Games - a lot of them. Especially looking forward to Fable, Clockwork Revolution & Blade. But these will also generally be cross-platform.
Next Xbox to divide fans - Some will love it, others will hate it.
Xbox to keep stepping on rakes - Doesn't matter the leadership, Microsoft seem incapable of going 3 months without bad news. Probably Game Pass price hikes next.
I don't actually see all that much changing to be honest. The more that changes the more that stays the same.
Metacritic divides reviews per system which sometimes means that Xbox, or other platforms, don't get a score when they should. There's pros and cons to that as sometimes there's a bad console or PC port that SHOULD be marked down, but overall I prefer Opencritic which consolidates them all into one.
There's pros and cons to each site, and I do use both, but I find Opencritic much cleaner, easier to navigate and it doesn't have the same issue if you filter by platform. They also seem to canvas scores from a wider range of outlets and don't weight them, unlike Metacritic, so IGN for example doesn't get precedence over small RPG site.
Planet of Lana 2 - Charming art, characters and animation. Lovely story that shines through despite the characters using a made up language. Puzzles better than the first. Everything is elevated thanks to a majestic Takeshi Furakawa (Last Guardian, SW: Clone Wars) soundtrack. It feels sumptuous and made me want to replay the first game which I didn't love as much at the time... perhaps I was just having a bad day. Recommended
Neva - Utterly incredible art design and animation let down a little by some overly simplistic gameplay and overly long walking sections. Good game though. Memorable.
Ender Lillies - Metroidvania that somehow stands out due to it's unique combat system - you don't fight yourself but use up to 6 spirits - and the amount of build variety available through this and the equipable relics. Bosses are hard but you lose nothing for dying, which is quite refreshing, and are soon back in the action, it's just about learning patterns. World and story telling are also engaging.
PSVR1 - Bought this on eBay after realising I had over 30 PSVR games in my library between purchases, PS+ monthly games and PS+ extra. All set up, a LOT of cables, and looking forward to testing it out.
@Millionski Indie devs supported Switch right out of the gate in years 1 and 2. Games like Hollow Knight and Hades released on the Switch before PS4 and XBO despite the fact Switch had sold a fraction of those consoles at that time because devs like playing on the go.
To be clear I am not saying this WILL be a problem with Helix, only that it COULD be a problem for Helix. MS is taking a calculated risk.
@Millionski Devs optimise for Steam Deck because devs LOVE Steam Deck (much like they loved Switch 1 and really embraced it). I'm not sure the same will be true for the next Xbox.
It will, if it hasn't already... BUT where and on what games? Steam and PC is growing most in Asia on different games and experiences many of which we don't even see. Chinese is actually the most used language on Steam as of 2024 according to Valve.
In the West PC is on a similar trajectory to console.
@Balaam_ To be fair I suspect the "multiple copies of a game on multiple devices" segment of the market is likely pretty tiny compared to the market that might play across platforms. Most people aren't going to buy a game multiple times just to play it on different systems.
I think it's a smart strategy generally but not without risk for the Xbox platform. If the next Xbox just plays PC games then what incentive is there for developers to make them specifically for the Xbox store and not just Steam?
And if the device is as expensive as we think it will probably sell even less than this gen. At what point do devs say there is no point in bringing games to the Xbox store and just put them on Steam?
It may be easy to launch on both if you use their tools, but surely not everyone will. Lots of questions remain. I look forward to seeing how they address them.
It's ALL going to shape the future of Project Helix.
I was quite dismissive of the ROG Xbox Ally X when it launched at $1,000, but in hindsight I think this was a pretty smart move. They are testing a lot of the ideas and conquering many of the problems that will occur next gen now, especially on the SOFTWARE side, which is the bigger issue. The Helix hardware will be great, I have no doubt.
Obviously ROG Xbox Ally is more PC than console, but they are looking to blur those lines and give a console like user experience on a fixed hardware PC. Hopefully they can solve this elegantly and it never feels like Windows.
I don't think it would have been the worst campaign in the world IF non-gamers could just buy a controller and stream though their TV and had access to all games. But Xbox Play Anywhere was half baked at the time and Xcloud was the worse of the other streaming options on a TV. Maybe in another 5-10+ years.
@Globo Yep. Two different companies, in different positions with different strategies. I think both can work for each. See Nintendo the most closed of all.
I was a bit disappointed in the talk. Jason doesn't actually say all that much about Project Helix specifically, it's mostly just general concepts that the whole industry is moving towards like ML Frame Gen, RT, Path tracing, Neural texture compression etc. All good stuff, no doubt, but little new or out of the ordinary.
Probably the most interesting thing I heard is that the GPU can now generate it's own workflows in real time to try and eliminate CPU bottlenecks. Which in theory should help create more complex world simulations but we'll have to see if/how developers utilise this.
Also talks about combining storefronts, shader delivery and other expected things that exist on ROG Xbox Ally and coming to Windows. Expect this to be the template for the next Xbox. Watch development on that advice to get an idea of their direction of travel.
I was a bit disappointed tbh. Jason doesn't actually say all that much about Project Helix specifically, it's mostly just general concepts that the whole industry is moving towards like ML Frame Gen, RT, Path tracing, Neural texture compression etc.
Probably the most interesting thing I heard is that the GPU can now generate it's own workflows in real time to try and eliminate CPU bottlenecks. Which in theory should help create more complex world simulations but we'll have to see if/how developers utilise this.
Worse than the last one. Far too busy. That specific car image only works when squeezed into that top section etc. most images wouldn't work. Just feels dated. imho
@fatpunkslim Usually not for GDC unless you are a developer. (FYI a online Digital DGC pass costs $799). But a handful of talks are made available for free. I wouldn't expect it, more likely we will hear everything second or third hand. But depending on what Microsoft want to reveal they might want it more widely available.
I suspect they will outline how the next Xbox is basically a PC, with Xbox backwards compatibility, and porting games to "Xbox" is basically using the PC version, probably with some added benefits to make them run better (NPU?), pre-optimising settings, pre-compiling shaders etc.
@TheGameThrifter Microsoft aren't going back to exclusives, that ship has sailed. Games are always going to release on PC now. Will be interesting to see what they do with regard to timed exclusives etc.
@ILuvGames building a compound is not really what I’m looking for in a racing game tbh. Forza Horizon is already too bloated imo they don’t need to throw even more ideas at the wall. It needs better focus, better progression, not widening of scope.
But I’m willing to give it a try, perhaps I’m wrong and they just haven’t articulated it clearly yet, that’s the benefit of Game Pass.
Hmmm. I'm probably in the minority, but this sounds just like more of the same with small tweaks for me, which isn't really what i'm after. FH5 already was a bit of a let down personally. Japan should be a more interesting venue though, hopefully the game gets it's hooks into me. Probably just not their target market.
@dskatter Digital Foundry discussed this on their latest podcast. Apparently the devs are supplying them with all the codes needed to test this. DF don't seem concerned at all saying they wish more devs were as open as this team, but only time will tell.
Also wasn't there some PS5 Pro footage from a while ago? Maybe I'm imagining things.
@FraserG I think there will be a correlation between that time, subscribers will drop off, but that's far more likely to be the considerable price hike / restructuring at the same time than Fortnite perk specifically.
@FraserG I remember I really liked the graphics, vibe and music of the first Planet of Lana, but found the puzzles mind numbingly basic, that let it down for me.
But if anything the sequel has made me want to go back and play the first one to see if I was being overly harsh. Perhaps got out of bed the wrong side that day or something. I re-downloaded it.
I know this is about another 2 games but just wanted to shout out Planet of Lana 2 which released on Game Pass last week. I played it over the weekend and it's a lovely game, improves on the first game in every way. My only criticism is it starts a bit slowly, give it an hour.
@Globo As I said I expect either a Series S type version from Microsoft themselves or OEM versions.
As for people not wanting next gen consoles tell that to gamers who are buying up PS5 Pro's off the back of RE9 upgrade and PSSR2!
While I agree plenty aren't ready for next gen yet, plenty will be. The reality of any new console is the first and second year isn't their biggest seller, only enthusiasts buy then, it's years 3 & 4 where the masses get on board and sales peak. So they don't need to appeal to EVERYONE in 2027, by 2029-2030 the console will be there for them.
It makes almost no sense to completely price out most of your market. I said last week I suspect they will either come out with a S or allow certain OEMs to build Xbox PCs with some sort of dedicated hardware block and OS that makes it an “Xbox”.
This custom block and OS should allow similar hardware to perform better than PC / windows / steam machine and give a reason to buy on their store over Steam / Epic etc.
However OEMs would have to turn a profit on the hardware so these still wouldn’t be cheap, but may be cheaper.
In the much longer future they may allow us to build our own Xboxes… but that’s probably next-next-gen IF the plan is successful.
@Questionable_Duck @DJKingaling @JoNJoN3 Too many games, not enough time. I play a huge number of games but still in the same boat. Especially on these 100+ hour (if you get into them) RPGs / Open worlds.
@Millionski FYI Sony making a profit on the PS5 that early was always slightly misconstrued and misreported. They were breaking even specifically vs the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), but there are a LOT of other costs involved in making a console. R&D, Marketing, Distribution, Taxes etc. If you look at Sony's annual financial reports they still include statements things like "Decrease in hardware losses due to lower unit sales" in almost every quarterly report, even as recently as Q2 2025, which means they were still making an OVERALL loss on hardware, just less than they were due to fewer sales.
My understanding is that other than Nintendo, Microsoft, Valve and Sony each still take an overall loss on their console hardware, especially Sony with their more aggressive pricing and holiday hardware sales.
Offering a $600 range of prices is a pretty bad prediction. Shows he has no idea.
@BacklogBrad I get what you are saying but FYI Tom (of Moore's Law is Dead) literally had the job of pricing up tech for different companies and finding a market price, so he certainly has a better idea than most. There are just too many variables for the next Xbox e.g.
How much RAM are they going for? The leaked memory bus allows for 24, 32 or 48 GB of GDDR7 RAM, but we don't know how much.
Price of RAM / GPUs / SSDs? Have they secured stock? Prices are changing rapidly weekly.
Is Microsoft subsiding it?
Depending on the answer of all these will massively change that price, hence the large range. It's a bizarre market right now where even Valve can't announce a price for their product and have delayed it due to price fluctuations.
@dskatter That's why I think it's a small team doing these updates, a few others have had issues that needed fixing, and were. Doesn't seem like they go through the full QA process imo. I'm sure it will be sorted soon.
Hopefully it's an easy fix. I get the impression these update patches are the work of a small dedicated group within Ubisoft, you don't want them to bite off more than they can chew or these may dry up.
Nice clean minimalist UI, though there's a few UX problems with it like relying on being able to read, or recognise, the game covers/logos, which won't be true for many games and white text which won't be visible on most backgrounds (the fable image is very dark). But these are all fixable. It's nicer than the current UI imo.
As a decent human and lover of games he’ll be missed, and I’ll always appreciate what he did bringing Xbox back from the brink, as well as championing things like backwards compatibility, cross play and play anywhere that have made the entire industry better.
But at the same time it was time for a change, the last few years have been mostly rough for Xbox as a brand.
To be honest seeing this list makes me feel they’ve down a pretty good job with the games they have added. There are a lot of licensed games there like Spider-man, Transformers, 007 that sadly will likely never come unless someone makes it their mission to convince all parties. (Fingers crossed)
I’m not usually a huge fan of re-releasing racing games as they usually age pretty badly, I suspect a lot of people wanting Project Gotham might play it once or twice for nostalgia, then realise that it’s not as great as they remember anymore, time and games have moved on. I’d make an exception for Burnout takedown though.
@Balaam_ People often say this but for me around 80% - 90% of the games I play I know I will never play again so what’s the point of owning it. I can’t even remotely keep up with up all the NEW releases so what chance is there to replay most games.
For the few games I think I might want to keep playing I either buy, there is still that option, or play on game pass and buy much later when it’s in a bargain basement sale.
At the end of the day I think ownership is overrated. But we all play differently.
@Gemini53 Jez Corden (not that I think he’s very accurate all that often, but he’s not bad on Xbox news) suggested that there may only be one official Xbox but they will allow OEMs like ASUS to also build them to different specs. Effectively prebuilt pcs probably with a custom hardware layer to make them an “Xbox” this is another solution. I’m just not sure if they will want to ONLY go the premium user route. That doesn’t make sense to me.
@UnlimitedSevens I think you are 100% right. I have no doubt this will be a very niche device. Microsoft EITHER:
Know that and don't care moving to a premium user model only
OR will release a lower spec model too. Remember we knew nothing about Series S until it announced.
But it just so happens I am in that target demographic. I need to rebuild my PC rig, but i'd prefer to play on console and would happily pay for a powerful under the TV PC with a more console like experience. In a perfect world this would have been the Steam Machine but their weak specs, slower than current gen, left me cold.
However it's not a lock yet. It depends on what the ACTUAL specs, price and feature set are. Seeing how Microsoft have done business for the last few years i'm sure they'll find SOME way to EFF it up. But fingers crossed they don't.
Unless there is a cheaper option it will be niche.
It just happens I might be in that niche, but I don't think it will sell well... at all, if the price is as high as we fear.
While it's true there are a LOT of games that only release on PC that is a little deceptive because most of these are exceptionally small or niche games that aren't going to convince many console players to switch to PC, especially from PS5 or Switch 2.
With few exceptions if the game is big enough or popular enough it comes to console even for indies. (Citizen Sleeper, Obra Dinn, Inscryption, etc.) Of course there are still a few worthwhile exclusives, especially KBM games but not many I think are system sellers likely to make people jump ship.
I noticed this yesterday. I assumed it was because I had hit a 50 day streak. It's not JUST the daily sets it's many of the other random 10 point click rewards that have reduced to 5 points.
Honestly don't know why I am still doing it, with nerf after nerf after nerf, and increases to what redeeming rewards costs, the juice just isn't worth the squeeze anymore. But old habits die hard!
Comments 8,444
Re: Talking Point: What Do You 'Expect' From Xbox Over The Next Five Years?
What I expect
I don't actually see all that much changing to be honest. The more that changes the more that stays the same.
Re: According To Metacritic, These Are The 10 Best Xbox Games Of 2026 So Far
Metacritic divides reviews per system which sometimes means that Xbox, or other platforms, don't get a score when they should. There's pros and cons to that as sometimes there's a bad console or PC port that SHOULD be marked down, but overall I prefer Opencritic which consolidates them all into one.
There's pros and cons to each site, and I do use both, but I find Opencritic much cleaner, easier to navigate and it doesn't have the same issue if you filter by platform. They also seem to canvas scores from a wider range of outlets and don't weight them, unlike Metacritic, so IGN for example doesn't get precedence over small RPG site.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 14-15)
@Tdx Downloaded Minishoot Adventures and want to play it soon. Your write up only makes me want to play it sooner.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 14-15)
Planet of Lana 2 - Charming art, characters and animation. Lovely story that shines through despite the characters using a made up language. Puzzles better than the first. Everything is elevated thanks to a majestic Takeshi Furakawa (Last Guardian, SW: Clone Wars) soundtrack. It feels sumptuous and made me want to replay the first game which I didn't love as much at the time... perhaps I was just having a bad day. Recommended
Neva - Utterly incredible art design and animation let down a little by some overly simplistic gameplay and overly long walking sections. Good game though. Memorable.
Ender Lillies - Metroidvania that somehow stands out due to it's unique combat system - you don't fight yourself but use up to 6 spirits - and the amount of build variety available through this and the equipable relics. Bosses are hard but you lose nothing for dying, which is quite refreshing, and are soon back in the action, it's just about learning patterns. World and story telling are also engaging.
PSVR1 - Bought this on eBay after realising I had over 30 PSVR games in my library between purchases, PS+ monthly games and PS+ extra. All set up, a LOT of cables, and looking forward to testing it out.
Re: 'We Will See More Games Come To Xbox Quicker' - Microsoft Exec Talks Plans For The Future
@Millionski Indie devs supported Switch right out of the gate in years 1 and 2. Games like Hollow Knight and Hades released on the Switch before PS4 and XBO despite the fact Switch had sold a fraction of those consoles at that time because devs like playing on the go.
To be clear I am not saying this WILL be a problem with Helix, only that it COULD be a problem for Helix. MS is taking a calculated risk.
Re: 'We Will See More Games Come To Xbox Quicker' - Microsoft Exec Talks Plans For The Future
@Millionski Devs optimise for Steam Deck because devs LOVE Steam Deck (much like they loved Switch 1 and really embraced it). I'm not sure the same will be true for the next Xbox.
Re: Data Firm Predicts PC Revenue Will Soon Surpass Console As Xbox Prepares To Bridge The Gap
It will, if it hasn't already... BUT where and on what games? Steam and PC is growing most in Asia on different games and experiences many of which we don't even see. Chinese is actually the most used language on Steam as of 2024 according to Valve.
In the West PC is on a similar trajectory to console.
Re: 'We Will See More Games Come To Xbox Quicker' - Microsoft Exec Talks Plans For The Future
@Balaam_ To be fair I suspect the "multiple copies of a game on multiple devices" segment of the market is likely pretty tiny compared to the market that might play across platforms. Most people aren't going to buy a game multiple times just to play it on different systems.
Re: 'We Will See More Games Come To Xbox Quicker' - Microsoft Exec Talks Plans For The Future
I think it's a smart strategy generally but not without risk for the Xbox platform. If the next Xbox just plays PC games then what incentive is there for developers to make them specifically for the Xbox store and not just Steam?
And if the device is as expensive as we think it will probably sell even less than this gen. At what point do devs say there is no point in bringing games to the Xbox store and just put them on Steam?
It may be easy to launch on both if you use their tools, but surely not everyone will. Lots of questions remain. I look forward to seeing how they address them.
Re: 'Xbox Mode' For Windows 11 Is Progress, And It Could Shape Microsoft's Project Helix Console
It's ALL going to shape the future of Project Helix.
I was quite dismissive of the ROG Xbox Ally X when it launched at $1,000, but in hindsight I think this was a pretty smart move. They are testing a lot of the ideas and conquering many of the problems that will occur next gen now, especially on the SOFTWARE side, which is the bigger issue. The Helix hardware will be great, I have no doubt.
Obviously ROG Xbox Ally is more PC than console, but they are looking to blur those lines and give a console like user experience on a fixed hardware PC. Hopefully they can solve this elegantly and it never feels like Windows.
Re: Nintendo 3DS Classic 'Bravely Default' Releases On Xbox Today In Its HD Remaster Form
Bizarre announcement all around. Square Enix are weird!
Still more games is only a good thing.
Re: Microsoft's 'This Is An Xbox' Post Taken Down As Fans Wonder If The Controversial Ad Is No More
I don't think it would have been the worst campaign in the world IF non-gamers could just buy a controller and stream though their TV and had access to all games. But Xbox Play Anywhere was half baked at the time and Xcloud was the worse of the other streaming options on a TV. Maybe in another 5-10+ years.
Re: 'Every Xbox Game Gets To Use This' - Microsoft Announces Free Cross-Platform Tools For Developers
@Globo Yep. Two different companies, in different positions with different strategies. I think both can work for each. See Nintendo the most closed of all.
Re: 'Every Xbox Game Gets To Use This' - Microsoft Announces Free Cross-Platform Tools For Developers
Seems like a smart play to try and get more devs locked into their platform & tools.
The slide at their stand also says "Cross platform is the future of the Xbox ecosystem" in case there was still any doubt.
Re: Xbox Reveals New Details On 'Project Helix' Next-Gen Console, Says Devs Will Get It In 2027
I was a bit disappointed in the talk. Jason doesn't actually say all that much about Project Helix specifically, it's mostly just general concepts that the whole industry is moving towards like ML Frame Gen, RT, Path tracing, Neural texture compression etc. All good stuff, no doubt, but little new or out of the ordinary.
Probably the most interesting thing I heard is that the GPU can now generate it's own workflows in real time to try and eliminate CPU bottlenecks. Which in theory should help create more complex world simulations but we'll have to see if/how developers utilise this.
Also talks about combining storefronts, shader delivery and other expected things that exist on ROG Xbox Ally and coming to Windows. Expect this to be the template for the next Xbox. Watch development on that advice to get an idea of their direction of travel.
Re: Microsoft's 2026 GDC Booth Showcases An Impressive Look At The History Of Xbox Consoles
@Kezelpaso @fatpunkslim There appears to be a version of this talk on YouTube, though the audio quality isn't the best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87voLIYudw8
I was a bit disappointed tbh. Jason doesn't actually say all that much about Project Helix specifically, it's mostly just general concepts that the whole industry is moving towards like ML Frame Gen, RT, Path tracing, Neural texture compression etc.
Probably the most interesting thing I heard is that the GPU can now generate it's own workflows in real time to try and eliminate CPU bottlenecks. Which in theory should help create more complex world simulations but we'll have to see if/how developers utilise this.
Re: Xbox Reveals New Details On 'Project Helix' Next-Gen Console, Says Devs Will Get It In 2027
FYI for anyone interested there seems to a version of the talk on YouTube, though the audio quality isn't the best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87voLIYudw8
Re: 'Xbox 25' Fanta Collab Hints At What We Might Be Getting With Call Of Duty 2026
Modern Warfare 3 remastered please. You did 1&2 and then stopped the final episode in the trilogy.
Re: Xbox Reveals New Details On 'Project Helix' Next-Gen Console, Says Devs Will Get It In 2027
Are they really going to drip feed us info for a year and a half? Was expecting more info that these teases.
Re: 10 New Xbox Indie Games That Should Be On Your Radar In March 2026
Can highly recommend Planet of Lana 2.
Will give Minishoot Adventures a go too (87 on Metacritic btw).
Thanks for the heads up.
Re: Xbox Fan Shares Project Helix UI Concept, This Time Based On The 360 NXE Dashboard
Worse than the last one. Far too busy. That specific car image only works when squeezed into that top section etc. most images wouldn't work. Just feels dated. imho
Re: Microsoft's 2026 GDC Booth Showcases An Impressive Look At The History Of Xbox Consoles
@fatpunkslim Yes, there are certainly some major potential benefits. But there are also several obvious problems to overcome too.
So many questions I don't even know where to start.
Probably doesn't make much sense to speculate - even more than we have done - right now with information seemingly coming in days.
I look forward to seeing how Microsoft/Xbox navigate it all.
Re: Microsoft's 2026 GDC Booth Showcases An Impressive Look At The History Of Xbox Consoles
@fatpunkslim Usually not for GDC unless you are a developer. (FYI a online Digital DGC pass costs $799). But a handful of talks are made available for free. I wouldn't expect it, more likely we will hear everything second or third hand. But depending on what Microsoft want to reveal they might want it more widely available.
I suspect they will outline how the next Xbox is basically a PC, with Xbox backwards compatibility, and porting games to "Xbox" is basically using the PC version, probably with some added benefits to make them run better (NPU?), pre-optimising settings, pre-compiling shaders etc.
Re: Microsoft's 2026 GDC Booth Showcases An Impressive Look At The History Of Xbox Consoles
Looking forward to the Jason Ronald talk. Hopefully it's put in the free online section not locked behind the GDC paywall Vault.
Re: Next Xbox Console: Everything We Know So Far About Microsoft's Next-Gen System
@TheGameThrifter Microsoft aren't going back to exclusives, that ship has sailed. Games are always going to release on PC now. Will be interesting to see what they do with regard to timed exclusives etc.
Re: Forza Horizon 6 Tracks, Events & Open-World Activities Detailed In New Gameplay
@ILuvGames building a compound is not really what I’m looking for in a racing game tbh. Forza Horizon is already too bloated imo they don’t need to throw even more ideas at the wall. It needs better focus, better progression, not widening of scope.
But I’m willing to give it a try, perhaps I’m wrong and they just haven’t articulated it clearly yet, that’s the benefit of Game Pass.
Re: Forza Horizon 6 Tracks, Events & Open-World Activities Detailed In New Gameplay
Hmmm. I'm probably in the minority, but this sounds just like more of the same with small tweaks for me, which isn't really what i'm after. FH5 already was a bit of a let down personally. Japan should be a more interesting venue though, hopefully the game gets it's hooks into me. Probably just not their target market.
Re: Crimson Desert Has Three Different Performance Modes On Xbox Series X
@dskatter Digital Foundry discussed this on their latest podcast. Apparently the devs are supplying them with all the codes needed to test this. DF don't seem concerned at all saying they wish more devs were as open as this team, but only time will tell.
Also wasn't there some PS5 Pro footage from a while ago? Maybe I'm imagining things.
Re: Fortnite Price Hikes Are Coming, And They'll Affect Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
@FraserG I think there will be a correlation between that time, subscribers will drop off, but that's far more likely to be the considerable price hike / restructuring at the same time than Fortnite perk specifically.
Re: Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (March 10)
@FraserG I remember I really liked the graphics, vibe and music of the first Planet of Lana, but found the puzzles mind numbingly basic, that let it down for me.
But if anything the sequel has made me want to go back and play the first one to see if I was being overly harsh. Perhaps got out of bed the wrong side that day or something. I re-downloaded it.
Re: Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (March 10)
I know this is about another 2 games but just wanted to shout out Planet of Lana 2 which released on Game Pass last week. I played it over the weekend and it's a lovely game, improves on the first game in every way. My only criticism is it starts a bit slowly, give it an hour.
Re: Digital Foundry Speculates Whether There'll Be An Xbox Series S Successor Next-Gen
@Globo As I said I expect either a Series S type version from Microsoft themselves or OEM versions.
As for people not wanting next gen consoles tell that to gamers who are buying up PS5 Pro's off the back of RE9 upgrade and PSSR2!
While I agree plenty aren't ready for next gen yet, plenty will be. The reality of any new console is the first and second year isn't their biggest seller, only enthusiasts buy then, it's years 3 & 4 where the masses get on board and sales peak. So they don't need to appeal to EVERYONE in 2027, by 2029-2030 the console will be there for them.
Re: Digital Foundry Speculates Whether There'll Be An Xbox Series S Successor Next-Gen
It makes almost no sense to completely price out most of your market. I said last week I suspect they will either come out with a S or allow certain OEMs to build Xbox PCs with some sort of dedicated hardware block and OS that makes it an “Xbox”.
This custom block and OS should allow similar hardware to perform better than PC / windows / steam machine and give a reason to buy on their store over Steam / Epic etc.
However OEMs would have to turn a profit on the hardware so these still wouldn’t be cheap, but may be cheaper.
In the much longer future they may allow us to build our own Xboxes… but that’s probably next-next-gen IF the plan is successful.
Re: Roundup: Here's What The Reviews Say About Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
@Questionable_Duck @DJKingaling @JoNJoN3 Too many games, not enough time. I play a huge number of games but still in the same boat. Especially on these 100+ hour (if you get into them) RPGs / Open worlds.
Re: Tech Journalist Predicts A Price Of 'At Least $1,000' For Xbox Project Helix
@Millionski FYI Sony making a profit on the PS5 that early was always slightly misconstrued and misreported. They were breaking even specifically vs the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), but there are a LOT of other costs involved in making a console. R&D, Marketing, Distribution, Taxes etc. If you look at Sony's annual financial reports they still include statements things like "Decrease in hardware losses due to lower unit sales" in almost every quarterly report, even as recently as Q2 2025, which means they were still making an OVERALL loss on hardware, just less than they were due to fewer sales.
My understanding is that other than Nintendo, Microsoft, Valve and Sony each still take an overall loss on their console hardware, especially Sony with their more aggressive pricing and holiday hardware sales.
Re: Tech Journalist Predicts A Price Of 'At Least $1,000' For Xbox Project Helix
@BacklogBrad I get what you are saying but FYI Tom (of Moore's Law is Dead) literally had the job of pricing up tech for different companies and finding a market price, so he certainly has a better idea than most. There are just too many variables for the next Xbox e.g.
Depending on the answer of all these will massively change that price, hence the large range. It's a bizarre market right now where even Valve can't announce a price for their product and have delayed it due to price fluctuations.
Re: Xbox Must Live Up To Expectations Of Fans Who Have 'Counted On Us', Says Microsoft Boss
Going back to pro-consumer decision would be a great start!
Re: Assassin's Creed Unity's 60FPS Upgrade Is Seemingly Broken On Xbox Series X|S
@dskatter That's why I think it's a small team doing these updates, a few others have had issues that needed fixing, and were. Doesn't seem like they go through the full QA process imo. I'm sure it will be sorted soon.
Re: Assassin's Creed Unity's 60FPS Upgrade Is Seemingly Broken On Xbox Series X|S
Hopefully it's an easy fix. I get the impression these update patches are the work of a small dedicated group within Ubisoft, you don't want them to bite off more than they can chew or these may dry up.
Re: Xbox Superfan Shares Blades Dashboard Concept For 'Project Helix' Console
Nice clean minimalist UI, though there's a few UX problems with it like relying on being able to read, or recognise, the game covers/logos, which won't be true for many games and white text which won't be visible on most backgrounds (the fable image is very dark). But these are all fixable. It's nicer than the current UI imo.
Re: Microsoft CEO On Xbox's Future: 'We'll Always Invest In Gaming'
Good to hear from the horses mouth. That doesn't mean he doesn't change his mind down the line, but it is still very good to hear.
Now back it up with actions.
Re: Xbox's Phil Spencer Was Asked About Retirement A Year Ago, And Here's What He Said
As a decent human and lover of games he’ll be missed, and I’ll always appreciate what he did bringing Xbox back from the brink, as well as championing things like backwards compatibility, cross play and play anywhere that have made the entire industry better.
But at the same time it was time for a change, the last few years have been mostly rough for Xbox as a brand.
Take a well deserved rest Phil.
Re: The 10 Most Wanted Backwards Compatibility Games According To 'Xbox Game Preservation'
To be honest seeing this list makes me feel they’ve down a pretty good job with the games they have added. There are a lot of licensed games there like Spider-man, Transformers, 007 that sadly will likely never come unless someone makes it their mission to convince all parties. (Fingers crossed)
I’m not usually a huge fan of re-releasing racing games as they usually age pretty badly, I suspect a lot of people wanting Project Gotham might play it once or twice for nostalgia, then realise that it’s not as great as they remember anymore, time and games have moved on. I’d make an exception for Burnout takedown though.
Will have to have a think what else is missing.
Re: Talking Point: Are You Happy With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate In 2026?
@Balaam_ People often say this but for me around 80% - 90% of the games I play I know I will never play again so what’s the point of owning it. I can’t even remotely keep up with up all the NEW releases so what chance is there to replay most games.
For the few games I think I might want to keep playing I either buy, there is still that option, or play on game pass and buy much later when it’s in a bargain basement sale.
At the end of the day I think ownership is overrated. But we all play differently.
Re: Next Xbox Console: Everything We Know So Far About Microsoft's Next-Gen System
@Gemini53 Jez Corden (not that I think he’s very accurate all that often, but he’s not bad on Xbox news) suggested that there may only be one official Xbox but they will allow OEMs like ASUS to also build them to different specs. Effectively prebuilt pcs probably with a custom hardware layer to make them an “Xbox” this is another solution. I’m just not sure if they will want to ONLY go the premium user route. That doesn’t make sense to me.
Re: Here's What Might Leave Xbox Game Pass In April 2026
@Kramlar Also find these VERY useful, you've saved me on more than one occasion it's much appreciated Ben, Fraser and Co.
Re: Next Xbox Console: Everything We Know So Far About Microsoft's Next-Gen System
@UnlimitedSevens I think you are 100% right. I have no doubt this will be a very niche device. Microsoft EITHER:
But it just so happens I am in that target demographic. I need to rebuild my PC rig, but i'd prefer to play on console and would happily pay for a powerful under the TV PC with a more console like experience. In a perfect world this would have been the Steam Machine but their weak specs, slower than current gen, left me cold.
However it's not a lock yet. It depends on what the ACTUAL specs, price and feature set are. Seeing how Microsoft have done business for the last few years i'm sure they'll find SOME way to EFF it up. But fingers crossed they don't.
Re: Talking Point: Are You Happy With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate In 2026?
Yes, i'm happy enough. But mostly because I stacked at a much lower rate. If I was paying £23 a month, or playing far fewer games, then maybe not.
Re: Talking Point: Will 'Project Helix' Be A Niche Device, Or An Xbox Console For The Masses?
Unless there is a cheaper option it will be niche.
It just happens I might be in that niche, but I don't think it will sell well... at all, if the price is as high as we fear.
While it's true there are a LOT of games that only release on PC that is a little deceptive because most of these are exceptionally small or niche games that aren't going to convince many console players to switch to PC, especially from PS5 or Switch 2.
With few exceptions if the game is big enough or popular enough it comes to console even for indies. (Citizen Sleeper, Obra Dinn, Inscryption, etc.) Of course there are still a few worthwhile exclusives, especially KBM games but not many I think are system sellers likely to make people jump ship.
Re: Microsoft Rewards Reduces 'Daily Set' Points Across Multiple Regions
I noticed this yesterday. I assumed it was because I had hit a 50 day streak. It's not JUST the daily sets it's many of the other random 10 point click rewards that have reduced to 5 points.
Honestly don't know why I am still doing it, with nerf after nerf after nerf, and increases to what redeeming rewards costs, the juice just isn't worth the squeeze anymore. But old habits die hard!