It remains true that Xbox and PS compete more directly against each other than against PC, but releasing all your games day 1 on PC has to be a more damaging to your hardware sales than releasing a few of them years later on your "direct" competitor. But yeah, If MS starts releasing their big games day 1 on PS5 and Switch 2, then sure, Xbox hardware as we know it is pretty much doomed.

I think they'll make at least one more console after the Series X|S, but it really does seem like hardware isn't their priority anymore. Because of the mistakes they made going into last generation and the fact they were made when they were, Xbox is essentially stuck in a distant third place. Xbox isn't doing horribly, but it will never be back where it was in the 360 days. Also, Xbox hardware has never been profitable for MS.

I think there's a good chance they're going to try to exist as some sort of first-party/third-party hybrid, where they still offer consoles for people who really like Xbox hardware but release most if not all of their games on PlayStation and/or Nintendo as well as PC, the strategy being to focus more on maximizing software sales. I think their big marquee titles like Halo and Gears could do very well on PlayStation.

I dunno about that, it's sales have pretty much tanked over the last year or so, and it's down to selling like a quarter as much as the PS5 in the monthly charts. 

I'd call its current performance pretty horrible.

The saddest thing to me is the SX is great hardware and it feels like an abandoned stepchild.

Yeah it's a damn shame; its powerful, smaller than the PS5, I even like the look of it.

Kinda the opposite of the Wii U which was horrible hardware but at least had some great exclusives.

Microsoft need to give people a reason for buying Xbox rather than PS. It is starting to feel like a similar choice to "DELL or HP".

That means exclusive games with a distinctive Xbox style.

You have to remember that something like 55% of xbox series sales, are the S model.
There is probably only like ~13m series X out in the wild.

On papir its more powerfull, but often games look or play the same or better on the PS5.
Its smaller though. Supposedly its more expensive to build than the PS5, as well.
So there are tradeoffs for everything.

Wii U was horrible price to performance, in terms of hardware (so is the switch, but its a handheld so it gets a pass).
It released just before a gen ended (at the end of a gen), and there was hype for newer hardware consoles, with more power.
And it released with barely better than current models on the market.  That and a poorly picked name, killed it.

The Series models, arn't horrible value for their price, in terms of hardware your getting.
With them the issue is more they have conditioned people to not buy games, but subscripte to gamepass.
Gamepass cannot sustain so many big titles, without massive loss of revenue potential, so its forced them to put their future games on other devices.
Xbox has been putting alot of smaller titles on gamepass, and for years, has been buying studios and building up, to be able to spit out big titles.
Telling people to "just wait, have faith, games will come".  Theres xbox fans that bought, new system after new system, waiting.... watching alot of their 1st party fall flat, and flop. That either went pc, or jumped ship.

Now its at that point. It has the potential to grow xbox hardware/gamepass, with big titles.
Starfield, Elder Scrolls, Indiana Jones, Fable, Gears, Fallout...  Call of duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo IV.. ect.

Put it all on gamepass, and lose tons of money on potential sales, but grow those xbox hardware / gamepass numbers.
or Dont....  make tons of money, but basically prove gamepass cannot sustain that many big titles.

What killed Xbox is the "wait til next year!" "wait til e3", and watching so many of their titles pushed out without the polish they needed, flopping in sales and reviews. While gamepass has been pumped with too much filler.  Theres only so many years, faithfull xbox users, can take that before you start loseing some of them.

Gamepass is that.
if everything goes there, it could be enough to pull people one direction or another.
And I mean everything.

Day and date, Call of Duty, free World of Warcraft subscription baked into gamepass, ect ect.
Elder Scrolls, Indiana jones, Fable, gears, Fallout ect ect.

PS5 often runs better because it's the lead platform for multiplats due to being the more popular machine. Series X is stronger, there's just little incentive to get the most out of it when not that many people own one, and everything has to run on the Series S anyway.

Trust me, I am very well aware of Wii U's failings. I actually owned one as there was no way I was gonna pass on Bayonetta 2 or Tropical Freeze.

Shit though the hardware was, Wii U at least gave me some great software experiences. Xbox is the opposite; I find the hardware appealing, but without games there's no reason for me to drop $800 AUD on one.

I had a Wii U too.... and while it lacked a big catalog of great games, it did have bangers.

DKC Tropical freeze, Tokyo Mirrage Sessions #FE, New SuperMario Bros U,  Twillight Princess HD, Wind Waker HD, Captin Toad,  Mario Kart 8, The Bayonetta games, Super Mario 3D world,  BoTW, Xenoblade Chronicles X,  Fast Racing Neo,  The Wonderfull 101,...

My brother and I enjoyed the Wii U.
Even if it wasn't a massive sales success, it had some great games.
There were dry patches ofc, but... thats partly down to 3rd party and how much trouble it was haveing selling.