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Do you think Project Helix will be fully open windows?

If it isn't its DOA.

As I wrote in another thread, as soon as PC comes into the equation IT HAS TO BE fully compatible.

Because the silent but crucial thing about PC are the things noone says anymore: PC is an abbreviation of IBM PC COMPATIBLE.

You break that fundamental value, say by just allowing access to MS' apps and ecosystems, then its less than a PC. In fact its closer to Windows Phone than a real PC.

What's worse though is the implication that this functionality is deliberately "locked out"... as that would put the value proposition down the shitter.

The way I see it, they have no choice but to make it basically a PC (likely loaded to the gills with MS' bloatware) but one with the unique value add of being able to play Xbox branded software as well, thanks to its on-chip TPM.
 
They have already said it will be a Curated Experience. It will be using the modular Windows 12 CorePC.

Think of it as iPad vs MacBook.
 
The Xbox Series X already allows for emulation, and is a stripped down version of windows...so I'd expect this one to be even more open.

If they're allowing Steam and other storefronts to be accessed, it has to be open enough to install non-UWP Windows apps.

I would expect it to have a UI-front-end like the Steam Deck or Xbox ROG Ally, where you have a way to go to a traditional desktop, and when you use the front-end to load apps strips away background resources to give any opened applications priority.
 
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Full Windows with an Xbox mode. Maybe even a gaming mode that shuts of extraneous stuff you don't want to better focus on gaming.
 
asdasdasdbb said:
I think it'll be virtualized using Hyper-V... but yes.

What I don't think you will be able to do is run Linux.
Click to expand...

I think the Xbox console apps will be virtualised and unmodifiable. The FSE might even be required for the games to run.

The Windows games should run natively.
 
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Project Helix will be an unmitigated success in my eyes if, it ends up truly making a windows OS that is 100% free of the bloat, telemetry, AI and is 100% optimized to play games, that can use a controller to adjust most of the settings. It also needs to be 100% compatible with windows drivers.

I doubt that will happen. I simply do not believe that MS would ever allow the xbox team to release a perfect version of windows.
 
I am not even sure if Microsoft wants Windows to be open at all. They are acting like Windows being open to be a mistake, like they wished Windows stop working so they can milk more money from users.

Part of the reason I am considering Steam Machine is I want to dip my toes into Linux. I am still running Microsoft Office 2007 and the day Microsoft stops me from using it, is the day I am gone.
 
It's just a PC with features purposefully blocked off as to not confuse the target audience - people too dumb to build their own, more competent gaming PC.

Same as any other Steam Machine.
 
My guess is they will restrict a user from using traditional desktop environment, but I actually hope i'm wrong.

Edit: Sidebar, when my laptop was down and out in 2016, I used my OG Xbox One to create word documents through the edge browser. When in that environment, it felt like I was using a PC connected to my TV.
 
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No. I think they will solder everything down as well- except maybe the storage. If they limit what SSDs you can use like the Series X people will rage.
 
I think it will be a PC which will only allow you to play and download games from the MS/Xbox Store (locked down).

Afaik they only told us, that it will play PC and Xbox games, but they never mentioned other stores / Steam.

That way they could still keep their promise and have a hybrid PC/Console.
Dev mode / Sideloading could maybe be possible like on Xbone and XSeries.
 
RaZoR No1 said:
I think it will be a PC which will only allow you to play and download games from the MS/Xbox Store (locked down).

Afaik they only told us, that it will play PC and Xbox games, but they never mentioned other stores / Steam.

That way they could still keep their promise and have a hybrid PC/Console.
Dev mode / Sideloading could maybe be possible like on Xbone and XSeries.
Click to expand...
Epic games already confirmed epic game store will be on it.
 
Sooner said:
It's just a PC with features purposefully blocked off as to not confuse the target audience - people too dumb to build their own, more competent gaming PC.

Same as any other Steam Machine.
Click to expand...

You're not building a 'more competent' gaming PC at the rumored price range of the Helix.
RaZoR No1 said:
I think it will be a PC which will only allow you to play and download games from the MS/Xbox Store (locked down).

Afaik they only told us, that it will play PC and Xbox games, but they never mentioned other stores / Steam.

That way they could still keep their promise and have a hybrid PC/Console.
Dev mode / Sideloading could maybe be possible like on Xbone and XSeries.
Click to expand...

They've been mentioning other stores for ages now. There's no ambiguity in that.

What the OP is asking is if you're able to go to the desktop to install emulators etc without issue. Eg being able to install a Switch Emulator and ShadPS4 (for example )
 
Ozriel said:
You're not building a 'more competent' gaming PC at the rumored price range of the Helix.


They've been mentioning other stores for ages now. There's no ambiguity in that.

What the OP is asking is if you're able to go to the desktop to install emulators etc without issue. Eg being able to install a Switch Emulator and ShadPS4 (for example )
Click to expand...
This is Microsoft, they are experts in double speak.

Other stores might not mean all stores, there is a world where it is just those that meet certain criteria that they dictate, we will wait and see.
 
I would imagine it being like one of the steamdeck like OS's where you would launch into the Xbox big screen equivalent but be able to exit that in to regular (cut down modular maybe) windows.
 
my bet is that the PC compatibility will be highly restricted.

I bet the Windows that will ship on the system is gonna be locked down dramatically. I expect you won't even be able to download something through the browser. but I also expect that side-loading through a USB drive will be possible to a degree.

Steam, GoG, Epic Store etc. will probably be installable through the Microsoft Store.
the Epic Store is already there, as is Ubisoft Connect and GoG Galaxy... so all that's really missing is EA and Steam.

so, in short, my bet is that:
-in PC mode you will only be able to download and install apps from the Microsoft Store.
-Browser downloads will be fully blocked.
-Sideloading .exe files through USB will be possible.
-the file system will be very locked down to a point, with the Xbox mode and installs in that mode being fully encrypted and inaccessible.
 
There's been too much corpo speak and GDC hasn't helped. I'm personally starting to think the console will have some arbitrary restrictions to drive users to the store
 
Bry0 said:
There's been too much corpo speak and GDC hasn't helped. I'm personally starting to think the console will have some arbitrary restrictions to drive users to the store
Click to expand...

it will have those restrictions to push people to actually buy the Helix version of games, but also to not make the console be an alternative for an entry level or mid-range PC.

if it was an actually fully functional PC that's sold at a really attractive price point, people who don't even play games would buy a big chunk of the stock.
this would be a disaster.

so they will highly limit the PC features to focus on mostly gaming and make using it for anything else either impossible or not worth the struggle.

and that's a good thing if they do that btw.
imagine half the stock gone because some assholes with a crypto or AI server farm buying cheap PCs and none being left for people who actually want to use it as a gaming system.

Valve could run into a similar issue with their Steam Machines.
 
I do not. I think it will jut be launchers in an App Store that also sells apps like Office, YouTube, and netflix.... ect..
 
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It will probably be a system that has the secure boot option always on and features a dual-boot option that specifically runs compatibility titles from 360/One era. If you want to play modern (it's an XBOX) titles, it will run just like any other regular Windows app; insert an 360 disc and it reboots to the compatibility OS. I would imagine that Microsoft would still have a very keen interest to protect their code/chip from the 360/One systems and would definitely block access to the compatibility architecture under the normal Windows environment.
 
There are a lot of indie games and weebshit that never makes it to xbox. And those don't require a high end PC. If it is fully open it will actually compete with Valve's Steambox.
 
I think it'll be just like Steamdeck (just with windows instead of linux), with the system booting to a "big picture mode" but windows is running and living right behind it, and you can jump over to it just like you can with steamdeck and linux. Hopefully they make the switching a bit smoother than Steam does.
 
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A new green box as usual it's power overshadows hardcoded underperformed games, we know these are facts. Another thing to mention is consoles materialistically are cheaper than notebooks and desktops, you'll need premium components to break the role.
 
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