• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Is the next Xbox simply a compact Windows PC?

What will the next “Xbox” be?


  • Total voters
    114
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?
There will be no shift in sales. If anything, Xbox is gonna regress further.

Playstation will cater to mainstream and large chunk of hardcore users. That means it will need to be affordable.

I can imagine PS6 being $499 while nextbox will be $999.

Which would simply mean ….. there will be no competition in quality of devices they will be.
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
There will be no shift in sales. If anything, Xbox is gonna regress further.

Playstation will cater to mainstream and large chunk of hardcore users. That means it will need to be affordable.

I can imagine PS6 being $499 while nextbox will be $999.

Which would simply mean ….. there will be no competition in quality of devices they will be.
So where does that leave the haters?
 
There will be no shift in sales. If anything, Xbox is gonna regress further.

Playstation will cater to mainstream and large chunk of hardcore users. That means it will need to be affordable.

I can imagine PS6 being $499 while nextbox will be $999.

Which would simply mean ….. there will be no competition in quality of devices they will be.

That’s the first smart thing to come out of your mouth since I’ve been a member here.

While PC isn’t a direct competitor to PlayStation, the risk of losing players to PC does keep Sony’s pricing in somewhat in check.
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
You've yet to provide any real reason anyone would be salty. To start, the PS6 will do the job technologically. Next, PlayStation will get all of the games the next Xbox would get. Unless there is more to this than anyone knows, besides you, I'm not hearing/reading any reason that any PlayStation fans should be particularly salty.
 
You've yet to provide any real reason anyone would be salty. To start, the PS6 will do the job technologically. Next, PlayStation will get all of the games the next Xbox would get. Unless there is more to this than anyone knows, besides you, I'm not hearing/reading any reason that any PlayStation fans should be particularly salty.
I think Xbox master race tag will be fitting if it will be a $999 device.

That will revert everyone else to peasant status.

But yes, some people will cope better than others with it.
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
I think Xbox master race tag will be fitting if it will be a $999 device.

That will revert everyone else to peasant status.

But yes, some people will cope better than others with it.
This has to be a parody...

— "I think Xbox master race tag will be fitting if it will be a $999 device" ...... no one with a better rig will care and I'd be willing to bet that most PlayStation 6 buyers/owners won't either.

— "That will revert everyone else to peasant status".... except those of us who have already have (or will have) better/monster PCs.

No one will have trouble coping with an expensive Xbox branded PC that will sell less than 20 million overall and hardly set anything on fire outside of memes.
 
Last edited:

ReBurn

Gold Member
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.
Windows generally supports VM suspend and restore through hyper-v. Other VM tools like VirtualBox do as well. In theory, Microsoft could add a quick resume type of game suspend and restore to Windows if PC games were deployed inside their own hypervisor. PC gamers would probably resist that as a form of DRM, though. Especially if they couldn't mod games inside the container.

If this device is fixed spec like a console then I think it's more likely that whatever this device is will just run an Xbox emulation layer on top of Windows where Xbox games still run in an Xbox hypervisor. This would allow for suspend and resume if there's enough disk space available to shunt the machine state to. No need for dual boot like some folks are suggesting.
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
I think Xbox master race tag will be fitting if it will be a $999 device.

That will revert everyone else to peasant status.

But yes, some people will cope better than others with it.
Have anything better than laugh emojis? I get that you can't take it when someone actually tries to get honest responses out of you, but if all you have is 🤣 then the one who is salty (and has been this whole time) is you.

Leads me to think that the PS5 Pro really threw a wrench in your happiness about the Series X vs PS5. Like I said, I get it, but don't don't project.
 
Have anything better than laugh emojis? I get that you can't take it when someone actually tries to get honest responses out of you, but if all you have is 🤣 then the one who is salty (and has been this whole time) is you.

Leads me to think that the PS5 Pro really threw a wrench in your happiness about the Series X vs PS5. Like I said, I get it, but don't don't project.
PS5 pro isnt the same thing as a next gen system.

It had the potential but failed miserably.
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
PS5 pro isnt the same thing as a next gen system.

It had the potential but failed miserably.
Oh, now I know for sure you're a parody account...

But, I have time, so I'll bite.

— "PS5 pro isnt the same thing as a next gen system". Agreed, which is why that wasn't ever said.

— "it failed miserably". At what, exactly?
 
Last edited:

Puscifer

Member
imo would be a dumb idea, basically they are still competing with low-mid gaming PC or even steamdeck
For me, and maybe I'm just an optimistic person. But imagine if this was mid range PC of sorts but a console. This would mean that games have a minimum spec to adhere to for performance so higher end hardware can scale better because that has to be good for what, 6 years minimum? If your PC is the equivalent of an Xbox, you'll have Xbox quality and anything above that *IS* going to be better objectively.
 
Last edited:

Puscifer

Member
Oh, now I know for sure you're a parody account...

But, I have time, so I'll bite. "it failed miserably". At what, exactly?
It's all GPU no CPU. Being that so many titles are still running at 1080p or 1440p you're still relying on the CPU to do heavy lifting in many scenarios where a higher clock or different architecture would've helped. That being said, it's ai upscaling tech is magical for AMD and it's likely the basis of FSR4
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
It's all GPU no CPU. Being that so many titles are still running at 1080p or 1440p you're still relying on the CPU to do heavy lifting in many scenarios where a higher clock or different architecture would've helped. That being said, it's ai upscaling tech is magical for AMD and it's likely the basis of FSR4
So, where did it fail miserably?
 
Oh, now I know for sure you're a parody account...

But, I have time, so I'll bite. "it failed miserably". At what, exactly?
Dunno, pro should have this very desirable aura.

They squandered it with PSSR beta testing.

Not saying they cannot regain mindshare, with say, stellar 60 fps performance in GTA6.

Its still a hard sell cause most enthusiasts already have their systems.

A next gen system on the other hand ……
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
Dunno, pro should have this very desirable aura.

They squandered it with PSSR beta testing.

Not saying they cannot regain mindshare, with say, stellar 60 fps performance in GTA6.

Its still a hard sell cause most enthusiasts already have their systems.

A next gen system on the other hand ……
"Dunno, pro should have this very desirable aura" - according to the latest data, PS5 Pro helped give Sony one of its best quarters to date and PS5's best quarter ever.

"They squandered it with PSSR beta testing" - Based on what?

"Not saying they cannot regain mindshare, with say, stellar 60 fps performance in GTA6" - their latest financial data shows that mindshare isn't something their struggling with.

"Its still a hard sell cause most enthusiasts already have their systems" - that's why it is a PRO system. It's not meant to appeal to the mass market.

"A next gen system on the other hand" - yes. Like the PS5, I expect the PS6 to be a very desired and purchased product.
 
Last edited:

TrebleShot

Member
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.
It does, just not officially, theres a suspend and resume app that lets you do just this.
I dont use it though as I dont use sus and resume anyway.
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
It will be desirable, and will be bought by many. I said as much.

But next to a much more powerful xbox, sure they will buy ps6.

But will cry about it too. 😂
Indeed. I remember so many tears when the original Xbox went up against the PS2. :)

I guess you had no argument for everything else?
 
Last edited:

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
You are underestimating a console not made to a cost. This is first time its gonna happen.
I've underestimated nothing as nothing exists.

If/when this expensive box hits shelves, the mass market will respond accordingly. If you are here chasing the 8 people having tizzy fits over specs, then it's at your expense. Do you now get how that relates to your original assessment?
 
You are underestimating a console not made to a cost. This is first time its gonna happen.

ODOYeFG.jpeg
 

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
I dont think it will be like this.

It will make haters salty cause it will have high end specs. Will be expensive though.
Yeah this is the avenue I think they will go down. I do think there will be some PC overlap but I don't think this will just have straight windows on it but they will want to make up for the smaller install base with some kind of interoperability.
 

StereoVsn

Gold Member
This would make the most sense. It will run Xbox games through virtualization layer, which isn’t dissimilar to how Xbox works now anyways.

We shall call it SurfaceBox Series X Maximum Edition.
 

m14

Member
You've yet to provide any real reason anyone would be salty. To start, the PS6 will do the job technologically. Next, PlayStation will get all of the games the next Xbox would get. Unless there is more to this than anyone knows, besides you, I'm not hearing/reading any reason that any PlayStation fans should be particularly salty.
High praise indeed.
But if enthusiasts are satiated merely by a console that "does the job" then why does the PS5 Pro exist?

If Xbox users are gaming on a much higher end device, then the games will be performing significantly better than on the PS6. This could cause frustration, anger and hurt among PS users when they see the gulf in performance between the two systems. For example, Forza 6 will release on PS6 but that version (in this scenario) would be greatly diminished compared to the "same game" on Xbox. The userbase for the next Xbox would effectively be an elite within the console space and that could cause tensions with and among PlayStation fans.
 

simpatico

Member
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.
Microsoft is not in the business of selling chips and plastic to make a small profit. It's all window dressing in the pursuit of gaming industry mindshare. No console has perfect BC, hell, if anything the Xbox Series is the most earnest attempt at doing BC on a modern console.
 
High praise indeed.
But if enthusiasts are satiated merely by a console that "does the job" then why does the PS5 Pro exist?

If Xbox users are gaming on a much higher end device, then the games will be performing significantly better than on the PS6. This could cause frustration, anger and hurt among PS users when they see the gulf in performance between the two systems. For example, Forza 6 will release on PS6 but that version (in this scenario) would be greatly diminished compared to the "same game" on Xbox. The userbase for the next Xbox would effectively be an elite within the console space and that could cause tensions with and among PlayStation fans.

1. PS5 is the mass market device sold at a loss, PS5 Pro is the enthusiast device sold at cost

2. If PS6 is sold at a loss as per every PlayStation, and this rumoured hybrid PC “Xbox” is sold at a profit, then despite being more powerful the price comparison won’t make it look good, it’ll be no different than comparing PS5 to an expensive PC. The vast majority of people would never spend over $900 on a gaming system.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: m14

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
High praise indeed.
But if enthusiasts are satiated merely by a console that "does the job" then why does the PS5 Pro exist?

If Xbox users are gaming on a much higher end device, then the games will be performing significantly better than on the PS6. This could cause frustration, anger and hurt among PS users when they see the gulf in performance between the two systems. For example, Forza 6 will release on PS6 but that version (in this scenario) would be greatly diminished compared to the "same game" on Xbox. The userbase for the next Xbox would effectively be an elite within the console space and that could cause tensions with and among PlayStation fans.
The Pro exists as an option, not the option. Appreciate that accentuation of my point.

As to the rest of that, like him, you're merely pushing a hope. An expensive Xbox-based PC will do nothing more than provide a higher-end way of playing games. The vast majority of people will not care. The market has already dictated this - so why some of you continue to live by that idea tells me all I need to know. There was also the narrative from your ilk that folks can just "build a PC" instead of going PlayStation (or, in this case, PS5 Pro). If that's the case, they'll do the same over buying a more expensive Xbox that still won't net the best version of multiplatform games.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: m14

Crayon

Member
I'm going to guess a line of reference-device pc's with a marketing campaign to make it seem like more than that. Sort of like surface.

If that's the concept, there is a lot of room for execution to go one way or the other. Could be pretty nice, depending on what you are looking for.

I imagine the main audience would be the core Xbox fans so they aren't left out in the cold with their investment (monetary and otherwise) over the years. If it works well for them that would be awesome.

Surface tabs are really nice with Linux so hopefully they don't pull any shenanigans there to make it difficult. I've been wanting a compact computer with an soc like a console for a long time now. Devices with that strix halo are getting close but it still has too much CPU vs GPU silicon to be "like a console" in the way I mean. A gaming focused apu in a sleek enclosure for a good enough price could get me off of the normal pc upgrade train. People think valve has that in the works but this would be the next best thing.
 

m14

Member
The Pro exists as an option, not the option. Appreciate that accentuation of my point.

AS to the rest of it, like him, you're merely pushing a hope. An expensive Xbox will do nothing more than provide a higher-end way of playing games. The vast majority of people will not care.
But it would be a differentiator. And it wouldn't be acceptable to Sony for their system to look comparatively diminished in the console space when they are expected to be leading the way.
Very interesting and potentially uncomfortable times ahead.
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
But it would be a differentiator. And it wouldn't be acceptable to Sony for their system to look comparatively diminished in the console space when they are expected to be leading the way.
Very interesting and potentially uncomfortable times ahead.
The Xbox was a differentiator against the PS2. The Series X was a differentiator against the PS5 (this is only "important" because Xbox's top zealots assured everyone that this would matter). In both cases, people didn't care. The "uncomfortable" parties are folks who peddle Xbox narratives, while the rest of the market couldn't give a shit.

So, why would this time be any different?
 
Last edited:
But it would be a differentiator. And it wouldn't be acceptable to Sony for their system to look comparatively diminished in the console space when they are expected to be leading the way.
Very interesting and potentially uncomfortable times ahead.
Jesus I can’t believe people are really falling for Phils differentiator BS.

MS will release another console and they have no hope or belief it will move the neeldle. I can guarantee you they fully expect to sell even less next gen and are more or less ok with it. Wild that people can’t see the strategy. Did you also think it was only going to be 4 games and it was all some “experiment”?
 

Pop

Member
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.
Why would anyone be made about that. Thats just called a PC, which plays everything Xbox too

Imagine this Steam Big Picture Mode but in Xbox form
 

m14

Member
The Xbox was a differentiator against the PS2. The Series X was a differentiator against the PS5 (this is only "important" because Xbox's top zealots assured everyone that this would matter). In both cases, people didn't care. The "uncomfortable" parties are folks who peddle Xbox narratives, while the rest of the market couldn't give a shit.

So, why would this time be any different?
There's multiple reasons why the PS2 outsold the Xbox, as we well know.
Series X isn't different enough from PS5 in terms of specs.

We're theorising here, but a truly high end Xbox in the console space would surely be intriguing to the enthusiasts and potentially a status symbol to the wider marker.
PC levels of performance in a smaller form factor and with the accessibility of a console? That would cause ripples throughout the gaming market.
 
But it would be a differentiator. And it wouldn't be acceptable to Sony for their system to look comparatively diminished in the console space when they are expected to be leading the way.
Very interesting and potentially uncomfortable times ahead.

Have you read any of this thread? Or even the title at least?

It’s about the next Xbox being a Personal Computer, not a console.

PS6 would therefore be the most powerful console by default.
 
Last edited:

deriks

4-Time GIF/Meme God
Not standard Windows, but some very lite version of it

Microsoft itself recently launch a W11 without the bloatware, so I can see this as a sign
 
Why would anyone be made about that. Thats just called a PC, which plays everything Xbox too

Imagine this Steam Big Picture Mode but in Xbox form
This is what I fully expect. I don’t expect them to get rid of all the issues pc gaming has. I’m curious how Xbox users react to hackers in their mp games now. Moving back to pc gaming it was shocking how bad hacking was.
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
There's multiple reasons why the PS2 outsold the Xbox, as we well know.
Series X isn't different enough from PS5 in terms of specs.

We're theorising here, but a truly high end Xbox in the console space would surely be intriguing to the enthusiasts and potentially a status symbol to the wider marker.
PC levels of performance in a smaller form factor and with the accessibility of a console? That would cause ripples throughout the gaming market.
Enthusiasts don't carry a brand. There will be no ripples, market shifts, etc. It will just be a PC, branded as an Xbox, and hardly anyone will care.
 
Last edited:
Software support for those?

This one, if runs steam will run basically everything.

Yet it’ll be the same business model.

The hardware vendor (Microsoft in this case) being unable to profit entirely in this case due to, by virtue of being a Windows PC, allowing Steam access.

Pricing would be the same as HP or Dell selling a similarly specced PC
 
Last edited:

m14

Member
Have you read any of this thread? Or even the title at least?

It’s about the next Xbox being a Personal Computer, not a console.

PS6 would therefore be the most powerful console by default.
This is arguing definitions like whether the Switch is a console.

This potential Xbox will connect to a TV and the primary input device will be a controller. The cost may be prohibitive to the mass market but its specs will be of huge interest to enthusiasts.
All the MS games being on other platforms will be of little significance to Xbox users when they can look themselves in the mirror and know that those games perform best on their "own" machine.
 

m14

Member
Enthusiasts don't carry a brand. There will be no ripples, market shifts, etc. It will just be a PC, branded as an Xbox, and hardly anyone will care.
Some people will care, the only debate is how many.

Can you honestly say that if this PC calibre Xbox arrives at the same time as the PS6, that PlayStation fans would be comfortable with that comparison in performance?

Is Xbox about to become synonymous with high end gaming and as the definitive most powerful machine in the console space?
 
Last edited:

bender

What time is it?
Seems like a catch 22. It will be hard to subsidize hardware if people can buy games via Steam (or other PC storefronts) so instead of getting 100% of 1st party and 30% of everything else, the could be looking at 70% of first party only. They'd potentially cut out the need for a subscription to play online and incentivize Game Pass users to go to the lower cost PC Tier. Those last two things could potentially be worked around but the bigger issue is that if they can't subsidize the hardware, it will be difficult to make a product with mass appeal. It all kind of feels like the worst of both worlds. Maybe they'll just develop an Xbox App for PC that preserves game libraries and make that an incentive of a Gamepass tier.

I still think the pivot to a handheld is more likely considering how enamored Phil seems by it.
 
Last edited:

RoboFu

One of the green rats
Isn't Xbox and PlayStation already just compact pcs? lol

Will it have windows? No I doubt it. It shouldn't.
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
Some people will care, the only debate is how many.

Can you honestly say that if this PC calibre Xbox arrives at the same time as the PS6, that PlayStation fans would be comfortable with that comparison in performance?

Is Xbox about to become synonymous with high end gaming and as the definitive post powerful machine in the console space?
It's laughable that you expect an Xbox branded PC to make a dent in the console space in any capacity.

As to the question, point out the expensive console boxes that made so much of a splash in said space that it changed everything in that direction? Hint: no one will care.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom