This article is entirely speculative, from the thoughts of the author and a guy who does not currently work for Microsoft or at Xbox.
Add another one to the pile of “typical games “journalism” (its really just fanfic at this point) anti-Xbox drivel with zero credibility.”
Also Phil Spencer literally confirmed that they’re already developing the next Xbox console… I thought the rumors would end there but these websites keep trying to act like Xbox is dead.
They just bought Activision Blizzard. Can’t see them not making consoles.
As an ABK employee, I would be genuinely shocked if they killed xbox consoles.
Edit: this is just my opinion, I’m not speaking based any special knowledge.
I honestly hope they stop. We would benefit more from an increase in manufacturers making entry level standardized prebuilt gaming computers like the steam deck and similar. Those with the aptitude and shopping sense can continue building or buying computers normally.
Devs using the systems like steam deck as a base level target for optimization has led to enjoyable experience in titles I have tried so far that have taken this path. Theoretically you should be able to use better hardware for a better experience, and the better optimized the more you should get per hardware tier. Like how things were back in the day. I’ve heard about a lot of weird arguments about dev costs for multiple optimization targets but m$ already did this by having multiple Xbox models in the same generation. I’m also on team optimize for known entry level hardware and blame GPU makers for writing shitty closed source drivers if the game can’t run on the absolute latest card, which seems to happen fairly regularly with AAA titles at launch. AAA titles issues you can probably blame dev company shareholders tmore often than not though.
Knowing how far ahead R&D needs to be to get a product out the door…I’m sure MS has already made this decision. Is there any indication that the Xbox series is actually unprofitable? It being third in market share is not necessarily an indication that they’re losing money this generation.
Aside from the general understanding that consoles are sold at a loss for the first few years, no I don’t know of any direct evidence that they’re unprofitable.
My guess is that they’ll be pushing cloud gaming, as it would be more profitable than hardware sales.
For an incredibly long time, it was their biggest money maker. Iirc only recently, M365/Azure has taken that spot.
Honestly… they don’t. I think Microsoft will eventually go to a PC pre-built with a OS on it. “But isn’t that a Console?” I mean I had an alpha, On my alpha I had a versions of windows that immediately booted into the Alpha program for ease of use. I stopped the alpha program and my wife uses it as a work computer (a weak one so she can pull up documents).
I don’t see a future where Microsoft makes a different OS than Windows, makes a hardware setup that isn’t off the shelve parts. MAYBE a specialized motherboard with a chip set. But ultimately, I think IF they make a “Console” it’s going to be a Windows machine with set specs that don’t change, and an OS that is just for gaming, maybe with some way to dockerize the software so you always get the same experience every time you run it.
Sony and Nintendo will keep making Consoles, for sure, but Microsoft has no benefit in making a console. And before someone says what I described is a console, Xbox can’t play PC games, what I’m describing is a windows machine playing windows software. When you make Xbox software currently you make software that ONLY can run on an Xbox… but why? You already are making a Windows build so you can ship a Windows version, so why not only make the windows version and have your console just be a windows machine in an OS that will giver players a consistent experience.
Not sure why the downvote, this is almost exactly my take as well. “Big Picture Mode” but for windows. Streaming apps and video management software for local titles. Desktop mode. Containers to run services for your household (like a NAS, or HomeAssistant).
Devs target Windows, and the specs of this media PC; no more need to make a special console version.
What can a console do that a PC doesn’t? Even the things that made the PS5 special when it came out can all be done by a PC now, which is way more useful in the home media center (and therefore can sell more than games).
I’m not even saying “Xbox is dead” I’m saying “Xbox won’t run a unique OS”. Even if there is a “Xbox approved version” it’s just a game optimized for the specific hardware that the Xbox console will have (and maybe ship with a somewhat specialized container too). I doubt you’ll see Steam on this hypothetical system, but it’s still possible.
I wonder if that would help or hurt the licensing for games. Like this is made for Xbox, but is not on PC, or it is on PC but only on epic store.
I think they’ll make a video game streaming machine.
That feels out of place. We already have those, any computer laptop phone and many tvs already do that. I don’t see a reason for them to make their own device… After all Chromecasts and Fire sticks exist. But you might be right.
How I wish for a gaming PC that can run games at console level and doesn’t cost $2k. I hate PC gaming cause for the price it just doesn’t make sense, just to make the graphics slightly better, I’m paying like triple the cost of a ps5 or Xbox. And then the games may or may not run well, run into issues. I will always prefer a console cause I can pop a game in and know it’ll work.
If PC can do this, a baseline where I know my PC will run all the new games at a decent rate and I won’t be outdated in a year, I’d go for PC.
I bought a Alienware Alpha for around 500 bucks, it was a great investment and lasted me a decent amount of time.
Kind of sad that idea and the idea of a steambox died because it made it possible to have a great experience on a budge. STill my 1000 dollar computer is holding up after 8 years or so, I feel like people overvalue FPS performance to the point they over spend on PC hardware.
Oh is it Sunday again? Drum up the usual “Xbox is shutting down” headline
Xbox debates this constantly, famously (unconfirmed). The CEO wanted to end xbox after the xbox One Failure, with Spencer convincing him based on the merits of gamepass. After the original Xbox wasn’t a success, they had to consider then too, as well as when the red ring of death forced their hand on either abandoning the platform or investing billions into replacements for every single xbox 360 console sold thus far.
Every single xbox console has had some moment that Microsoft has had to decide if they should continue, and if it was a normal company that has to be profitable and balance its books, it would have folded a long time ago.
They just did that podcast a couple of weeks ago after the third party game leaks to officially state they aren’t stopping console production
If they stopped would they move to trying to push pre-built PCs and PC handhelds? They already got the laptops.
That is very likely what they would do, though I imagine that they would start doing PCs and PC handhelds before killing off Xbox, if they even actually killed off Xbox, and didn’t just transition the brand to that model, either way it’s more of a smooth transition rather than just up and moving on to something else.
