@themightyant A bit of good faith, please — you know very well it’s not the same thing. They didn’t release a remake of Forza Horizon. This is a licensing issue, and in this case it’s a loss, since we can’t buy the games anymore.
@Kiltedhaggis yes of course: Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4) / Uncharted 4: A Thief's End & Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4) / Marvel’s Spider-Man (replaced by Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered) / UNTIL DAWN / etc...
To be fair, there are a few exceptions, like TLOU Part 2. And they’re not the only ones — Square Enix does the same thing, with the Resident Evil games for example.
@Gemini53 yes, absolutely. It’s all about balance — you need to know how to use it for repetitive tasks or to boost productivity, but not at the expense of creativity and originality, which only a human can truly reproduce in the end.
Whaaaaat ? Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 ?? that's huge ! Honestly, for several months, say what you want, but Game Pass has been delivering some seriously heavy hitters.
And witcher 3, For those who’ve not already played it, it’s a classic — you really have to experience it.
@Gemini53 I think that at some point, the demand for AI components will reach a peak, then stabilize or even decrease, especially thanks to more efficient and less energy‑hungry models. It has to happen, because the planet’s resources aren’t infinite, and AI’s current needs are just stratospheric. I don’t think it’s really a bubble — maybe there’s some marketing overhype and a bit of exaggerated investment in certain areas, but AI is here to stay; it’s a revolution as significant as the industrial revolution. But I believe more in an improvement of models and systems than in a real drop in AI demand. Today everyone uses AI: developers use it, designers use it, and it’s everywhere in healthcare, the military, and so on… it’s absolutely everywhere, and we’re not going to go backwards.
AI is a real problem; whether it’s RAM, SSDs, or other components, everything goes to data centers first. As a result, there’s not much left for consumer products, demand becomes higher than supply, and prices go up.
With the next Xbox being able to play games from all stores, and PlayStation sending all its games to Steam faster and faster — even day one for some — for me the choice is clear: it’ll be Xbox next generation. The PS6 feels completely unnecessary.
For now I’m having a good time — it really brings back the original gameplay from the first game, and the atmosphere is great. That said, it’s missing a bit of polish in the textures and animations, and there are a few bugs. I think it just needs a small update to fix that. And I get the feeling the graphics engine hasn’t evolved much
In any case, the physical version — even on other platforms — will sell very little. We’re slowly heading toward the end of physical media anyway; let’s not kid ourselves, that’s just how players consume games now.
@Kiltedhaggis Do you really think Insomniac is the one making the decisions? Back in 2017, they said their games wouldn’t come to PC or Xbox. And yet, now everything ends up on Steam and some games on Xbox
@carlos17589 Yeah You probably right. As a developer, your goal is logically to have your game played by as many people as possible. Their answer just lacked a bit of empathy and nuance — they could have said “unfortunately” or mentioned that you can still play it on Xbox through Steam. But I guess communication is pretty restricted on Sony’s side, and they can only say what they’re allowed to, so this way they don’t take any risks.
What’s certain is that the company is clearly moving toward a more multiplatform direction. Games like death stranding, Helldivers 2 or Marathon are only the beginning — it’s just a matter of time before PlayStation fans get used to this new paradigm.
It looks like damage control from Insomniac. Spider‑Man is already playable on the Xbox ROG Ally and on all Windows‑based handheld consoles through the Steam platform. And it will be the same for the next generation of Xbox consoles. Whether there’s a direct port to Xbox or not doesn’t change anything in practice.
I also find this mentality from Insomniac a bit disappointing. They would have everything to gain by having as many players as possible play their games… but in the end, it’s the same for the player anyway. We’re no longer in the era of exclusives and consoles, but in the era of ecosystems.
Back in 2017, Insomniac made a very similar claim, stating that Spider-Man would never appear on Xbox or PC. We all know how that turned out. The entire trilogy is now playable on PC via Steam.
They’ve already lied in the past, and they’re not the ones who make the final decisions anyway. If Sony’s CEO decides that everything should be multiplatform, then that’s how it will be. And it turns out that Sony’s CEO seems much more open, based on his statements about expanding to more multiplatform releases — mentioning PC, but also Xbox and Switch.
In any case, 90% of PlayStation’s exclusive games are third‑party titles, and there are fewer and fewer of them. And when they do get exclusives, they’re temporary ones with increasingly shorter durations.
Meanwhile, Replaced is an Xbox exclusive — take that, Insomniac 😉
@Titntin 17 titles from over 30 ??? Yeah The copium here is clear ....
Personally, I’m counting Kena, Saros, the Ghost of Yotei DLC, the God of War trilogy, God of War: the little 2D game, and the latest Silent Hill — which makes 6 exclusive games out of 35. And among those 6, you have a remake and a DLC, which I normally wouldn’t even count, but I’ll leave them in just to be nice.
So 35 – 6 = 29 multiplatform games that are also coming to Xbox, PC, or both, knowing that Kena and Silent Hill will also release on Xbox — those two being the only third‑party games that aren’t multiplatform at launch.
But I understand your confusion, because PlayStation deliberately maintains that confusion by not showing which platforms the games are coming to. It’s basically disguised misinformation.
So yeah, almost everything is multiplatform or temporary exclusive for some
It feels like the devs were tired of Pokémon, and here they really treated themselves with a game that looks genuinely well‑made: Another great addition to Game Pass
@Gabrie Your point is interesting, even if it’s a bit off‑topic compared to the article. But to answer briefly, Microsoft is already starting to walk back on the AI saturation, and I think they’re right to do so. Because even if AI remains an important element for any company today — whether it’s Microsoft, Amazon, or Google — there’s a kind of bubble forming around it, and a real risk of consumer fatigue. source: windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/microsoft-is-reevaluating-its-ai-efforts-on-windows-11-plans-to-reduce-copilot-integrations-and-evolve-recall
I found this State of Play pretty mediocre, and when I saw they ended with their “God of War 2.5” game (which honestly looks like it was made by interns — even the Castlevania game they showed seemed better produced), I really laughed, just like everyone else in the livestream I was watching. For a conference with 95% multiplatform games, I was surprised that this Silent Hill was excluded, even if only temporarily. It’s a shame that PlayStation keeps spending money on timed exclusives, while on the side they barely showed anything first‑party, apart from a Ghost of Yotei DLC, Saros, and the remake of the God of War trilogy. You really wonder what they’re doing besides multiplayer games, with Marathon looking like a future Concord, not to mention the upcoming multiplayer Horizon.
Anyway, among the games shown, the ones that hyped me the most were John Wick, Pragmata, Kena: Scars of Kosmora (it’ll probably end up on Game Pass), Control, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, Resident Evil Requiem, and the badass chicken game.
@fraserG It’s not very clear who the winner is for each category. Only the image shows who won, and the list under each image is confusing — it’s alphabetical, so it’s not a ranking. Is it the list of nominees who didn’t win?
Honestly, I think you need to rethink the layout 😉
I loved the first one. I’m actually surprised it didn’t get more attention, because it’s a really great game — not just for its humor, but also for its gameplay and technical execution. A nice addition to Game Pass
@FraserG Okay thanks, it was mainly to clarify things, because the news focuses on the Xbox ROG Ally, but the feature is actually global. Which makes sense — it fits with Xbox’s goal of unifying its interface across all devices
@fraserG The Xbox Full Screen Experience can be enabled on any Windows 11 PC, including the standard ROG Ally. So Are these changes also applicable to to standard ROG Ally units that have installed the Xbox Full Experience, or any other Windows handheld running the Xbox Full Experience ?
In any case, these are the kinds of small changes that make all the difference and really contribute to a good experience. The sounds, the animations, the transitions… they make the interface feel more alive, they strengthen the brand identity, and they bring the experience closer to that of a real Xbox. It gives everything a polished, finished-product feel.
I’m not sure we can call it an “indie AAA” game, but it definitely feels like it belongs in that category based on what I’ve seen. In any case, I’m definitely going to play it on Game Pass — maybe even buy it afterward.
The article says it’s releasing only on Xbox and PC, but it doesn’t mention whether it’s Xbox Play Anywhere ??
@Fiendish-Beaver I’m not totally sure I understand your question, but Microsoft will keep producing the Xbox Series consoles until the new generation launches — especially with GTA 6 coming out. Even if it won’t sell as much as its direct competitor, it will still move hardware.
As for your second point: if you’re asking whether they’ll offer two next‑gen Xbox models — a premium one and a cheaper one — I’m not sure. It’s possible. But even if Microsoft doesn’t do it, another manufacturer will. So either way, players will have options.
About the whole “made by Microsoft or by another manufacturer” debate — to me, it doesn’t really make sense. When you look at the components inside any machine, they come from everywhere, from tons of different brands. In the end, it’s just assembly. What actually matters is who designed the device and which ecosystem you enter when you turn it on. The rest is just rhetoric.
It’s the same with the ROG Ally Xbox: the device was designed by Xbox and Asus together, which is why it feels like an Xbox controller in your hands, for example. And the interface is Xbox too. So in the end, it is an Xbox — the rest is just semantics and pointless debate.
The only real reason to say it’s “not an Xbox” isn’t that Asus built it — it’s that it isn’t compatible with the full Xbox console game catalog. That’s the only meaningful difference. The next‑gen console, on the other hand, will be able to run the entire Xbox library.
Not sure if I fully understood your question, though.
@Fiendish-Beaver No, precisely because of what I just explained — we’re moving into a completely different world, and that’s probably one of the reasons Microsoft is shifting toward a hybrid console/PC running Windows. They don’t need to target games for weaker machines anymore, just like PC developers don’t design their games around low‑end hardware.
Developers don’t need to build for a specific machine; games simply adapt to the hardware. High‑end configurations will support higher resolutions, path tracing, and advanced technologies, while less powerful machines will just run lower specs — exactly like any PC. As I already said, Xbox would only need a simple ‘default game profile’ system, which is already on the roadmap, similar to GeForce Experience — automatically configuring each game based on the machine it’s running on. Much easier than forcing developers to manually optimize for specific hardware. If a system can handle more, it can handle less.
@Fiendish-Beaver @Coletrain There’s no parity issue here. Comparing this to the Series S doesn’t really make sense. The Series S and Series X are two closed consoles with strict parity requirements. The next model would be a hybrid PC, and developers already work with dozens of different configurations on PC. Games aren’t “held back” by weaker hardware — they simply scale.
Porting games between PC and Xbox would be almost instant, since it’s the same OS, the same libraries, and the same development environment. It would be very easy and inexpensive for developers, with fewer bugs and far less risk of hitting hardware limits.
Xbox would only need a simple “default game profile” system — basically what GeForce Experience already does — to automatically configure each game for the machine it’s running on. That’s much easier than forcing developers to manually optimize for specific hardware. You see what I mean.
@ilyn Windows PCs have existed for 40 years with dozens of manufacturers, and the Windows brand has never been weakened by that — if anything, it’s what made it so dominant. OEM models don’t replace an “official” device; they just expand the lineup, the same way Android devices do without harming Google.
A single machine would be a really bad idea — good thing you’re not the one running Microsoft 😉. The Series S sold extremely well precisely because it offered a cheaper option. So letting other manufacturers offer more choices at different price points is better for players overall and better for Xbox.
It also means more hardware sold, whether first‑party or third‑party, more games sold, more developers interested in supporting Xbox, and so on.
A first-party Xbox console and Letting partners build cheaper versions is smart too, since it gives players more budget‑friendly options.
This will allow the Xbox ecosystem to be present on more devices, reaching different types of players. Games will be able to sell on more platforms, which also encourages developers to create for the Xbox ecosystem. And since development will be easier with the next Xbox being a PC‑hybrid, it means using the same OS, the same tools, engines, pipelines, libraries, and APIs as on PC. So porting becomes almost immediate and much cheaper — essentially the end of “double development” between PC and console.
Xbox has a more balanced approach to highlighting third‑party publishers than PlayStation.
Sony prevents third‑party retailers from selling digital game codes. As a result, players have no alternative to the PlayStation Store, which effectively creates a monopoly.
Third‑party game prices are often lower on Xbox than on PlayStation. You can see it easily on price‑comparison sites like gg.deals. . There are certainly exceptions, but it’s quite common for prices to be higher on PlayStation. For example, right now Death Stranding Director’s Cut is €10 on Xbox and €20 on PlayStation.
Also, they currently have ongoing lawsuits about artificially inflating the prices of games on their store.
Several developers have publicly complained about the way Sony handles the visibility and promotion of games on the PlayStation Store. Some indie developers have even claimed that Sony charges high amounts for getting featured on the Store.
What’s certain is that they’re under pressure now. They really can’t afford to mess this up, because their recent Game Pass changes clearly weren’t well received.
The price increase of Game Pass Ultimate did come with added value: the Fortnite Crew, improvements to xCloud (now running at 1440p), Ubisoft Classics, and so on. It’s also worth noting that since October, every subscription tier includes xCloud.
But at some point, the problem is that they keep adding things people don’t necessarily want, and we end up paying for features we don’t use. I’m fine with Game Pass Ultimate being the ‘everything included’ tier — it’s called Ultimate for a reason — and paying for that.
What matters is keeping simpler subscriptions with fewer extras, focused on the essentials: **full catalog access and day-one releases**. That’s what Game Pass originally was — a game library. I really hope they don’t start stuffing PC Game Pass with extra features and raising its price for no reason.
I also hope that with the next Xbox console, PC Game Pass will still let you play on it. Logically, it should, since it already works on the ROG Ally and other Windows-based handhelds. There’s no reason for that to change. And I don’t expect another price hike — I think they got the message.
The real issue today is that there’s no dedicated Game Pass tier for current consoles anymore. But honestly, I think Microsoft anticipated this a long time ago by removing Game Pass Console, because it won’t be relevant going forward — PC Game Pass is basically replacing it. I just hope they don’t mess things up with PC Game Pass.
On the other hand, PC Game Pass really needs a rebrand, because calling it ‘PC Game Pass’ doesn’t make much sense anymore in a world where Xbox games are basically platform‑agnostic
For me, a game like Planet of Lana 2 has as much — if not more — impact than other big Game Pass titles like Resident Evil Village, Star Wars Outlaws, High on Life 2, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Death Stranding, etc.
They’re not really comparable, of course, but it’s the kind of chill game that just feels good
@Fiendish-Beaver Pragmata and turok are also the kind of game I can enjoy (looks like we have things in common, yay!).
Planet of Lana 2 was a really great discovery on Game Pass, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth as well
@FraserG Also worth noting: according to a rumor, Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 should hit Xbox on day one, which is quite plausible given Square Enix’s (and other publishers’) shift toward multiplatform releases.
The RAM‑related delay could make them miss their window, because an early launch was their only real chance to capture a few players. If the Steam Machine ends up releasing at the same time — or even close to — the next Xbox, that's more complicated for them, knowing that Microsoft secured a guaranteed RAM supply through SK Hynix.
On top of that, their specs are already very weak for the current generation, and with this additional delay I really don’t see how they’re supposed to run recent games, especially with only 8GB of VRAM and FSR 3.1. (if it's confirmed)
At this point it feels more like a risky bet than a reliable platform. It risks ending up with the same flop as ten years ago, with the console reaching an early end of life.
Pretty solid stuff from Xbox here. The numbers are huge, and it’s good to see that most of the harmful content gets filtered out before anyone even has to deal with it. The mix of AI and human review seems to be working pretty well.
I also like that they’re being transparent about reports, appeals, and how everything is handled. It’s not perfect, but it really feels like they’re taking safety seriously and improving things year after year. Nice to see this side of the platform getting real attention.
@Old_Man_Harper Yeah, I’ve noticed that too — seems like it’s always the same people behind this.
Great news for what’s shaping up to be a huge game. I was already planning to buy it, and this gives me one more reason to pick it up on the Xbox Store. I’ll still wait for reviews, but things are looking really good.
From what I understand, Xbox Play Anywhere mainly applies to current‑gen and older titles, but for the next generation of Xbox consoles, all new games will be Play Anywhere by default, right @Kezelpaso ?
I’m hoping they pull off the same kind of comeback as Cyberpunk, but for now I’m waiting to see more reviews before taking the risk of buying the game.
Honestly, Souls-likes have kind of put me off. It does look cool — at least visually — but given my skills with that genre, I think I’ll sit this one out.
Comments 973
Re: Konami Delists Backwards Compatible MGS Title Ahead Of Master Collection Vol. 2 On Xbox
@Kiltedhaggis ok, I trust you...
Re: Konami Delists Backwards Compatible MGS Title Ahead Of Master Collection Vol. 2 On Xbox
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Re: Konami Delists Backwards Compatible MGS Title Ahead Of Master Collection Vol. 2 On Xbox
@themightyant A bit of good faith, please — you know very well it’s not the same thing. They didn’t release a remake of Forza Horizon. This is a licensing issue, and in this case it’s a loss, since we can’t buy the games anymore.
@Kiltedhaggis yes of course: Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4) / Uncharted 4: A Thief's End & Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4) / Marvel’s Spider-Man (replaced by Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered) / UNTIL DAWN / etc...
To be fair, there are a few exceptions, like TLOU Part 2. And they’re not the only ones — Square Enix does the same thing, with the Resident Evil games for example.
Re: Konami Delists Backwards Compatible MGS Title Ahead Of Master Collection Vol. 2 On Xbox
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Re: ROG Xbox Ally X Gets Its First Price Increase, Limited To One Region For Now
@Gemini53 yes, absolutely. It’s all about balance — you need to know how to use it for repetitive tasks or to boost productivity, but not at the expense of creativity and originality, which only a human can truly reproduce in the end.
Re: These Eight Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (February 19 - March 3)
Whaaaaat ? Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 ?? that's huge ! Honestly, for several months, say what you want, but Game Pass has been delivering some seriously heavy hitters.
And witcher 3, For those who’ve not already played it, it’s a classic — you really have to experience it.
Re: ROG Xbox Ally X Gets Its First Price Increase, Limited To One Region For Now
@Gemini53 I think that at some point, the demand for AI components will reach a peak, then stabilize or even decrease, especially thanks to more efficient and less energy‑hungry models. It has to happen, because the planet’s resources aren’t infinite, and AI’s current needs are just stratospheric. I don’t think it’s really a bubble — maybe there’s some marketing overhype and a bit of exaggerated investment in certain areas, but AI is here to stay; it’s a revolution as significant as the industrial revolution. But I believe more in an improvement of models and systems than in a real drop in AI demand. Today everyone uses AI: developers use it, designers use it, and it’s everywhere in healthcare, the military, and so on… it’s absolutely everywhere, and we’re not going to go backwards.
Re: ROG Xbox Ally X Gets Its First Price Increase, Limited To One Region For Now
AI is a real problem; whether it’s RAM, SSDs, or other components, everything goes to data centers first. As a result, there’s not much left for consumer products, demand becomes higher than supply, and prices go up.
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
With the next Xbox being able to play games from all stores, and PlayStation sending all its games to Steam faster and faster — even day one for some — for me the choice is clear: it’ll be Xbox next generation. The PS6 feels completely unnecessary.
Re: ROG Xbox Ally X Gets Its First Price Increase, Limited To One Region For Now
Good thing I already bought mine! It’s an absolute delight to play on this handheld console.
Re: Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (February 17)
@WVProductionsUK Yes, that’s true, it’s not like the Xbox trailer doesn’t even exist on top of that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPMnuDJcwDY
Re: Poll: What Are Your First Impressions Of High On Life 2 On Xbox & Game Pass?
For now I’m having a good time — it really brings back the original gameplay from the first game, and the atmosphere is great. That said, it’s missing a bit of polish in the textures and animations, and there are a few bugs. I think it just needs a small update to fix that. And I get the feeling the graphics engine hasn’t evolved much
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
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Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
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Re: Ubisoft Says Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition Support Is Planned, Physical Version Skips Xbox
In any case, the physical version — even on other platforms — will sell very little. We’re slowly heading toward the end of physical media anyway; let’s not kid ourselves, that’s just how players consume games now.
Re: Ubisoft Says Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition Support Is Planned, Physical Version Skips Xbox
@TrollOfWar It seems to me that games used to be harder, sometimes excessively so.
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
@Kezelpaso You’re forgetting that Microsoft has already negotiated a supply contract with SK Hynix
Re: Insomniac Shares Cold-Hearted Response To The Chances Of Spider-Man 2 Coming To Xbox
@Kiltedhaggis Do you really think Insomniac is the one making the decisions? Back in 2017, they said their games wouldn’t come to PC or Xbox. And yet, now everything ends up on Steam and some games on Xbox
@carlos17589 Yeah You probably right. As a developer, your goal is logically to have your game played by as many people as possible. Their answer just lacked a bit of empathy and nuance — they could have said “unfortunately” or mentioned that you can still play it on Xbox through Steam. But I guess communication is pretty restricted on Sony’s side, and they can only say what they’re allowed to, so this way they don’t take any risks.
What’s certain is that the company is clearly moving toward a more multiplatform direction. Games like death stranding, Helldivers 2 or Marathon are only the beginning — it’s just a matter of time before PlayStation fans get used to this new paradigm.
Re: Silent Hill 2 Dev Announces Layers Of Fear 3 To Celebrate Series' 10-Year Anniversary
I loved the first and second game on Xbox. If you haven’t played them yet, I really recommend them while waiting for the third one.
Re: Insomniac Shares Cold-Hearted Response To The Chances Of Spider-Man 2 Coming To Xbox
It looks like damage control from Insomniac. Spider‑Man is already playable on the Xbox ROG Ally and on all Windows‑based handheld consoles through the Steam platform. And it will be the same for the next generation of Xbox consoles. Whether there’s a direct port to Xbox or not doesn’t change anything in practice.
I also find this mentality from Insomniac a bit disappointing. They would have everything to gain by having as many players as possible play their games… but in the end, it’s the same for the player anyway. We’re no longer in the era of exclusives and consoles, but in the era of ecosystems.
Back in 2017, Insomniac made a very similar claim, stating that Spider-Man would never appear on Xbox or PC. We all know how that turned out. The entire trilogy is now playable on PC via Steam.
They’ve already lied in the past, and they’re not the ones who make the final decisions anyway. If Sony’s CEO decides that everything should be multiplatform, then that’s how it will be. And it turns out that Sony’s CEO seems much more open, based on his statements about expanding to more multiplatform releases — mentioning PC, but also Xbox and Switch.
In any case, 90% of PlayStation’s exclusive games are third‑party titles, and there are fewer and fewer of them. And when they do get exclusives, they’re temporary ones with increasingly shorter durations.
Meanwhile, Replaced is an Xbox exclusive — take that, Insomniac 😉
Re: 'I Felt Incredibly Emotional' - Peter Molyneux Shares His Reaction To Xbox's Fable Reveal
Playground clearly respected Peter Molyneux’s spirit and vision by creating the game he originally wanted to make.
Re: Three Games Are Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In March 2026 So Far
Too many great games:
Planet of Lana 2 : I’m sure it will be a good game if it stays in the spirit of the first one.
Replaced : I’m curious to try it, and the early previews look very promising
Re: Gorgeous Xbox Adventure South Of Midnight Wins 'Outstanding Achievement' Award At DICE 2026
@Fiendish-Beaver Do some small 30‑minute sessions after your current games. It’s really enjoyable, and it brings something fresh and new.
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From February 2026's State Of Play
@Titntin 17 titles from over 30 ??? Yeah The copium here is clear ....
Personally, I’m counting Kena, Saros, the Ghost of Yotei DLC, the God of War trilogy, God of War: the little 2D game, and the latest Silent Hill — which makes 6 exclusive games out of 35. And among those 6, you have a remake and a DLC, which I normally wouldn’t even count, but I’ll leave them in just to be nice.
So 35 – 6 = 29 multiplatform games that are also coming to Xbox, PC, or both, knowing that Kena and Silent Hill will also release on Xbox — those two being the only third‑party games that aren’t multiplatform at launch.
But I understand your confusion, because PlayStation deliberately maintains that confusion by not showing which platforms the games are coming to. It’s basically disguised misinformation.
So yeah, almost everything is multiplatform or temporary exclusive for some
Re: Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Confirmed For Xbox, And Konami Says It Marks A New 'Beginning'
One of the games I’m most excited about — I love this kind of game. Perfect for the Xbox ROG Ally X
Re: Game Freak's Beast Of Reincarnation Gets August 2026 Xbox Game Pass Release Date
It feels like the devs were tired of Pokémon, and here they really treated themselves with a game that looks genuinely well‑made: Another great addition to Game Pass
Re: Silent Hill: Townfall Not Coming To Xbox At Launch, Along With A Few Other State Of Play Titles
@Gabrie Your point is interesting, even if it’s a bit off‑topic compared to the article. But to answer briefly, Microsoft is already starting to walk back on the AI saturation, and I think they’re right to do so. Because even if AI remains an important element for any company today — whether it’s Microsoft, Amazon, or Google — there’s a kind of bubble forming around it, and a real risk of consumer fatigue. source: windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/microsoft-is-reevaluating-its-ai-efforts-on-windows-11-plans-to-reduce-copilot-integrations-and-evolve-recall
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From February 2026's State Of Play
@fraserG "Don't worry, they're not all PS5 exclusives!"
I would have said…
"Don't worry, almost everything is mutiplatform"
it’s closer to reality.
Re: Silent Hill: Townfall Not Coming To Xbox At Launch, Along With A Few Other State Of Play Titles
I found this State of Play pretty mediocre, and when I saw they ended with their “God of War 2.5” game (which honestly looks like it was made by interns — even the Castlevania game they showed seemed better produced), I really laughed, just like everyone else in the livestream I was watching. For a conference with 95% multiplatform games, I was surprised that this Silent Hill was excluded, even if only temporarily. It’s a shame that PlayStation keeps spending money on timed exclusives, while on the side they barely showed anything first‑party, apart from a Ghost of Yotei DLC, Saros, and the remake of the God of War trilogy. You really wonder what they’re doing besides multiplayer games, with Marathon looking like a future Concord, not to mention the upcoming multiplayer Horizon.
Anyway, among the games shown, the ones that hyped me the most were John Wick, Pragmata, Kena: Scars of Kosmora (it’ll probably end up on Game Pass), Control, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, Resident Evil Requiem, and the badass chicken game.
Re: Xbox Announces Excellence Awards Winners, Including For 20 Best-Selling Games
@BacklogBrad Oh ok, thanks, I understand better now — and sorry @fraserG . I’m not used to this kind of awards.
Re: Xbox Announces Excellence Awards Winners, Including For 20 Best-Selling Games
@fraserG It’s not very clear who the winner is for each category. Only the image shows who won, and the list under each image is confusing — it’s alphabetical, so it’s not a ranking. Is it the list of nominees who didn’t win?
Honestly, I think you need to rethink the layout 😉
Re: High On Life 2: Release Date, Release Time & Download Size On Xbox Game Pass
I loved the first one. I’m actually surprised it didn’t get more attention, because it’s a really great game — not just for its humor, but also for its gameplay and technical execution. A nice addition to Game Pass
Re: Xbox Adds Sounds To PC & ROG Xbox Ally Dashboard For A More Console-Like Experience
@FraserG Okay thanks, it was mainly to clarify things, because the news focuses on the Xbox ROG Ally, but the feature is actually global. Which makes sense — it fits with Xbox’s goal of unifying its interface across all devices
Re: Xbox Adds Sounds To PC & ROG Xbox Ally Dashboard For A More Console-Like Experience
@fraserG The Xbox Full Screen Experience can be enabled on any Windows 11 PC, including the standard ROG Ally. So Are these changes also applicable to to standard ROG Ally units that have installed the Xbox Full Experience, or any other Windows handheld running the Xbox Full Experience ?
In any case, these are the kinds of small changes that make all the difference and really contribute to a good experience. The sounds, the animations, the transitions… they make the interface feel more alive, they strengthen the brand identity, and they bring the experience closer to that of a real Xbox. It gives everything a polished, finished-product feel.
Re: Replaced's Final Previews Are In, And We Could Be In For A Big Surprise On Xbox Game Pass
I’m not sure we can call it an “indie AAA” game, but it definitely feels like it belongs in that category based on what I’ve seen. In any case, I’m definitely going to play it on Game Pass — maybe even buy it afterward.
The article says it’s releasing only on Xbox and PC, but it doesn’t mention whether it’s Xbox Play Anywhere ??
Re: Report: Xbox Working With OEMs To Build Next-Gen Options For 'A Range Of Price Points'
@Fiendish-Beaver I’m not totally sure I understand your question, but Microsoft will keep producing the Xbox Series consoles until the new generation launches — especially with GTA 6 coming out. Even if it won’t sell as much as its direct competitor, it will still move hardware.
As for your second point: if you’re asking whether they’ll offer two next‑gen Xbox models — a premium one and a cheaper one — I’m not sure. It’s possible. But even if Microsoft doesn’t do it, another manufacturer will. So either way, players will have options.
About the whole “made by Microsoft or by another manufacturer” debate — to me, it doesn’t really make sense. When you look at the components inside any machine, they come from everywhere, from tons of different brands. In the end, it’s just assembly. What actually matters is who designed the device and which ecosystem you enter when you turn it on. The rest is just rhetoric.
It’s the same with the ROG Ally Xbox: the device was designed by Xbox and Asus together, which is why it feels like an Xbox controller in your hands, for example. And the interface is Xbox too. So in the end, it is an Xbox — the rest is just semantics and pointless debate.
The only real reason to say it’s “not an Xbox” isn’t that Asus built it — it’s that it isn’t compatible with the full Xbox console game catalog. That’s the only meaningful difference. The next‑gen console, on the other hand, will be able to run the entire Xbox library.
Not sure if I fully understood your question, though.
Re: Report: Xbox Working With OEMs To Build Next-Gen Options For 'A Range Of Price Points'
@Fiendish-Beaver No, precisely because of what I just explained — we’re moving into a completely different world, and that’s probably one of the reasons Microsoft is shifting toward a hybrid console/PC running Windows. They don’t need to target games for weaker machines anymore, just like PC developers don’t design their games around low‑end hardware.
Developers don’t need to build for a specific machine; games simply adapt to the hardware. High‑end configurations will support higher resolutions, path tracing, and advanced technologies, while less powerful machines will just run lower specs — exactly like any PC. As I already said, Xbox would only need a simple ‘default game profile’ system, which is already on the roadmap, similar to GeForce Experience — automatically configuring each game based on the machine it’s running on. Much easier than forcing developers to manually optimize for specific hardware. If a system can handle more, it can handle less.
Re: Report: Xbox Working With OEMs To Build Next-Gen Options For 'A Range Of Price Points'
@Fiendish-Beaver @Coletrain There’s no parity issue here. Comparing this to the Series S doesn’t really make sense. The Series S and Series X are two closed consoles with strict parity requirements. The next model would be a hybrid PC, and developers already work with dozens of different configurations on PC. Games aren’t “held back” by weaker hardware — they simply scale.
Porting games between PC and Xbox would be almost instant, since it’s the same OS, the same libraries, and the same development environment. It would be very easy and inexpensive for developers, with fewer bugs and far less risk of hitting hardware limits.
Xbox would only need a simple “default game profile” system — basically what GeForce Experience already does — to automatically configure each game for the machine it’s running on. That’s much easier than forcing developers to manually optimize for specific hardware. You see what I mean.
@ilyn Windows PCs have existed for 40 years with dozens of manufacturers, and the Windows brand has never been weakened by that — if anything, it’s what made it so dominant. OEM models don’t replace an “official” device; they just expand the lineup, the same way Android devices do without harming Google.
A single machine would be a really bad idea — good thing you’re not the one running Microsoft 😉. The Series S sold extremely well precisely because it offered a cheaper option. So letting other manufacturers offer more choices at different price points is better for players overall and better for Xbox.
It also means more hardware sold, whether first‑party or third‑party, more games sold, more developers interested in supporting Xbox, and so on.
Re: Report: Xbox Working With OEMs To Build Next-Gen Options For 'A Range Of Price Points'
A first-party Xbox console and Letting partners build cheaper versions is smart too, since it gives players more budget‑friendly options.
This will allow the Xbox ecosystem to be present on more devices, reaching different types of players. Games will be able to sell on more platforms, which also encourages developers to create for the Xbox ecosystem. And since development will be easier with the next Xbox being a PC‑hybrid, it means using the same OS, the same tools, engines, pipelines, libraries, and APIs as on PC. So porting becomes almost immediate and much cheaper — essentially the end of “double development” between PC and console.
Re: Indie Publisher Spends $0 Marketing Their New Game, Sells Most Copies On Xbox
There are several reasons:
Re: Report: Microsoft Is In The Early Stages Of 'Expanding' Xbox Game Pass
What’s certain is that they’re under pressure now. They really can’t afford to mess this up, because their recent Game Pass changes clearly weren’t well received.
Re: Report: Microsoft Is In The Early Stages Of 'Expanding' Xbox Game Pass
The price increase of Game Pass Ultimate did come with added value: the Fortnite Crew, improvements to xCloud (now running at 1440p), Ubisoft Classics, and so on. It’s also worth noting that since October, every subscription tier includes xCloud.
But at some point, the problem is that they keep adding things people don’t necessarily want, and we end up paying for features we don’t use. I’m fine with Game Pass Ultimate being the ‘everything included’ tier — it’s called Ultimate for a reason — and paying for that.
What matters is keeping simpler subscriptions with fewer extras, focused on the essentials: **full catalog access and day-one releases**. That’s what Game Pass originally was — a game library. I really hope they don’t start stuffing PC Game Pass with extra features and raising its price for no reason.
I also hope that with the next Xbox console, PC Game Pass will still let you play on it. Logically, it should, since it already works on the ROG Ally and other Windows-based handhelds. There’s no reason for that to change. And I don’t expect another price hike — I think they got the message.
The real issue today is that there’s no dedicated Game Pass tier for current consoles anymore. But honestly, I think Microsoft anticipated this a long time ago by removing Game Pass Console, because it won’t be relevant going forward — PC Game Pass is basically replacing it. I just hope they don’t mess things up with PC Game Pass.
On the other hand, PC Game Pass really needs a rebrand, because calling it ‘PC Game Pass’ doesn’t make much sense anymore in a world where Xbox games are basically platform‑agnostic
Re: One Of 2026's Prettiest Xbox Game Pass Titles Gets New March Release Date
For me, a game like Planet of Lana 2 has as much — if not more — impact than other big Game Pass titles like Resident Evil Village, Star Wars Outlaws, High on Life 2, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Death Stranding, etc.
They’re not really comparable, of course, but it’s the kind of chill game that just feels good
Re: Xbox Drops Multiple Games To Their 'Lowest Price Ever' In Five New Sales
the column "lowest orice ever" is very useful thanks @FraserG
Re: Multiple Games Announced For Xbox Following February 2026's Nintendo Direct
@Fiendish-Beaver Pragmata and turok are also the kind of game I can enjoy (looks like we have things in common, yay!).
Planet of Lana 2 was a really great discovery on Game Pass, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth as well
@FraserG Also worth noting: according to a rumor, Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 should hit Xbox on day one, which is quite plausible given Square Enix’s (and other publishers’) shift toward multiplatform releases.
Re: Valve Admits Its New Console Plans Have Been Affected By Component Crisis
The RAM‑related delay could make them miss their window, because an early launch was their only real chance to capture a few players. If the Steam Machine ends up releasing at the same time — or even close to — the next Xbox, that's more complicated for them, knowing that Microsoft secured a guaranteed RAM supply through SK Hynix.
On top of that, their specs are already very weak for the current generation, and with this additional delay I really don’t see how they’re supposed to run recent games, especially with only 8GB of VRAM and FSR 3.1. (if it's confirmed)
At this point it feels more like a risky bet than a reliable platform. It risks ending up with the same flop as ten years ago, with the console reaching an early end of life.
Re: Xbox Reveals New Safety Data, With Over 300 Million Pieces Of Content Removed In 2025
Pretty solid stuff from Xbox here. The numbers are huge, and it’s good to see that most of the harmful content gets filtered out before anyone even has to deal with it. The mix of AI and human review seems to be working pretty well.
I also like that they’re being transparent about reports, appeals, and how everything is handled. It’s not perfect, but it really feels like they’re taking safety seriously and improving things year after year. Nice to see this side of the platform getting real attention.
@Old_Man_Harper Yeah, I’ve noticed that too — seems like it’s always the same people behind this.
Re: Huge Fantasy RPG Crimson Desert Launches Next Month With Xbox Play Anywhere
Great news for what’s shaping up to be a huge game. I was already planning to buy it, and this gives me one more reason to pick it up on the Xbox Store. I’ll still wait for reviews, but things are looking really good.
From what I understand, Xbox Play Anywhere mainly applies to current‑gen and older titles, but for the next generation of Xbox consoles, all new games will be Play Anywhere by default, right @Kezelpaso ?
Re: MindsEye's 'Most Significant' Update Has Just Arrived On Xbox, Here Are The Patch Notes
I’m hoping they pull off the same kind of comeback as Cyberpunk, but for now I’m waiting to see more reviews before taking the risk of buying the game.
Re: Black Myth: Wukong Gets Its First Xbox Discount Since Launching Last Summer
Honestly, Souls-likes have kind of put me off. It does look cool — at least visually — but given my skills with that genre, I think I’ll sit this one out.