This intentionally vague video is just tickling us with more confusion about what the future of xbox looks like.
There are no solid statements anywhere saying the Next-Gen Xbox will NATIVELY play PC AND Xbox games, or that PC will NATIVELY play Xbox games, although this is exactly what the video seems to be hinting at.
^^^ This right here is what is causing the most anxiety and confusion amongst Xbox players/fans. Not only because it is difficult to fathom a device that is versatile enough to play PC games in all the ways that people play PC games (different launchers, mods, streaming setups, speedrunning, emulation etc.), but also because of how the restrictions on the xbox library will transfer to a device that is also a "PC".
Will there be more DRM shoehorned into PC games on this new Xbox device(s)? Will this device only play games from specific storefronts or from specific eras of PC gaming? Will i be able to use this device as more than just a gaming console if it also plays PC games?
Are Streaming and Play Anywhere the only pitiful solutions you actually have to cross-compatibility between Xbox and PC???
The biggest question of all is of course about the money. Not about how much the device(s) will cost either, but...
How will subscriptions work?!?!
Is Xbox going to try to charge me money to play my multiplayer PC games online? Are they going to relinquish their death-grip on Xbox Live Gold(now Gamepass Core) and say goodbye to all of that subscription money? I wont hold my breath. Will they lock EVERYTHING behind a Gamepass Paywall?
I bet they learn alot of lessons and make alot of mistakes along this path, but I am very glad they are at least staring down the barrel and thinking about it.
Hopefully soon they can provide some more clarity about what this process will look like. We want to know how this will benefit us dedicated Xbox console fans, because right now it feels like we are getting the short end of the stick. Paying more and getting less.
Does anyone else have burning questions about the evolution of xbox?
I think I kind of addressed it.
I think it is safe to assume that if you get out of the Xbox app yes, you’ll be able to treat the console as a regular PC. So you’ll be able to install every PC version of Minecraft, not so the Xbox version because in reality there won’t be an Xbox (meaning console only) version accessible. That’s how the Ally will work, I don’t see why they would sell a seemingly less flexible system as their flagship.
What I don’t think you’ll be able to do is play your Xbox 360 games as they are on the disc so to speak. I would bet that games that were not part of the backwards compatibility program won’t be playable either on the new console. Xbox One and Series X share the same architecture so what I believe will happen is that those games will now be Xbox Store games, and your discs will be keys to validate ownership of the Xbox Store game which will be in fact just the PC version of the game. The list of Xbox One or Series X games that do not have a PC version is minuscule enough that the effort to emulate them could be made or on the other hand, they could simply be shrugged off as “tough shit, keep the old console”.
I think the simplest way to describe what I think the course of action they will take is that you will be given access to the PC version of all Xbox games you own.
As for subs. Notice how it’s all Gamepass now, no such thing as gold anymore. They probably figure access to the games is enough to keep people subbed. Which is logical I think.
I also think the console won’t be subsidized very heavily, so it will be prized around $700 if not more. From their POV They don’t care to sell consoles and their games are now multi platforms so if you can’t stomach that you’ll go buy a PlayStation. Wouldn’t surprise me to see Gamepass on it in a few years too. I mean at this point it’s probably Sony holding it back.
But the only thing that makes this new system exciting is the merger of Non-PC Xbox games onto a PC platform. Anything else is just what we already have... A PC.
The flexibility people want is to play the games they have already paid for within the Xbox ecosystem.
Losing your games with new gen hardware is a thing of the past. New hardware rarely has a killer app nowadays that would make losing playability of up to 4 generations of games worth it. Thats why all new consoles have backwards compatibility like PC.
Also the xbox-only library is NOT small. Forgetting disc games... I have 900 digital games on my series X spanning from the OG xbox. ~40 of those are currently apart of the Play Anywhere program. Sure alot of those games have PC ports but xbox isnt going to source that version of the software from a random source and add it to my library for free. Youre right they will have to emulate.
Giving a "Tough Shit" to current xbox players and their libraries is not going to bode well, and this product will just look like another PC with extra steps for current players.
Like I said they will likely emulate. But frankly I don’t think they give much of a rats ass of making some obscure game from the Og Xbox available. The majority of the market won’t care either. And you already bought the game so they don’t care either. What are you gonna do, not buy the consoles they won’t be making anymore? I think this is the mental block for a lot of Xbox hardcore fans, that Xbox is no longer a console platform. It’s a games publisher and storefront with a subscription service , who will happen to manufacture hardware that is preconfigured to offer a hassle free experience with their platform.
As to this being a PC with more steps. Have you seen the GPU market? Microsoft is positioning itself in a unique niche in which they can sell a gaming PC, that plays like a console, with no GPU pricing shenanigans. Your description is about as good as calling the SteamDeck a laptop with less keys.
Yeah it all makes sense from their business perspective, but from a current xbox users perspective, losing compatibility for new hardware isnt appealing.
The extra steps are for current pc/xbox users that already have hardware. Why upgrade without increased functionality? A streamlined experience could be enough for some, but definitely not for me at $700+.