Is the Xbox PC thing going to work out?

Does anyone know if any outlets has gotten the chance to check out the OS these devices will ship with? Outside of a MS controlled enviroment of course.

No, Microsoft flew in a number of youtubers, but I think once we get closer to launch they will send some units out for closer inspection.
 
Here's how it'll go

- Xbox ROG Ally handhelds will sell well initially to hardcore Xbox fans

- However, as with other Windows handhelds, they'll find a limited audience and sales will drop off, especially once people realise it's not an Xbox and doesn't play Xbox games

- Microsoft will team up with ASUS again for their next-gen "console", which is basically Windows PC

- As with the ROG handhelds it sell well initially but drops off

- Microsoft finally give up on gaming hardware but will continue to support their "Xbox PC" app, Xcloud and PS6 with games

So what about people's libraries? Anyone who wants to keep their Xbox library without resorting to streaming will need to keep their Xbox Series consoles.
 
Last edited:
xbox-branded pre-built gaming PCs in various form factors and performance tiers isnt a bad idea (this what you meant by "xbox pc"?), but they shouldnt abandon the console space, assuming they can figure out how to differentiate themselves
 
It will probably be more limited than traditional Windows and will serve as bait to make it difficult to download the Steam application while bombard you with Xbox products and applications. Pre-built PCs are more expensive than an equivalent console and offer less freedom than a PC. In short, a PC will still be better, more complete too.
Didn't they say you can literally just boot into regular windows?
 
The fact that Microsoft has a decades old monopoly in desktop operating systems doesn't change the fact that they have taken a backseat to Valve when it comes to moving PC gaming forward.
Oh I agree. I just meant that, from at the very least a monetary perspective, they very much been along the PC gaming ride the entire way. I've used windows on my gaming PCs since high school and I'm in my 40s. I've also had Linux setups, but especially early on only MS had the commitment to gaming
 
Last edited:
Oh I agree. I just meant that from a monetary perspective they very much been along the ride the entire way. I've used windows on my gaming PCs since high school and I'm in my 40s

That's fair. I think the point MarV0 MarV0 was making was more specific to Steam Deck and handhelds in general rather than the entire PC gaming industry. Obviously they have been a key player.
 
It's just a PC lol

And it's expensive…

Nobody should expect anything more than maybe Steam Deck numbers for this thing. It'll have an uphill battle even against the Deck and likely Deck 2.

The Pc handheld market is niche.
 
Last edited:
That's fair. I think the point MarV0 MarV0 was making was more specific to Steam Deck and handhelds in general rather than the entire PC gaming industry. Obviously they have been a key player.
I don't want to delve into the history of it right now but one can easily argue MS has done more to hurt PC gaming than help it prosper.
 
And people wonder why I want Gamepass to die. Its this reason right here. Microsoft is literally the LAST company I want in control of the PC Gaming market.
Think of the "competition", people keep saying is important for consoles to have.

Seems more like nobody wants Microsoft anywhere near their gaming circle and are trying to keep them at arms length.
 
I don't get that gaffers don't acknowledge that we asked for this shit first. Forget the store, It's a stripped down Windows OS and this isn't something new, we've seen that before, don't try to compare it to XBMC cause it's not even remotely close to that.
 
Last edited:
Its glorified pc handheld. I dont really get why they are going for this unified library. Ive seen so many dummies think this will run native xbox games that its crazy and i think xbox confusing marketing slogans is not helping
 
Just another long list of changing lanes and chasing trends. Microsoft throws paint on walls and hopes eventually something sticks. The handheld is just another reaction to trends and chasing success, never finding it.

Microsoft so desperately wants to have it all as a third party publisher, hardware, handhelds. They want that shop money, subscriptions and thst 30% cut of transactions.
 
I don't get that gaffers don't acknowledge that we asked for this shit first. Forget the store, It's a stripped down Windows OS and this isn't something new, we've seen that before, don't try to compare it to XBMC cause it's not even remotely close to that.

Hang on, doesn't this run full Windows 11?
 
Its glorified pc handheld. I dont really get why they are going for this unified library. Ive seen so many dummies think this will run native xbox games that its crazy and i think xbox confusing marketing slogans is not helping
They want to exit the hardware market, but they don't want to suddenly leave current Xbox subscribers and consumers without alternatives.

This Xbox PC is just Microsoft's attempt to ease the transition for these users and keep them in the ecosystem, because if they migrate to PlayStation or Switch, the Microsoft Store or Game Pass won't be there.
 
They'll be fine as just a 3rd party publisher. If that's the end goal they will do well. In terms of hardware it's over for them.
 
Think of the "competition", people keep saying is important for consoles to have.

Seems more like nobody wants Microsoft anywhere near their gaming circle and are trying to keep them at arms length.
Yes, we want competition. I have no issue admitting that Sony and Nintendo have been quite underwhelming this gen. Pre-2010 era Xbox provided that competition with competent leadership, a good console (RRoD aside), bold ideas, solid first party, excellent 3rd party deals. etc. This version of MS has NO CLUE how to provide that. This last year is the first time they have done a halfway decent job at providing exclusives.

Microsoft as blew it when they let a lot of the talent from Bethesda and Activision walk. They needed to put those guys in charge of Xbox. People like Pete Hines.
 
Every pc will probably have an Xbox app that loads the Xbox interface. The "console" may or may not sell, but as long as Gamepass subs grow, they won't care.
 
Xbox 360 worked out. Xbox One was their fall from grace. I find it crazy that they went all in on TV at a period of time where TV was going away.
It is easy to think it worked out for 360 without us having financial receipts; especially when PlayStation's hardware division burnt through money that gen even without a $10b-$20b RRoD cost and weren't burning $100-$200 in subsidy per console for the full gen (on 80m units) as came out of the information from the ABK buyout about home much better PlayStation are at hardware and hardware profitability , so Microsoft were never going to keep funding Xbox like the OG and first 5years of the 360 on the same strategy - that had already probably cost them $50b-$100b on hardware losses alone.

So it would seem project Kinect/TVTVTV were needed for Papa Microsoft keep writing the cheques to give Microsoft shareholders something to anticipate huge returns on to keep the division financially supported.
 
Last edited:
They've had multiple decades to try and get people to buy games on their garbage ass PC store. That ship has LONG since sailed, and even now they can't get people to buy games on their store even if those people are subscribed to Game Pass. Those people will pay money to rent it for a month on GP, and then buy it on sale from Steam.

They couldn't have possibly shit the bed any worse than they did. Not just now either. At every point since online PC game distribution was a thing.
 
I've been happy with just having the Xbox app on my PC for Game Pass while I have the usual PS5/Switch 2 console setup on the TV and Steam for my primary platform for those titles I do buy games on. To me Xbox is pretty much Game Pass or a backward/media app machine now than anything else, they should remove the full band aid soon and release all their games across all possible platforms.
 
I mean, even with 100% revenue, Epic is struggling with getting publishers to release their games on EGS. Usually they skip it and release their games on Steam, unless Epic offers them bribe money.

So where does this leave Xbox PC?
Xbox PC will never gain traction unless Microsoft are prepared to risk their good guy pro-consumer image.

They have things to leverage here but they will need to leverage them openly and I sense that's an issue for gamer shirt execs. So maybe when Matt Booty becomes CEO of Microsoft Gaming.
 
Xbox PC will never gain traction unless Microsoft are prepared to risk their good guy pro-consumer image.

They have things to leverage here but they will need to leverage them openly and I sense that's an issue for gamer shirt execs. So maybe when Matt Booty becomes CEO of Microsoft Gaming.

It's not really meant to

The big goal is to protect Windows and get gamers using Windows PC to play games (as opposed to potential threats like SteamOS)

The end goal for gaming is mostly people playing on Windows PC and getting games through the Xbox PC app

They'd love for Xbox consoles to be successful, but that money drain is coming to an end.
 
Last edited:
Depends on what you mean.

From the outside "work out" should mean: sell lots and re-establish MS as a force in the hardware space

But thats not what it means.

For MS it means: gradually shift legacy customers to a new platform. Provide them with a method to keep their existing library intact through PC gamepass, official X360 emulation and /or simply giving steam keys for their games to existing owners. Then exit the hardware market entirely and become a third party behemoth.

They don't want to be a hardware company anymore but they're trying desperately not to spook their existing base while they carefully exit the stage. Their "next gen" console will be a low effort half measure to finally put a point on the whole thing, assuming they actually do it at all.
 
Last edited:
Xbox was never successful where I live, it barely exists anymore in retail. So whatever they do it can't be worse really.
Microsoft cash flow strategy has always been to keep their customers captive though subscriptions/renewing licences and monopolies. Obviously they failed spectacularly in the gaming segment, but it's barely a blip to them. Microsoft could buy Sony and Nintendo at whole if they could and it would barely dent their revenues.
 
But there are xbox games on steam. Who is stopping them from releasing on every store available. They are not beating steam, if you're asking that.
 
One of the biggest ironies in gaming is that Microsoft abandoned PC gaming (Microsoft were quite the big PC game publisher back then) to focus on Xbox at the same time when Valve established Steam (Don Mattrick closed PC-centric gaming studios that Microsoft still had or forced them to do Xbox-only games during the Xbox 360 era). As we all know, Valve went on to be now the de facto PC gaming platform (for better and worse), while Microsoft went on to lose the most important console generation (Xbox One era) due to their own stupidity. And now MS are left with not being competitive in either market.
 
Last edited:
It's not rocket science. They want a game pass capable machine for the living room, but don't want to be a dedicated platform anymore. The backwards compatibility is a nice bonus. Personally, I think they'd be better off putting game pass on Steam and helping to revitalize the concept of a steam machine. Sure they'd loose on the store sales, but I don't think that aspect is going to be successful anyway.
 
Top Bottom