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[RetroGamingUK]

The more I hear about the next Xbox, the more I’m convinced that Microsoft are simply going to release a Windows desktop PC and stick an “Xbox” logo to separate it from other off the shelf Windows PCs.

https://archive.is/Q5O6x

Here’s where I think they’re going…

- Windows compact/desktop PC with “Xbox” logo on it

- Runs standard Windows 12

- Designed for on-desk and under-TV use

- Other OEMs (HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, Asis) will be able to “Xbox” certified devices, providing they stick to the same spec

- When bought, all units will have the same spec, this will allow PC game developers to focus on optimising for this hardware configuration/ spec

- User can install Steam (as they can on any PC), but Microsoft’s focus will be on vastly improving the Windows Store, this will be a big selling feature of Windows 12


Here’s why…

- in terms of consoles the Xbox brand is now effectively dead

- Microsoft want to compete against Steam and gain marketshare in the PC gaming space

- even if it doesn’t sell well, nothing is lost, they still gain some influence in the PC gaming space

What do you guys think?

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Just think of the marketing and narrative that they’ll use against PlayStation, they’ll say that console gaming is declining and PC gaming is the future

Phil Spencer: “we want to be at the forefront of that”

 

[lh032]

imo would be a dumb idea, basically they are still competing with low-mid gaming PC or even steamdeck

 

[vaibhavpisal]

I dont think it will be like this.

It will make haters salty cause it will have high end specs. Will be expensive though.

 

[od-chan]

>- Runs standard Windows
Won't happen, at least not for another decade or so.

>- even if it doesn’t sell well, nothing is lost
That's a very.... optmistic way of looking at things.

 

[Mownoc]

Windows based with a custom gamepad friendly interface seems likely. Which means it will be both more expensive and less unique than traditional consoles.

 

[PauloRoberto]

MS is absolutely lost in its own 'We MUST show we ARE winning' narrative. Better specs in itself never were guarantee of sucess (as shown in Xbox, and Xbox One X, and Xbox Series X).

 

[PeteBull]

I think it will be combo of all flaws of prebuilt pc combined with all flaws of console, with barely any pros, tldr it will be something like steam mashine back in the day just even worse than that.

 

[skit_data]

I guess it could be, but they'd have to solve the problem of BC with previous Xbox consoles. I guess they could just say fuck it and don't do it but I don't think it would be appreciated by fans.

 

[ManaByte]

 

[Mister Wolf]

With a custom streamlined UI funneling you into the Xbox App, Steam, Epic Games, GOG, etc

 

[RetroGamingUK]

I guess it could be, but they'd have to solve the problem of BC with previous Xbox consoles. I guess they could just say fuck it and don't do it but I don't think it would be appreciated by fans.

Considering every Microsoft game for the past decade has been released on PC, the worst possible case scenario is any game you’ve bought on Xbox that also had a PC release will be there for you to download for free.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

With a custom streamlined UI funneling you into the Xbox App/Steam/Epic Games.

I think people are confused about the whole Steam rumour.

It’s not a feature Microsoft want, it’s just a by-product of running Windows.

Microsoft hope enough people will ignore Steam in favour of their new Windows Games Store launcher.

 

[Mister Wolf]

I think people are confused about the whole Steam rumour.

It’s not a feature Microsoft want, it’s just a by-product of running Windows.

Microsoft hope enough people will ignore Steam in favour of their new Windows Games Store launcher.

The end result is the same. Xbox App will be front and center when it boots up. That's enough. Any kind of hurdles or confusion they try to put up for installing and booting up other clients will receive massive criticism.

 

[ManaByte]

I guess it could be, but they'd have to solve the problem of BC with previous Xbox consoles. I guess they could just say fuck it and don't do it but I don't think it would be appreciated by fans.

They have already stated multiple times they're doing BC on the next console and have had a forward compatibility team working on it for a couple years at this point. GAF's great satan Phil literally just said on that podcast that they'll continue to respect people's libraries going forward on the next hardware.

 

[TrebleShot]

Yeah pretty much but it won't be "standard windows" it will be like a windows version of steam OS the general user won't see a windows desktop it will boot into the console front end but if you like you can swap to desktop mode to install things like steam etc.

It will absolutely not be standard windows front end when you turn it on.

 

[TrebleShot]

They have already stated multiple times they're doing BC on the next console and have had a forward compatibility team working on it for a couple years at this point. GAF's great satan Phil literally just said on that podcast that they'll continue to respect people's libraries going forward on the next hardware.

Making it a windows front end would make it even more compatible with people's libraries. This is a non issue.

 

[Jack Videogames]

 

[Beechos]

They don't have a chance in hell to compete with steam in the pc space unless all the games are cheaper and drm free. They would be better off closing windows as a platform and taxing companies to release software on it.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

My guess is it will be a PC hybrid, but the question is how well is the virtualization going to work? If they can't get it to work in time, it's game over.

They can make sure 1st party entitlements carry over, but not 3rd party without virtualization and even with virtualization they might have some lawsuits on their hands.

I can't imagine they'll be able to guarantee your entire library of games will carry over, but what they will be able to carry over is your Xbox ecosystem. The question is going to be whether people are willing to pay premium money for the machine and it'll be top dollar for sure if Steam is on there, because it would also mean they can't charge for online, unless people are somehow willing to pay for it when they don't have to to keep their xbox gamer tags and they'd immediately lose almost all royalties...

So you're talking about the difference of Microsoft losing 100-200 dollars per unit to them taking like 200-300 dollars in profit per unit, for the same device... That's a massive shift. I guess they'd ensure they were still selling peripherals, so it could be a bit less, but it's a bad road to take.

 

[Jaybe]

I think the next under the TV Xbox will be a traditional games console, and they will also do a handheld portable Xbox that is a PC running some type of windows. The traditional Xbox console will run all console purchases made from BC. one, and Series generations. The handheld PC will be Play anywhere titles only.

 

[terohoyos]

It was like this from the first Xbox.

 

[lmimmfn]

I can see it, but having 2 buttons, one to boot into console only mode, the 2nd PC mode(that can also game).

That would mean the best of both worlds.

 

[kikkis]

Dual boot would work. Xbox mode would get sleep downloads, no online cheating and optimized experience.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

I can see it, but having 2 buttons, one to boot into console only mode, the 2nd PC mode(that can also game).

That would mean the best of both worlds.

I’d expect…

- turning the machine on boots into Windows, every time

- turn on with box on-button or keyboard-button and once logged in it’ll show the usual blank Windows desktop

- turn on with games controller and it’ll show the Xbox app in full screen (from here pressing the Window button on the keyboard brings up the Windows desktop)

 

[RCX]

I'd be interested. A powerful machine at a decent price.

The way GPU prices are going, I'd be happy to get off that merry-go-round of insanity while still being able to play on PC.

It'd be crazy for MS to do this though, everyone would just install steam and never use the Xbox store.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

It was like this from the first Xbox.

No, that was PC hardware but the software was entirely dedicated to gaming, it had a gaming OS

There’s a reason why I’ve repeatedly stated that this will be a Windows machine

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Making it a windows front end would make it even more compatible with people's libraries. This is a non issue.

There is a big difference between backward compatibility and virtualization and at some point, some things got to give.

The reality is that the next Xbox whether it is a console or a hybrid or a PC is not going to get the full support of publishers or gamers. Why would it?

If it had a windows front end, why would I publish any games in the Xbox store at 30% royalties when Steam is less?

 

[terohoyos]

No, that was PC hardware but the software was entirely dedicated to gaming, it had a gaming OS

There’s a reason why I’ve repeatedly stated that this will be a Windows machine

The first Xbox's operating system was a heavily modified version of Windows 2000.

 

[m14]

No, that was PC hardware but the software was entirely dedicated to gaming, it had a gaming OS

There’s a reason why I’ve repeatedly stated that this will be a Windows machine

RG, how much for the portable Dreamcast in your avatar?

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

They have already stated multiple times they're doing BC on the next console and have had a forward compatibility team working on it for a couple years at this point. GAF's great satan Phil literally just said on that podcast that they'll continue to respect people's libraries going forward on the next hardware.

This was something Topher and I just talked about a few days ago with this new machine coming that Phil knows he can’t get people to leave their Xbox libraries behind

 

[Shifty1897]

I don't think it's a smart business model to make a console and then allow a competitor (Steam) on there to sell games and Microsoft gets 0% of the profit. Then again, Microsoft hasn't had a good business model for the Xbox brand since 2012.

I don't think other manufacturers will be allowed to make Xboxs, the "same spec" requirement makes absolutely zero sense. If the Xbox is actually a PC running PC games, they already have PC settings options built in to every game anyway, and since Microsoft doesn't sell manufactured computer parts, there's no money to be made letting other manufacturers build Xboxs for you.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

RG, how much for the portable Dreamcast in your avatar?

£199, and anyone would be an idiot not to buy it at that price.

Fucking idiots

 

[Minsc]

Windows doesn't have the VM gaming session suspend feature, where you can suspend as many games as you want and jump back in instantly, so I doubt it.

 

[Holammer]

MS can call it an Xbox and insist it's a console.
A console you can install third party stores or perhaps even OtherOS (deep cut reference) if you want.

Windows could cut kernel access (ring0) with an update or Windows 12 and a lot of the problems we have now would disappear. This is very possible after the recent Crowdstrike debacle. The system is wide open today because of EU regulations when they wanted to plug the hole with Window Vista.
Apple locked down Apple OS in 2020. So there's precedent.

 

[TrebleShot]

There is a big difference between backward compatibility and virtualization and at some point, some things got to give.

The reality is that the next Xbox whether it is a console or a hybrid or a PC is not going to get the full support of publishers or gamers. Why would it?

If it had a windows front end, why would I publish any games in the Xbox store at 30% royalties when Steam is less?

Well the current xbox is running a highly customised version of windows anyway, the current back compat is a windows emulator created by MS, so its not really changing anything about being able to run the games it does now.

You would publish it on the new xbox for the same reason you do on PC and xbox already.
Lets not also forget that MS wants you to sub to GP.

 

[Orbital2060]

Just think of the marketing and narrative that they’ll use against PlayStation, they’ll say that console gaming is declining and PC gaming is the future

Phil Spencer: “we want to be at the forefront of that”

Oh no how can they say this against the PlayStation

 

[HeWhoWalks]

I dont think it will be like this.

It will make haters salty cause it will have high end specs. Will be expensive though.

I'd love to hear the reasoning that haters (I'm assuming console) would take issue with a PC having high-end (please define) specs (particularly as it would easily cost north of $1000).

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Oh no how can they say this against the PlayStation

The narrative from green rats in already in progress.

“Console gaming is dying”

Sony are doing well (PS5 is level with PS4) and Nintendo are having their best ever console generation.

The only decline is Xbox, but they’re spinning this into console gaming as a whole via their media channels. The next step is to present Xbox as a PC as the future.

 

[ManaByte]

The narrative from green rats in already in progress.

“Console gaming is dying”

PlayStation are doing well, PS5 is level with PS4 and Nintendo are having their best ever console generation.

The only decline is Xbox, but they’re spinning this into console gaming as a whole via their media channels. The next step is to present Xbox as a PC as the future.

I can’t wait for the reactions of certain people when the next Xbox runs Steam and you can play all those Sony games on it.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Yup it will be a PC with a tweaked OS


With Steam


Everything is a PC

 

[vaibhavpisal]

I'd love to hear the reasoning that haters (I'm assuming console) would take issue with a PC having high-end (please define) specs (particularly as it would easily cost north of $1000).

They wont be able to buy it due to their mental issues.

So will come and cry here instead.

 

[Bonfires Down]

I play on PC and I would use a new Microsoft console-like UI over Steam if they can actually integrate games from other clients (including Steam) in a smooth way. There are only a few Steam features that really matter to me so if they can do a good approximation of those, I’m in.

 

[Orbital2060]

The narrative from green rats in already in progress.

“Console gaming is dying”

Sony are doing well (PS5 is level with PS4) and Nintendo are having their best ever console generation.

The only decline is Xbox, but they’re spinning this into console gaming as a whole via their media channels. The next step is to present Xbox as a PC as the future.

 

[HeWhoWalks]

They wont be able to buy it due to their mental issues.

I'm getting projection out of this.

Otherwise, most people will just do what they usually do — buy a PlayStation and keep it movin'.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

I'm getting projection out of this.

Otherwise, most people will just do what they usually do — buy a PlayStation and keep it movin'.

Yup thats what they will do.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

I can’t wait for the reactions of certain people when the next Xbox runs Steam and you can play all those Sony games on it.

Depends

If Sony see this as a direct competitor to PS5/PS6 they may retreat from their PC port strategy.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Yup thats what they will do.

They’ve been doing it for 30 years

At this point Nintendo and Sony are the Coca-Cola and Pepsi of gaming.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

I can’t wait for the reactions of certain people when the next Xbox runs Steam and you can play all those Sony games on it.

 

[HeWhoWalks]

Yup thats what they will do.

If one is paying attention to history and trends, yes they would.

Which then begs the question — why are we seeing pushback from the likes of people like you? Considering you posted a laugh emoji, have you got any reason to believe they would do anything else? Exactly what kind of market would buy an Xbox branded PC with "high-end" specs that would lead to an influx of haters?