Is the next Xbox simply a compact Windows PC?
- Thread starter RetroGamingUK
- Start date
RetroGamingUK
Member
When Microsoft sunset the Xbox console business, they’re hoping their owner-base with follow the “Xbox” brand if they transition over to PC.
As they’re mainly relying on OEMs it’s a low risk move for them.
HeWhoWalks
Gold Member
Not necessarily instead, but as an alternative, particularly for older Xbox games. If they get 360 games on it, I’m “jumping in” without a second thought! Emulation is mostly great for everything before the 360/PS3 era.
HerjansEagleFeeder
Gold Member
At this point we're splitting hairs over what defines a console and what can make it a PC. If i had to bet, i'd say it's a device that looks like a console but has internals that are 100% PC, meaning off the shelves parts that anyone could buy and assemble themselves, just like the Steam box(es). On the OS side, it'll be an evolution of the Xbox OS that is capable of processing hand picked x86 executables from the PC world like Steam. There'll be some kind of solution in place that make Steam games run on it so that it looks seamless from the users end.
memoryman3
Neo Member
No.
At best I see Xbox reworking their development platform to make it easier to port indie/AA Steam games to the console platform. There are just too many downsides to consumers and the business when it comes to a straight Windows PC box.
Note that many of the users here primarily play on PlayStation platforms.
At best I see Xbox reworking their development platform to make it easier to port indie/AA Steam games to the console platform. There are just too many downsides to consumers and the business when it comes to a straight Windows PC box.
Note that many of the users here primarily play on PlayStation platforms.
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ZehDon
Gold Member
Well, it becomes about conjoined offerings, where the sum is greater than the whole. In the console space, hardware has centralised to the point of absolute homogenisation; a few frames here, a longer load time there, is really about all that separates the big boy consoles now. Microsoft lost the war, and they clearly know it. So, in that environment, stores and services become the battleground rather than hardware platforms. An Xbox Series X2 - sold at cost, or slim profit - with Game Pass that also sideloads Steam is a dramatically better value offering than a PlayStation 6 in terms of access to games, cost of games, library of games, backwards compatibility, etc. So, Microsoft can use Steam - which includes Sony's own first party releases - to sell hardware, which makes its own money now, and then hardware gets people subscribed to Game Pass. Is it a winning strategy? Who knows - but it's better than trying to sell a console that doesn't have exclusive games against a competitor outselling them 5:1.
RetroGamingUK
Member
I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s full Windows and tapping the “Xbox” button on your controller opens the Xbox app in full screen mode.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it worked this way on all PCs with Windows 12.
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Kacho
Gold Member
If they do find a solution that eliminates all the annoyances then I'm in for sure.
Insanemaelstrom
Member
From what I remember the surface team is supposedly designing this. Personally in my opinion it will be a windows pc with Xbox sticker. A showcase for windows 12, pointing the direction that OEM manufacturers should take with their windows 12 pcs. Also, of Xbox goes the OEM route, I think outside of a minimum spec list, they won't have stringent requirements as to what constitutes a device a "next gen Xbox device". Also, I believe windows 12 will have great controller support and will aim to be more user friendly( utilising Xbox's console dna).
Inshort, I agree with you OP. I am getting the same feeling regarding the next Xbox. Also, imo, I fully expect the device to launch next year. 1-2 years before ps6 and will probably be the best place to play gta 6 for atleast a year
Inshort, I agree with you OP. I am getting the same feeling regarding the next Xbox. Also, imo, I fully expect the device to launch next year. 1-2 years before ps6 and will probably be the best place to play gta 6 for atleast a year
Griffon
Member
Take a low end gaming laptop, remove the screen, stick an Xbox logo on it, connect it to the tv and add a controller interface to windows 11.
There you go, that's your Xbox.
Knowing Microsoft, the console interface is gonna be hot trash and you will need to connect a mouse and go into desktop mode to access many essential features.
Expect Steam OS to remain far superior.
There you go, that's your Xbox.
Knowing Microsoft, the console interface is gonna be hot trash and you will need to connect a mouse and go into desktop mode to access many essential features.
Expect Steam OS to remain far superior.
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RetroGamingUK
Member
With the way Surface is going you wouldn’t be surprised if they reverted back to being a software only company.
Hardware (outside mice and keyboards) was something that started in the Ballmer era.
Nadella has other plans.
Snowdonhoffen
Member
Help me understand.
Xbox games or Gamepass have not moved the needle, console gamers do not care about Steam, and PC players are simply going to stick to PC. This sounds like a weird strategy.
- So the new Xbox would be a closed PC that can run Xbox and PC games, right?
- If this is a PC with an Xbox logo, why would anyone buy their games on the Xbox/MS store?
- How are they planning to earn money from microtransactions, third party sales, subscriptions if people could potentially only want to buy all their content off Steam?
- Will the Xbox mode be just a legacy mode or will it have a fully fledged SDK to create native versions for it?
- if it has both, native apps and PC, why would devs bother to create native apps if they can just create the PC version and let them play it using the PC mode?
Xbox games or Gamepass have not moved the needle, console gamers do not care about Steam, and PC players are simply going to stick to PC. This sounds like a weird strategy.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
There isn’t much to understand in terms of strategy when MS/Xbox itself are scrambling to find a coherent path forward. I think they are just grasping at straws in order to not fade away as a platform/storefront
Ritsumei2020
Who did they think I was shilling for?
If this is in line with everything else Xbox is doing right now:
1. Selling consoles doesn't matter anymore because everything is an Xbox, including your PC?
2. Selling games doesn't matter anymore because what matters is ‘engagement’ and the deep feelings you feel when you think about Xbox
3. An Xbox console is what you want it to be. Your PC is an Xbox, Steam is an Xbox, everything you can imagine is an Xbox.
It seems clear, right?
bitbydeath
Gold Member
Based off current rumours/expectations:
Correct.
They could create incentives to purchase on MS store, like make the games cheaper than other PC stores or setup timed exclusivity against the other PC stores, or just be happy their games sell at all.
The same way they already do when selling those items on steam. They’ll save money no longer having to create custom hardware and software.
Just a legacy mode, no new titles.
Windows will be the native mode.
I collect VHS tapes
Gold Member
This is the future
As technology continues to advance, consoles will become a relic of the past
As technology continues to advance, consoles will become a relic of the past
I don't see how this Hybrid Pc/Console thing is going to work. Third Party licenses make 2 different versions, and they will not allow for double dipping. If the box is just a PC, if you can buy the game on that box and a run it on PC? That's not going to happen. Maybe I am misunderatanding this all. Unless it stays the same PC version and this Xbox not a console but a PC a version.
Starbuck2907
Member
Every Xbox has been a small pc. The only thing new is that this one will let you boot windows without aftermarket guides.
DeltaPolarBear
Member
Except doing so would mean they had to sell the hardware for a profit.
SweetTooth
Gold Member
3 D O
hinch7
Member
The next Xbox's are going to be (supposedly) handheld Windows PC's with a better tuned OS made by third parties - think ASUS, Lenovo etc. That are rumored to be coming this year, if not next.
The real next generation starts when they align with Sony once again with the PS6 with their next generation hardware. With a proper console. Whether they'll use the same/similar OS idk, but it would make a lot of sense.
I'm sure they'll figure out forward and BC with legacy hardware+software. They've sort of covered that iirc with previous talks and interviews.
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Fess
Member
There is so much talk about the next Xbox having access to Steam right now on X.
Let’s think this through…
I only see 2 realistic scenarios:
1. They make a PC in a console shell, running normal Windows and booting into Xbox App with a controller focused big screen mode.
Positives: Access to Steam, Epic, Ubisoft, EA, GOG stores. And PlayStation games through Steam. No online gaming paywall. If it’s possible to go out to regular Windows, modding.
Negatives: The user experience will vary since not all launchers and games have controller support. There is a reason why PC gamers specifically talk about Steam Big Picture mode for living room PCs. And you still need a keyboard or mouse at times, they need to completely erase that.
And system requirements for regular PC versions are likely a step above what a console-like PC would have in a $500-700 price range. No Ultra visual gaming there. And games are never properly optimized for a set hardware. So, expect to play in lower resolutions and with lower visual settings or in lower or unstable framerates.
But id’s latest engine has a ray-tracing requirement on PC. So they can’t go too low on hardware specs or they’ll lock their own 1st party games out of their own console, unless they make new versions.
Meaning, it’ll be tricky to keep it priced like a regular console.
And with regular Windows and PC hardware, don’t expect more Xbox games than there are on PC now. So, leave 12,000 of your old games behind… Unless they also create emulators for Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series. Which seem unrealistic.
2. They make a traditional Xbox console with tailored hardware setup for the task, with a Windows-based console OS.
Positives: They can make the hardware with backwards-compatibility in mind, so you’ll for real have access to your entire Xbox library.
Negatives: Steam could still happen but it would be a Steam Deck scenario of emulation and varied support and bad performance.
PlayStation games could be there at least in theory but performance would be horrible and nobody would ever choose that over playing on a regular PlayStation.
Sony could probably very easily block PS games from running on such a device.
———
I don’t know, I just think it’ll be tricky to do this right.
However, I think it’ll be good for PC gamers. If Microsoft can create a competent multi-launcher big screen mode for controller only, that I can boot the PC into, then I’ll gladly use it. Means it’ll be easier to buy and start games from other stores than Steam and go through the library to install and play Gamepass games. Right now I pull out a keyboard with touch pad to do all the out-of-Steam stuff.
Let’s think this through…
I only see 2 realistic scenarios:
1. They make a PC in a console shell, running normal Windows and booting into Xbox App with a controller focused big screen mode.
Positives: Access to Steam, Epic, Ubisoft, EA, GOG stores. And PlayStation games through Steam. No online gaming paywall. If it’s possible to go out to regular Windows, modding.
Negatives: The user experience will vary since not all launchers and games have controller support. There is a reason why PC gamers specifically talk about Steam Big Picture mode for living room PCs. And you still need a keyboard or mouse at times, they need to completely erase that.
And system requirements for regular PC versions are likely a step above what a console-like PC would have in a $500-700 price range. No Ultra visual gaming there. And games are never properly optimized for a set hardware. So, expect to play in lower resolutions and with lower visual settings or in lower or unstable framerates.
But id’s latest engine has a ray-tracing requirement on PC. So they can’t go too low on hardware specs or they’ll lock their own 1st party games out of their own console, unless they make new versions.
Meaning, it’ll be tricky to keep it priced like a regular console.
And with regular Windows and PC hardware, don’t expect more Xbox games than there are on PC now. So, leave 12,000 of your old games behind… Unless they also create emulators for Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series. Which seem unrealistic.
2. They make a traditional Xbox console with tailored hardware setup for the task, with a Windows-based console OS.
Positives: They can make the hardware with backwards-compatibility in mind, so you’ll for real have access to your entire Xbox library.
Negatives: Steam could still happen but it would be a Steam Deck scenario of emulation and varied support and bad performance.
PlayStation games could be there at least in theory but performance would be horrible and nobody would ever choose that over playing on a regular PlayStation.
Sony could probably very easily block PS games from running on such a device.
———
I don’t know, I just think it’ll be tricky to do this right.
However, I think it’ll be good for PC gamers. If Microsoft can create a competent multi-launcher big screen mode for controller only, that I can boot the PC into, then I’ll gladly use it. Means it’ll be easier to buy and start games from other stores than Steam and go through the library to install and play Gamepass games. Right now I pull out a keyboard with touch pad to do all the out-of-Steam stuff.
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DeltaPolarBear
Member
Sony needs to block nothing. As long as the gamer paid Steam and Sony, Sony doesn't care what kind of PC you run. Even if there is an Xbox sticker on the front.
You see, the whole point of Console Wars is to make money. Only Xbox think it is somehow personal. Sony doesn't think about Xbox at all, it is a past adversary. Xbox can't stop thinking about Sony is why they lost.
Now, if Xbox somehow demand extra payment ON TOP of what is already paid for regular PC games, then they are killing themselves stone dead. Because people are not going to pay a premium to run PC games on the Xbox PC.
The main reason why Sony doesn't need to block anything, is because Xbox is not earning anything extra on the Xbox PC that they wouldn't already get. No skin off their nose. And if you think there is a problem you are acting like this is some cultural war. This is Business, always was. And PlayStation had their eyes on the ball as far as Business is concerned. (Sony itself made many mistakes, by the way, just not in gaming.)
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DeltaPolarBear
Member
The idea was always to avoid having their offices firebombed by the rabid fanbase they cultivated. And that means boiling the frog slowly.
And the green frogs are about food-safe temp now. Time to carve and serve.
Edgelord79
Gold Member
Hope so. I could find a lot of uses for that type of box.
RetroGamingUK
when the next Xbox console is unveiled:
"But it's DEAD! Xbox is dead! Why can't you accept it's dead?! So what if they're making a new console- it's OVER!"
RetroGamingUK
Member
"But it's DEAD! Xbox is dead! Why can't you accept it's dead?! So what if they're making a new console- it's OVER!"
You when their next “console” turns out to be a $900 Windows PC made by Lenovo with an Xbox sticker on it.
djjinx2
Member
As long as it has value for that 900, I'll consider it.
My thoughts for Steam on Xbox, I feel it will be locked behind GamePass as an added "perk".