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[Punished Miku]

Who the fuck is actually buying what would essentially be a Microsoft branded PC - given how fucking awful Microsoft's PC products are.

A handheld Xbox? Microsoft’s gaming chief can’t stop thinking about it

What game would you play first on a portable Xbox?

www.polygon.com

You can just use a different PC if you don't want theirs.

“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.”

According to Spencer, the Xbox hardware team, led by Roanne Sones, is considering “different hardware form factors and things that [they] could go do” as it plans the future of Xbox hardware. “What should we build that will find new players?” Spencer said. “That will allow people to play at times when they couldn’t go play [in the past]?”

In our expansive interview, Spencer described two approaches to making Xbox available on handhelds: the hardware versus the software approach. As he said, he has strong feelings about what a handheld Xbox device should feel like. But he also recognizes — having learned from the console business — that players may choose brands other than Xbox. For those players, Spencer wants to improve the Xbox handheld gaming software experience, too — particularly for people who have devices running Windows, like the Legion Go and the Ally.

 

[Topher]

Who the fuck is actually buying what would essentially be a Microsoft branded PC - given how fucking awful Microsoft's PC products are.

I said in the other thread Microsoft is going to have to stop pretending they can price shit like Apple with minimal specs at high end prices for the market. Surface products are a joke with how pitiful the specs are. But if the powers that be at Microsoft expect those kinds of margins for Xbox then the whole thing is DOA.

Microsoft needs to get their head out of the ass, for once, and deliver a great product at a great price while making it something people actually want. They ain't Apple.

 

[King Dazzar]

Who the fuck is actually buying what would essentially be a Microsoft branded PC - given how fucking awful Microsoft's PC products are.

For me it's who's got any faith to be investing further in the Xbox brand. And with a potentially much more expensive outlay.

 

[Topher]

I wouldn't put much stock into that as 99% sure she meant the blue heart to be Blizzard and just hasn't figured out yet gamers will dissect every letter, typo and space bar presses as pigeon morse code or something

Blue is also Window's color:

 

[Nonehxc]

Welcome to the next stage of War

After throwing the towel in the living room console war against Sony...

Well, we can go war against Steam in the digital marketplace front and against Steam AND Nintendo COMBINED in the portable front.

Good luck Microsoft haha

 

[Punished Miku]

For me it's who's got any faith to be investing further in the Xbox brand. And with a potentially much more expensive outlay.

For me it's all about forward compatibility. If they manage to take care of my library and transition it over, even when they're losing, and even if they aren't going to profit off of that - I can't think of anyone else who would do that. It was basically my one request, and they are potentially doing it.

 

[midnightAI]

I said in the other thread Microsoft is going to have to stop pretending they can price shit like Apple with minimal specs at high end prices for the market. Surface products are a joke with how pitiful the specs are. But if the powers that be at Microsoft expect those kinds of margins for Xbox then the whole thing is DOA.

Microsoft needs to get their head out of the ass, for once, and deliver a great product at a great price. They ain't Apple.

To be fair, if you want a Surface tablet you can get pretty darn good specs for a second hand machine (and I loved mine for use with full Photoshop/Sketchbook until its battery swelled and pulled the screen away from the chassis). You can get a Surface Pro 6 with an i5 in it for around £200. But yeh, new, not worth it.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

The fundamental issue is that Xbox community tends to overreact over relatively unimportant things, feeding media and clickbait. Xbox community is the enemy of Xbox.

 

[Evil Calvin]

Sure. Why not. Have all 1st party games release day one on Xbox Gamepass.............then a year later, release for $70 on Playstation. Xbox still gets the games and likely extra stuff and DLC a year early. Really a win/ win for both.
But there will not be 'day-one' releases on Playstation. Maybe, for MP games, COD and some other titles, but for the most part it would be a year or so delay.

 

[splattered]

Would be funny if this is MS semi throwing in the towel but it ends up being wildly successful for them and turns the brand around.

 

[King Dazzar]

I said in the other thread Microsoft is going to have to stop pretending they can price shit like Apple with minimal specs at high end prices for the market. Surface products are a joke with how pitiful the specs are. But if the powers that be at Microsoft expect those kinds of margins for Xbox then the whole thing is DOA.

Microsoft needs to get their head out of the ass, for once, and deliver a great product at a great price. They ain't Apple.

Yep, it heavily rests on pricing. Then we have Xbox's competency on top. I think we're already watching the starting journey of a car crash.

 

[OverHeat]

I was so pissed at MS 2 years ago…that I decided to leave 500 digital games behind…

 

[T-0800]

he said "Nobody wanted to give Xbox a chance, so this is what they get with a Sony monopoly"

 

[King Dazzar]

I was so pissed at MS 2 years ago…that I decided to leave 500 digital games behind…

Yep, similar. I was quite pragmatic about it though. Slowly but surely I just started picking up all my favourite 3rd party games on PlayStation as I transitioned across.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Would be funny if this is MS semi throwing in the towel but it ends up being wildly successful for them and turns the brand around.

The only way it would be wildly successful is if they start producing those 11/10 games that Phil said wouldn't move the needle.

I do think this could make MS more money but they are slowly killing the Xbox brand (though I still know people who would be an Xbox/PC that works more like a current console but has the flexibility of a PC) but it won't be upgradable like a PC that I am 99.999% certain of for reasons

 

[ViciousAgenda]

Didn't this same guy say that there were no more games being ported a couple of weeks ago?

 

[Topher]

To be fair, if you want a Surface tablet you can get pretty darn good specs for a second hand machine (and I loved mine for use with full Photoshop/Sketchbook until its battery swelled and pulled the screen away from the chassis). You can get a Surface Pro 6 with an i5 in it for around £200. But yeh, new, not worth it.

Used is the only way Surface makes sense. Then you look at the current offering and your cheap end Surface Pro 9 costs $800 on sale (regular $1100) for 12th gen i5, 8 GB RAM and 256 SSD. Oh and the keyboard costs extra ($279)

Somewhere at Microsoft:

This ain't going to fly for Xbox.

 

[rhodesianshepard]

Sure. Why not. Have all 1st party games release day one on Xbox Gamepass.............then a year later, release for $70 on Playstation. Xbox still gets the games and likely extra stuff and DLC a year early. Really a win/ win for both.
But there will not be 'day-one' releases on Playstation. Maybe, for MP games, COD and some other titles, but for the most part it would be a year or so delay.

If its true Microsoft views their console as niche, It would be dumb for them not to release most or all their games day and date on PS5. They just lose out on a substantial amount of money by not doing that

 

[King Dazzar]

The only way it would be wildly successful is if they start producing those 11/10 games that Phil said wouldn't move the needle.

I do think this could make MS more money but they are slowly killing the Xbox brand (though I still know people who would be an Xbox/PC that works more like a current console but has the flexibility of a PC) but it won't be upgradable like a PC that I am 99.999% certain of for reasons

The idea has merit. But even then though, surely it comes down to price. And we're all pretty much saying, it aint going to be cheap.

 

[AJUMP23]

Fucked up the title, meant to say future.

Never has a profile picture been more accurate. IDappa

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

The idea has merit. But even then though, surely it comes down to price. And we're all pretty much saying, it aint going to be cheap.

Oh its going to be double current console prices for that box but the dockable system will be competitive price wise

 

[jroc74]

The only way it would be wildly successful is if they start producing those 11/10 games that Phil said wouldn't move the needle.

I do think this could make MS more money but they are slowly killing the Xbox brand (though I still know people who would be an Xbox/PC that works more like a current console but has the flexibility of a PC) but it won't be upgradable like a PC that I am 99.999% certain of for reasons

So they really are gonna try their hand at a Steam Machine like device.

Oh boy...

After throwing the towel in the living room console war against Sony...

Well, we can go war against Steam in the digital marketplace front and against Steam AND Nintendo COMBINED in the portable front.

Good luck Microsoft haha

Oh its going to be double current console prices for that box but the dockable system will be competitive price wise

Oh boy!!

 

[Alan Wake]

Yes he said that was the worst generation to lose , conveniently forgetting two things:

1) They have substantial backwards compatibility and cloud saves

2) The rate of consumer doesn’t stop at one generation . New players will want to buy a system to play as their first console . Why not strive to make Xbox the best possible choice?

The guy is a phoney. People have put him on a pedestal and it’s ridiculous. The media in particular refuse to put him under any scrutiny despite all their disappointments.

He's been saying the right things for years, he's been this "I'm a gamer just like you" guy. I have liked him too. But after these past three years, after all the studio acquisitions not resulting in new exciting games I've all but given up hope. My conclusion is that the main problem is mismanagement. It doesn't matter how many studios you have if can't handle them and get them to produce great games. They've basically ruined Halo at this point, Starfield was a big disappointment and didn't move the needle at all for Xbox or Game Pass, Redfall was awful, they didn't even get Forza Motorsport right. Who knows how Awoved and Indy will turn out.

 

[NickFire]

The only way it would be wildly successful is if they start producing those 11/10 games that Phil said wouldn't move the needle.

I do think this could make MS more money but they are slowly killing the Xbox brand (though I still know people who would be an Xbox/PC that works more like a current console but has the flexibility of a PC) but it won't be upgradable like a PC that I am 99.999% certain of for reasons

If it has high end pricing I’d assume it’s targeting primarily PC players more than console players. I suppose the right price could get PC players to disregard loss of control associated with upgrades. No clue if that will work in practice though. Interesting decision.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

So they really are gonna try their hand at a Steam Machine like device.

Oh boy...




Oh boy!!

Yes they are full steam ahead on both machines

I always hate to throw out the caveat "things change" and I know people will remind me of how I have stayed this course if MS pulls the plug on future Xbox hardware and tell me I was wrong but have been wrong before

 

[GHG]

Oh its going to be double current console prices for that box but the dockable system will be competitive price wise

What's the betting that they won't allow sales of this thing to be tracked anywhere?

 

[vaibhavpisal]

If it has high end pricing I’d assume it’s targeting primarily PC players more than console players. I suppose the right price could get PC players to disregard loss of control associated with upgrades. No clue if that will work in practice though. Interesting decision.

Its targeting console players. Most of that demographic are 40+ capable of buying $1000+ machines if specs are exciting.

Being forced to slum with casuals/christmas gift shoppers cause anything above $500 and casuals wont touch it.

 

[FunkMiller]

The only way it would be wildly successful is if they start producing those 11/10 games that Phil said wouldn't move the needle.

I do think this could make MS more money but they are slowly killing the Xbox brand (though I still know people who would be an Xbox/PC that works more like a current console but has the flexibility of a PC) but it won't be upgradable like a PC that I am 99.999% certain of for reasons

I genuinely don't believe it's Microsoft who could ever produce a machine like this that people would want to buy. It'd end up being overpriced, underpowered, with limited flexibility, and crammed full of bloatware, and software that endlessly tries to lock you into the MS eco-system.

Again, I ask - who's buying that over a PC?

They have no idea how to sell to the market.

 

[King Dazzar]

Oh its going to be double current console prices for that box but the dockable system will be competitive price wise

Its almost like a Don Mattrick moment in the making. Where do the Series S customers go? Well, we have a handheld for them...

 

[Humdinger]

“All Xbox first-party games coming to PlayStation, even Forza, Halo

I wonder what turned him around? Jez was one of the last diehard holdouts, wasn't he? Insisting that MS wasn't going multiplatform, that these were all unfounded rumors, etc? Now he's saying they are going full multiplatform.

I wonder what happened that made him change his mind? Maybe all the feedback he got. Maybe he finally saw the writing on the wall. Maybe he worked through his cycle of grief and arrived at acceptance.

I don't know. But it's interesting to see that even Jez Cordon is admitting it.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

 

[King Dazzar]

What's the betting that they won't allow sales of this thing to be tracked anywhere?

What sales?

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

What's the betting that they won't allow sales of this thing to be tracked anywhere?

I guess it depends on if it does well or not

I genuinely don't believe it's Microsoft who could ever produce a machine like this that people would want to buy. It'd end up being overpriced, underpowered, with limited flexibility, and crammed full of bloatware, and software that endlessly tries to lock you into the MS eco-system.

Again, I ask - who's buying that over a PC?

They have no idea how to sell to the market.

I still know people who work with a PC all day even from home and want to get away from the PC "feel" when gaming

I don't know how many would buy it but make a machine that is roughly 2x the render power of the upcoming PS5 Pro, make it feel like a console but side load Steam?

I think it has a market

 

[Nonehxc]

Yes they are full steam ahead on both machines

I always hate to throw out the caveat "things change" and I know people will remind me of how I have stayed this course if MS pulls the plug on future Xbox hardware and tell me I was wrong but have been wrong before

Now imagine Sony throwing a Cerny's Secret Sauced true portable into the ring.

What do you think would be Xbox words and feelings about that?

 

[Three]

Used is the only way Surface makes sense. Then you look at the current offering and your cheap end Surface Pro 9 costs $800 on sale (regular $1100) for 12th gen i5, 8 GB RAM and 256 SSD. Oh and the keyboard costs extra ($279)

Somewhere at Microsoft:

This ain't going to fly for Xbox.

I don't think they care that their marketshare on surface is so low with those high prices, they're trying to make more profit from those that "always buy MS" (ie fanboys) . The same will probably be true with the niche xbox hardware that they're allegedly doing the same business model with (even gave it to the same internal team).

 

[Mr Moose]

Sure. Why not. Have all 1st party games release day one on Xbox Gamepass.............then a year later, release for $70 on Playstation. Xbox still gets the games and likely extra stuff and DLC a year early. Really a win/ win for both.
But there will not be 'day-one' releases on Playstation. Maybe, for MP games, COD and some other titles, but for the most part it would be a year or so delay.

That's not coming to PS5. Sea of Thieves and Grounded are MP games (basically) and need players., HI-Fi Rush is a smaller game. The big AAA MS games won't come to PS5.

Dude it's only been 2 months. Acceptance stage.

 

[GHG]

I have to say, considering the potential prices being thrown around, all of the fear-mongering that was going on about what would happen to console prices if Microsoft were to exit the market looks really stupid now.

 

[Topher]

Yep, it heavily rests on pricing. Then we have Xbox's competency on top. I think we're already watching the starting journey of a car crash.

Microsoft is going to have to adjust their approach to be more of a more generic gaming device manufacturer than console maker. That changes a lot of expectations. Unit sales will be much lower, but at a profit. The car crash will be if MS tries to jack up margins like they do Surface.

Such as....

I don't think they care that their marketshare on surface is so low with those high prices, they're trying to make more profit from those that "always buy MS" (ie fanboys) . The same will probably be true with the niche xbox hardware that they're allegedly doing the same business model with (even gave it to the same internal team).

 

[rhodesianshepard]

Its almost like a Don Mattrick moment in the making. Where do the Series S customers go? Well, we have a handheld for them...

It's very clear now that Microsoft will be making "cross gen" games until at least 2030, even though their "next-gen" system will most likely come out in 2026

 

[Rubim]

Now imagine Sony throwing a Cerny's Secret Sauced true portable into the ring.

What do you think would be Xbox words and feelings about that?

Why?
They milked the fuck out with one with less features.

 

[Roronoa Zoro]

Now imagine Sony throwing a Cerny's Secret Sauced true portable into the ring.

What do you think would be Xbox words and feelings about that?

Sony really needs an actual handheld. It's so sad that they're leaving the market there. The key they should have learned from PS Vita is not to split development. A lower end port so it works on the portable at like 720p 30fps if the console version is 4k or something could be great

 

[Punished Miku]

Its targeting console players. Most of that demographic are 40+ capable of buying $1000+ machines if specs are exciting.

Being forced to slum with casuals/christmas gift shoppers cause anything above $500 and casuals wont touch it.

Pretty much. Consoles this gen I spent 1300 on PS5, XSS, XSX. If I decided to sub to PS+ for 7 years that's another 560 to take it online. This will replace all of that. It will price some people out though for sure who want to stick with PS6 instead.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

I don't see why Xbox should stop making hardware, it's a place where they can make more revenue than by selling on third party hardware or storefronts. Xbox hardware should stay as complementary to their software releases.

People still buy TV boxes even though most TV's have built in streaming apps.

That "revenue" is at a loss. And the less hardware you sell the more money you lose in hardware development. Consoles simply cost too much to make, to sell it to a small number of people.

 

[Kazdi]

“All Xbox first-party games coming to PlayStation, even Forza, Halo"
How come? Phil promised only 4 games are coming in their special business broadcast just a couple months ago...
Phil wouldn't lie for sure...!?

 

[Topher]

“All Xbox first-party games coming to PlayStation, even Forza, Halo"
How come? Phil promised only 4 games are coming in their special business broadcast just a couple months ago...
Phil wouldn't lie for sure...!?

He said they would evaluate future ports based on how well the initial four perform. He was also asked specifically about Starfield and he would not rule out the possibility.

 

[King Dazzar]

Microsoft is going to have to adjust their approach to be more of a more generic gaming device manufacturer than console maker. That changes a lot of expectations. Unit sales will be much lower, but at a profit. The car crash will be if MS tries to jack up margins like they do Surface.

Such as....

Which is surely suicide from a GP subs perspective and any real intention of retaining existing customers. They'd need a volume seller and a place for existing console customers to go to. Yeah, reality is 3rd party publisher. This is just a bit of distraction longer term in my mind.

Still interesting viewing...

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

he said "Nobody wanted to give Xbox a chance, so this is what they get with a Sony monopoly"

he is salty as fuck. still trying to make excuses for a triple trillion company.... pathetic.

 

[rm082e]

If this is true, it's the natural result of letting your existing exclusive IPs atrophy to the point of irrelevance, and not investing in big new system selling IPs. With what they paid for Bethesda and ABK, they could have funded more than a dozen big new AAA games, a bunch of $40-$50 AA games, a bunch of indies, and dropped the price on their multiplayer service.

If the goal all along was to get out of the walled-garden hardware game and become a software publisher, then bravo. Seems like Phil has steered the ship well. It just seems unlikely that was their intent at any point prior to 2022...

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

Fundamentally it is pretty clear that the current console hardware strategy just does not work for anybody except those who want low margins (and Nintendo but that's only true for Switch for now). People can argue on "oh no people won't subscribe to Game Pass" or MSFT won't collect money from Xbox Live. Microsoft is not about high revenue, they are about high profits and that's not something available in pure hardware. Even with paid online. I mean SIE has like 30b revenue with 3b profits at best despite selling more consoles, having paid online and nickel and dime for everything.

I think the next gen hardware will be something Microsoft won't lose money on but won't care much (just like Surface). And that's fine because we clearly see from the market that people play COD, FIFA, GTA, Fortnite, Minecraft and Microsoft owns COD and Minecraft. I think the low margins and ABK process made Microsoft realise that the hardware by itself just not worth that much.

It is also interesting how it will play out for Nintendo as Super Nintendo Switch has a BC, meaning that a lot of people who owned Switch will buy Super Switch but they would be the same people. So unless Nintendo will sell consoles with a profit at once, it won't change much for them either. Same trap as PS4 and PS5 has where people move from PS4 and PS5 but those are the same people with the hardware that is less profitable than PS4.

 

[jroc74]

Yes they are full steam ahead on both machines

I always hate to throw out the caveat "things change" and I know people will remind me of how I have stayed this course if MS pulls the plug on future Xbox hardware and tell me I was wrong but have been wrong before

No worries. Other ppl with extremely reliable info have been wrong before. Things literally can change. No one is 100% perfect with inside info, but their track records are really good.

You're one I would trust, no matter the outcome.