"People would just buy all their games on Steam" - Xbox games would still be optimized for the specifics of it's hardware so this would be mitigated. Then it would also have all the utility of a PC for work etc, to get people into the ecosystem and hopefully buy gamepass and some games. It would just have 2 separate OS's and you could choose the default load
Why would it not make sense for the next Xbox to double as a budget desktop PC?
People would still buy their games on Steam, whether they're optimized or not
MS isn't going to piss off all their partners and prod the bear of monopoly regulators for a feature few people will use. Most people have their consoles on a TV and that's bad for general PC use.
The terrible memory latency would also make performance pretty bad and they'd have to increase the price to cover a completely separate SSD inside it.
People forget the PS2 and PS3 actually had official Linux support from Sony (before they removed it). I think it could make sense, especially if they decide to compete in the handheld market with an Xbox branded device. I don’t see it this generation, but perhaps the next.
Ok but Microsoft won't use Linux they would use Windows which has a lot more baggage
It (meaning Windows) also requires a paid license they would make money on…
Microsoft won't pay for Linux when they have there own os they can sell and get 100 percent of thr profit
I meant for Windows not Linux.
pay for Linux
lmfao
Well companies need to pay for a licence
But they already sell the Microsoft Surface line
A low volume premium line product in a niche no one else was filling.
Sure but look at it this way, if it's competitive versus similar spec Desktop PCs, someone looking for a non gaming/low-mid range PC would get the Xbox as a bonus. People looking for a console would get a PC as a bonus, if they want. It's not that hard to move from TV to monitor and back
You're acting like this would keep the cost the same. It would make it way more expensive
Why?
Console are subsided by companies looking to make profit from software
its called a loss leader
The hardware would be far more expensive if Microsoft stoping making 50% profit from it
Hardware is the loss leader to software sales. This would make the device a money sink allowing your game sales to come from competing stores. MS would have to go the smartphone App Store route and charge a percentage to Steam/Epic/whoever, and those companies would not pay that.
But any hardware intensive game, like most every recent AAA, would run significantly worse when its in PC mode than if you buy the Xbox version. Consoles are loss leaders but not by huge margins. They punch above PC's because the games can be more thoroughly optimized for their specific hardware details.
Maybe watch the documentary of the creation of Xbox. All of the consoles are essentially mini PC's. Hell, open up an original Xbox, it's all old school computer parts.
Yes but you can't install Windows software on them is the point
Who says? I've seen Windows XP running on an original Xbox.
How about Xbox One and later? What year do you think it is?
It's 2024 bruh and ain't nobody gonna unlock their console to install W11.
Bro you're not good at argue
Are you? Ive seen many comments straight up explain why not, and why would this be a bad idea, and you just keep bouncing back with borderline same sentences, as if you never read the previous comments.
Why the hate?
It's just facts
Facts that you're a hater? I know
Yeah, okay
I have a modded OS on my OG Xbox.
Yeah and 360 was hackable as well, but AFAIK One and the Series aren't
The 360 isn't hack able due to the fact you have to modify the motherboard
It would be great, but it would make zero financial sense for Microsoft.
If anything, the other way around would work better. "Here's a solid PC, that has an Xbox mode that kills all the bloat so you can play optimized Xbox games built for this specific hardware." Then, they don't sell this at a loss, but rather use Xbox as an enticement to get people into the Windows ecosystem.
Shit, they could have 3 Xboxes the one that doubles as a PC at like 900 the next series x at 700 and then the digital at 500 or whatever based on inflation and demand
Yeah that might be more likely, but I think if they're doing away with most exclusives, my way is the only way they don't get crushed by PCs and PlayStations and barely sell any Xboxes
If the rumors about a Steam Deck/ROG Ally are legit, I think that may be the way. Then there's a performance target that can have optimized settings and it's a PC while still being as plug and play as a console, while offering something unique to the PlayStation and having a bigger demographic than the Steam Deck.
If they do this alongside improving the Xbox app in Windows to where it can feel like a legitimate gaming mode, I think they could pull some people in. Especially if they have a pro dock to compete with PS6.
Thankfully selling hardware almost doesnt matter in 2024
I would hate that. If I want a PC, I'll get a PC. I buy a console because I want a box that does nothing but ONLY play games.
Well, I mean the Steam Deck is technically a PC, desktop mode and all, and you can still use it exactly as a console.
"I don't want an extra feature that I could choose not to use because... I like artificially limited features?"
They could just give the option to uninstall Windows
No thanks
It could act like steam deck does, console mode and a desktop mode.
No, one of the biggest selling points and ease of development featues is that every console is the same. if you allow it to be used as a PC and install your own software, then the support costs go though the roof and the next Xbox will be $1200.
It would be 2 separate operating systems so that wouldn't be such a problem. As long as you're not torrenting recklessly or doing some other dumb shit
Would never happen, you run into hacking options if you can install custom stuff on a "closed" system.
It's why Sony killed Linux for PS3.
Current Xbox's haven't been breached as of yet, if they went this route, we'll be back in the 360 days of crazy hacks for games on Xbox.
I think there are hardware ways to sidestep this issue but they would definitely add significant costs
I thought the primary reason they killed Linux for PS3 was that they were selling the hardware at cost/at a loss, and they were being bought up to be used for mini supercomputers.
That meant no software sales to make up for the console loss, and a net loss of profit.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/ps3-loses-linux-support-after-hack-three-people-and-a-penguin-cry/
Had nothing to do with what you said
oooh, really good to know the official reason, i never knew they actually stated one. thx
Ok that's the best argument so far, thanks
It’s a console. Not a PC.
It's made of all the same types of components. You can buy a brand new desktop PC for cheaper than Series S
Mmhmmm…
when was the last time your xbox got a virus
I've never had a virus on an Xbox, but I also haven't had a computer virus since like 2006.
Unless you’re doing something dumb when was the last time you got a virus on a pc?
it has been a few years
I’d love to still have an optimised Xbox version for newer games that I assume would be similar in quality to a new PS console, except ontop of bc options, being able to see Far Cry 2 in steam and play that version with better settings than 360 and higher fps, yet see Fallout 3 or some game that’s a bit funny on new newer windows and play the 360 version with fps boost. If there was a wee pop up that stated something like ‘due to emulation, console specs doesn’t translate over to pc minimum requirements’, and then had something similar to steam deck.
Honesty I could see that working. Running on Windows and also running as a console. The only issue that arises is that people could start hacking
Yeah they would have to maybe have two entirely separate SSDs and fancy tricks to make it prohibitively difficult
They have that
It's called a PC
Microsoft very well may just start selling that which is just a pre built PC.
Be prepared to pay much much more for it though.
The cost of consoles is low because you are locked into the system and Microsoft makes a 30% cut of every game, DLC, MTX, movie and whatever else you buy on their store, when you add in other stores they lose money and thus they will have to profit from the sale of the hardware just like normal pre built PCs
People already have game pass on their PC and they use on Xbox too.
So?
It's called a steam deck and you can get it now. No point for Xbox to do it,game pass is the way forward.
I can build a $500 gaming PC already so what would be the point? Just make Xbox a software package at that point
no
it would not
Why?
What is the business model
Explain how Xbox makes money
You're answering my question with a question.
im lazy I thought maybe you would think it through and answer the question urself
It makes no sense, there is no business plan
hardware makes no money
Softmakes makes money, gamepass makes money. Allowing people to buy games on another store that you get no profit from makes zero sense
Valve would never do a deal with Microsoft for a % of profits cuz they have absoutly no reason to
not gonna happen
Xbox has never made money noticeable for Microsoft, and lifetime it's lost lots of money. They're already talking about "no redline on exclusives". Microsoft Office makes money. expanding Teams user base makes money. Expanding gamepass subscribers would make money
Xbox is profitable right now.
Not sure what you mean
Profitable as a rounding error, now. And there's no way to know over its lifetime. Maybe it hasn't lost money per se, but a bad ROI at least
No idea what your talking about.
Then why are you arguing with me
Xbox makes billions the fact you call it a rounding error is wild
Even more wild you think them switching to a model that would make them less money is somehow better
In revenue, I'm not seeing where they breakout its profit. Certainly they haven't done so for most of it's history
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why not right now
Good point, just release an update. Although probably would be a bit better if it was designed with dual purpose in mind
Yeah. It’d be really easy!
They probably have a few good software engineers
Except that xboxes are already what you describe a budget desktop PC. They already talked about bringing at least Steam and Epic and eventually all the others on the future.
Colloquially, PC means Windows PC
And what do you think xbox os is lmao it's just a version of windows.
"based on a version of Windows" but technically and practically it's not windows
Well at least for me it is 🤔
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It's crazy how many people here aren not getting this. The Xbox is already a PC running a modified version of windows.
-A mid tier PC made by Microsoft (what modern consoles already are hardware wise) would just have a slimmed down, closed off version of windows that runs more efficiently with less background process (what Xbox OS is to a much lesser extent now) and a "closed" UI that is entirely controlled with a controller with no options for searching and modifying system folders (think Steam Big Picture Mode).
-Because the hardware would be comparable to a next gen console, as a gaming PC, it would need more power to run the same AAA games as "console" games that would run on the lighter, more optimized for single hardware version of windows. The performance hit you take on PC mode would make it so big games are out of the picture but older games and smaller games would run fine as it's now a mid tier PC.
- If you wish to access Windows the way you recognize it, you reboot into that mode where you run traditional (and more resource intensive due to all features and processes working) windows but your "xbox" games aren't configured to run here because they need to be running on a more optimizes setup to run with that level of hardware, the games are saved on a separate partition of the drive)
-Because the "game OS" version of windows is effectively in console mode (closed ecosystem with fixed hardware specs), devs would just optimize the game based as they would for any console.
-Because the game is still running on some version of windows, the PC porting process would be simpler and easier to implement cross saves so the Xbox pc app version and the console version would have better cross compatibility in general then they already do now making the gaps in their Xbox everywhere/ecosystem smaller and easier to close for devs.
Really, it would just be a console that under the hood, makes the porting process between what we know today as Windows and Xbox much simpler for the devs that can also double as a mid-tier PC that can easily handle traditional work and school work while being able to play older, smaller games (like any mid tier pc can now). Xbox would be just as viable of a console choice than ever BUT, you have the choice to make it your PC too. It would be a great option for parents that can get their kid a school pc and console at the same time and for college students on a budget or anyone on a budget for that matter.
Thank you. I was thinking since the "no red line" news they might actually do this but I figured maybe there are angles I'm not considering. This also makes GamePass as the Netflix of gaming more realistic. Eventually it could have 3 tiers and 200 million subscribers and really print money
I think that if they do take this "no red line" approach, then they are going to have to do something like this to survive long term.
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