[Laura Fryer] The Future of Xbox

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So what about the next gen Xbox that is supposed to be releasing in 2026, or 2027 is that dead as well?
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PS5 already has all of Microsoft's biggest games except Halo. Unless you think Halo Infinite made waves, which it never did after launch. We basically know at this point that PS5 is going to get extended cross gen support, so if exclusives matter to you then expect a rough ride.

By "day 1" I mean the console's launch

PS5 had already been on the market for nearly 4 years before Microsoft games started to show up.
 
When I played halo infinite on steam it unlocked Xbox achievements too. So their platform was in a sense in the steam platform. Now they can do more with a ubiquitous Ui/launcher/app that tracks across platforms
 
What a clown, his getting called out on it.



And his response your dumb. When his asking dumb question if she built the Xbox one...


Yeah as I say to others , the fella is an arrogant prick and phoney. I don't believe he is a fanboy at all, a mouthpiece with a shitty attitude.

If Microsoft had put as much effort into Xbox over the last few years as much as they have using these types of people, the brand might of been better off.

If you are a fan of something you want it do well and do better, you dont act like him and others do unless there are incentives to do so.
 
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Second one--they tried with Starfield and it failed. No one was interested in buying a system for it. True, it didnt help that it was subpar, but still.


But this is actually the point. I mean, on paper the concept of Starfield is amazing. If well done, it would have been a system seller. The problem is that MS doesnt even try to make games of that quality. Everything is half assed and mediocre.

The richest company in the world could and should invest in talent to make games that you can't play anywhere else. It takes time, money and a great work culture (almost polar opposite of what it is right now) but in the end it would produce results.

MS doesnt want that. They aren't in this hobby out of passion. They are tourists, even after investing billions. That's why they keep failing.
 
Replace Spencer with Shawn Layden's buddy, greasy Tom. Or Kiki Wolfkill. Anybody. And tell Todd Howard have the balls to use a cigma in domination in bo6
 
Dead? No. DOA? Maybe. Laura Fryer seems to think so.
She just talked about the Ally, nothing about the next gen Xbox.
But she's not using Windows at all, been on Linux since she left, so the harsh reality is that there isn't much there for her in the future of Xbox.
 
She just talked about the Ally, nothing about the next gen Xbox.
But she's not using Windows at all, been on Linux since she left, so the harsh reality is that there isn't much there for her in the future of Xbox.

She said "personally I think Xbox hardware is dead". Her using Linux doesn't negate her point of view.
 
She just talked about the Ally, nothing about the next gen Xbox.
But she's not using Windows at all, been on Linux since she left, so the harsh reality is that there isn't much there for her in the future of Xbox.
Didnt she said she is dual booting!? Clever girl! ;)
 
Didnt she said she is dual booting!? Clever girl! ;)

Ah...that's right she did. Not that it matters, but....

" ....Windows is still needed for some games So I created a dual boot machine for those cases"

Basically did the same thing I just recently did. All linux with a Windows drive for the occasional Game Pass game.
 
Ah...that's right she did. Not that it matters, but....

" ....Windows is still needed for some games So I created a dual boot machine for those cases"

Basically did the same thing I just recently did. All linux with a Windows drive for the occasional Game Pass game.
Yep. I also prefer to keep all my private stuff over at linux. Windows really just for gaming stuff that absolutely doesnt work with linux.
 
She said "personally I think Xbox hardware is dead". Her using Linux doesn't negate her point of view.
I assume she recorded the video ahead of the AMD announcement, otherwise she would've mentioned the next gen Xbox. It's clearly not dead.
The only vague thing that could be related to the next Xbox was using the phrase "this partnership", but I took it as she were talking about the partnership with ASUS rather than the one with AMD considering she only talked about the handheld and them putting stickers on existing hardware.

Regarding Linux she said she uninstalled Windows on all her computers after leaving MS and installed Linux instead. We can pretend that it doesn't affect her reasoning here, but their new strategy is highly Windows focused so what's actually there for her? Play Anywhere doesn't work on Steam versions, Gamepass isn't there. 🤷‍♂️
 
I assume she recorded the video ahead of the AMD announcement, otherwise she would've mentioned the next gen Xbox. It's clearly not dead.
The only vague thing that could be related to the next Xbox was using the phrase "this partnership", but I took it as she were talking about the partnership with ASUS rather than the one with AMD considering she only talked about the handheld and them putting stickers on existing hardware.

Regarding Linux she said she uninstalled Windows on all her computers after leaving MS and installed Linux instead. We can pretend that it doesn't affect her reasoning here, but their new strategy is highly Windows focused so what's actually there for her? Play Anywhere doesn't work on Steam versions, Gamepass isn't there. 🤷‍♂️

Plenty of people think Xbox hardware is "dead" even knowing that new hardware is coming. It is an opinion of the viability of Xbox, not a statement of fact. That's where phrases like "dead on arrival" comes from.

As was pointed out, she still has Windows. Either way, this comes across as trying to discredit her point of view based on her platform of choice. It is the same reasoning of those who believe they are unbiased because they own whatever console. It isn't a valid argument. I have the same primary Linux, secondary Windows set up that she does. So what?
 
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Plenty of people think Xbox hardware is "dead" even knowing that new hardware is coming. It is an opinion of where Xbox is as a brand, not a statement of fact. That's where phrases like "dead on arrival" comes from.
Classic FUD, sure that's common. I don't see this happening here. I've rewatched the whole video and I think she's simply talking about the Ally and "Xbox sticker" on existing hardware. Even the description is just about the Ally and Play Anywhere, not a word about AMD.

As was pointed out, she still has Windows. Either way, this comes across as trying to discredit her point of view based on her platform of choice.
Cheap shot but so much for her "I've never looked back" comment then heh

Anyhow we factor in people's biases all the time. Should we not?

I just think if she clearly says that she doesn't like Windows then it's a bit naive to think that she will be excited about a Windows focused future. She can be grumpy about what has happened but I really don't see any scenario where she can be excited through their current strategy. It's basically Windows Play Anywhere.

I have the same primary Linux, secondary Windows set up that she does. So what?
Just means that you're not really the target audience for Microsoft's strategy.

Have you tried the insider Xbox App?
I'm testing it and while I don't like it right now that's clearly what they're doing. One app, a list of all your games in one place, locally installed on different launchers, cloud, Gamepass.
 
Classic FUD, sure that's common. I don't see this happening here. I've rewatched the whole video and I think she's simply talking about the Ally and "Xbox sticker" on existing hardware. Even the description is just about the Ally and Play Anywhere, not a word about AMD.

Perhaps she is only talking about the Rog Ally stuff. Doesn't really matter. That video about the AMD "partnership" doesn't change much. Obviously she is not saying Xbox is literally dead right now as I type. Xbox Series consoles are still for sale.

Skipping the bias convo. It's irrelevant.

Just means that you're not really the target audience for Microsoft's strategy.

Have you tried the insider Xbox App?
I'm testing it and while I don't like it right now that's clearly what they're doing. One app, a list of all your games in one place, locally installed on different launchers, cloud, Gamepass.

I'm a PC gamer so yes, I am the target, but Microsoft hasn't shown me anything that says "I gotta go back to Windows". No, I haven't tried the app yet, but I plan to. One app, all your games in one place is a problem that was solved a long time ago on Windows, Linux....etc. I'll still check it out though and maybe it will eventually sway me. I'm not bound to any one tech, but windows in general has to make a lot of changes for me to reconsider it as a primary platform.
 
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It could be an interesting product, as long as the BC carries over.

The third-party thing is what could cloud things, unless they settle on a specific chip configuration for each "generation" they license. The device makers would have to differentiate on storage, form factor, price etc.

The Steam Deck has shown there is value in having a specific config that devs can customize a profile for, etc.
Yeah I'm taking a wait and see approach for sure on the product; it sounds interesting... I may buy it... but I'm a PC gamer, so I really don't want some "game mode" that potentially has weak support for "other stores" helping MS gain market share. We've benefited VERY LITTLE from competition in the PC gaming "Store" space. It generally just muddles everything, and historically MS has been the worst in many areas.

So I just don't fully trust their "improving windows for gaming" shpiel at this point. Wait and see.
 
I'm a PC gamer so yes, I am the target, but Microsoft hasn't shown me anything that says "I gotta go back to Windows". No, I haven't tried the app yet, but I plan to. One app, all your games in one place is a problem that was solved a long time ago on Windows, Linux....etc. I'll still check it out though and maybe it will eventually sway me. I'm not bound to any one tech, but windows in general has to make a lot of changes for me to reconsider it as a primary platform.
If you think it's solved a long time ago then why do you have a dual boot?

I have no issues with Windows itself, it just works on both my PCs I use for gaming.

And for the desktop PC I don't need anything, it's already fine.

But for the living room PC I need a good menu that combines all the games I have access to from all the launchers with all the user data in a nice big screen mode.
For me that's not solved at all.


To return to the topic, I can definitely see where she's coming from and why she think Xbox hw are going away.

But I don't agree on that negative outlook.

Maybe traditional consoles are going away, seems likely. But I think getting Windows itself to consoles, and through the OS creator itself with a vision to improve it for gaming and for the living room, will open up a ton of doors previously closed.

People mostly talk about Steam access, cool sure, but it's really everything, all the launchers, all the emulators and mods. In theory it could all be there. The upsides of PC gaming combined with the upsides of console gaming.

Everybody should sense some excitement from that. What's not to like??

Also, if they solve the legacy software problem through some AMD collaboration on hardware, then kudos to them for actually doing that and not just leaving all that behind.

What they plan to do really just needs to be done the right way. That's where my only concern lies. Won't be easy.
CAN Microsoft do it the right way?

That's getting into FUD talk so I choose to think they can until proven otherwise. Glass half full approach.
 
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Have you tried the insider Xbox App?
I'm testing it and while I don't like it right now that's clearly what they're doing. One app, a list of all your games in one place, locally installed on different launchers, cloud, Gamepass.
Am I crazy or has steam already had this feature my entire life?

AI: To add a shortcut to a non-Steam game in Steam, you need to add it as a non-Steam game in your Steam library and then create a desktop shortcut from there. This will allow you to launch the game through Steam, but it won't provide features like Steam's cloud saves or achievements.

Like, literally since I have used steam for decades. It's just a shortcut dude. Right click send to desktop create shortcut is not a notable feature I'm sorry. In steams case(like in the MS app I assume) the shortcut is actually in your game list.

Question, when you launch a steam game from the MS app does it require steam to open in the background? Because if so it's a nothingburger and steam has had it for literally a lifetime. It's crazy how bad Windows has been for gaming. They are literally fixing it right now. It's crazy it took MS this long to realize it.

On topic I don't expect the next xbox to sell many copies at all. It will cost a tremendous amount most likely and come with caveats but also the gamers hate Xbox now en masse after this gen and also the world kinda hates the USA and MS is the US company and also everyone already has their digital library built on other platforms, and also console and PC gamers are not fungible, so imho this has no chance and it's as easy to see as anything I've ever predicted. To even pretend this has a chance in my mind is being disingenuous. The other companies producing Xbox prebuilts will only serve to confuse and inevitably the least popular partner sku will be the least monitored and have the most issues, which is they exact type of issue most console owners are hoping to avoid by buying a console. Low popularity leads to a bad product in software. Continued investment is required so having multiple manufacturers will also lead to other issues. Varying specs will create too much choice and lead to indecision at time of checkout. The countdown clock to launch has begun and I suspect the number one goal for MS at this point is how to hide metrics from us that truly show how bad it will perform. Truth is, imho, I don't think MS cares if this hardware succeeds. It is like a website. It adds legitimacy to the other plans but isn't a major goal in and of itself.
 
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If you think it's solved a long time ago then why do you have a dual boot?

Late response.

I was talking about apps like GOG Galaxy and Playnite that bring all your games from all stores together in one app.

I dual boot for games like Avowed and Indiana Jones on Game Pass. Has nothing to do with library managers.
 
Late response.

I was talking about apps like GOG Galaxy and Playnite that bring all your games from all stores together in one app.

I dual boot for games like Avowed and Indiana Jones on Game Pass. Has nothing to do with library managers.
GOG Galaxy has no big screen mode. So not solved for me. Using different launchers on a desktop PC is less of a problem, you alt tab into another app, done. The real problem with multiple launchers started for me on the living room PC when I started booting into Steam big picture mode. Suddenly everything outside Steam became a big problem. You can add games into Steam but Steam is the worst by far in this area with all manual operations.

Playnite is very close to do it all. But in rare occasions you don't get library boxart and has to add that manually, in desktop mode where you need a mouse. And no achievement data. So, not solved, but close.

Regarding dual boot, I understand that it's about Gamepass but if you could access all your games from one app in Windows, perfectly added automatically with all the data, then you wouldn't need to have a dual boot. You're doing it as a work around to solve a problem.

One app and one device to do it all without any rebooting should be the dream solution.

Unfortunately I don't think Microsoft is capable of doing this going by the Xbox App. It adds games automatically which is great but it only lists your installed games, so you still need to go into Steam to install games and then you could just stay there to click play as well. Plus, C64 resolution on icon art for Steam games. Their strategy is not well thought out.


Playnite, since you mentioned it. Go try it again if you haven't already. It's so so close at this point.
There you have all your Steam games shown in a neat boxart list, not just the ones installed, ALL of it, cheap humble bundle crap and all.
And you also have ALL the Gamepass games on the service too. Installed and uninstalled. That's something else! It's all shown automatically in your library, updates the list and add new games when they pop up on the service. It's awesome! Then you can click install directly in the app and it says "Installing" and then "Play".
There is some app switching happening automatically, windows popping up when it does save syncing etc, but it works. I've been critical of this app in the past and I regret that. The devs deserve praise!
 
GOG Galaxy has no big screen mode. So not solved for me. Using different launchers on a desktop PC is less of a problem, you alt tab into another app, done. The real problem with multiple launchers started for me on the living room PC when I started booting into Steam big picture mode. Suddenly everything outside Steam became a big problem. You can add games into Steam but Steam is the worst by far in this area with all manual operations.

Playnite is very close to do it all. But in rare occasions you don't get library boxart and has to add that manually, in desktop mode where you need a mouse. And no achievement data. So, not solved, but close.

Regarding dual boot, I understand that it's about Gamepass but if you could access all your games from one app in Windows, perfectly added automatically with all the data, then you wouldn't need to have a dual boot. You're doing it as a work around to solve a problem.

One app and one device to do it all without any rebooting should be the dream solution.

Unfortunately I don't think Microsoft is capable of doing this going by the Xbox App. It adds games automatically which is great but it only lists your installed games, so you still need to go into Steam to install games and then you could just stay there to click play as well. Plus, C64 resolution on icon art for Steam games. Their strategy is not well thought out.


Playnite, since you mentioned it. Go try it again if you haven't already. It's so so close at this point.
There you have all your Steam games shown in a neat boxart list, not just the ones installed, ALL of it, cheap humble bundle crap and all.
And you also have ALL the Gamepass games on the service too. Installed and uninstalled. That's something else! It's all shown automatically in your library, updates the list and add new games when they pop up on the service. It's awesome! Then you can click install directly in the app and it says "Installing" and then "Play".
There is some app switching happening automatically, windows popping up when it does save syncing etc, but it works. I've been critical of this app in the past and I regret that. The devs deserve praise!

Right.....I was just talking about having access to all games, not big screen mode, but I get your point. I'm also dual booting because I prefer Linux to Windows. The only reason I still have Windows is for Game Pass, but I'm not going to center my entire PC gaming experience around something I only use occasionally.
 
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Am I crazy or has steam already had this feature my entire life?
Steam's method isn't automatic, you have to manually add the games and navigate to the application directory. The GOG method is to link your accounts which extracts the game through an API, and will also search your HDD/SSD for installed games.
Personally I don't bother with them and just use the Windows desktop to launch my games.
 
Right.....I was just talking about having access to all games, not big screen mode, but I get your point. I'm also dual booting because I prefer Linux to Windows. The only reason I still have Windows is for Game Pass, but I'm not going to center my entire PC gaming experience around something I only use occasionally.
That's a fair way to look at it. I play Gamepass games fairly often so for me it would be annoying to dual boot. Similar to using dev mode on Xbox for emulators, it worked but once I found out you could have Retroarch directly in retail mode I dropped dev mode at once. If it's possible to have it all at the touch of a button then that's what I want. Not sure I'll ever get exactly what I want on PC but Playnite is close enough that I'm not overly bothered anymore. It's mostly minor things I lack now, list of achievements, screenshots, and the missing boxarts when that happens.
 
Am I crazy or has steam already had this feature my entire life?

AI: To add a shortcut to a non-Steam game in Steam, you need to add it as a non-Steam game in your Steam library and then create a desktop shortcut from there. This will allow you to launch the game through Steam, but it won't provide features like Steam's cloud saves or achievements.

Like, literally since I have used steam for decades. It's just a shortcut dude. Right click send to desktop create shortcut is not a notable feature I'm sorry. In steams case(like in the MS app I assume) the shortcut is actually in your game list.

Question, when you launch a steam game from the MS app does it require steam to open in the background? Because if so it's a nothingburger and steam has had it for literally a lifetime. It's crazy how bad Windows has been for gaming. They are literally fixing it right now. It's crazy it took MS this long to realize it.
Already answered above but adding non-Steam games is done manually. And you can only do that in desktop mode, and only games already installed. So you end up going back and forth between different modes and launchers everytime you want to play something new.

In the Xbox App it's done automatically, all your Steam games pop up in your games library. (With low res box art I have no idea how to change…). Only the installed games.

In Playnite the Steam games are also added automatically. Bonus, it also add the games not installed, so you can see your entire huge backlog and click install directly in Playnite and then play.
That goes for Gamepass games as well, so when a new GP release goes up you'll see it in the "All" tab. Install, play.
Very very neat, means you don't have to swap launchers at all.
 
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When I played halo infinite on steam it unlocked Xbox achievements too. So their platform was in a sense in the steam platform. Now they can do more with a ubiquitous Ui/launcher/app that tracks across platforms
Their launcher/app is the Xbox app, it's probably not much more relevant the Uplay or other third-party launchers
 


Listen to her and then you read and hear the likes of Jez Corden, that Stallion83 twat….who is part of the problem here? It's not her.

"I criticise because I want them to do better "

It's really sad that people see this or pretend to for clout, as an issue, a problem.

Her attitude is what Xbox needed years ago.

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Almost done with the video

She's spitting fire

Fucking hell, give her the job of bringing Xbox back, she understands the culture of game development. Clearly the higher ups (and not just at microsoft mind you) clearly have lost it.

From watching her other vids it seemed like Xbox had a lot of autonomy back in the early days.

As soon as the 360 built up decent marketshare the suits took over with the task of "Microsoft-ifying" Xbox, this is where things like XMB replaced blades with Windows "metro" UI and Skype integration.

Xbox One was very much the culmination of the reason why Bill Gates allowed the Xbox project to go ahead in the first place, Microsoft under the TV.

It was never about the gaming for Microsoft.
 
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From watching her other vids it seemed like Xbox had a lot of autonomy back in the early days.

As soon as the 360 built up decent marketshare the suits took over with the task of "Microsoft-ifying" Xbox, this is where things like XMB replaced blades with Windows "metro" UI and Skype integration.

Xbox One was very much the culmination of the reason why Bill Gates allowed the Xbox project to go ahead in the first place, Microsoft under the TV.

It was never about the gaming for Microsoft.
Partially, but Microsoft wanted DirectX to be the industry standard back when most games were still running under DOS. And the PC was missing out on the popular 3D titles that were console exclusive. You can say Xbox has done it's job in making DirectX the default API for modern games, however Vulcan is starting to make inroads.
Still, Xbox One appeared to be a merger of the gaming and WebTV concept which Microsoft had struggled with. They tried with a retail product that was Web/MSNtv, tried to work with cable operators to use the MicrosoftTV middleware on their cable boxes and even released a satellite DVR for both Dish and DirecTV. It seemed Xbox one was their last attempt at a all in one living room device.
 
I wonder if she's working on the Playstation edition of this video as we speak

She already did videos on Playsation games. For example Concord.
But yes, she tends to focus on Xbox, because she worked there. So she knows a lot more about it than about other companies.
 
We've seen how that plays out with Windows PCs, Windows CE PDAs, Windows Phone, and tablets. Once it's opened up to OEMs, it's a race to the bottom. Minimal standards with OEMs making whatever they want to maximize profits in an industry with slim margins. Microsoft's own flagship products (e.g. NOKIA Lumia 950, Windows Surface Pro) get buried under a sea of mediocre products and the product becomes tainted by poor user experiences of lower end devices.
Both MS and Sony started this with customized off the shelf parts. Many people,(I'm a bit older and mostly a console guy), but I'd never think I'd see so many kids, I mean kids gaming on PC's.

I'm not sure what your argument is. You just hate Xbox for some strange reason. I have away my series X so I have a ps5 pro and a PC. I have zero problems as a gamer buying Gears E day or the next Halo on either PS 5 pro or PC.

Or I could buy the next Xbox home console if I like the specs. If good games have larger install bases therefore larger communities, seriously, what the fuck do you care?
 
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