but the cost isn't worth it, as I play my current Switch the least of all my gaming systems. I'm more excited to see MS's own portable next year than anything else so far.

Until then I'll stick with Steam and Nvidia for my portable needs.

I really enjoyed all the Metro games. Glad to hear this.

That's a hard no from me..

Honestly, couldn't be happier to hear no PVP.