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Microsoft is unifying Xbox and Windos UI/Store, Asus might release Project Kennan, an Xbox-branded Windows-powered portable in 2025
- Thread starter ShaiKhulud1989
- Start date
- Rumor Hardware
ShaiKhulud1989
Gold Member
MacReady13
Member
GHG
Gold Member
Well there it is.
Play Anywhere titles will be carried over for refugees and everything else ends up being up in the air.
Well they might struggle with this because not every publisher/developer is on board and/or they aren't willing to subsidise everyone to do it.
Play Anywhere titles will be carried over for refugees and everything else ends up being up in the air.
Well they might struggle with this because not every publisher/developer is on board and/or they aren't willing to subsidise everyone to do it.
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Little Chicken
Member
Very exciting news!
XBOX EVERYWHERE
XBOX EVERYWHERE
Little Chicken
Member
thicc_girls_are_teh_best
Member
Starting to feel like the Windows handheld gaming devices is what Microsoft WANTS to succeed and, if they do, they'll just quietly cancel the Xbox 2027 handheld and console-ish system.
However if these Windows handhelds aren't successful, they'll go ahead with the 2027 plan as a back-up.
But it's really sounding like they don't want to go with that approach, if they can avoid it. Hence why it's coming later.
Yep, sounds like it. I'm a bit surprised tho; they could've still maybe had at least one more gen with a hybrid-like device but pushing Xbox OS and the Xbox storefront front and center, with some extended Windows functionality to allow more native app support, and try a soft subsidization on a lower-end SKU through a Game Pass tier gating access to alternative storefronts for a fixed term period.
But that approach would require more hardware R&D, and generally more effort on Microsoft's end no matter what. Hence why they probably have that as a "backup" i.e the 2027 plans but...they really want the "gaming layer UX for Windows" approach to work instead. Less upfront R&D on MS's end, able to more fully offload hardware production & distribution to OEMs, etc.
I just thought it was another 10 years away. Which is probably how long it'll take before it's actually a stable, satisfying-to-use solution, considering how MS have been handling Windows the past few years plus all the issues with PC components, pricing etc. in general.
However if these Windows handhelds aren't successful, they'll go ahead with the 2027 plan as a back-up.
But it's really sounding like they don't want to go with that approach, if they can avoid it. Hence why it's coming later.
Yep, sounds like it. I'm a bit surprised tho; they could've still maybe had at least one more gen with a hybrid-like device but pushing Xbox OS and the Xbox storefront front and center, with some extended Windows functionality to allow more native app support, and try a soft subsidization on a lower-end SKU through a Game Pass tier gating access to alternative storefronts for a fixed term period.
But that approach would require more hardware R&D, and generally more effort on Microsoft's end no matter what. Hence why they probably have that as a "backup" i.e the 2027 plans but...they really want the "gaming layer UX for Windows" approach to work instead. Less upfront R&D on MS's end, able to more fully offload hardware production & distribution to OEMs, etc.
I just thought it was another 10 years away. Which is probably how long it'll take before it's actually a stable, satisfying-to-use solution, considering how MS have been handling Windows the past few years plus all the issues with PC components, pricing etc. in general.
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GHG
Gold Member
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Very exciting news!
XBOX EVERYWHERE
The best timeline.
Fess
Member
Spot on.
In theory this is great, it’s exactly what I was hoping for.
But in practice this is going to be incredibly difficult to achieve.
They need emulators for Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series. They need updated licenses from all devs. To fully succeed they need to allow their customers to rip discs as well and turn them into digital copies, essentially what they wanted to do through the infamous Xbox One DRM.
Can it be done? Maybe. But Microsoft is one of the slowest companies I know when going from promise to delivering, so I expect to be very very disappointed.
The easy route is to bury everything that is currently locked to Xbox consoles and pretend it never existed. That’s what I think they’ll do. That’s 99.9% of my library…
HeisenbergFX4
Gold Member
lachesis
Member
Well, MS made MSX before with ASC ii back in 80s... and Sony, Sharp, Daewoo etc made the H/W for them.
If it comes with a nice big OLED and a great build quality, powerful and affordable + compatible with my Steam library with mods and all - I may think of upgrading my Steam Deck.
But ASUS... even though I use a lot of ASUS products, but they are not the poster child of being economical...
If it comes with a nice big OLED and a great build quality, powerful and affordable + compatible with my Steam library with mods and all - I may think of upgrading my Steam Deck.
But ASUS... even though I use a lot of ASUS products, but they are not the poster child of being economical...
Punished Miku
Human Rights Subscription Service
Sounds like the dream scenario. Just a question of how much they get to carry over.
Forward compatibility team, godspeed.
Forward compatibility team, godspeed.
GHG
Gold Member
Will it not have Xbox branding?
Will be interesting to see how they go about marketing this then.
HeisenbergFX4
Gold Member
Zacfoldor
Member
Just getting rid of the marketing speak, so that "Xbox Handheld Console" releasing this year(maybe) and that Jez and Phil have been yapping about is made by ASUS and doesn't run Xbox games, just PC games? Is that correct?
Is there any handheld planned, ever, that will run Xbox games natively?
Is Asus going to be making the next Xbox too?
This sounds really bad. I actually have been worried. I know your fickle natures. You will suckel the titty that has milk, no loyalty. I know you. However, this news gives me hope. If it is actually this bad, nobody will buy in.
Is there any handheld planned, ever, that will run Xbox games natively?
Is Asus going to be making the next Xbox too?
This sounds really bad. I actually have been worried. I know your fickle natures. You will suckel the titty that has milk, no loyalty. I know you. However, this news gives me hope. If it is actually this bad, nobody will buy in.
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Kacho
Gold Member
This is too cynical IMO.
In the article, Tom Warren mentioned the game preservation team Sarah Bond put together in early 2024. They're doing something so accommodate people with existing Xbox libraries. How well they execute on that remains to be seen, Tom Warren says as much, but they're doing something.
Despite all their faults, Xbox has delivered some kickass emulators. I expect more of that at the very least. I'm more concerned about the licensing. If I can access some but not all of my games I'm gonna hulk the fuck out.
I don't think Publishers will subsidize anything and it's more likely that MS will end up paying them so they can get those games to their owners, tho, that's a perfect world scenario and in practice, just a bunch of games will "carry over"
Props to MS if they pony up the cash to subsidize 100% of every game library over so many years, IF that happens, if not, well tough luck xbros, you got rammed hard
HeisenbergFX4
Gold Member
What's coming first is just another Windows handheld
There seems to be an actual Xbox handheld coming as well in what Jez says is 2027 ish but how that handles Xbox games is unknown
No clue on who is making the actual next Xbox console
It honestly sounds like Xbox is working on another traditional console and possibly a higher end model but the latter one sounds like its going to be handled by companies like Asus
It all sounds like a disaster unfolding in real time imo
Tiago Rodrigues
Member
So Xbox is dead but they aren't saying it and are trying to kind of rebrand the entire thing?
Punished Miku
Human Rights Subscription Service
100% would be amazing. But Xbox console is toast. If I can access even 60%, that is saving me multiple thousands of dollars.
GHG
Gold Member
If they are actually due to go ahead with both then it's as clear a sign as any that they are just willing to try a variety of things in order to see if anything sticks.
I don't think Publishers will subsidize anything and it's more likely that MS will end up paying them so they can get those games to their owners, tho, that's a perfect world scenario and in practice, just a bunch of games will "carry over"
Props to MS if they pony up the cash to subsidize 100% of every game library over so many years, IF that happens, if not, well tough luck xbros, you got rammed hard
That's what I meant when I said subsidise, Microsoft paying developers/publishers for the dual licences.
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djjinx2
Member
EXCLUSIVE: Xbox President Sarah Bond has set up a new team dedicated to game preservation and forward compatibility
The backward compatibility program will continue to future Xbox hardware.
www.windowscentral.com
Hopefully everything will be on PC at some point, publisher permitting of course.
Kacho
Gold Member
Losing access to 40% of my games would be a nightmare scenario for me. That's why I gave up on buying more games on Xbox months ago. Too much uncertainty.
Insanemaelstrom
Member
That sounds pretty confusing imo, especially for casuals. Kind of feels like they are throwing darts at whatever board they could find hoping to hit a bullseye.
Punished Miku
Human Rights Subscription Service
Every other system I've ever owned I lose 100%. So we'll see. Fingers crossed.
Topher
Identifies as young
So a handheld and PC made by Asus and a traditional console made by Microsoft. Wouldn't they all be able to play both Windows and Xbox games? I mean.....why release any hardware without that functionality at this point?
ShaiKhulud1989
Gold Member
I'm fully convinced that Microsoft never expected for PS5 initiative results to be this good and for HW to crater this quickly by this much. Hence there is a true confusion behind the scenes where everyone are not sure of anything anymore. In the drand scheme of things pure software approach are simply cheaper and allow to cut a lot of unnecessary R&D. I fear that dedicated Xbox HW is finished at this point.
That's the reason why I think the report is utter nonsense.
There are hardly any titles outside the Microsoft cosmos that are released as Play Anywhere. There have recently been some successor titles to series that were previously Play Anywhere and are no longer.
Publishers and developers therefore see neither incentives nor reasons. How could they? MS had to spend 70 billion on the stupidest acquisition in tech history - after Nokia. Oh wait ...
In fact, it feels like the opposite is happening; Microsoft is letting the Windows Store die as a gaming platform.
These are the most logical and sensible steps, given the current situation with consoles, handhelds, video game development and publishing, and MS's multiplatform strategy.
Unite different platforms under a single UI, Store, device compatibility, and BC. The simplest way is to do this under the Windows foundation so that studios and publishers can easily offer "Xbox" versions by default.
As T. Warren points out in the article, we need to understand the terms and execution of this plan because that will definitely determine a large part of the success or failure of this strategy, and therefore of its ecosystem and hardware.
Unite different platforms under a single UI, Store, device compatibility, and BC. The simplest way is to do this under the Windows foundation so that studios and publishers can easily offer "Xbox" versions by default.
As T. Warren points out in the article, we need to understand the terms and execution of this plan because that will definitely determine a large part of the success or failure of this strategy, and therefore of its ecosystem and hardware.
Fess
Member
Yes the BC team were emulation wizards. But they were dismantled long ago.
I’m just being realistic here. It’s a Mount Everest to climb to successfully get the complete Xbox library over to PC. It’s not something a preservation team they put together in 2024 can do til a late 2025 launch.
And the licensing is another mountain to climb. The games are licensed to play on original Xbox hardware. Nowhere else.
If there is a regular PC version, original/remaster/remake, available for sale publishers might not want people to be able to transfer and use an old license from Xbox One or 360 or OG Xbox on what essentially is a Windows PC. They want people to buy their PC versions on Steam or Microsoft Store.
Insanemaelstrom
Member
Agree. Plus I feel after buying Activision and seeing it's data they kind of realised their position and opened possibilities for them. Have 10 studios and a hardware platform, you prioritise the hardware because you can earn far more profit from that as compared to games.
But having 30-40 studios, some of the biggest ips in the industry and a hardware platform, you are earning( and can potentially earn far more) from the games as compared to the hardware platform.
Buying Activision( and Bethesda), in my opinion, changed MS's priority. They frankly see far more money to be earned from their games as compared to their hardware. Their main product is now games not Xbox. Why loss money from a declining platform( especially one's with expensive R&D, not to mention having to subsidize to attract customers and compete) all to earn 30% share of sales, when you can publish everywhere and earn 70% share due to your games.
That's why, I am still skeptical about MS's interest in having a hardware platform. Just doesn't make sense from a buisness point of view
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onnextflix5
Member
Another ms initiative that’s going fail no doubt, they never learn do they.
ShaiKhulud1989
Gold Member
Warren muses about the same things, really. Bet he knows something but can’t share any news yet.
Kacho
Gold Member
Consumer expectations have changed in that regard. Phil went on record saying that the Xbox One/PS4 generation was the worst one to lose because people started building their digital libraries. If we end up losing access to 30-40% of our games with this transition it's going to a PR disaster.
Punished Miku
Human Rights Subscription Service
There's real value in maintaining those libraries as you said, so I hope they go above and beyond to work with publishers and seal the deal.
After that, all their obligations are done and they can sell everywhere and ride off into the sunset. We'll see. As I said though, we've never seen anyone try something like this so I give them lots of credit for envisioning this and working on it.
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HeisenbergFX4
Gold Member
The only thing I can think is not leaving people behind that want to bring their libraries with them
I don't get their direction right now and why the 2 handhelds a little over a year a part?
If the one is a true Xbox why this partnered Windows machine?
bender
What time is it?
Neither do they.
Kacho
Gold Member
I’m fully with you on this. It’s very ambitious and interesting to watch unfold.
HerjansEagleFeeder
Gold Member
Hoping for the best, expecting the worst.