WTF is the difference between the next “Xbox Console” and “Xbox PC”?!

They haven't even managed to break Denuvo yet
To put it simple. If the Magnus SoC is used for the Xbox PC. Modder would download a bunch of games through GamePass, mod them to be playable offline and upload them somewhere, then jailbreak the Xbox PC with a downloadable activator.

This has a high chance of happening based on the amount of tools available on PC and the fact there's a Windows activator.

Now, I'm promoting this, just saying it's possible.
 
The Xbox and Windows versions aren't the same games technically. The emulated/translated versions would be.
Emulation has existed well before the job listing. Series X already uses emulation for BC. It's never made official on PC due to licensing restrictions as the restriction does not define the technique or the source. It defines the target platform. For MS to officially implement emulation across the board, they will have to negotiate with the pubs as a contract addendum or a new one altogether, which they are already doing in the background for "Play Anywhere". So BC on PC is just a matter of time. It just seems unlikely at launch, and even less likely across the board of existing BC titles, especially considering the insider comments. May be a few years later. Or a continuous drip feed...
 
Isn't this at most mid level laptop power?
Building your own SFF PC with common PC parts must be a better alternative. No idea about cost differences though.
The GPU in Magnus is rumored to be around a 5080 so its no slouch. Its going to depend a lot on price tbh. There may be an audience for these machines, like people who like prebuilts and don't want to tinker around with the diy market.

Personally I'm keeping my eye on this for my next upgrade depending on how OEM's price them. Or just go RDNA 5 DGPU and set and forget for a few years.
 
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If the Xbox PC doesn't support BC then it's utterly lost me as a potential customer. I'm not buying into another walled garden console again. I can just hang onto my Series X for BC, and that will be the last Xbox I ever purchase.
 
It might be argued that designating that particular chip as an 'Xbox' SoC, including using it in the actual next gen console could circumvent that.

Likely this wouldn't be a solution for any random HP desktop or whatever PC, but for PCs made with custom chips.

I am no attorney but I don't think it will circumvent it. I believe even with that "Xbox" SoC it would be easy to prove that an "Xbox" version of a PC is still a different device. I think they would still need updated licensing agreements. Not counting the heat MS would get if they tried to pull something like that.
 
The console will take the place of the Series S and the PC of the Series X? Would be interesting if they allow for upgrading the SSD and RAM in the PC version given that next gen is likely going to require a lot of RAM as the years go on. Launch with 24GB of RAM and allow for an expandable to 32GB of RAM down the road.
 
The console will take the place of the Series S and the PC of the Series X? Would be interesting if they allow for upgrading the SSD and RAM in the PC version given that next gen is likely going to require a lot of RAM as the years go on. Launch with 24GB of RAM and allow for an expandable to 32GB of RAM down the road.
It doesn't appear the difference would be that wide early on. The SoC looks to be the same. Perhaps with more rapid iterations and variants down the line? The chiplet design would allow that
 
This is not confusing at all! Very easy to understand for all the parents out there buying for their kids... Fuck me Microsoft, you have completely ruined the Xbox brand. What a disgrace.
 
The GPU in Magnus is rumored to be around a 5080 so its no slouch. Its going to depend a lot on price tbh. There may be an audience for these machines, like people who like prebuilts and don't want to tinker around with the diy market.

Personally I'm keeping my eye on this for my next upgrade depending on how OEM's price them. Or just go RDNA 5 DGPU and set and forget for a few years.
5080?? What's the price expectation for this? A 5080 goes for $1200-1500 in my area…..
 
One is a piece of x86 PC hardware and will have future utility no matter what.

The other is a console and has no future at all.

Steam is closing down?

I am no attorney but I don't think it will circumvent it. I believe even with that "Xbox" SoC it would be easy to prove that an "Xbox" version of a PC is still a different device. I think they would still need updated licensing agreements. Not counting the heat MS would get if they tried to pull something like that.

Licensing isnt necessarily tied to a specific device or generation, though. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to play Xbox One games on Series X, or PS4 games on PS5. There's probably an argument to be made if you designate a family of devices made with a specific, custom 'Xbox' chip as an Xbox device. Especially if everything Xbox next gen runs Windows.

This is not confusing at all! Very easy to understand for all the parents out there buying for their kids... Fuck me Microsoft, you have completely ruined the Xbox brand. What a disgrace.

Mr Rogers Clown GIF


An unrevealed, unannounced console is 'confusing for parents' now?

Are you taking the piss right now? 🙄
 
A few thoughts regarding the chart.

Play Anywhere for pc games bought via Xbox store doesn't mean much when you can buy from any store and it will see the console as just another pc. It makes Play Anywhere less important when all your Steam games will run on Xbox natively. You can just buy them on Steam and play them either place.

Also, the console is not just another pc. It can't be upgraded and has various subtle, but important differences from a pc.
 
A few thoughts regarding the chart.

Play Anywhere for pc games bought via Xbox store doesn't mean much when you can buy from any store and it will see the console as just another pc. It makes Play Anywhere less important when all your Steam games will run on Xbox natively. You can just buy them on Steam and play them either place.

Interesting point. Well, there will likely be store based pricing, exclusives, discounts, gamepass etc that would determine where the user gets the game from. Steam may not always be the place to go if you get a better deal on Xbox store on the console, for example. And given how different the game performance and features can be between a console and PC version, there would be incentive to get the console version for the console as opposed to a PC version, which could make Play Anywhere relevant.

This is, of course, assuming Microsoft doesn't get rid of the console store entirely and release everything as a PC title that's playable as-is on the console. At that point, play anywhere itself becomes obsolete outside of Backwards Compatibility. The console, PC and handheld would all essentially be playing the same PC SKU. Some people have suggested that would be the direction. I'm skeptical that they would do something that drastic as it fundamentally changes the "console experience" in-game with extensive settings menus, benchmarking etc. What right would Microsoft have to even call it a console at that point? There will be no console game SKU at all. The lines have already been blurred with running Windows and playing PC titles.

And the prebuilt PC part was just tongue in cheek. I personally agree with you, but previous speculation threads were all saturated with "it's just a pc" comments, taking away from any meaningful discussion beyond that. So that was just me pre-emptively conceding to popular demand :messenger_grinning_smiling:
 
If the Xbox PC doesn't support BC then it's utterly lost me as a potential customer. I'm not buying into another walled garden console again. I can just hang onto my Series X for BC, and that will be the last Xbox I ever purchase.
That's exactly my case. If the next Xbox doesn't run my digital library and/or it's going to be too expensive, I'll keep my Series X but look for a new platform.
 
If the Xbox PC doesn't support BC then it's utterly lost me as a potential customer. I'm not buying into another walled garden console again. I can just hang onto my Series X for BC, and that will be the last Xbox I ever purchase.
If the next console supports multiple storefronts, then it's not a walled garden right? Or are you referring to other kinds of flexibility with PC?
 
If the Xbox PC doesn't support BC then it's utterly lost me as a potential customer. I'm not buying into another walled garden console again. I can just hang onto my Series X for BC, and that will be the last Xbox I ever purchase.
That's exactly my case. If the next Xbox doesn't run my digital library and/or it's going to be too expensive, I'll keep my Series X but look for a new platform.

They've been promising full BC for the past 1.5 years now. Digital library is a lock at this point. It's the physical disc users that are likely to be left behind unless something happens. Probably they'll make it an add on.
 
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