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[TouchMyBox]

Nintendo is gonna do it.
Xbox is gonna do it.

Ps needs to get on the band wagon

Well, it's one of the nice things about using standard PC architecture. Sony can just release a new console that uses AMD Zen CPU cores and a Polaris GPU and after some patching of the BSD-based Orbis OS, everything should just work.

Sony recently used this during a presentation as one of the selling points for PSVR

I'd say they understand why consoles are appealing to people.

If the APIs and architecture remain largely unchanged, it's not going to be crippling for developers to support both a PS4 and a PS5 with the same codebase. A push for VR just really cements the need for sony to put out more powerful hardware, really.

 

[wwm0nkey]

People seem to ignore that the Xbox One (and PS4) is just a PC, albeit with a closed design and custom OS.

This is an awesome strategy, one that helps the Microsoft ecosystem immensely.

We'll XBO is just Windows 10 now

 

[Bold One]

PC gamers loving this,

Xbox fans may be not so much

Very interesting times, looks like Sony is only traditional console left in the space

 

[Raide]

People seem to ignore that the Xbox One (and PS4) is just a PC, albeit with a closed design and custom OS.

This is an awesome strategy, one that helps the Microsoft ecosystem immensely.

XB1 even more so now since the Windows 10 push.

 

[ChryZ]

Not surprised, the whole XBox thing always felt like a stepping stone for MS.

 

[Riddick]

So let me get this straight:

Why wouldn't I build my own PC and use steam which is undoubtedly a superior service but instead buy a pre-built PC that I cannot upgrade, has a closed ecosystem and will have a superior version every year? For the Microsoft certification and Xbox brand? They can't be fucking serious.

 

[outunderthestars]

I'm still confused, what makes more sense: building a heavy hitting PC or upgrading your current Xbox One? Microsoft can make a profit either way but I don't know if they are suggesting that one way is better than another. Let's say they get more money if I continue to upgrade my Xbox One but I'm seeing reason to get a PC and ditch my Xbox One.

From all of this it seems like Xbox brand is pushing for people to convert to PC since why would I continue to upgrade my console if I can buy a somewhat future proof PC and gain all of the old "Xbox One exclusives"; this isn't bad. I just want to know if it will pay off for them.

I think they are providing viable options for both the person who sees this news and says " awesome, Xbox games on PC. Time to build/upgrade my PC" and the person who says "I'd like more powerful hardware, don't want to wait 6 years for a new generation of consoles, but don't want a living room PC."

As someone who has gone through several pre-built small form factor gaming PC's I am thrilled at the idea of being able to buy a better console every two years or so, keeping full backwards compatibility, but getting to have better running games.

 

[Boogalogist]

So what's gonna happen to the cashcow that is XBL? Not sure how they gonna deal with that if it's unified with PC platform.

 

[Big Nikus]

So, Xbox Two incoming ?

 

[jayu26]

Very interesting times, looks like Sony is only traditional console left in the space

Nintendo am cry.

 

[Roberto Larcos]

Broadly called it:

Honestly, if Sony don't do this, I bet Microsoft are strongly considering it. They know they're behind in power output - it's a hardware problem. An Xbox Two in holiday 2017 that could smash the PS4 out the park graphically. If they could manage that, while not alienating their Xbox One userbase (by retaining forwards compatibility until Xbox Three), they'd get a lot of the gamers that switched to Sony to switch right back.

I'd love this. Updated hardware every 2/3/4 years, with a guarantee of a minimum 6/8 years support for all titles, with some games offering more (I'm talking EA Sports here). Ideal world, they'd require that all games run at a minimum resolution / framerate on each piece of hardware - 720p / 30fps for Xbox One, 1080p / 60fps for Xbox Two etc., but I'm not sure they have the leverage for that right now. But a measure like that would help alleviate the very real concerns of people buying older hardware, that they'll be receiving really substandard down-ports.

But yeah. On the surface, it looks like a lot of the benefits of PC gaming (endless backwards compatibility), with less of the drawbacks (high entry costs to run the AAA games, and no guarantee of future compatibility). Count me in.

 

[Disaster Nebraska]

New 3DS is faster and I believe has a better battery life. Look up videos on how Hyrule Warriors performs on the old 3DS compared to the new one.

This isn't new for Nintendo, though. They did the same thing with GameBoy > GameBoy Color, which had WAAAAAY more exclusive games than the n3DS.

They did it again with the DSi which offered some eShop titles. Again, even the paltry DSi exclusive library had WAAAAY more exclusive games than the n3DS.

Even Sony did it with the PSP. The second revision had a slightly faster or overclocked processor? Not certain.

 

[driver116]

I like the idea as long as there is no two versions of games to buy or play with other people and hardware refresh is about 3-4 years.

Turn the AF to 16x and party.

They wouldn't need to do this.
All games would be built like Windows games, with graphics options built in.
Then whichever Xbox iteration runs it can set the optimal settings.
Yeah it wouldn't do too much for older games running on newer hardware, but at least newer games will look and run decent on newer iterations, and still run on older iterations.

 

[Tigress]

How so?

I don't own an xbone... and i have less of an incentive to get one now. BUT! all games that are coming from MS first line party will be coming to PC. Allowing me to enjoy them as well.

Its a win win.

One of the reasons I buy a console is it is nice and simple. No worrying if I have the right hardware or if it will run the game much worse than advertised. When it says it runs on ps4 and I have a ps4, that's all I need to know to know it runs on it and I can look at reviews and know it runs as well as they say cause I have the exact same hardware. I don't need to worry about upgrading it until the next generation comes out in a few years. Or that the game requires a newer version of the ps4 or that I have the right add one.

If I wanted to worry about that, I'd buy a PC. What is the point of a console that acts like a PC? Most likely it is going to not have as good hardware as a PC I built myself (and I wonder about prebuilt pcs aimed at the gaming market) and it's not going to be as easy to deal with as a traditional console. It's a compromise that has none of the strengths of either machine.

This idea has the same problem as steam machines when talking console replacements. And fact I'd argue steam machines were never intended to compete with consoles but was trying to make it so steam was less reliant on Windows. Nothing about them appeals to console buyers except being a prebuilt PC which if console buyers wanted one of those they could easily buy one already.

 

[ekim]

So let me get this straight:

Why wouldn't I build my own PC and use steam which is undoubtedly a superior service but instead buy a pre-built PC that I cannot upgrade, has a closed ecosystem and will have a superior version every year? For the Microsoft certification? They can't be fucking serious.

You don't need to buy an Xbox, you know? Why are people in here so angry? wtf?

 

[Kaako]

Gut feeling says they are guaranteed to fuck this up. This is going to be a damn mess for major third party studios as well.

 

[justsomeguy]

I'm selling my Xbox One ASAP while it still has SOME value.
I like the system a lot. But so much is coming to computers now, and my computer is really good.
There really is no point.

I'd say that really is the whole point in fact. If you're an invested PC gamer you get to play all of Microsoft's first party content now. This is a good move for you.

And hey if you still want the convenience of a console, those same games will work on that too.

 

[ironcreed]

Tell that to people that bought an Xbone expecting it to be supported like a console for 5 or 6 years!

They are not going to stop supporting it. There will just be an upgraded, more PC-like system available sooner. But 'Xbox is dead', I guess.

 

[Dinky Dino]

Honestly all MS needs to do now is drop the window store limitations of no overlays, mods, and injections and we are golden.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

So let me get this straight:

Why wouldn't I build my own PC and use steam which is undoubtedly a superior service but instead buy a pre-built PC that I cannot upgrade, has a closed ecosystem and will have a superior version every year? For the Microsoft certification and Xbox brand? They can't be fucking serious.

I hate having choice!!!!!!!

 

[Arulan]

PC gamers haven't really had this problem for the last 20+ years.

No.

As for today, when a i3/750 ti can run the vast majority of Xbox One/PS4 releases on par or better then what does that say for this supposed optimization of fixed platforms? The truth is that there is no magic console optimization. It largely comes down to familiarity with the architecture and turning down/off settings. Assuming these different console SKUs didn't allow you to adjust settings, they'd just need a profile for each.

 

[Lister]

What exactly are they lying about? Wtf?

"Console 60% more efficient than PC".

That's a lie.

 

[Banjo-Kazooie]

So let me get this straight:

Why wouldn't I build my own PC and use steam which is undoubtedly a superior service but instead buy a pre-built PC that I cannot upgrade, has a closed ecosystem and will have a superior version every year? For the Microsoft certification and Xbox brand? They can't be fucking serious.

Price and plug and play...why is this so hard to understand that the vast majority of console gamers choose consoles for this exact reason?

 

[justsomeguy]

Probably, but it's incredibly shortsighted.

What happens when, for example, GTA VI is released? Early adopters will need to upgrade their hardware to fully experience what the game offers in the newest version?

Same as console vs. PC today.

The Xbox One "base" version will run around the same as the PS4 version does (usual differences apply, maybe a bit lower res or something). So no difference there.

 

[Newtype-001]

Hope Nintendo and Sony stay traditional. I like how current lifecycles go.

 

[cireza]

Looking at how Hyrule Warriors Legends performs on the standard 3DS doesn't make me excited at the idea of hardware upgrades.

 

[Darryl M R]

I think they are providing viable options for both the person who sees this news and says " awesome, Xbox games on PC. Time to build/upgrade my PC" and the person who says "I'd like more powerful hardware, don't want to wait 6 years for a new generation of consoles, but don't want a living room PC."

As someone who has gone through several pre-built small form factor gaming PC's I am thrilled at the idea of being able to buy a better console every two years or so, keeping full backwards compatibility, but getting to have better running games.

Valid point about giving options to both people. I wonder if it will be worth to double dip and have a Xbox One and PC. If Microsoft continues to offer Window 10 codes of first party games bought for Xbox One then I would definitely consider having both to stay connected to friends on both system.

 

[Mit-]

Good. The Xbox should just become a PC, but also serve as a target platform for developers to benchmark their graphics on. Backwards compatibility won't be needed anymore, enthusiasts can get even better hardware, and people can upgrade whenever they want.

 

[NullPointer]

They are not going to stop supporting it. There will just be an upgraded, more PC-like system available sooner. But 'Xbox is dead', I guess.

Support is more than "your games will still play".

 

[faberpach]

Really excited about all this, it puts technology as a selling point and might help drive inovation and push things here it is for no more long console life cycles...

 

[Tigress]

They are not going to stop supporting it. There will just be an upgraded, more PC-like system available sooner. But 'Xbox is dead', I guess.

And all the sudden if you have an original Xbox this game won't run on it or it won't run well. Or alternatively you buy a newer one for no reason as all games would play on the old Xbox and they are all gimped to run just as well as the old Xbox as not to offend the original Xbox one owners.

 

[Weevilone]

It will. WTF is happening on this forum. Your xbox one's lifespan hasn't been shortened. There is only another option. There will still be a launch to a next generation which won't be supported by old consoles.

Sure it will.. If MS is already moving forward with a model like this, then the focus will already be on the next big thing. The Xbox One will already be the lowest option on the new gameplan. Sales on this SKU will tank and development will focus on the future.

 

[Shrennin]

People here may be excited about the news, but won't this just encourage the entire casual market to head over to PlayStation?

Not if the most basic model can run all Xbox games. It seems Microsoft is attempting to leverage the benefits of both console and PC gaming.

 

[aygomyownroad]

I am very worried if this happens.

Handhelds are different, they don't cost much.

If theu release one with upgraded hardware and it would cost £300 to buy then I'm out. I'm not spending that on an upgraded console, I would focus on the PS4.

They need to keep it simple, this isn't the age of Megadrive/MegaCD/32X or N64+Ram cartridge, they need to focus on getting the best out of the machine and then next console decide what to do. But I won't be apart of something where I need to worry if my console can play the game or not.

 

[TAS]

What are they lying about?

I'm assuming he is referring to the "60% more powerful than same-spec PC" point--which does sound dubious.

 

[Disaster Nebraska]

It is shocking how closely MS is following Sega's hardware division's history.

Hardly.

 

[Crimson_Gold]

Hope Nintendo and Sony stay traditional. I like how current lifecycles go.

Nintendo will stay traditional. Sony will have to try to match this through creating a closed PC store presence. It's the only way.

 

[ekim]

Probably, but it's incredibly shortsighted.

What happens when, for example, GTA VI is released? Early adopters will need to upgrade their hardware to fully experience what the game offers in the newest version?

Let's assume they are not doing an Xbox One HW Upgrade... Could I play GTA VI on my vanilla Xbox One? Sure. So how does an OPTIONAL hw upgrade change that fact? It's just that I could play it at a higher resolution/framerate.

 

[Dinky Dino]

You don't lose anything?!
For this you lose the chance of having big exclusives to the system since it's now all PC. And you lose the chance of developers caring about optimizing code and push the system you have paid for. If it doesn't run well you'll just deal with bad graphics and/or performance or you are forced to upgrade.
These are significant losses for a console user.

Optimization? Haven you seen most of the comparisons with a budget pc as of late?

You realize that the big advantage consoles had of a "to the metal" api is coming over to the pc with dx12 soon right? Not to mention MS never cared if games ran well or not on pc but now they have a reason to ensure it will.

 

[ironcreed]

Broadly called it:



I'd love this. Updated hardware every 2/3/4 years, with a guarantee of a minimum 6/8 years support for all titles, with some games offering more (I'm talking EA Sports here). Ideal world, they'd require that all games run at a minimum resolution / framerate on each piece of hardware - 720p / 30fps for Xbox One, 1080p / 60fps for Xbox Two etc., but I'm not sure they have the leverage for that right now. But a measure like that would help alleviate the very real concerns of people buying older hardware, that they'll be receiving really substandard down-ports.

But yeah. On the surface, it looks like a lot of the benefits of PC gaming (endless backwards compatibility), with less of the drawbacks (high entry costs to run the AAA games, and no guarantee of future compatibility). Count me in.

This is pretty much what I think they are going to be doing.

 

[ElBoxyBrown]

This isn't new for Nintendo, though. They did the same thing with GameBoy > GameBoy Color, which had WAAAAAY more exclusive games than the n3DS.

They did it again with the DSi which offered some eShop titles. Again, even the paltry DSi exclusive library had WAAAAY more exclusive games than the n3DS.

Even Sony did it with the PSP. The second revision had a slightly faster or overclocked processor? Not certain.

But at the end of the day this isn't nothing new. Consoles do slight upgrades with each iteration to improve load times and HD. Everyone has been experimenting with this idea for sometime.

 

[oti]

Live was great, but it's no longer anything that differentiates Xbox from its competitors. People do not buy an Xbox solely for Live. Look at Nintendo - you know exactly what separates them from their competitors. They are not trying to out-Sony Sony. I wanted MS to do something that separated Xbox more from everyone else.

Well you talked about the last 15+ years. And XBL was a very big deal in those 15+ years.

Talking about today I think you're right. Xbox is just a second PS with weaker hardware, a bad camera hardware add-on and less interesting exclusives (subjective opinion here, it's OK to disagree).

Them now doing this is very exciting.

 

[cheesekao]

No.

As for today, when a i3/750 ti can run the vast majority of Xbox One/PS4 releases on par or better then what does that say for this supposed optimization of fixed platforms? The truth is that there is no magic console optimization. It largely comes down to familiarity with the architecture and turning down/off settings. Assuming these different console SKUs didn't allow you to adjust settings, they'd just need a profile for each.

Are you saying this based on hands on experience or is it just your observation?

 

[wonderful103]

Nintendo will stay traditional. Sony will have to try to match this through creating a closed PC store presence. It's the only way.

nope. neither will stay traditional. their language has said as much

No.

As for today, when a i3/750 ti can run the vast majority of Xbox One/PS4 releases on par or better then what does that say for this supposed optimization of fixed platforms? The truth is that there is no magic console optimization. It largely comes down to familiarity with the architecture and turning down/off settings. Assuming these different console SKUs didn't allow you to adjust settings, they'd just need a profile for each.

bingo

 

[Raide]

Nintendo will stay traditional. Sony will have to try to match this through creating a closed PC store presence. It's the only way.

And we know what people are like to any store that's not Steam. Sony just don't have the same eco-system than MS have.

 

[ghostjoke]

Every time Microsoft opens their mouth lately, it starts off with a good idea, but then they instantly give hints at how they're going to mess it up.

PC doesn't want the closed nature of the XBox.
Xbox doesn't want all the (often perceived) hassle that comes with PC.

Both just want the games and a lack of hurdles to play them. The past week has been an itemised list of things to rile up both sides. It's almost impressive.

 

[The God]

Nintendo will stay traditional. Sony will have to try to match this through creating a closed PC store presence. It's the only way.

Why would they have to do that?

 

[IvanJ]

I am trying to understand what this all means, but I'm not a very technical person, so if somebody could explain if what I am assuming is correct:
- You buy an XOne, then you will be able to upgrade it later on. Now, I understand what PC gamers do: they buy a new part (memory, graphics, whatever...) and replace the old one.
What can xOne owners do? Will there be a sort of USB attachment which will increase your power? Or will they need to replace the entire console? So that this ends up like iPhone or similar - buy a better one or get left behind in a few years?

I don't see how this can be appealing to console owners? Because, isn't one of the perks of consoles not having to worry which version of games works on it, and that the machine bought in 2013 does everything that the one from 2017 does?

I am asking because I'd be plenty pissed if, for example, I had to buy/upgrade my PS4 to be able to play Uncharted 4 or Horizon Zero Dawn. I have a launch version which I never intend to replace this entire gen (barring it breaking down).

 

[kingocfs]

Pretty cool

 

[Graphics Horse]

Even Sony did it with the PSP. The second revision had a slightly faster or overclocked processor? Not certain.

Iirc the overclocking was available for all units, they just didn't allow it early on.
It had twice the RAM which devs could use to improve loading and stuff, but couldn't make anything psp2000 exclusive.