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Does Xbox have permission now to charge $700 for their rumoured handheld?

recursive

Member
God please say it ain't so, but with PS5 Pro being $700 USD (more elsewhere, by a lot) does this break a glass ceiling for pricing in the console space? If Xbox releases both a handheld and a traditional console could they charge this much realistically?

Looking at the competition in both the handheld and console market, we see examples of both stretching to new heights in terms of pricing.

Granted Xbox is no where near as popular as Sony's console...but I wonder how much does this actually matters, given they've been raising their prices regardless. It would be relatively new for the PC handheld market, competing against the ROG Ally X at $800 and the Steam Deck OLED currently at $549, all of which is higher than what most are used to paying for these products within their own space (Switch at $400...Switch 2 at $???)

Where does this end up? Are people going to be priced out of the market? Will people become accustomed to the new line? (not really new, *cough 3DO cough, cough Neo Geo cough*)
Sure. Their 2tb xbox series x is $600. Let's not pretend sony is the only one pushing some boundaries.
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
you think Sony is gonna let them get away with that? There has to be some kinda lawsuit in the works if that happens.
Going to be an interesting tight rope balancing act if MS puts together a console like experience in a PC/Xbox hybrid box that runs Steam
Sure. Their 2tb xbox series x is $600. Let's not pretend sony is the only one pushing some boundaries.
These companies are tired of losing money early on these boxes, I guess its an experiment in the works to see what gamers will pay
 

Dr.D00p

Member
Not sure I even want a MS Handheld with a locked, closed down Xbox OS.

Part of the appeal of Windows handhelds is their open nature, to be able to install and run whatever you want.

Microsoft will never allow that on a Xbox Handheld...
 

GHG

Gold Member
Eh, regular Ally is less than $600 on sale and its performance is within 5% or X.

Plus ASUS has to make decent margin in hardware it sells and MS doesn’t if they have Xbox store there.

Please tell me you're kidding.

The regular Ally is nowhere near the Series X, let alone the S. It's listed at 2.8 teraflops (although it's unclear if thats fp16 or fp32).
 
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Astray

Member
This thread has really brought up a concern for the future in my opinion. Not just for the next Xbox Console...but the PS6 as well. If the Pro is $700 and the next Xbox Console could be $700+

At this point PC just seems to make more sense. I'm sure the prices will go up with PC as well (because they already have) and it's gonna price folks out of the hobby altogether.
Pc will always be the worst when it comes down to pure value for money. A lot of people point to its greater versatility, but to me, there's no point in buying a Swiss army knife when I just need a steak knife.

If you are not a person who plans to program or content create etc etc then a PC's perceived edge in versatility is vastly oversold.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Pc will always be the worst when it comes down to pure value for money. A lot of people point to its greater versatility, but to me, there's no point in buying a Swiss army knife when I just need a steak knife.

If you are not a person who plans to program or content create etc etc then a PC's perceived edge in versatility is vastly oversold.
"Jack of all trades. Master of none."
 

BlackTron

Gold Member
If you are not a person who plans to program or content create etc etc then a PC's perceived edge in versatility is vastly oversold.

Sounds like something only someone without a PC would say TBH. It's not really a "perceived" edge in versatility, it's a very real and enormous gulf of versatility. Even if you ignore utterly everything that doesn't have to do with running a game.

I say this as a major campaigner for both consoles and PCs and would cry if I lost the benefits of either.
 

reinking

Gold Member
Why do people keep citing a special edition console as if it's some example of MSRP norms?...
Because you have to be special to buy it…

Rimshot Drum Joke GIF
 

Amin_Parker

Member
Handhelds and hybrid consoles usually thrive and get the bulk of their sales from the Asian markets. Nintendo handhelds are so successful because they have the Japanese industry backing them. Even Sony handhelds did pretty well because of Japan. Most of us gamers know that Microsoft is one of the most unpopular names right along with the Xbox brand over in the Asian markets. A lot of Westerners don’t care too much for handhelds but gamers definitely make a strong exception for Nintendo because handhelds/hybrids are still viewed as being something for children in the western world so naturally Nintendo will be able to have this market on lock due to the nature of their content. This is why I don’t think an Xbox handheld will survive. If they can’t get the Asian market to support them and if they can’t resonate with the Japanese community in Japan then it is no point of them even trying to release a handheld/hybrid. It will always hover around the steam box level sales but it would never reach Nintendo level sales so it’s kind of pointless. I just don’t think people care about the Xbox brand worldwide. Sure some Americans care about it but most people in this world tend to lean more towards Sony or Nintendo depending on the age group. I just don’t think an Xbox handheld is going to succeed. I feel like its going to be a major flop even though it is the most logical decision for Microsoft. I also don’t think they should ever release a home console ever again. I say this as someone who is not a fan of the Sony PlayStation brand. I simply understand that gamers prefer PlayStation over Xbox and that’s never going to change. The moment Microsoft enters the handheld market they’re going to have the same problem because they’re going to be up against the most legendary gaming company in the history of the industry and I’m talking about Nintendo. There’s really no room left for Microsoft. The Industry is not capable of having three major manufacturers anymore. I believe that there is only room for Nintendo and Sony at this point. Sure there’s valve and other companies making PC handhelds but I’m talking about MAJOR hardware manufacturers at the moment. The industry is just not big enough anymore for the so-called big three. I am full aware that the steam deck exist and Valve is a great company but it is not a major hardware manufacturer. I understand people like Xbox in America but from a Worldwide perspective there is no room for three major players anymore. I wanna make this clear I understand that the PC and steam and valve is absolutely gigantic but I’m simply talking about video game consoles right now. There is no more room for Microsoft. They should probably just become a third-party developer at this point. Listen guys I like Microsoft a whole lot I like the Xbox brand even more but I honestly don’t see any clear path in the hardware market for them anymore.

Nonetheless in order to answer the OP question I’ll say this, if they’re going to do anything they might as well make a hybrid and sell it at $900. Sure it will be the most expensive hybrid console product in video game history but if they’re going to do something they might as well throw everything they possibly can at the wall. Make it the most powerful handheld in history by future proofing the device from a power standpoint. Then if they’re going to do another Home console they might as well sell it for $1200 and make it be the most powerful system in existence far and above the PS6. They have to top their competitors Sony and Nintendo in every conceivable way from a technological standpoint. I know it’s not going to sell much of anything but at least they will be selling it at a profit. Might as well go all out for their last and final round in this industry. I just don’t see them lasting long as a hardware maker in this industry.
 
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Jaybe

Gold Member
Best place to play GTA6

Sideloads Steam

Plays Playstation games thats on Steam

I like they are trying something different

Curious in your thoughts… Has there been any speculation on how people that have purchased third party games on their Xbox Series consoles in that ecosystem, will be able to play their purchases on this rumored Xbox branded PC? I think they have two hurdles to cross, one being the technical aspect and the other likely more challenging one being the licensing aspect. Publishers needed to agree to allow 360 backwards compatibility on a game by game basis. Would not the same situation apply here? If you have Resident Evil 4 Remake and GTA6 purchased on your Xbox Series X, what guarantee is there for gamers that the same purchase will allow them to play on this Xbox branded PC? Seems like something I haven’t seen addressed.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Why do people keep citing a special edition console as if it's some example of MSRP norms?...
It's the only Xbox console with 2 TB internal storage. So if one is analyzing the price of a PS5 Pro (which is also 2 TB), the 2 TB Xbox Series X is the only console it can be measured against.

Alternatively, one could consider buying a Series X ($500) and then a 1 TB storage expansion card ($150), a total of $650, which is already $50 more than the 2 TB version and only $50 less than the PS5 Pro.
 
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adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
It better fit’s narratives

Agencylife Bingo GIF by MX Player



The whole 'bUt ItS tHe OnLy 2Tb XbOx' thing is profoundly dumb. People would buy a cheaper 1TB SKU of the PS5 Pro if given the choice. A choice that the different SX SKU's afford them.

Let alone that you're missing a physical disc drive which needs another $80 to 120 euro and a $30 stand.
 
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GoldenEye98

posts news as their odd job
It's the only Xbox console with 2 TB internal storage. So if one is analyzing the price of a PS5 Pro (which is also 2 TB), the 2 TB Xbox Series X is the only console it can be measured against.

Alternatively, one could consider buying a Series X ($500) and then a 1 TB storage expansion card ($150), a total of $650, which is already $50 more than the 2 TB version and only $50 less than the PS5 Pro.

Such intricate mental gymnastics...that also conveniently leaves out the disc drive...
 

sainraja

Member
Having something that flawlessly plays all your xbox games, does Game Pass, has other launchers working day one, all on a system without windows bloat could be a hell of an item that could be their lane to dominate if they get their shit together for it.
..well, they make Windows. So, it will probably have some form of Windows on it.
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
Curious in your thoughts… Has there been any speculation on how people that have purchased third party games on their Xbox Series consoles in that ecosystem, will be able to play their purchases on this rumored Xbox branded PC? I think they have two hurdles to cross, one being the technical aspect and the other likely more challenging one being the licensing aspect. Publishers needed to agree to allow 360 backwards compatibility on a game by game basis. Would not the same situation apply here? If you have Resident Evil 4 Remake and GTA6 purchased on your Xbox Series X, what guarantee is there for gamers that the same purchase will allow them to play on this Xbox branded PC? Seems like something I haven’t seen addressed.
I have not heard this addressed specifically
Agencylife Bingo GIF by MX Player



The whole 'bUt ItS tHe OnLy 2Tb XbOx' thing is profoundly dumb. People would buy a cheaper 1TB SKU of the PS5 Pro if given the choice. A choice that the different SX SKU's afford them.

Let alone that you're missing a physical disc drive which needs another $80 to 120 euro and a $30 stand.
People tend to leave out the whole disc drive part

It's the only Xbox console with 2 TB internal storage. So if one is analyzing the price of a PS5 Pro (which is also 2 TB), the 2 TB Xbox Series X is the only console it can be measured against.

Alternatively, one could consider buying a Series X ($500) and then a 1 TB storage expansion card ($150), a total of $650, which is already $50 more than the 2 TB version and only $50 less than the PS5 Pro.
Still not a good metric to use because the Xbox also includes a disc drive that adds another $80 to the price of the pro
 

sainraja

Member
It's the only Xbox console with 2 TB internal storage. So if one is analyzing the price of a PS5 Pro (which is also 2 TB), the 2 TB Xbox Series X is the only console it can be measured against.

Alternatively, one could consider buying a Series X ($500) and then a 1 TB storage expansion card ($150), a total of $650, which is already $50 more than the 2 TB version and only $50 less than the PS5 Pro.
Until MS stops selling the base model Xbox Series X (1TB) and only has the 2TB available in the market, people can compare the PS5 Pro to either of those options available from Microsoft. There is no avoiding that. Should people be comparing an upgraded console to one that wasn't? Well, nothing will stop them from doing that and if MS does not put out a pro version of their own, someone in the market to buy a console has to choose between what is available.
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
..well, they make Windows. So, it will probably have some form of Windows on it.

Phil Spencer said:
“I want to be able to boot into the Xbox app in a full screen, but in a compact mode. And all of my social [experience] is there. Like I want it to feel like the dash of my Xbox when I turn on the television. [Except I want it] on those devices.”
 

Natsuko

Member
They can take what they want. The question is how much people are willing to pay. A 700 euro handheld? I'd probably be out even with Nintendo. Xbox? No way.
 

Astray

Member
Sounds like something only someone without a PC would say TBH. It's not really a "perceived" edge in versatility, it's a very real and enormous gulf of versatility. Even if you ignore utterly everything that doesn't have to do with running a game.

I say this as a major campaigner for both consoles and PCs and would cry if I lost the benefits of either.
I actually built a rig not too long ago, pretty high-spec too. The problem is that I only really use it for gaming. I have ideas to do more with it (mostly playing around with stable diffusion and some short clip editing), but nothing happened on that front yet.

What I'm saying essentially is, versatility doesn't matter if you aren't actually using it (also for a lot of tasks, a cheap laptop would more than suffice, it's only really for heavy rendering or AI/ML tasks that you'd need a full-blown rig).
 

Sw0pDiller

Banned
steam deck oled with 1 tb is allready €680 euro, why on earth would the next xbox handheld be any cheaper? They want better hardware, not slower...
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Not sure what your point is. It is a product on the market. Priced by MS. Same as ps5 pro. Both companies are pushing price boundaries. Both have questionable value at that price point but I would take a ps5pro over a 2tb xbox sx any day for $100 more.
I really don't understand why some people get triggered when PS5 Pro is compared to a Series X 2 TB.

- Both are gaming consoles
- Both will be launch in Q4 2024
- Both are from direct competitors
- Both have 2 TB storage (which is one of the most expensive component in these consoles)

Funnily enough, Microsoft told Digital Foundry in 2020 that Series X is their "Pro" console for this generation, and Series S as the base version.

People will have these 2 choices if they want to buy a new console this season. People routinely compare console and PC prices. They even compare console prices with phones and other entertainment options. But comparing these 2 consoles has suddenly become so problematic for some unknown reason.
 

BlackTron

Gold Member
I actually built a rig not too long ago, pretty high-spec too. The problem is that I only really use it for gaming. I have ideas to do more with it (mostly playing around with stable diffusion and some short clip editing), but nothing happened on that front yet.

What I'm saying essentially is, versatility doesn't matter if you aren't actually using it (also for a lot of tasks, a cheap laptop would more than suffice, it's only really for heavy rendering or AI/ML tasks that you'd need a full-blown rig).

I see your point. Yeah, obviously the versatility of PC to do non-gaming tasks is a giant nothingburger if you don't want to use it for anything but gaming, valid point.

But a PC is still the most versatile gaming device by a massive margin so...yeah.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
What does this even mean?

Built in game pass integration + cloud support.

People will have these 2 choices if they want to buy a new console this season.

People have the choice of buying a cheaper Series X SKU. They are not beholden to just the one 'choice'.

It is a weird hill to climb that some of you guys are more interested in comparing PS5 Pro to a Series X than an actual base PS5.
 
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dmaul1114

Banned
I think handhelds are a bit more price capped than consoles. Even if they’re easily dockable to a TV, they of course just aren’t as powerful and can’t match the graphics of console so it’s hard to charge the same price—much less the same as a mid gen refresh console.

I could see having high prices if there’s a cheaper base model and then higher end models with OLED screen instead of LCD, more storage etc. But having a cheaper base model ala Steamdeck is a key to having any success I’d think.
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
I really don't understand why some people get triggered when PS5 Pro is compared to a Series X 2 TB.

- Both are gaming consoles
- Both will be launch in Q4 2024
- Both are from direct competitors
- Both have 2 TB storage (which is one of the most expensive component in these consoles)

Funnily enough, Microsoft told Digital Foundry in 2020 that Series X is their "Pro" console for this generation, and Series S as the base version.

People will have these 2 choices if they want to buy a new console this season. People routinely compare console and PC prices. They even compare console prices with phones and other entertainment options. But comparing these 2 consoles has suddenly become so problematic for some unknown reason.
If 2 TB is a must

I think most people heading into the store would be more inclined to buy the 1 TB Series X that is $499 with a drive if they start adding costs up

I guess it just depends on what people value more, an extra TB of storage or a disc drive

Personally have fast internet I would rather have the drive because all of a sudden if you buy the regular Series X over the PS5 Pro and you add in the drive you are looking at $280 difference

I think picking the LE Series X and people saying look its only $100 difference is being disingenuous imo
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
If 2 TB is a must

I think most people heading into the store would be more inclined to buy the 1 TB Series X that is $499 with a drive if they start adding costs up

I guess it just depends on what people value more, an extra TB of storage or a disc drive

Personally have fast internet I would rather have the drive because all of a sudden if you buy the regular Series X over the PS5 Pro and you add in the drive you are looking at $280 difference
For this reason, I believe Sony should have also created a 1TB PS5 Pro version at $600. That'd have been very good for them in terms of PR.

I think picking the LE Series X and people saying look its only $100 difference is being disingenuous imo
We should definitely take into account the disc drive as well, as you previously highlighted. But it doesn't have to be the LE 2 TB. We can also take a 1TB Series X (normal edition) and then add the cost of a 1 TB storage expansion card.

The idea is to compare the two consoles that are the closest to each other. And while there is a gulf in specs b/w the X and Pro, Series X is still the closest to Pro in terms of specs.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Built in game pass integration + cloud support.



People have the choice of buying a cheaper Series X SKU. They are not beholden to just the one 'choice'.

It is a weird hill to climb that some of you guys are more interested in comparing PS5 Pro to a Series X than an actual base PS5.
By that logic, people will also have the choice of buying a Series S or a PS5. Or even a PS4 if they can find it. Or a Steam Deck.

That's not the point.

The point was to compare the two available options - from direct competitors - that are closest to each other in terms of (1) price and (2) specs.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Does the current Xbox hardware not have this? :pie_thinking:

I was talking about a potential Xbox handheld doing that. You can use Xcloud on phones and stuff but I'm talking about a possible Xbox branded handheld having native game pass built into it.
 

StereoVsn

Member
Please tell me you're kidding.

The regular Ally is nowhere near the Series X, let alone the S. It's listed at 2.8 teraflops (although it's unclear if thats fp16 or fp32).
???

The regular Ally has the same chipset as X, namely 780U GPU. X has slightly faster RAM, more of it, and bigger battery.
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
I hope it starts at a grand if its got a 3d cache CPU and a beastly GPU, sideloads Steam. I'd pay 1,500 for that easy. Just market it as a hybrid Console / PC and I'm sure people will pay a pretty penny.

Just need to lock in the OS, if MS have any sense. Which i think they will fail at miserably and only Valve might save us with a decent steam box.

Or, go NVIDIA. do something to really stir the pot! it's time we had something a little different.

But at $1,000 that thing would top out at 20 million sold. At $1,500 it would top out at 10 million sold. Why do you want to kill Xbox like this?
 

StereoVsn

Member
I think it is a *very* safe bet that if they were putting out a 1TB $599 PS5 Pro SKU, the general non-enthusiast response would have been a lot more positive

And on PS5 it’s easy and not too expensive to add storage so it needs to have 2TB as default option less vs Xbox I would say.

Sony just wanted to up the margins basically, same as not including the drive.
 
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