Wellfare - Xbox Hardware is Declining Fast

[BonfiresDown]

Esparadrapo said:

BonfiresDown said:

What I hope/expect from the next Xbox hardware:

Console style OS built on Windows.

Games from other launchers seamlessly integrated into the UI.

Around $200 more expensive than equivalent specced Sony console. No subsidies.

No online fee.

They will bank on getting sales vs other PC stores by being the default store option and promoting store sales in the UI.

Microsoft only charges a 10% cut on PC so there is incentive for publishers to put their games there if the hardware is successful.

If there is no interest from gamers they will just carry on with their current multiplatform strategy. The new hardware can simply be an option for those who want it, like the Steam Deck and other PC handhelds are.

So what you expect them to do is to go against a rival that has a far tighter death grip on their market than Sony while selling ALL their stuff on their store and also allowing that very client on it. Then there's the problem with Play Anywhere being nowhere (ha!) near 100% of the titles while missing the biggest ones without fail every single year.

Looks like a recipe for failure.

The lack of Play Anywhere for most Xbox games is indeed a very big problem if they want to transition their current Xbox audience to a PC box, and I don’t know how or if they intend to solve it. Any attempt to do it retroactively would presumably result in a massive licensing hell even if they do it through emulation or streaming.

Also, the reason to do this isn’t just to carve out a space for Microsoft in gaming, but to prevent people from leaving Windows for Linux in case they find that SteamOS delivers everything they need.

Last edited by BonfiresDown - on 28 January 2025