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[Windows Central] Next-Gen Xbox Will Reportedly Run Full Windows, Feature a Console-First Windows 11 UI, and Support Full Backward Compatibility
RetroGamingUK
Member
There won't be next-gen Xbox console games, it'll run PC games as per any other PC.
Want to play GTA6 at launch, then unlike other PC owners you can run the Xbox Series version (via BC)
Once the PC/PS6 version releases you'll then have a choice of playing either the PC version on it or playing the Xbox Series version on it (via BC).
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GoldenEye98
posts news as their odd job
I mean there is no other product that will be _exactly_ like this.
Sethbacca
Member
People buying this trash at this point deserve what they get. Windows is a known quantity so it's not like they can claim to be surprised when it's trash.
Though, to be fair, at least the XPC will have a nailed down hardware spec that should minimize support issues and MS can hopefully plan around that.
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Seiryu21
Member
Emulators are pretty close in functionality. Plus the backwards compatibility is really only needed for games that released before 2016 when they started putting everything on PC.
It "sounds" useful but in practice it's so niche that releasing an entire product around back compat is insane. The series x has this same feature already. Just keep that and buy whatever PC you want.
Topher
Identifies as young
That's the theory some are going with. Whether it is reality, we will have to wait and see.
Frankly it sounds like a complete mess to me.
And I serious doubts this is coming out before GTA 6 launches
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Donald mac Ronald
Member
And how well is that product doing ?
Zacfoldor
Gold Member
I'll be honest I wasn't expecting this.
I'm assuming the original plan was a console OS but they realized they were doing redundant work with W11 big picture mode or whatever so they unified it.
It makes complete sense...if I hadn't been believing for months that this was going to be a console first.
It's a prebuilt with a license to play Xbox games on it. Of course you see the implications for gamepass. They will also unify it. No console and pc gamepass, just one gamepass.
I'm assuming the original plan was a console OS but they realized they were doing redundant work with W11 big picture mode or whatever so they unified it.
It makes complete sense...if I hadn't been believing for months that this was going to be a console first.
It's a prebuilt with a license to play Xbox games on it. Of course you see the implications for gamepass. They will also unify it. No console and pc gamepass, just one gamepass.
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Astray
Member
The final off-ramp for Xbox users appears. Either take this ride or lose your library in the long-term I guess.
Sony and Nintendo both used non-proprietary storage solutions for expansion and Sony especially made it possible for PCIE Gen 4 drives to scale up demand and become more accessible for non-PS5 users..
Lol it was Xbox who gave us that this gen. That thing is exorbitantly expensive too.
Sony and Nintendo both used non-proprietary storage solutions for expansion and Sony especially made it possible for PCIE Gen 4 drives to scale up demand and become more accessible for non-PS5 users..
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BlackTron
Member
Kind of. I keep a Series S despite having a PC. Why, because it plays Xbox titles. That shows the feature is worth something. There are some random games like Sonic Unleashed where the best way to play it is the Xbox version running through BC. For me it's worth a used cheap console, not a big mutant console PC, but yeah.
And what does that have to do with how well (truly phenomenally) the XS OS works (despite being based on Windows 11)?
It's as simple as waiting and seeing what the final product offers and how it works. Right now, it's just speculation, with people focusing on the pros and cons based on their subjective opinions.
People expecting it to be a disaster like Windows 11 on PC and people expecting something similar to how the XS OS works are currently on the same page.
The question is whether this NextXbox will be released before the PC version or the next-gen version of GTA VI.
In any case, even if the base of this new Xbox version is the PC version... there's a good chance it will be an optimized and specially prepared version, not just the unoptimized PC version.
In short, with nothing official or certain, everything is speculation, and it's up to each person to prepare for the worst or best scenario because both could happen.
I would find it hard to believe (even if it's Microsoft) that the next hardware will just be a simple PC with the Xbox logo, (without any of the console like improvements or special features) that many here have predicted. For that, there would be no need to design a specific APU, chips, or technology.
We'll see. If the release is 2027, perhaps it will be revealed and announced this year, just like the Xbox Series X was one year before.
HeisenbergFX4
Gold Member
They might very well do that
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
It's going to be agentic, you see.
SHAKEZ
Member
They need to, just call it a pre-made PC like the steam one and move on.
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reinking
Gold Member
This console version would be locked to the Xbox ecosystem. GTA6 launches. I can buy the "console" version. Since we know this is likely not a play anywhere title, I would still need to purchase it again when the PC version launches to play on any other PC?
I'm interested but I need to see price and trade offs before getting too excited.
memoryman3
Member
By the time this console releases in late 2027 GTA 6 will likely already have a Windows version, and it will most likely be available on the Xbox PC store.
LordCBH
Member
Outside of the Vita, what HD/modern Sony platform has used proprietary storage expansion?
PS3 just had you slot a SATA drive. PS4 just had you slot a SATA drive or use a USB external. PS5 uses an off the shelf m.2 for PS5 expansion, and an external USB drive for PS4 expansion.
DenchDeckard
Moderated wildly
9070 XT is a beast of a card and trades blows with 5070 Ti easily but i hear you though. The landscape of gaming is going to be pretty wild next gen.
Hopefully Magnus allows some interesting application though with it being an APU Vs typical PC components. It could provide an interesting opportunity for a decent performing pc / console at a cheaper price.
LordCBH
Member
9070XT my beloved. Only thing the 5070ti really has over it is ray tracing, which is fine by me lol. That 9070 was the best pc upgrade I've purchased in years.
rm082e
Gold Member
So let me see if I have this right:
They would basically need to make something like a more powerful Steam Machine, but then it will also need a custom chip on the board for dealing with all older generations of games? They have to have some proprietary Xbox hardware chip in this thing, or else they would just be doing full software emulation which would violate some of the contract terms they signed for games in the past. So we're still talking a custom board for this new machine. It's not like they can re-purpose any off-the-shelf gaming laptop motherboard.
Does that sound right?
They would basically need to make something like a more powerful Steam Machine, but then it will also need a custom chip on the board for dealing with all older generations of games? They have to have some proprietary Xbox hardware chip in this thing, or else they would just be doing full software emulation which would violate some of the contract terms they signed for games in the past. So we're still talking a custom board for this new machine. It's not like they can re-purpose any off-the-shelf gaming laptop motherboard.
Does that sound right?
Cyberpunkd
Member
I cannot wait for all the TikToks of people used to console gaming being absolutely terrified they need to click 2 things on Windows.
MayaXG
Neo Member
I thought this was an old bumped thread, but it is in fact new. It must be a slow news cycle at Windows Central--on CES week nonetheless.
Just like Nintendo got out of their failing console business and folded it into their wildly successful handheld business, it makes sense for Microsoft to abandon its failing console business and fold it into its PC business.
There is no home console market, just a Playstation market. Then there's a held market and PC market. In the end everyone will own their own market while benefitting from some cross-over from the other markets.
Microsoft simply gave up too many concessions to regulators during the ABK merger and this killed their console business. One of the pillars of a viable console business is exclusive content. When MS gave this up to appease the FTC and CMA they essentially exited the console business.
Just like Nintendo got out of their failing console business and folded it into their wildly successful handheld business, it makes sense for Microsoft to abandon its failing console business and fold it into its PC business.
There is no home console market, just a Playstation market. Then there's a held market and PC market. In the end everyone will own their own market while benefitting from some cross-over from the other markets.
Microsoft simply gave up too many concessions to regulators during the ABK merger and this killed their console business. One of the pillars of a viable console business is exclusive content. When MS gave this up to appease the FTC and CMA they essentially exited the console business.
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rm082e
Gold Member
The bigger issues would be all the updates that need to occur. If it's just Windows, then that sounds like they'll need an app running in the background to automatically pull updates for all the games, the OS, and all the hardware related drivers. That's fine on a custom platform like a console, but those things don't always work consistently on PC. There's more to deal with and higher chances of it going wrong and needing troubleshooting.
NickFire
Member
The full windows isn't what I was expecting. I thought at a minimum they'd strip it down as much as possible for performance gains.
Outside of being able to play GTA 6 before a PC version ships, what would be the point of this compared to any other PC? Play anywhere makes it unnecessary for backwards compatible first party I'm guessing, Doesn't sound like it will be console priced. I suppose backwards compatibility with third party Xbox games might matter for some, but how many really matter? Sports games refresh every year anyway.
Outside of being able to play GTA 6 before a PC version ships, what would be the point of this compared to any other PC? Play anywhere makes it unnecessary for backwards compatible first party I'm guessing, Doesn't sound like it will be console priced. I suppose backwards compatibility with third party Xbox games might matter for some, but how many really matter? Sports games refresh every year anyway.
Cyberpunkd
Member
Everything is an Xbox now, didn't you hear?
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rm082e
Gold Member
The problem with that analogy is Microsoft doesn't have a PC gaming business. They're not in the business of selling any gaming PC hardware, and their Xbox app for gaming is basically irrelevant. No one who's into PC gaming uses it. They have essentially zero market share on the PC.
And trying to use this device as a catalyst to get into PC gaming is not a viable strategy.
SpongeMonster30
Neo Member
If this means normal Windows 11 PCs can play 360 games and online, that would be great.
Cyberpunkd
Member
A lot of online shooters require Windows on PC due to Kernel-level anti-cheat, I don't know if it is of any use vs. consoles.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
nemiroff
Gold Member
Well, let's say it like this: If Microsoft flipped a switch today, the xbox Series could easily run Word, Excel, and even Photoshop natively. They basically just kept it locked down to prevent general purpose computing: It's strategical, not technical. They don't have to add on much to the existing Xbox Windows 11 core to make things happen, they'll basically just remove (some of) the lockdown layers.
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MayaXG
Neo Member
This is a ridiculous statement and goalpost moving at its finest. Windows is the dominant OS for PC gaming with over 95% installed base. They also have the dominant PC gaming graphics AI--DirectX (not coincidentally, this is where "Xbox" came from). The Xbox app on PC is a major PC storefront. This is the PC business.
Any PC that runs Windows is PC gaming hardware, including the Surface brand. I won't even get into the fact of how the lines between console and PC continue to be blurred. Microsoft isn't trying to "get into PC gaming". They are PC gaming.
SomeNorseGuy
Gold Member
That's the impression I also had.
They're going to have to subsidise the cost of this device pretty hard. AKA be willing to sell them at quite the loss and hope against hope that enough gamers adopt the MS store and sign up to GP.
If they do and it's not OS locked, it could end up being a good value piece of hardware.
...but
Goddamn man, I'm so tired of AI already and I never used it once...
Laptop1991
Member
Is that according to phil, i must of missed it
MayaXG
Neo Member
This won't be subsidized. Microsoft is out of the subsidized hardware business. It's near impossible to subsidize a machine that uses multiple storefronts. The Steam Machine only has one store front and there's word that even it won't be subsidized. There would have to be another low-powered SKU that's locked down to just the XBFSE like a traditional console in order for this to work.That's the impression I also had.
They're going to have to subsidise the cost of this device pretty hard. AKA be willing to sell them at quite the loss and hope against hope that enough gamers adopt the MS store and sign up to GP.
If they do and it's not OS locked, it could end up being a good value piece of hardware.
...but
They are already socializing the "premium" nature of this device. It won't be cheap. The best they can do is partner with a BNPL provider like Affirm or bundle it with a 3-year GPU subscription.
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mayham2199
Member
lol then I guess your out. You will be playing with other PC players and that a lone is going to have you playing with tons of hackers. Rainbow 6 literally has a running ban list that just constantly SPAMs your screen as you play. That's just the people they are catching. I remember my rank was being adjusted every single day I got onto the game at one point. Either because I played against a hacker or a hacker was on my team.
That's the impression I also had.
They're going to have to subsidise the cost of this device pretty hard. AKA be willing to sell them at quite the loss and hope against hope that enough gamers adopt the MS store and sign up to GP.
If they do and it's not OS locked, it could end up being a good value piece of hardware.
...but
There's nothing to doubt. They wont be doing any of this. They will be charging a high price and they don't give a shit if you buy it or not. I don't understand how anyone can post on this site and still think Xbox give a shit about selling hardware.
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Topher
Identifies as young
And what does that have to do with how well (truly phenomenally) the XS OS works (despite being based on Windows 11)?
It's as simple as waiting and seeing what the final product offers and how it works. Right now, it's just speculation, with people focusing on the pros and cons based on their subjective opinions.
People expecting it to be a disaster like Windows 11 on PC and people expecting something similar to how the XS OS works are currently on the same page.
The question is whether this NextXbox will be released before the PC version or the next-gen version of GTA VI.
In any case, even if the base of this new Xbox version is the PC version... there's a good chance it will be an optimized and specially prepared version, not just the unoptimized PC version.
In short, with nothing official or certain, everything is speculation, and it's up to each person to prepare for the worst or best scenario because both could happen.
I would find it hard to believe (even if it's Microsoft) that the next hardware will just be a simple PC with the Xbox logo, (without any of the console like improvements or special features) that many here have predicted. For that, there would be no need to design a specific APU, chips, or technology.
We'll see. If the release is 2027, perhaps it will be revealed and announced this year, just like the Xbox Series X was one year before.
Yeah, that's a fair assessment. They have to have some kind of hook that says "this is why you want this over other products". That's what we've been speculating for months now. Personally looking forward to the reveal and finding out what this thing really is.
I owned a 9070 XT and went back to Nvidia. AMD isn't where they need to be with upscaling. DLSS is just so far ahead. But AMD lagging behind Nvidia has the status quo for many years. That's why Nvidia dominates the market share for PC gaming. So even if AMD does catch up with Nvidia, you've still got to convince people to take a chance with it. That won't be easy.
rm082e
Gold Member
Windows being dominant doesn't bring them very much money when they're giving away OS upgrades for free, and keys can be bought on gray market sites for $20. The install base is irrelevant to the gaming discussion if they aren't making money regularly selling Windows licenses to gamers. Most of the money they make in Windows is B-2-B.
DirectX also doesn't make money directly. Gamers don't pay an extra fee to use it to play their games, and developers don't pay a licensing fee to use it in their game.
"The Xbox app on PC is a major PC storefront." - Based on what metric? Number of games available? Monthly active users? Revenue? What metrics can we look at for any of those, and how do they stack up against Steam?
Then can you explain to me how Microsoft is actually making money off of PC games? Can you provide any metrics for how much money they are making that can be compared to a competitor like Steam?
They have an anemic storefront that almost all PC gamers ignore. It doesn't matter that they're the Windows people, or that they get a percentage of all games sold on their storefront if gamers aren't using it.
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HeisenbergFX4
Gold Member
Super curious as to what this is or maybe what they are might be more accurately worded
Really interesting to see if the Xbox console has indeed died for straight up Xbox PC
It wasn't terribly long ago it was still a thing but in all honesty I haven't gamed with those who know for sure for months so I am falling out of the loop by personal choice
Radical_3d
Member
With this RAM/SSD/transistor prices even a 800€ PS6 is raw unrefined copium.
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