Microsoft's Next Xbox Will Run Full Windows and Eliminate Multiplayer Paywall, Report Says (windowscentral.com)
- Reference: 0179885302
- News link: https://games.slashdot.org/story/25/10/27/1824246/microsofts-next-xbox-will-run-full-windows-and-eliminate-multiplayer-paywall-report-says
- Source link: https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/microsofts-ambitious-new-xbox-your-entire-console-library-the-full-power-of-windows-pc-gaming-and-more
The new Xbox will include the entire Xbox console library spanning original Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S titles. These games will run natively and launch through the Xbox launcher's library. Users staying within the Xbox ecosystem will encounter an onboarding experience similar to current consoles. Those who choose to access Windows will be able to install PlayStation PC titles like God of War and Spider-Man purchased through Steam or Epic Games.
[1] https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/microsofts-ambitious-new-xbox-your-entire-console-library-the-full-power-of-windows-pc-gaming-and-more
I'll try anything once... (Score:2)
If I can get a PC, plus a gaming console (kinda) for under $1,000, I will definitely do it.
My biggest problem with PC gaming is trying to stay up with the current hardware. My computer is a few years old, and now it's too slow to run most of the new games.
Give me a reasonable experience that will last for 5 years, AND function as a computer, and I am all-in. Try to charge me $600 for a gaming console, and I'm not interested.
Re: (Score:2)
That's weird, my cpu is 13 years old and was mid at the time I bought it, my gpu is 5 and not a high end one, my 16 gigs of ram are ancient and I can still run most games. In fact I don't think I've encountered a game my computer can't run at mid specs yet. The only one that stutters a little bit is Mount and Blade Bannerlord in big battles.
But I haven't bought all games so I'm sure there are some out there which might be too much. The new Battlefield 6 has a minimum requirement of a 2060, but I don't reall
Re: (Score:2)
Mine is an I-7. It runs everything fine so far. Perhaps if I tried to build a huge city on Cities Skylines 2 or a huge dwarf fortress with 400 dwarves that would be too much, but I haven't tried. But I do play RDR2, the new FFVII, Squad, Dark Souls 3 and Baldur's Gate 3, games that I've read are supposed to have high hardware standards. Elden Ring might be a challenge for it, but I suspect that's mostly a gpu intensive game.
Re: I'll try anything once... (Score:1)
You are willfully ignoring the bad parts of your experience because you like the idea of what you are doing. And since this is /. if even 1 person tries this and concludes the obvious they should bitch at you but this is /. so they will blame microsoft. You are all becoming very boring with this shit
SteamDeck (Score:2)
> Give me a reasonable experience that will last for 5 years, AND function as a computer, and I am all-in.
In the mobile space this is basically why Valve (unlike their competitors) is not releasing a new console with slightly bumped up specs every few months, or why the line-up of Steam Decks only vary in specs (storage, screen type, cosmetics) that don't affect performance (same APU for all, the gains from the newer process used in newer OLED's APU is used to reduce power consumption, not make the APU go faster. The entry level and the top of the line Steam Deck will give you the same FPS) (unlike, e.g, Ally v
The actual good news (Score:2)
Should be that the entire XBox catalog of original Xbox, XBox360 and modern game titles should run on your regular Windows computer many already own. And if it runs on Windows, it shall run on Wine, Crossover or Proton platforms in a *nix.
Re: (Score:2)
"look at the Xbox Ally handheld for an indication of where Xbox is headed": So original Xbox games being "streamed from the cloud", rather than running locally.
The "Xbox Ally" is not a console... (Score:1)
... and neither will that PC they try to advertise as a console be one. It starts by not having a drive for the Xbox game disks, and continues by demanding an online connection which I for one am not willing to provide to any gaming console. And yes, being able to buy and sell used games is also a game console feature I deem mandatory. And just wait what new heights monthly fees will rise to, now that Microsoft's CFO has demanded 30% profit margin from every part of the company.
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Will any console allow you to buy and sell used games in the future? I think it should be a thing too but it seems like nobody really wants to have physical games anymore.
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> Will any console allow you to buy and sell used games in the future?
Nobody knows, but I do know that I spend money for video games only on physical media, and will stop spending any money on video games if none are offered for pure offline enjoyment.
> I think it should be a thing too but it seems like nobody really wants to have physical games anymore.
The number of physical game media sold is not small, >50 million pieces in Europe alone in 2024.
But of course, games companies are free to choose not taking my money or that of other physical media buyers.
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My PS5 and Xbox Series X both still have optical drives, but I had to pay extra for them.
I suspect in a generation or two, it'll be gone.
The only thing it really allows you to do is sell your old games.
You still need internet connection to even play the single player games.
The battle is pretty much lost.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, the Asus "Xbox" Ally X is really just an XBox App skin over Windows 11. Mostly because Windows 11 is painful to control with a D Pad and a 7" touch screen.
Most reviewers who have tried the "console" don't seem to like it, and they prefer the Steam Deck interface better. Some early adopters have even gone so far as to reformat the device and put Bazitte on it.
It'll just be a mess (Score:1)
Well Xbox is going the way of Zune, Windows CE, Windows mobile and Clippy. The Xbox 360 was peak Xbox. All downhill once they released that horrible 'Xbox One is your new cable box' marketing campaign.
So they're making the games a subscription? (Score:2)
This is microsoft we're talking about. They love their subscriptions. No way they're going to give up a subscription revenue stream unless they're going to 100x it some other way.
They're trying to do away with subsidized hardware (Score:2)
While also holding on to that sweet sweet 30% cut they get of every single software and DLC sale.
Basically they want what valve has but they don't want to be valve. They don't for example want to create a user and developer friendly platform run by a guy that everybody trusts not to stab them in the back.
So basically the next Xbox is going to probably cost at least $700 or $800 maybe more. Because Microsoft doesn't want to lose money or even break even on the hardware.
But they are counting on pe
So it is obsolete? (Score:2)
Well, nothing of value will be lost.
So? (Score:1)
If I wanted to sign up to just give more and more money to a multinational corporation AND put all my personal information on someone else's servers to help train AIs and enable scammers who can get through Microsoft's "security", then I'd consider this. Only Microsoft has the gall to charge you for being their product.
But no, I think I'll keep my money for myself and protect my personal information from Microsoft farming it out to whoever.
Two decades late (Score:2)
XBOX has always been a distraction to Microsoft. One of the worst mistakes Microsoft has made, together with ditching Windows Phone.
They should have made closely controlled HTPCs for standard Windows with high QA standards, similar to Chromebooks. This would have improved their image and would have had a knock on effect on the reliability of Windows in general.
They likely would have had competition to Steam before Valve could dominate the market, but because PC gaming was seen as competition by the XBOX gro
I don't get it? (Score:2)
If it's full blown Windows with a PC experience then why bother purchasing an Xbox?
Re: (Score:2)
The only explanation that makes sense to me is "it's a known, fixed configuration you can target longterm" - which is an advantage to devs, not to users.
So... (Score:2)
... it'll be a PC, then?
Suuuuure it will.. (Score:2)
Meanwhile microsoft is hacking off its gaming arm to compensate for the multibillion dollar losses that they have had around the xbox. The "next xbox" probably will be either a handheld ala their (laughble) Rog one, or even a cheap lightweight client device. After all, they don't want you to own the hardware or the software, just pay for your monthly pass or your games go away until you do.
Going meta with stores (Score:2)
Supporting "Steam, Epic Games Store, Battle.net, and other PC storefronts" feels similar to how an Amazon Fire Stick supports Prime video along with Netflix, Hulu, Paramount, Disney+, etc... Not sure how it will go for gaming, but that plethora of "services" has really soured me on streaming video along with a lot of other people. Microsoft probably sees this as a way to dilute interest in Steam boxes and Linux as competitors by "supporting" them - an abundance of them.
My advice: Get Steam on Linux and n
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To me it reads more like Gaming PC as set top box / appliance. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I'm not sure what Mobile Gaming has done to the market. They won't be able to sell as a loss leader so it'll be pricey but economics of scale might make it price competitive with off the shelf gaming PCs at least.
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Or it's an attempt at avoiding antitrust hot water, as closed ecosystems are under pretty serious attack right now.
It's a regular PC running regular Windows.
They don't "support" Steam- they're just not going to disallow you running it on your XBox-branded PC (that hopefully still comes with some pretty cool AMD APUs packed full of GDDR)
Re: Going meta with stores (Score:1)
Your advice is boring and predictable