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[MacReady13]

How about Microsoft just do this instead, and please, go easy on me as it's only a suggestion... How about, for their next console, they release a fucking CONSOLE like they did with the Series X/S and make it more powerful and release it WITHOUT the Windows bullshit that is a complete waste of time?! And better yet, imagine if ALL those Microsoft owned companies' games were EXCLUSIVE to this console and not the next Playstation or Switch 2?! That might actually boost sales for this console AND keep the Xbox brand viable in this eco system!

It's just a suggestion and it may not be the right suggestion but it's what many Xbox fans would FAR prefer. People can still buy PC's. They can still buy PS6 consoles and Switch 2 consoles. But they just miss out on all the Microsoft games (except for PC)! Wouldn't that be ideal for Xbox console owners???

 

[Pop]

Its a PC but its not

 

[MacReady13]

It will be a small number of these sold for profit, meaning no one is going to be making special Xbox versions of these games. They have to run windows PC games to have any games.

It will probably remain backwards compatible for those of us who have games on older Xbox hardware but from this new "console" and moving forward, all games will be the PC versions to run on the Xbox PC store or you get them on Steam/GOG/Epic or wherever you can on PC.

 

[popeutlal]

Finally...a company with balls to release a Windows PC that can play games!

 

[//DEVIL//]

The good news is all of us PC players have the next gen xbox already without paying a cent. Thanks MS

Never seen a company so out of touch with reality. That baldy Dildo looking of a CEO is gonna kill MS.

 

[Crayon]

This is going to invite comparisons the the steam machine. I bet the price and power difference will be wide enough that it's not very interesting. It will more impactfully call attention to linux vs windows for gaming.

 

[Fess]

PC games and "Console" games on one machine.
Im interested.

Then I remember that pretty much all BC games id want to play are either on PC already or I can easily emulate at this point.
Xenia and Xemu are pretty good these days so...........

As long as these cats keep porting to PC im probably never buying a Playstation or Xbox console ever again.

All in all I have hundreds of games on my Xbox account, it's very nice knowing the games aren't just going poof when they discontinue the dedicated console.

I just wish I could get all this on my regular PC. I want one box to do it all.

 

[rm082e]

The chip is a hardware recreation of Series compatibility. 360 and OG Xbox are emulation. Those emulators currently run on Series consoles with their current BC program.

Yep, that's what I was thinking. I guess my next question is how much additional cost does that chip add to an otherwise pretty standard PC motherboard? Is it just an extra $100 or so?

 

[Baki]

I don't necessarily agree with all the doom and gloomers saying this thing will be DOA -- I have a pretty beefy gaming PC up in my office, but I also want to play games in my living room, on my couch.

And before someone says run some cables, etc -- that's unfortunately not an option at my house. I do use Moonlight to stream from my PC -- but I'd much, MUCH rather just play it natively.

It all boils down to price. If they can give me a reasonably performing console/PC hybrid for my living room -- that keeps all my xbox purchases -- uses my xbox controllers -- and allows me to also run my steam games?

It's a no brainer slam dunk for me. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

You're an edge case. How many people are going to spend $1,300 for a PC to play games on their TV. There's a reason why 70% of PC gamers still have specs below the under powered steam box.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Nail in the

 

[nemiroff]

So are you saying the current Xbox operating system is just Windows with some stuff locked down, as opposed to its own operating system?

That's exactly what it is, yes. You could argue that when you strip it down and lock it, you can give it a new name, like "Xbox OS", because it's not the same general purpose _package_ anymore. But that's just semantics...

There are plenty of things to strip down when you have the exact same hardware specs every time. Like driver discovery/polling, shader compilation, service stripping. 200 services can be dropped down to like 10%. printer? nah, strip. legacy? nah, strip. registry bloat? not needed.. hide all polling metadata. hardware optimization, like direct cpu access, bypassing the hardware abstraction layer, memory reservation etc etc. it's the same core os, you just don't need to pack it with unneded stuff.

Feature	Xbox Series X	Rumored Next-Gen Xbox​
OS Core	Windows 11 (Hardened/Locked)	Windows 11 (Full Bore)​
Interface	Xbox Dashboard (Proprietary)	Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE)​
App Execution	UWP Only (Signed)	Win32 (.exe), Steam, Epic, etc.​
Virtualization	Strict Partitioning (Hyper-V)	Flexible / Optional Partitioning​
The "Registry"	Surgical/Hidden	User-Accessible (Desktop Mode)​

 

[kevboard]

So are you saying the current Xbox operating system is just Windows with some stuff locked down, as opposed to its own operating system?

you know all those emulators that people made for the Series X|S and Xbox One?

those are not ports... they are just repackaged Windows apps. they are normal Windows X86/X64 executables that are repackaged as UWP apps.

and they just run without much needing to be changed. the changes necessary are mostly down to making sure the correct resolution and aspect ratio is set as a default and that controller navigation works.


the other way around it's also funny. because you can literally install Xbox One games on Windows 10/11. (if you manage to get the install file on your PC through unofficial means) it will be detected like any Microsoft Store app on PC, and even lets you make a desktop shortcut... and it will attempt to launch like a Microsoft Store app...
they will not run however, because of DRM and because the games are expecting specific hardware and a specialised version of Direct X that's not available on PC.

so it's not the fact that it's a different OS or incompatible packaging that keeps Xbox One and Series X games from just playing on PC. it's the way console games are coded that makes them incompatible.

the other way around however is different. a PC game isn't as locked down, and the Xbox can run generic Direct X. and so ports of Emulators and even some indy games like the Metroid 2 fan remake AM2R, or the Sonic Master System fan remakes were repackaged and are now playable on Xbox consoles in dev mode.

 

[adamsapple]

Backward compatibility remains a core pillar, not an afterthought
Your entire Xbox One and Series X|S library moves forward with you

 

[ZehDon]

It will probably remain backwards compatible for those of us who have games on older Xbox hardware but from this new "console" and moving forward, all games will be the PC versions to run on the Xbox PC store or you get them on Steam/GOG/Epic or wherever you can on PC.

Yeah, Microsoft is clearly centralising their gaming efforts. No more Xbox-native versions - just a PC version whose target specs will be the same as this new console-PC. However, the key benefit of a console is that it only does one thing, but it does it really, really well. Shipping Windows gimps whatever hardware they put in the box. So, even if they have an on-paper spec advantage of 30% over the PS6, their bloated AI-riddled malware masquerading as a PC OS will likely eat that advantage and then some, allowing Sony to ship a console with 30% less grunt for cheaper and still out-perform them on every game across the board. Microsoft will have to literally rebuild Windows from the ground up to get that kind of performance gain.

This is going to invite comparisons the the steam machine. I bet the price and power difference will be wide enough that it's not very interesting. It will more impactfully call attention to linux vs windows for gaming.

It will, but even with the horrible disadvantage of Windows around its neck, the spec difference between Magnus and Valve's hardware is monsterous. The Steam Machine is going to struggle with most games from the current gen, let alone anything from the next gen.

 

[Crayon]

It will, but even with the horrible disadvantage of Windows around its neck, the spec difference between Magnus and Valve's hardware is monsterous. The Steam Machine is going to struggle with most games from the current gen, let alone anything from the next gen.

On the flipside is the huge price difference. That's why I was saying comparing them in price and performance would not hold attention for long. "how does game run on each showdown" just wont be that interesting. They really shouldn't even be compared but because they are in this sort of budding-maybe-segment they are forced into it. And media outlets are always looking to make a horse race out of something for clicks.

 

[pacman4000]

You're making some assumptions on what my definition of 'reasonably priced' is -- I don't expect it to be $500 or anything. I'd reasonably be hopeful for somewhere in the $800 range This is of course assuming it's slightly subsidized and using custom parts to make it a bit cheaper.

Custom parts would make it more expensive.

And subsidized? Not a chance.

 

[Sonik]

So it'll be a PC using the most bloated OS in Microsoft's history. Can't wait!

 

[DeVeAn]

If any of that is true WOW.

 

[RavenSan]

You're an edge case. How many people are going to spend $1,300 for a PC to play games on their TV. There's a reason why 70% of PC gamers still have specs below the under powered steam box.

I'd gone on later in the thread and think it could be successful around the $800 mark -- anything more than that, and yeah, I can't see it taking off. At the end of the day -- consoles are basically just PC's anyway, and I'm sure it won't be a direct 1:1 consumer version of Windows -- it'll be modified and specialized in some kinda way for the setup.

 

[spookyfish]

Backward compatibility remains a core pillar, not an afterthought
Your entire Xbox One and Series X|S library moves forward with you

If it allows for discs, then I'm interested.

 

[GloveSlap]

If they release the disc drive for it externally, it would pretty cool if you could buy just the drive and plug it into a regular PC and play your Xbox games. That probably isn't realistic though.

 

[adamsapple]

If it allows for discs, then I'm interested.

If not on all SKUs, they should at the very fuckin' least do an add-on.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

If it allows for discs, then I'm interested.

Thats a biggie for me as yeah I have a lot of discs for Xbox and PS

 

[bitbydeath]

I feel very lonely out here on this tiny branch I have been sitting on and I hear it cracking

Ready to eat lots of crow at some point

Right or wrong doesn't matter, the fun is in the discussion.

 

[bitbydeath]

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.

You make it sound like Microsoft are competent software developers when in reality the 'switch' involves formatting the device and installing Windows.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

All the fancy language in the world to describe what is basically just an OEM Windows PC, what we already knew 2 years ago via Gestridens Discord leak:

The next Xbox is going to be full Windows, fully open, with support for Steam, GOG, Epic Games, Battle.net, and even things like Office and Adobe Suite. It will also run your existing Xbox games too, but it likely won't be cheap ... the DRAM price glut, tariffs, and its nature as a "PC" notwithstanding.

In any case, Xbox has found itself on the bottom rung in the console sales race for many years now, losing out to PlayStation and Nintendo month in, month out. Xbox's future seems to revolve around blending with its growing Xbox PC operation, and it'll be interesting to see how all of that plays out.

That FSE better see 10 years worth of evolution in the next 1-2 or they are going to be ice skating uphill.

 

[buenoblue]

Microsoft couldn't even make a usable ui for the Xbox series how the fuck they gonna do it on pc

 

[Drew1440]

Full Backward Compatibility, I hope that means it can run Xbox 360 and original Xbox games from the disc.

 

[Puscifer]

I don't necessarily agree with all the doom and gloomers saying this thing will be DOA -- I have a pretty beefy gaming PC up in my office, but I also want to play games in my living room, on my couch.

And before someone says run some cables, etc -- that's unfortunately not an option at my house. I do use Moonlight to stream from my PC -- but I'd much, MUCH rather just play it natively.

It all boils down to price. If they can give me a reasonably performing console/PC hybrid for my living room -- that keeps all my xbox purchases -- uses my xbox controllers -- and allows me to also run my steam games?

It's a no brainer slam dunk for me. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

Agreed, plus Microsoft has economies of scale in their favor.

Im just reposting what I said before; A box with a dedicated hardware spec will make hardware last even longer than it does now and aou'd have to guarantee that box works and scale up for 5-8 years of games.

My itx builds usually add another 150-200 for an sfx PSU upgrade, case and motherboard. If they pull it off it's likely a keeper for me depending on how repairable it is + if I have full access to the windows OS when I DO need it.

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

Microsoft has economies of scale in their favor.

My dude, even OEMs can't get components for themselves and shatter entire consumer brands.

I swear, some hopium here is clearly military-grade.

 

[dragonyeuw]

Sure, but if you're going to do a 20+ hour playthrough of a game, are you really not going to buy a cheap AF steam key to run it maxed 4k/60 instead of the crappy XBO version you already own?

Probably, but I think the point for Microsoft is they're honoring your past purchases. If you then choose to buy a PC version of a game already on your xbox account because it may( most likely will) provide a better experience, that's on the customer. Personally if it's not too major a difference I probably wouldn't even bother in some cases. I also wonder if Microsoft will make a major push to add more Play anywhere titles to their catalogue.

 

[MisterXDTV]

Yep, that's what I was thinking. I guess my next question is how much additional cost does that chip add to an otherwise pretty standard PC motherboard? Is it just an extra $100 or so?

It's going to stay in AMD's future PC "roadmaps" once it's implemented

It's literally AMD technology

I don't think it's going to warrant a premium for the consumer

 

[unlurkified]

It's gonna be interesting if it turns out to be 1.5 to 2X more powerful than the PS6 that'll release a year later.

Also, what happens to Gamepass prices if it's a 'PC'? Will it go to $16.49 cuz you should have access to that pricing.

 

[danklord]

Every day we get closer to the STRIX Republic Of Gamers Xbox

 

[KeplerL2]

That's been in the back of my mind every time this is brought up. Is it still a console and everybody (other than you) has it wrong? Plenty of conflicting information about it so I'm not putting my money on any horse. Just waiting to see.

Xbox console and Xbox PC are 2 different things using the same hardware

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Xbox console and Xbox PC are 2 different things using the same hardware

I am glad I am not alone on the console side of things

 

[Topher]

Xbox console and Xbox PC are 2 different things using the same hardware

sigh....my brain hurts bro.

So is the console going to have third party stores?

 

[ReasonBeing]

Can't wait. This is exactly what I've always wanted Xbox to be. The Xbox PC anyways.

 

[Mayar]

sigh....my brain hurts bro.

So is the console going to have third party stores?

It seems to me that in this situation, given the current market conditions, it's easier to wait and see what happens. Because given the circumstances, it's possible everyone will have to abruptly change their plans, and guessing what will happen next is simply impossible without inside information.

The only thing I can say, but this is purely my point of view, is that I don't see any reason to buy a Microsoft Prebuilt PC, considering I already have one at home. (And frankly, after using Windows 11 and reading about where Microsoft plans to take it next, I'm seriously considering switching to Linux.) I just don't see a market for this device, unless the price is right. But given the current market situation, that won't happen.

 

[KeplerL2]

sigh....my brain hurts bro.

So is the console going to have third party stores?

If MS wants sure, it's only a business decision whether losing money from 3rd party store sales and potentially fewer Gamepass subscriptions is worth the benefits of "the new Xbox can run Playstation games!"

 

[reinking]

sigh....my brain hurts bro.

So is the console going to have third party stores?

It's a full windows console that shares the same hardware as PC but it is totally not a PC.

 

[Topher]

If MS wants sure, it's only a business decision whether losing money from 3rd party store sales and potentially fewer Gamepass subscriptions is worth the benefits of "the new Xbox can run Playstation games!"

It's a full windows console that shares the same hardware as PC but it is totally not a PC.

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

WINDOWS 10, NOW ON YOUR XBOX 360

 

[Senua]

It's a full windows console that shares the same hardware as PC but it is totally not a PC.

PCs are for nerds so I get why they wana distance themselves

 

[Punished Miku]

Xbox console and Xbox PC are 2 different things using the same hardware

Is the Xbox console in the room with us now?

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

sigh....my brain hurts bro.

So is the console going to have third party stores?

 

[bitbydeath]

I think Kepler refers to the one with Xbox BC as a console.

 

[KeplerL2]

I think Kepler refers to the one with Xbox BC as a console.

And made/sold by MS. Xbox PC is made by ASUS/MSI/etc but also using Magnus

 

[Topher]

It seems to me that in this situation, given the current market conditions, it's easier to wait and see what happens. Because given the circumstances, it's possible everyone will have to abruptly change their plans, and guessing what will happen next is simply impossible without inside information.

The only thing I can say, but this is purely my point of view, is that I don't see any reason to buy a Microsoft Prebuilt PC, considering I already have one at home. (And frankly, after using Windows 11 and reading about where Microsoft plans to take it next, I'm seriously considering switching to Linux.) I just don't see a market for this device, unless the price is right. But given the current market situation, that won't happen.

I'm right there with you. I'm already primarily on Linux right now, but still dual booting Windows for misc. shit. Having said that, following industry strategies is always entertaining. Last few years have been a bit bewildering though.

And made/sold by MS. Xbox PC is made by ASUS/MSI/etc but also using Magnus

Probably an obvious "no way", but I don't recall seeing if anyone has said whether Magnus will be available off the shelf for PC builders.

 

[EverydayBeast]

This could blur pc and consoles together