General gaming discussion

Ultimately the more powerful 'in theory' bit really boils down to how the Windows layer is optimised. Reporting suggests it will be a fully backwards compatible Xbox console alongside the PC, which indicates the hardware may be double jobbing. That's a tricky thing to get right, especially when Windows has so much cruft layered on top. And the Xbox app remains a piece of **** compared to the competitors, including software that is often patches or even entire features behind the Steam version.

It's a big gamble, and honestly I'm not sure if I see it working: is there a notable market out there of people willing to pay substantially more than a standard console - and Xbox execs have been very clear it will be an expensive box by those standards - but aren't willing to go full hog with a fully upgradable and customisable PC? No doubt it's a market, but I really, really struggle to see it being more than a niche device for the Xbox hardcore based on all we've heard so far. Maybe that's all Microsoft wants at this stage? For me it sounds like it'll sit in an odd middle ground, with a lot of work to do to establish its position.

More than that the question is whether someone like Valve gets in ahead of them with a 'console-like', living room PC - and the amazing things they've done with Steam OS is starting to open questions whether Windows dominance in PC gaming will last forever.

Xbox OS is based on Windows, but so heavily customised, tailored and with limited purpose it can't really be compared to the current PC Windows version.

There's plenty of reason to question whether they can pull off opening up Windows to a PC-like experience in a console form. Windows has notably drawn plenty of criticism in terms of usability in the handheld PC space compared to Steam OS, even with the more custom version in the recent ROG Ally. Xbox can't even get their native Windows app up to the same quality as other launchers.

Xbox software engineers are talented, but pulling off what they're trying to do isn't going to be easy. It will have to do a lot more than the current Xbox software is asked to do, in a vastly more open environment, while still needing to be a pretty accessible console experience.

While ironically it was a major corporation that brought Linux gaming up to a new high standard with Steam OS, there'll be real benefits if it continues to be a more viable platform for gaming. It's much more open, not laden with all the subscription and AI bloatware that Windows is etc… Still a fair bit to go and Windows is still de facto for most PC gaming until then, but PC gaming as a whole will benefit if it becomes less dependent on Windows long-term.

I'd say €1,000-1,500+ is most likely for the new Xbox given the language about 'very premium and high end' hardware. Perhaps even higher. If it's open platform it's not going to be subsidised in the way previous consoles have been - no guarantee of sustained revenue for MS when people can just buy off Steam. And the rise of hardware prices in general means that's what you're looking at for mid-range PC hardware, even with economies of scale.

But I also think the PS6 is probably going to be closer to PS5 Pro prices than PS5 launch prices given every bit of evidence currently available, from tarriffs to the rising mid-gen prices (total opposite of the traditional norm).

Not quite - for a first-party game bought on Steam they'd still get 70% of the purchase price, minus the usual Steam cut. Less than they'd get from their own store, but still a majority of the revenue.

Where they would lose money is on third-party games bought on Steam etc… as then they'd no longer get the cut from a first-party marketplace. Hence why they probably have little capacity to subsidise the price, even with subscription revenue.