Nobody realised that AI has been in gaming for over 20 years, haha. A bit too late to keep it out now. As for helpful features, as long as they are optional, I don't see an issue tbh.
I think for older gamers stuck on console, it is not important, but for the ever-increasing cohort of younger gamers who play across console, mobile, PC, Cloud, and handheld, it is great to only have to buy one version of the game. I really hope Sony implements something similar in the future if it ever does a PC launcher.
I love the idea that all these games can come with me to a PC or Windows-based handheld, depending on where I want to play.
Changes that are resulting in growth for the Xbox brand and appeal to younger generations are, of course, going to annoy and upset the hardcore console gamer fanbase of Millennials and Gen X players.
It may be a wise move from a business perspective right now, but the older generations of gamers who grew up with consoles will almost never like it.
The youth of the future are far more focused on live service, mobile, portable, and PC gaming, and MS is very much leaning this way while PlayStation and Nintendo are holding onto the shrinking console market. I can't see any more than 1-2 console generations for them as younger players with their new habits have increased purchasing power and moved to cheaper and more flexible gaming formats.
MS will be there in the future with the infrastructure to take their money, regardless of what we like or don't like.
It might come in handy for the large amount of AAA Game Pass games due out next year, although I typically delete a game once I'm done with it, so I usually have a bit of space. The next generation is still a couple of years away, so this price is decent.
In the UK, market prices have been between £50-£70 for quite a number of years now - people are buying fewer AAA and AA games in this price range because the quality is not there, and they are unfinished.
Most of us hardcore buyers have caught on that you can get the game at 25-50% off, fully patched in about 3 months.
I feel sorry for those who are obsessed with brands "winning" and "losing". The only people who should be concerned with that are those who are shareholders or executives for said brands.
I just enjoy playing games on all platforms. The more platforms, the better for me.
I think Sony will be more concerned with console sales than Microsoft will.
Sony wants to hit the 120 million+ sales that PS4 did across its 7 years, while Microsoft is less interested in hitting any console sales targets and keen to move across to the PC gaming space.
They may both delay into 2028, but it would be for different reasons.
For MS, it would be waiting for the GTA 6 PC port to come over so they can put it on their new machine day one.
For Sony, it would be so they can milk additional console sales for the PS5.
@outswimmingtheflood MS gaming is making more money than it has ever done, and it has a brand new platform to sell even more software. They are a software and services company, and the new Xbox PC will only be a small factor in what is now gaming's largest publisher.
Sure, it is not what traditional console gamers want, but MS is very happy with things at MS gaming right now, with a pivot towards younger generations that will give them another 50 years in business.
Love my Series X and think the ecosystem is better than ever. It is nice being able to suspend multiple games and have free cloud saves across Xbox, Cloud and PC (unlike Switch 2 or PS5).
I think Xbox should just focus on non game related celebrations like a live stream, documentary on the history or maybe some marketing bits and a sale on Xbox games.
Maybe they could even do a gta6 anniversary discount haha
@TheMule1983 The Xbox console is very much dead, but the platform is very much alive and continues to grow In a direction towards PC gaming and software publishing.
People were confused that MS was marketing a perceived competitor in BF6 hard, but there are 1.2 million reasons why they did that. It paid off, and they had near full sales saturation on their 20% home console market share at 30% profit per copy.
To be honest, the marketing department needs a major overhaul, as the communication and optics have been poor.
It's clear that Xbox is slowly pivoting away from the dying console space, and the more hardcore 5% of gamers are lashing out at the change.
Right now, most Xbox gamers just play their games and are not engaged with the future of Xbox.
But Microsoft has to be careful because these YouTube videos and constant "Xbox is dead" messaging will seep through.
Someone at Microsoft or Microsoft Gaming needs to get this trend by the scruff of the neck and make it very clear that Xbox is here to stay (which it is going by the increasing yearly revenues).
One day Xbox will just publish games, and sell off their oem to 3rd party partners like Asus, and they will be making more money than they ever did in the expensive home console space.
I would rather get a decent gaming laptop than the Ally X, but the standard Ally at £500 is something I may consider depending on performance Vs something like the steam deck.
I will say, after reading the statement again, I do believe it's actually a clever way to keep things vague. The sad thing is that I genuinely do not trust Microsoft to follow through with what they say anymore due to the number of times they have pivoted in a matter of weeks.
It makes me feel unsafe in my investment over the last number of years. I know that seems a bit dramatic, but when you feel uncertain about the future and there is no clear reassurance, you start to wonder if it's worth investing your time and money into this ecosystem.
I cannot say I have ever felt uncertainty with Nintendo or Sony. I trust them to be around in 5 years.
For Xbox, it's more like I hope they are around in 5 years.
@Questionable_Duck The decision was apparently made pre promotion. Hopefully Microsoft clarify the situation soon as it's getting a lot of traction online now from various sources.
@Gunbeld I think they will only report something as big as that if they had corroborative evidence first. If it's 2 or 3 reports saying the same thing or someone at pure Xbox/hookshot has been told by someone they deem to be reliable.
Edit: Just seen judson althoff was is involved which is a big red flag.
The value is there but unfortunately Microsoft failed to realise that game pass is for mostly casual gamers who would never have time to play the 10-20 hours of day 1 games per week to make the subscription worth while.
For me maybe I could justify the £22.99 a month based on the amount of day one gamepass games I've played ahd saved money on buy I know I'm one of a rare few.
Comments 278
Re: Xbox Crowns Its Biggest Third-Party Game Pass Launch Of 2025
Game Pass has had some great games this year.
Re: New Microsoft Survey Suggests Five AI Features That Could Be Added To Xbox Game Pass
Nobody realised that AI has been in gaming for over 20 years, haha. A bit too late to keep it out now. As for helpful features, as long as they are optional, I don't see an issue tbh.
Re: Xbox Exec Talks Game Pass And Suggests Developer Enthusiasm Hasn't Wavered For It
I love gamepass and the fact we get day one launch of goty games tbh.
Re: Review: SCUF Valor Pro Wireless - My New Favourite Xbox Series X|S Controller
I picked up the wired version a few months ago, and it has been great for Xbox and PC gaming.
Re: Xbox Series X|S Could Go Up In Price Again Due To Potential RAM Shortages, It's Claimed
MS doesn't care about making the Xbox Series Console anymore; they have made that very clear. Buying up RAM would be a waste of money for them.
Re: Poll: How Important Is The Xbox Play Anywhere Program To You?
I think for older gamers stuck on console, it is not important, but for the ever-increasing cohort of younger gamers who play across console, mobile, PC, Cloud, and handheld, it is great to only have to buy one version of the game. I really hope Sony implements something similar in the future if it ever does a PC launcher.
I love the idea that all these games can come with me to a PC or Windows-based handheld, depending on where I want to play.
Re: 80+ Games Are Reduced By 90-95% In The Xbox Black Friday Sale 2025
Consoles now have Black Friday discounts in the UK.
Re: Xbox 360 Was Influenced By Fear Of Sony Dominating The Living Room, Says Former Boss
These days, it's Nintendo that is giving Sony executives a headache.
Re: Xbox President Talks Positive & Resistant Feedback From Fans, How It's Shaping The Future
Changes that are resulting in growth for the Xbox brand and appeal to younger generations are, of course, going to annoy and upset the hardcore console gamer fanbase of Millennials and Gen X players.
It may be a wise move from a business perspective right now, but the older generations of gamers who grew up with consoles will almost never like it.
The youth of the future are far more focused on live service, mobile, portable, and PC gaming, and MS is very much leaning this way while PlayStation and Nintendo are holding onto the shrinking console market. I can't see any more than 1-2 console generations for them as younger players with their new habits have increased purchasing power and moved to cheaper and more flexible gaming formats.
MS will be there in the future with the infrastructure to take their money, regardless of what we like or don't like.
Re: Xbox 1TB Expansion Card Drops To Below $100 In Pre-Black Friday Deal
It might come in handy for the large amount of AAA Game Pass games due out next year, although I typically delete a game once I'm done with it, so I usually have a bit of space. The next generation is still a couple of years away, so this price is decent.
Re: Ubisoft UK Warns That Folks Just Aren't Buying As Many £50-£60 Games Anymore
In the UK, market prices have been between £50-£70 for quite a number of years now - people are buying fewer AAA and AA games in this price range because the quality is not there, and they are unfinished.
Most of us hardcore buyers have caught on that you can get the game at 25-50% off, fully patched in about 3 months.
Re: Former Xbox Exec On Steam Machine: Choice Is Good, Not Everything Needs A Winner Or Loser
I feel sorry for those who are obsessed with brands "winning" and "losing". The only people who should be concerned with that are those who are shareholders or executives for said brands.
I just enjoy playing games on all platforms. The more platforms, the better for me.
Re: Agefield High: Rock The School Is Basically A New Version Of Bully, And It's Going Viral
@JayJ Well, Millennials were in high school in the early 2000's so I guess so.
Re: Square Enix Is Cutting Down Its Western Workforce, Focusing On Japanese Development
Well, to be honest, all the games that have come out of the western arm of the studio haven't done well at all, so this should come as no surprise.
Re: Analyst Questions Whether Next Xbox & PS6 Could Slip To 2028 Following GTA Delay
I think Sony will be more concerned with console sales than Microsoft will.
Sony wants to hit the 120 million+ sales that PS4 did across its 7 years, while Microsoft is less interested in hitting any console sales targets and keen to move across to the PC gaming space.
They may both delay into 2028, but it would be for different reasons.
For MS, it would be waiting for the GTA 6 PC port to come over so they can put it on their new machine day one.
For Sony, it would be so they can milk additional console sales for the PS5.
Re: Valve Announces New Hardware, Including A Steam Machine That'll Compete With Xbox
@SodaPop6548 Oh if that's the case I imagine this will cost a fair bit more than £500
Re: Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Shares His Thoughts On Valve's New 'Steam Machine'
@outswimmingtheflood MS gaming is making more money than it has ever done, and it has a brand new platform to sell even more software. They are a software and services company, and the new Xbox PC will only be a small factor in what is now gaming's largest publisher.
Sure, it is not what traditional console gamers want, but MS is very happy with things at MS gaming right now, with a pivot towards younger generations that will give them another 50 years in business.
Re: Valve Announces New Hardware, Including A Steam Machine That'll Compete With Xbox
@Blastfemur It has 8GB RAM, and the Series X has 16? unless I am missing something here.
Re: Valve Announces New Hardware, Including A Steam Machine That'll Compete With Xbox
This could work out very well for MS.
It can show them exactly what to do and what not to do, and it gives them time to position themselves accordingly to undermine Valve.
MS execs will be happy that Valve is taking the jump first. You don't need to be first to do it best.
Re: Talking Point: What Does The 'Steam Machine' Mean For Xbox's Next-Gen Console Plans?
I do wonder if Steam will allow its platform onto the new Xbox PC, given that it will be making a competing hardware product now.
Either way, MS and Value will be fine, but how will Sony and Nintendo fare with their dated business models in the shrinking home console market?
The key factors for my home PC purchase, like many, will be:
Price - Dependant on power level, but ideally under £999.99 for me (Or £599.99 for the mass market).
Power - Should be more powerful than the Series X (Seems like the Steam Machine is weaker with less RAM than a Series S).
Accessibility - Can I just run the game? Or do I have to mess with PC game settings?
Back Compatibility - Can I play my old Xbox game library on it?
Re: Poll: Now That The Dust Has Settled, Which Xbox Game Pass Tier Are You Subscribed To?
I have a long term ultimate subscription so I've just stayed on that
Re: Five Years On, Xbox Series S Is Still A Fantastic Place For Current-Gen Gaming
I really enjoyed my time with the Series S, great machine
Re: It's A Big Birthday For The Xbox Series X, So Let's Look Back At Our Review From 2020
Love my Series X and think the ecosystem is better than ever. It is nice being able to suspend multiple games and have free cloud saves across Xbox, Cloud and PC (unlike Switch 2 or PS5).
Re: The Timing Of Xbox's 25th Anniversary Just Got A Lot More Awkward
I think Xbox should just focus on non game related celebrations like a live stream, documentary on the history or maybe some marketing bits and a sale on Xbox games.
Maybe they could even do a gta6 anniversary discount haha
Re: It's Official, Rockstar Games Has Delayed GTA 6 To November 2026
I saw this coming a mile away haha
Re: Xbox Content & Services Revenue Sees Slight Increase In Q1 2026, Hardware Drops Almost 30%
@TheMule1983 The Xbox console is very much dead, but the platform is very much alive and continues to grow In a direction towards PC gaming and software publishing.
Re: The Outer Worlds 2: Release Date, Release Times & How To Get Early Access On Xbox
@Nightcrawler71 It's a way for a business to make more money - plenty of publishers do it.
Re: Microsoft Is Reportedly Increasing The Cost Of Xbox Dev Kits In Latest Price Hike
FYI MS also loan out FREE dev kits to certain partners just like PlayStation does.
This "news" is just silly, really. Sadly negative news is the only thing that will keep Pure Xbox from closing down again.
Re: Rumour: Xbox Won't Announce Starfield For PS5 Until 2026, It's Claimed
I really loved Starfeild and would definitely buy it again for PS5.
I think there is definitely a market of PS5 players who will enjoy this experience and will buy it as soon as it comes out.
Re: Report: Battlefield 6 Sells Over 6 Million Copies, And A Good Chunk Of Those Are On Xbox
People were confused that MS was marketing a perceived competitor in BF6 hard, but there are 1.2 million reasons why they did that. It paid off, and they had near full sales saturation on their 20% home console market share at 30% profit per copy.
Re: The Outer Worlds 2 Is Bringing 'Big Sequel Energy' To Xbox Game Pass This Month
I'm looking forward to this one! It looks like it will be a lot of fun to play.
Re: Absolum Studio Admits Xbox Release 'Wasn't A Priority' Due To Small Development Team
@eduscxbox I just decided to have a PS5 and Xbox, best of both worlds.
Re: Talking Point: How Often Do You Replay Games?
Question to X users: How often do you play your games? lol.
Re: Xbox Journalist Says Latest Rumours Are 'A Huge Challenge For The Brand Right Now'
To be honest, the marketing department needs a major overhaul, as the communication and optics have been poor.
It's clear that Xbox is slowly pivoting away from the dying console space, and the more hardcore 5% of gamers are lashing out at the change.
Right now, most Xbox gamers just play their games and are not engaged with the future of Xbox.
But Microsoft has to be careful because these YouTube videos and constant "Xbox is dead" messaging will seep through.
Someone at Microsoft or Microsoft Gaming needs to get this trend by the scruff of the neck and make it very clear that Xbox is here to stay (which it is going by the increasing yearly revenues).
One day Xbox will just publish games, and sell off their oem to 3rd party partners like Asus, and they will be making more money than they ever did in the expensive home console space.
Re: AMD's Partnership On PS6 Will Benefit 'Every Gaming Platform', Says General Manager
I am looking forward to seeing what AMD cooks up for Xbox and PS for next gen. It might be the first time there is a divergence in power.
Also its pretty normal for AMD to work with Microsoft and Sony, they have done it for years.
Re: ROG Xbox Ally X Continues To Sell Out, While Standard Version Remains More Readily Available
I am looking into the £499.99 Xbox Rog Ally as an option but I will wait for full reviews to come out first.
Re: Ninja Gaiden 4 Is Now Available To Preload On Xbox Game Pass
I am looking forward to checking this out on Game Pass.
Re: New Silent Hill F Xbox Advertisement Makes It Clear You're Only Buying A 'License'
@FrenchVaniIIuxe My advice to you is to purchase digital games only, haha.
Re: New Silent Hill F Xbox Advertisement Makes It Clear You're Only Buying A 'License'
A physical disc is nothing more than something nice to look at on a shelf and a license on a disc.
Sometimes, you even have some or most of the game on the disc.
But you don't own it any more than a digital licence.
True media format ownership would mean you can copy, transfer, or redistribute these games.
In this life, the only thing we truly own is ourselves, and even that is up for debate.
You don't need to own things to be happy. You just need to enjoy and appreciate things that come your way.
Re: Seven Games Tested On ROG Xbox Ally X In 45 Minutes Of Impressive Pre-Release Footage
I would rather get a decent gaming laptop than the Ally X, but the standard Ally at £500 is something I may consider depending on performance Vs something like the steam deck.
Re: Xbox Issues Statement Denying Rumour That Next-Gen Console Could Be Cancelled
I will say, after reading the statement again, I do believe it's actually a clever way to keep things vague. The sad thing is that I genuinely do not trust Microsoft to follow through with what they say anymore due to the number of times they have pivoted in a matter of weeks.
It makes me feel unsafe in my investment over the last number of years. I know that seems a bit dramatic, but when you feel uncertain about the future and there is no clear reassurance, you start to wonder if it's worth investing your time and money into this ecosystem.
I cannot say I have ever felt uncertainty with Nintendo or Sony. I trust them to be around in 5 years.
For Xbox, it's more like I hope they are around in 5 years.
Re: Xbox Issues Statement Denying Rumour That Next-Gen Console Could Be Cancelled
@Hapless The difference is one is making more money than ever on gaming revenue alone and the other had significant financial troubles.
MS don't need to exit the console business, it would be a choice from them if they felt they could make more money another way.
Re: Multiple Xbox Games Temporarily Delisted Due To Security Issue With The Unity Engine
@Gunbeld I guess we'll have to wait and see both have gotten things right and wrong.
Re: Multiple Xbox Games Temporarily Delisted Due To Security Issue With The Unity Engine
@Questionable_Duck The decision was apparently made pre promotion. Hopefully Microsoft clarify the situation soon as it's getting a lot of traction online now from various sources.
Re: These 30+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (October 6-10)
The best of Game Pass will be the last week of October with Ninja Gaiden 4 and TOW 2. I saved myself £120 right there.
Re: Black Ops 7 Beta Review (Xbox) - A Bit Of A Re-Skin, But Zombies Mode Shines
Im not really into the online stuff but I will check out the campaign when it comes to Game Pass.
Re: Multiple Xbox Games Temporarily Delisted Due To Security Issue With The Unity Engine
@Gunbeld I think they will only report something as big as that if they had corroborative evidence first. If it's 2 or 3 reports saying the same thing or someone at pure Xbox/hookshot has been told by someone they deem to be reliable.
Edit: Just seen judson althoff was is involved which is a big red flag.
Re: Jump Space Is Dominating The Xbox Charts Right Now, And There's A Good Reason For It
Looks interesting! I might have to check this one out.
Re: 'Price Increases Are Never Fun For Anybody' Says Xbox Exec Defending Game Pass Changes
The value is there but unfortunately Microsoft failed to realise that game pass is for mostly casual gamers who would never have time to play the 10-20 hours of day 1 games per week to make the subscription worth while.
For me maybe I could justify the £22.99 a month based on the amount of day one gamepass games I've played ahd saved money on buy I know I'm one of a rare few.
Re: Poll: What Are Your Plans For Xbox Game Pass After This Week's News?
This will only be bad news for PS players in the future