Rumour is Microsoft culled the physical division

[Froggy]

No, Starfield did move systems but it's likely not anymore or in the future. It is no COD etc.

[Ambrose Burnside]

CoD isn't exclusive to Xbox either.

Is it even on Game Pass yet?

[Madmya]

It's not, but you could imagine if it were then it's bound to move more systems too.

[Ambrose Burnside]

Next-gen Xbox is on track for 2026; features two SKUs including a Switch-like handheld, it's claimed

Xbox community member Magg allegedly has insight into Xbox's plans for the future, revealing that Xbox is still planning to release a next-gen console.

The next-gen Xbox launch will reportedly include two SKUs: a traditional high-end console and a Switch-like dockable handheld.

Phil Spencer previously stated that the Xbox console is at the heart of everything they do and will be moving forward.

Rumours are out of control at the moment.

At the end of the day though if PS5 has PlayStation exclusives plus Bethesda/Activision/etc games, and the Xbox only has the latter, there's no point in owning an Xbox. I guess it'll still have Game Pass but that clearly hasn't been a decisive factor as it is. I thought Bethesda + Activision as proper exclusives would but Microsoft don't seem keen on pushing that (or aren't allowed to for anticompetitive reasons even though they're getting smashed to the extent they may just give up...).

[unfnknblvbl]

The idea of an XBox handheld as a fully-fledged SKU fills me with dread. I just know it's going to be a streaming-only device. I suppose they could release an "Xbox Surface" x86 Steamdeck competitor, but battery life is key in handhelds and that's just not there on any of the current crop of handheld PCs.

Whereas if they just took something in the form factor of the Ayn Odin 2, complete with a top-of-the-line ARM chip (eg Snapdragon X) and let devs target that hardware specifically, it'd be ace.

[Madmya]

I imagine a streaming device would be much better on the battery?

These rumours sound more realistic than xbox exiting the hardware scene altogether.

[Ambrose Burnside]

I don't think they'll pull a Sega and pull out straight away, but if they port all their exclusives to PlayStation, then they're just delaying the inevitable.

[Madmya]

Until it's Halo, Forza and Gears, I won't believe any of it.

[Ambrose Burnside]

Not long until what's his face gives us an update.

Hopefully we get concrete details.

[unfnknblvbl]

I imagine a streaming device would be much better on the battery?

Sure, but I just spent a week on 4G/5G and I cannot comprehend streaming games over that kind of variable connection. Not to mention that game streaming is yet another "own nothing and be happy" solution to a made-up problem.

[Ambrose Burnside]

The problem is your sense of entitlement.

Owning the products you buy? The nerve.

[lestat]

I hope they go the steam machine route, they already have a platform with the most games on it(windows) why not leverage it? They just need to merge the xbox ui into windows and use that front end, but let people access windows if they need it. Exactly how steamdeck works, which has arch linux desktop there if you want it.

Make it open and provide some min spec guidelines for partners to target. I think that's the direction they need to go with hardware. We saw with the recent EU decision to force IPhone to allow other app stores, sooner or later consoles will be subject to similar rules due to digital stores only have 1 place to buy things.

The value is in subscription services, so they just need affordable decent spec boxes to fulfill their gamepass needs.

[Madmya]

I imagine a streaming device would be much better on the battery?

Sure, but I just spent a week on 4G/5G and I cannot comprehend streaming games over that kind of variable connection. Not to mention that game streaming is yet another "own nothing and be happy" solution to a made-up problem.

Nah, nor can I and I really don't want to see that happening. But like you, I worry that's where they're going.

If it works with low latency and data, sure. It just won't be like that.

[Vince]

I have never been on the game pass train and, along wiht the awful reveal of the Xbone, game pass has put xbox in the position they are in now.

[Madmya]

Gamepass is awesome.

[unfnknblvbl]

How much money do developers actually get from having a game available on Gamepass, though?

[Ambrose Burnside]

Xbox.PNG

[Madmya]

How much money do developers actually get from having a game available on Gamepass, though?

I'm unsure if this is aimed at me or just anyone to answer the question. From my perspective, who cares? It's a choice to have your game on gamepass. You'd do it for different reasons - money, exposure, compliance. There's no straightforward answer.

[Froggy]

Game pass is great, I assume a bunch of games I'd have never have played have finished in full are getting some money they'd never have gotten.

There's a lot of great short story\adventure style games I've played that I'd never have paid for or bought amongst other games. If you have kids it's even better.

[Madmya]

Absolutely. For me, Outer Wilds is a perfect example of that. Played it on Game Pass and fell in love with it. I've bought the game twice since then (Xbox and Switch for my son).

[unfnknblvbl]

From my perspective, who cares?

But not two weeks ago you were up in arms about developers not getting a cut of second-hand games sales?

[Madmya]

From my perspective, who cares?

But not two weeks ago you were up in arms about developers not getting a cut of second-hand games sales?

I was wondering if this was the angle you were playing, which is why I tried to head it off by saying things like "choice" and listing a bunch of reasons as to why a developer would choose to put their game on Game Pass.

I can't believe I have to say it but this is still a pro-developer stance. I say "who cares?" because it's impossible to know the business decisions behind a developer putting a game on a subscription service, and it's not worth my time thinking about it.

[Ambrose Burnside]

With all the layoffs in developer land I am convinced the only people who thought the pandemic would go on forever are game studio bosses and GameHED types.

Hopefully all the exposure they get on Game Pass puts dinner on the table.

[Froggy]

Interest rates are killing them, same with other businsses. During the pandemic capital was cheap if not basically "free", now the interest rates and inflation is pushing through every facet of every company that delivers anything. Costing them probably 18% more to keep the lights on and then the cost of creating a game against investor funds is now what 6x higher at least, something has to give.

There was also a mass scale up while capital was cheap and way more people were using computing services/products whilst stuck at home.

Anyway, we find out Friday 6:30am - 7am depending on where you are, or WA like 4:30am? I suspect we'll get a hybrid where they hand select some titles that they can't get more money out of across to other systems, non core games that used to be like the Xbox worlds moved on from SOT yonks ago.. hifi rush whilst it was OK not sure anyone cares etc.

[Madmya]

Yeah I'm expecting Starfield and HiFi Rush. My guess is Starfield has lost a lot of money, and it was already half-developed for Playstation. Seems a fairly easy decision to make.