Microsoft CEO Gaming Division Update: 'We Continue To Extend Our Content To New Platforms'

Wasn’t there just an article about the cadence supposedly slowing down? 😆

Yeah, Xbox is f*cked.

Xbox console is fine, it's a non-techy works-mostly-straight-out-the-box alternative to PC Gaming for the living room/TV, and will always be around as long as MS and USA is.

This is the correct business approach for Xbox/MS, since they tried to lock up games to their console to sell more consoles but the consumer wasn't having it.

The consumer also wasn't having VR.

The consumer also wasn't having 3D Movies.

The consumer also wasn't having HD-DVD.

The consumer also wasn't having laggy/blurry Cloud Gaming (not ready yet).

The consumer also wasn't having Endless Divided Movie & TV Streaming Services.

The consumer also wasn't having DEI injection in the Movie & TV shows.

So all these companies, like big ships, will slowly pivot to the basics that work for consumers.

As long as they actually bring new games to the current Microsoft platforms (sometimes timed exclusive at least) and more third parties land on Xbox it's whatever.

@IOI

No! MS is too big to fail and they need a non-techy alterative to endless-troubleshooting/annoying PC gaming.

I've built about 5 computers from parts in my lifetime, and I can tell you that PC Gaming is buggy/troubleshooting/annoying garbage, for people that play lots of different games.

My RTX 4060 gets 0% of my time (regret buying it).

I'm bracing for it...loyal Xbox consumer, but...I still don't want to believe that MS is pulling a Sega...but that's exactly the road they appear to be headed down. In calculated steps...

I'll be left with my Switch...PC too, if I want that rout...my guys Samsung, Sony's conqueror in the home electronics market...

My TV has a gaming hub, with Gamepass and other similar services installed...but Samsung doesnt...YET...seem interested in taking on Sony with a dedicated gaming console. Hopefully they're seeing something with these gaming smart tvs. That would REALLY have Sony execs crapping their pants 😂

In the same segment about Microsoft's "gaming" division, Nadella mentioned how the company strived to bring "great games to more people on more devices

When you aquire publishers of ABK's and Bethesda's magnitude, the above approach is the most sensible thing to do.

@Medic_alert

On a personal level and with Xbox as my primary platform, I don't feel affected by Microsoft's strategy to bring games to more platforms. Maybe this is just me trying to stay afloat in a sea of nihilistic points of view about the future of Xbox 😉....

Microsoft talk more about PS5 and Cloud than their own consoles these days.

I’m tired, boss.

I think they are taking the right approach for them.
Though now having all these studios and games I would have been up for the fight and taking on the world and become the most highest console base in the world with Xbox.

The timing was right to start that fight in 2023 because that is when Sony Studio games started releasing less and PS5 sales slowed down.

But that is me wanting to have everything and be the biggest console installer base and rule the world.

Back to reality. Microsoft just need to reassure us about Xbox consoles future and what games in general are definitely redline and staying exclusive to Xbox consoles.

@TheGiraffe
You are pretty spot on there.
That list of junk companies tried to get us to buy and we weren’t having any of it.
Then they have to revert back to basics and what we want to get sales.
It made me chuckle that list.

I would have been up for the fight and taking on the world and become the most highest console base in the world with Xbox

I think you, I, and most people know that strategy died all the way back in 2013 with the Xbox One reveal. Even Spencer admitted as much ( the worst gen to lose).

When will people realise uncle Phil is fully on board with this. I know some are still in denial 😜

It’s simple for me, if I can buy 1 home console to play all or most games instead of 2, I will. The way Xbox is heading, it ain’t that 1 console.

@Medic_alert
I totally get you about what way to turn and having confidence in the console brand Xbox and its future.
At the moment I have GPU until March 2025
I have COD, Stalker 2 and Indy and in Feb 2025 Avowed.
Apart from AstroBot this year Sony have not given me much to play, they just have not done it for me this year.
Actually in 2023 PS5 was my least played console going by all the end of year statistics you get.
Switch was first due to TOTK then Xbox, then PS5 as it’s was only HFW burning shores DLC that got most of that time, not a Spider-Man fan.

Sony are doing a great job of creating this must have illusion with PS5 and now with the forced 2tb PS5 Pro, could have been 1tb at £600 instead of £700, very naughty for consumers.

I saying Sony are being just as much daft in different ways and anti consumer as Xbox with their, we not sure what we doing.

@Sol4ris
They can and could have brought the fight now with all those studios they just bottled it.
Sony are hardly doing great really but some how just sell consoles.

I mean the whole industry was down 44% over this time last year. It has not been that low since 2019 in the last year of the PS4 and Xbox one.

Now that tells you something when we are about mid life of a new generation.

Though Switch is not helping to much being very old and at end of life.

Now come on Xboxers, I’m about to switch my series x on, and play COD, then stalker 2 Nov, then Indy Dec, then Avowed Feb 2025.
All on my GPU at the old cheap rate 🤣

Sony not giving me anything to play since AstroBot or for the rest of this year from their studios and probably not until Ghost 2 around June 2025.

But we can spend £700 on a forced 2tb pro, should have 1tb at £600 and see the same graphics we currently see at 30fps but playable at 60fps.
I do only play at 60fps. But the point Sony have over pushed their luck with me so no Pro.
I did buy PS4 Pro and Xbox one x, so the Pro will be my first console in decades I have not bought day one.

That statement could be to celebrate a successful launch of COD Black OPs 6. Doesn't mean that earlier rumour that Xbox has learned from Indiana Jones announcement isn't true.

Although I am not against ending exclusivity I think Microsoft's choice is wrong because:
-having exclusives is the driving force behind selling consoles
-you can make and sell exclusives at a loss because they are operating as a marketing tool as well as a game to generate income. Ergo, you can spend more money making them, without expecting to break even in return, thus having the ability to polish them better
-if Xbox wants to get out of the console business, then they seriously need to address the elephant in the room: Xbox first party studios are not making great games consintently. They have not made big hitters in years, and even if they manage to release their games in all the platforms, that doesn't change the fact that a very few portion of gamers are gonna play them because they lack in quality.
(if I butchered the language I am sorry, I am still learning)

@Balaam_ Funny how Nadella drops the whole multiplatform statement when the biggest multiplatform title Call of Duty releases. The earlier rumour of slowing down & learning from Indiana Jones could be true. As Nadella hinted at cloud gaming & how from next month you can play what you buy from the Xbox store.

@Medic_alert unfortunately MS don't actually care about gamers feelings. They're not in this business to massage your emotions. They're here to make money and the best way they can do that is by releasing games on different platforms. You may not like it but their consoles have become the same just with better graphics every generation
There is 0 innovation or imagination at Xbox these days. They don't do anything different. They just give us a newly designed big black box and leave us to it. Their 1st party IP's are far behind those of PlayStation in terms of quality that it's surprising they even bother these days.

So as I say, they don't care about your feelings, and losing a few gamers like you over your emotions isn't going to bother them when porting their games to Playstation and Switch opens them up to at least 200 million extra gamers 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

I honestly couldn't care less what plastic box I play Xbox games on , PC, Xbox or my PlayStation makes zero difference to me.

@Rog-X
You have seen my xboxer rally call on this thread.
People need to see some light.
Anyway I’m in Kuwait 1991 kicking some arse 🤣

@FuzzieGinge88 You mean Sonys Once a year very short game, Yer must be great spending the other 95% of the year playing only 3rd party titles.

Now apply your same logic to Sony and why on earth they don't release on Nintendo and Xbox to those millions of people as they have now released the majority of their modern AAA titles to PC and handhelds anyway.

@Fenbops Right along the same time people realize Phil has been a figure head with no real control for a while now.

Was obvious when Microsoft started stripping his power back during the backwards compatibility program. Then further solidified by him no longer really discussing things outside of Microsoft sanctioned interviews.

Ok so to everyone who thinks Xbox will stop making consoles hear me out.

Microsoft wants to make Xbox a service right. They want that service on any screen.

So in order to do that they need everything running on the cloud. The cloud is essentially rows and rows of stripped down series X's.

Well if the want to stay competitive they will need to innovate and upgrade these series X's with the next gen. They won't be using a ps6 or even ps7 for this. They will use in house tech.

So they build a series x2 and x3. So why not sell those to the consumer direct for those will to pay for it. Make perfect business since to me.

Xbox will be around as long as game pass/cloud gaming is. They will not stop making consoles.

@Rog-X People don't play console exclusives based on whether they're first/second/third-party or not. The key thing is that they can't play them on any other console.

This year alone there's been The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Helldivers 2, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (GOTY contender #1), Rise of the Ronin, Stellar Blade, Black Myth: Wukong, Astro Bot (GOTY contender #2), Silent Hill 2 and Until Dawn released on PS5 that I can't play on Xbox. And what have Xbox had this year that I can't play on PS5? An Age of Mythology remaster and a disappointing Hellblade sequel. The one upcoming Xbox exclusive PS5 owners might have been interested in is coming to PS5 anyway.

Sony don't release their games on Nintendo because they wouldn't scale down very well and it's a different market. They don't release their games on Xbox because they simply don't need to. It's not worth it.

Yeah, I think we're going to see a rebrand next year. I highly doubt they'll even bother releasing a new console, considering they're killing their own brand. They had so much potential and yet for some measly scraps, they completely sold out. Just to clarify, I'm not a console warrior but I do care about the system I invested in.

I do understand that Xbox have a different vision and also why many are frustrated by this. But ultimately, if they can still sell 30 to 50 million consoles or more, they will still make hardware or some kind and they are committed to long term backwards compatibility.

Whilst ever I can still game on Xbox hardware, that’s where I will continue to play and tbh, even if the hardware goes, Game Pass is likely to still be there as Xbox only and since Game Pass, I have played more games than I ever have before in over 30 years of gaming.

I get the concerns but Xbox will do what it wants to do and I can’t change that. But I can still enjoy my Xbox and my Series X and I don’t see that changing in the next 10 years or more.

Well Indiana Jones, Doom: The Dark Ages and Call of Duty Black Ops are all releasing on PS - along with Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, Grounded etc, that's 'continuing' to bring games to other platforms.

I'm sure that they'll continue to have 'exclusives' - games like Halo, Gears or Forza maybe, as well as games like Fable, Perfect Dark, Flight Sim, South of Midnight, State of Decay etc at least not release on Playstation or Switch Hardware. However they'll never be truly 'exclusive' because of PC/Cloud platforms too...

I can see a day where the hardware doesn't matter - 'Exclusive' to Xbox could just mean only on/through a Microsoft Service/Store. You can have 'exclusives' on Epic or Steam stores despite both being playable on PC, exclusive to Disney+ or Netflix, exclusive to BBC or Sky - yet don't need 'specific' hardware....

@Medic_alert
I don’t believe any of the big three, that say they lose money on consoles.
Maybe only 10% profit or even 5% but these businesses don’t lose on each console.

In the UK for the last week and now there is £50 off discless PS5 and disc.
If they can afford to do that they not losing money on each console at full price for sure.
The same for all of them.

@Fenbops my sentiments exactly. I’m likely playing on my last Xbox console.

I wonder if the 1st half of 2025 for Xbox multiplatform releases is something like this:

• February - Fallout 3 (PS4/PS5/Switch)
• March - Oblivion (PS4/PS5/Switch)
• April - Indiana Jones (PS5)
• May - DOOM The Dark Ages (PS5)
• June - Flight Sim 2024 (PS5)

It would be a way in which it would appear things are slowing regarding Xbox exclusives to PS (only 1 more game to announce that hasn't previously been on PS) but the reasoning being a lot more believable (that they're choosing to port some games that are currently trapped on PS3 if you're not a Xbox player) and it ramps back up again in the 2nd half of 2025.

@OldGamer999 they do lose money. At least up to a certain point.

But they are ‘happy’ to lose this money because they recoup it on software and items etc

@Grumblevolcano
It’s cool they doing some games to other consoles.
But it would also be very good, if they came out and said yes there is a 100% under the tv normal Xbox console next gen and these games will be Xbox exclusive only.

They are dangling their fan base and just pissing us all off and then we start to leave them.
Maybe that is what they want, a good reason and blame the Xbox fan base for maybe not producing another Xbox console.

I said yesterday that we were hearing banal statements from Spencer and that we were hearing more from Nadella, and what do you know, who should pop up today with a big statement. The sort of statement that you would, in reality, expect to hear from Spencer, certainly would have in the past.

As I said yesterday, the only lesson Microsoft will have learnt from the Indiana Jones PlayStation reveal is not to effectively make it your centrepiece reveal. I have no doubt whatsoever that every future Xbox made game will be going to the PlayStation, and that includes Gears of War: E-Day. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, the making of E-Day makes sense, because what better title to introduce PlayStation gamers to the series than the first one in the entire series (chronologically) than E-Day made in a nice and shiny new engine? I also still believe that the Fenix remasters do exist (albeit we've not heard about it for a while) and believe that too will go to the PlayStation.

Ultimately, I think we've reached a tipping point where with Nadella fully in control of Xbox, and with zero understanding of how console ecosystems really work, and with an eye only on the bottom-line, every new game will now make the transition. The only thing that won't happen for a short while will be the announcements of PlayStation release dates at the same time as the Xbox date is revealed. That will change in the not too distant future though, just as it did with the PC, when we used to be told when a game was going to the PC, and then over time they basically didn't mention it. PlayStation releases will go the same way, and in time it won't even be a story. The only question then is whether there will be an Xbox console ecosystem to speak of.

I, for one, have zero confidence in the future of Xbox as a console, and really struggle to see me investing more into their ecosystem right now. As much as I don't want to, it looks as if I'll have to be getting my third-party titles elsewhere from here on out, which saddens me deeply...

@Sifi They will never change their view on 1st party because its the only arguement they have to limit exclusives. 3rd party or 1st Party, if you can only play it on one machine, then it makes no difference. Its on the same level of nonsense as PS exclusives don't count if the game is also on PC, but Xbox do as "Xbox is PC"

I would not be surprised to see Silent Hill 2 as a nominee in GOTY and possibly even BMW as an outlier. So there is no universe in which people can say PS has had a poor selection of games available this year. There is likely only 1 GOTY nominee that was not available on PS5.

Personally I think Astrobot will take the crown and it would be very well deserved for Asobi and nice to just see an old school good fun platformer take the spotlight.

I think most common sense people expect more to go to other platforms. That ball has well and truly been rolling.

But it’s the messaging for me - not expecting them to see XYZ is all going to other platforms- it’s just such a vague statement. And contradictory to what was leaked yesterday.

MS need to get on top of mixed messages. It doesn’t inspire consumer confidence.

@Ilyn

If the game is also on PC, how is it an exclusive?

Furthermore both Black Myth and Silent Hill 2 are only on Playstation for a limited period. Xbox versions are planned so even if we agree with your viewpoint, they're not exclusives in the first place.

The Playstation has had a poor selection this year. It only got Rise of the Ronin and Steller Blade at the beginning of the year and then Astro Bot.

The former two will be on PC next year, running far better than they ever did on Playstation, just as Black Myth runs better on PC.

@OldGamer999 they all initially take a financial hit on hardware and rely on software/ subs to make up the difference. As the tech in the machines become cheaper they eventually turn a profit on them. Hence why you eventually see sales on prices as the wholesale cost reduces. Although the caveat this time is the worlds a mess so parts go up and we see console prices increasing.

The main issue with the pro's price is that historically it's only hardcore gamers that invest, so it's not being sold at a loss on release as they won't make it back. It will follow the same pattern though as parts cheapen.

@TruestoryYep You may have missed what I meant. I was saying how the same people that create rules for wether 1st party / 3rd party exclusives count are usually the same people who claim PS games are not exclusive if they go to PC, but refuse to apply the same standard to XBox because MS is also windows. Its goal post shifting and nothing more just for the sake of fanboi wars.

I didn't say BMW and SH2 where exclusive, I simply said they are out on PS so it make no sense to say its been a bad year, given that both are potential GOTY shouts. If you can play 90% of the likely GOTY choice on a platform, that platform has clearly not has a year of no games or poor games.

BMW has been confirmed that its coming to Xbox and that was never in question from its original inception. SH2 on the other hand is a time limited console exclusive but they have not confirmed that it will go to other platforms at this point, just that it could. Its pretty much like FF7R in that regard, no longer exclusive does not equal confirmed game.

Love PlayStation, but until they can match Xbox's backwards-compatibility and FPS Boost I'll keep my Series X.

Like @Medic_alert, I started this gen with a Series X. Previously had a PS3/PS4/PS4 Pro, so I figured I’d try Xbox as I liked a lot of stuff they brought to the table (auto HDR, quick resume, BC, some features like Dolby Atmos and a fully functional web browser). I really liked my experience with it for about a year. Then I sort of became disillusioned with the quality of 1st party games and switched to PS5. I’m still rooting for Xbox, though. To me, Series X is a better console and Game Pass trumps PS Plus easily. I’m actually thinking about buying a Series X again to complement my PS5. I’m not concerned about Xbox games going to PS. I do hope MS keeps Xbox brand alive. Sony needs competition as while I like their games and hardware, I can’t say the same about the company.

@Medic_alert Context really matters here. Bethesda and ABK games staying multiplat? Sure, that's good (and I do think Starfield should be ported, as should Redfall but we know that isn't happening) 1st party games going multiplat? Not so much.

To be fair, since I sold my Series X (I’m in the UK) and play PS5 and PC, Xbox PC is the most fun I’ve had with Xbox. As a console player I wasn’t happy with Microsoft’s strategy but as a PC player I am.
I think Xbox will be OK as a brand but not sure about console. They can’t compete with Sony and Nintendo and have given up. It makes sense then to push ‘gaming anywhere.’
Xbox console outside of USA seems to have died though.
Go #fullslate

I am a long-time lurker on this website and registered today to leave a comment lol.

My point is “continue to extend content on new platforms” does NOT mean tomorrow all xbox games are coming to PS, does not mean they are ending exclusivity deals with 3rd party, does not mean day-and-date future xbox games on PS.

They literally just announced subnatica 2 on xbox timed exclusivity for example. Starfield is more than 1 year old and still no release date on Ps5.

What Satya is saying is SOME xbox games will come to PS/Nintendo at SOME point. Thats it. And its not even todays news.
I dont understand why there is so much negativity. Why even have an xbox with such mindset. If you have heartattack every time they discuss porting over games to PS, its time to switch platforms.

And i am not a fanboy, i dont like overall business direcrion of MS, i would also prefer returning to 360 days but lets accept reality that industty is changing. And guess what its not all great with PS or PC. I own PS5 and also considered switching over but in the end I realized i just like my xbox SX more as a platform so i only use PS for some exclusives.

If you care about having access to all games - you must own several platforms. Otherwise just stick with the platform you enjoy more. For me its still xbox SX

People are reading way too much into both this brief comment from the CEO's yearly company-wide address and the rumor from a few days ago.

I doubt their strategy has changed one bit over the last few months. It is still the same case by case basis that they claimed at the start.

Not surprised. Their PS5 ports sold like gangbusters. No way they’re going to close off that revenue stream after the experiment worked.

I also don’t believe for a second in the rumors that Halo and Gears of War are “red lines.” Maybe year exclusives. But games like those, especially Halo, live or die based on engaged audiences. Opening them up to a significantly larger install base — even if it’s just the F2P multiplayer of Halo Infinite — means more players, more microtransactions, and more money.

The Xbox user base simply isn’t big enough anymore for MS to make back all the money they’ve invested.

Sheesh 🙄

This is like Pepsi offering 2 liters of coke with every 12oz can of Pepsi. I sort of get their intentions and plans, and it even makes sense, but then they react in ways that seems like they don't actually understand the model they're deploying and what it's numbers look like. They can't seem to figure out if they care about their consoles or just want to offer a prefab budget PC, and then they can't figure out why their subscriptions shrink.

@IOI Fbox.

Though I still prefer Ex-Box.

@EvenStephen7 only sea of thieves. I think grounded were more or less but the other 2 pretty much flopped.
I personally believe (and hope) for some red lines. Satya is saying that they will continue to release games on PS and potentially switch 2. No one ever said that ALL games are coming moreover that they will come right away.
To me all these rumours are pointless because clearly they are hesitant to just pull the plug. It will be long and slow process, xbox will have at least timed exclusivity. They understand the damage if they just announce all games on competibg platforms. Even that xbox is not a priority (sadly) its still a billion dollar business that they are not ready to lose.

@OldGamer999 @TheGiraffe I won't listen to either of you dissing vr! It's the most exciting thing to happen to gaming since 3d! Seriously it's spoiled me so much that 2d games feels so archaic to me. I'm even playing octopath in VR. It's like being in a pop up book

@TheGiraffe I know PC isn't fit everyone, but out of curiosity, what games have you had endless troubleshooting and bugs with on a modern nv40 rig? Are you, like, only playing Jedi Survivor and tlou or something? 😂

I was a core pcmr back years ago and left to console due to the nightmare of troubleshooting. But due to Xbox being uncertain and Sony being Sony, I've gone back and have been plenty surprised. Between a z1 Ally, z1ex Legion, and an nv40 big rig, everything has been shockingly flawless. Only little kitty big city and the Xbox windows store drm in general have given me trouble. The only jank has been using vr injection in non vr games which is a hack and a half that involves some troubleshooting and a racing rig peripheral soup with vr which can get messy but that mostly seems to be vr related with window focus issues because of 3 layers of vr software for wireless.

So hearing about constant troubleshooting seems off to me for a current rig like that. Maybe hardware problem level off... Just curious what you're seeing.

@TheGiraffe I totally get you, I got a Rog Ally back in May to give it a go at PC gaming because Xbox’ doom and gloom but every single time I used it I ended up frustrated and not having fun at all, I already sold it and I’m just baffled at what to do now.

I don’t want to invest much in PS5 as every game is way more expensive here, nor in Switch as every third-party looks and runs worse, Xbox was my go-to for most games but I struggle to invest in a platform that even its parent company doesn’t believe in…

@IOI you too? That on earth problems did you have with Ally? I've used it every day and not one oddity. Obviously it's not a starfield save dd2 box but that's to be expected.

Of course they are. They either sell games or they sell the companies. If people still don’t believe that they care more about selling games (or subs) rather than consoles they simply just aren’t paying attention.

@IOI

Oh, I didn't even know that about PS5 game pricing.

You are however not correct in thinking that MS doesn't care about Xbox consoles. It's just that they see it as a piece of the offering to Gamers, not the only offering.

MS is a massive company with many arms and they have been making different types of hardware for decades. Them saying they are 'all in' on Gaming is good news for fans, and they back it up with massive $ acquisitions. They are not going to abandon their like 30 million (or whatever it is) most loyal fans. They will continue to make a console just for them, even if they price it to make a profit not a loss. They might switch to a Cloud Only Device in the long-term future though, but by then it will probably work well.

@NEStalgia

Basically every AA game doesn't work right straight off the shop, I tried about 10-20 of them. Every AAA game works but with various issues, I tried about 10 of them. I feel like I really gave PC Gaming a good chance to "just work".

@TheGiraffe that's so weird
Like defective hardware weird. Any specific games? That just doesn't match my experience at all. Using mostly steam but some Xbox store/game pass, everything's worked as easy as Switch. (Old games may be an exception. GoG is the best place to buy old games, they test/patch them, steam doesn't.)

There's a few of us ally users here and I haven't heard of anyone else having issues like that. I think you're the first dissatisfied owner I've heard of!

Gaming everywhere is an excellent strategy considering stand alone consoles will be obsolete in 1 or 2 generations. MS is playing the long game.

Fans "leaving" because MS isn't focused on exclusives or consoles anymore will end up making MS more money by buying games to play on other platforms. It's a win-win.

@NEStalgia

Most problems relate to alt-tab in/out issues and scaling rendering on a 4k TV (both Fullscreen and Fullscreen boarderless). If I was trying to PC Game at the native resolution of my monitor/TV, then I'm sure I wouldn't have had so many issues, but I'm trying to push 1080 internal res upscaled to a 4k display.

@TheGiraffe ohh, so not really game issues but display issues. That makes s little more sense. Still it's strange you're having issues. If the PC knows it's a 4k display, and the game is set to 1080p, is dlss enabled? Or if the game doesn't support it, you may want, oh what's if called, the Nvidia version of rsr that scales things not supported by dlss, it's in the Nvidia control panel. But what you're doing is normal, it's what most people are doing. Even on 4090 you're best off at 1400p and dlss to fill the 4k.

I'm curious about troubleshooting it because what you're doing is really just the most normal scenario that normally "just works". I'm wondering if the TV is sending changing resolutions during HDR change or something and it's messing it up

Less exclusivity for 1st party means irrelevance for the brand

@NEStalgia

Thanks for your help/advisement, and I can fix every game I want after a while, but it's just so much troubleshooting work and every game I buy I don't know if I 'm going to need to spend 3+ hours just fiddling with settings and driver garbage just to get functional/playable.

If I can put links in PX, here is an example:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Starfield/comments/166syzg/comment/jz5tpln/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

This is headache inducing and those hours would be much better spent just playing the Xbox version.

I got so frustrated with this all the time that about a month ago I upgraded from Series S to OG Series X. I'm a big fan of role playing in Starfield (more fun-factor-ish than Star Citizen) and am between 200-300 hours of playtime in. This alone makes the Series X purchase worth it at AU$2.5/h.

@TheGiraffe Yeah the problems you're having, you definitely shouldn't be having, there's a "something" that's not set up right somewhere, and it should be system level, not in game, if it's affecting multiple games.

If I'm understanding right, you have the game set at 1080p res, and in Windows settings, the display is set as 3840 x 2160 , right?

That's the normal default way most are using it. Game lower, display higher, dlss (or default driver scaling if dlss isn't supported) scaling. Do you have just the tv connected or is there a second display connected? (I.e. could it be an issue with cycling multiple different display resolutions?)

I mean if you're a Bethesda fan we've gotta get your rig running, Bethesda without mods is like a bridge without suspension cables 😂

One other thing that comes to mind is if you DO set the display to 1080p, do games look properly scaled? (I'm getting confused between AMD and Nvidia but remembered that for AMD, you actually DO want to set the res to a lower res than the display for RSR to scale, it knows the real resolution and scales only if you set it below real res. BUT games should be switching res on startup if in full screen mode.

@NEStalgia

Thanks for the support, but sorry I can't waste a single second more trying to fix something that I shouldn't have ever had to (I'm annoyed by even the idea of PC Gaming now lol).

I'm glad PC Gaming works for others to enjoy, but I'm out for good on it.

One thing that is interesting is that he refers to Microsoft gaming rather than Xbox

What about making good exclusives for Xbox .. what about growing the brand not stretching it thin

@Moby if consoles are obsolete in 2 generations wtf will people play on ? You think kids all want a pc ? Or handheld ? You still have the generation who buys consoles that’s not disappearing if you have good exclusives

If Xbox made good games they wouldn’t be so desperate

@TheSimulator I think consoles will be obsolete unless they invent as something new other than as budget gaming PCs in a VCR shell. Largely because single purpose devices in general are largely obsolete and consoles are kind of a relic. Going forward we have PC, laptops, phones and tablets that are more capable than an xss, handhelds that dock and really ARE consoles. streaming devices, and hardware isn't advancing at a rapid clip in gaming hardware. A "set top box" to play video games, as it is, already seems like an anachronism, in 10-15 years? It'll seem quaint as a cable box.

@TheGiraffe aww that sucks. You had a really weird issue there. It's definitely not normal. It seems like for whatever reason the upscaling wasn't enabled or activating or something, or games weren't able to change resolution in start like they're supposed to in full screen. Most people don't experience that....

Fwiw Xbox is just Windows underneath, so it's literally doing the exact same thing you were trying to do so on your PC. We know it's possible!

@TheSimulator you're not paying attention. They won't need a console because they'll basically be able to stream from anywhere; hence, their gaming everywhere push. We're likely to end up with hybrid portable/consoles, but stand along consoles are quickly moved by to obsolescence.

@Moby your not being realistic 2 generations isn’t that far buddy they aren’t going to just trash a billion dollar market for you .handhelds won’t be able to give us 4k docked for a while unless we pay more . We already have handhelds from steam and others that lost its hype added with having a console also adds to your tv living room for holidays / company . Will we have handheld yea but we’re also going to have consoles because cloud form a tv won’t be good until another 10 years since internet speed varies

@NEStalgia a lot of people don’t care for handhelds it kills the immersion . Mobile and Nintendo games will be cool on the go but we will always want a 4k or 8k soon experience on a 60 inch when friends and family or over to experience.. there’s different markets to cater for different activities like travelling the switch is cool but you don’t want to pay the same price for resident evil on that crap

@NEStalgia regardless even if Xbox stops making consoles and uses streaming app or a small memory stick size for the hdmi they should worry on making exclusives or people will just leave game pass alone and purchase maybe 3 games from Xbox and purchase ps plus

@TheSimulator That's why handhelds can be plugged into a big screen......

The rate of tech at this point means gains are small and even small gains are a massive price. If we're taking 10-15 years (2 generations) I really can't see much demand for a gaming set top box when dozens of other devices will do the same thing or more. We're almost there already. The covered set top box still has a market but it's a small market that will continue to shrink as they keep charging more until a point where it's just not a sufficiently profitable market to pursue.

I half do and half don't agree on exclusives though. On in hand, yeah that creates an environment where there's not a specific selling point for their product. Otoh looking at even Sonys own numbers, it's VERY clear that exclusives are not what is selling their consoles. Their exclusive sell to the same smallish corner of their own install base over and over, but don't account for MOST of their install base. Which is why they're looking at distributing on other platforms as well. Reality is the console market, at large doesn't care at all about halo OR uncharted. They care only about Roblox, gta, NBA, fortnite, and other social hangouts. Which is a key reason consoles are on a short fuse. The majority of the people buying consoles aren't really buying it for any of the reasons enthusiasts would say consoles matter, and the companies eventually go where the business really is. Especially with software sales tanking and half the studios vanishing.

It’s a great news! I would like to play Indiana Jones on my PS5.

@TheGiraffe You are right. If anything, I see more future-proof Microsoft's stance than Sony's and Nintendo's.

@Banjo-

Yeah I'd be more worried that Sony would stop their Games Division one day than MS who have invested way way way more.

@MjJmediablogger They barely sold 30 million units this time around. Next will be half that, resulting in the death of 3rd party support.

@TheSimulator that’s why they will go for a mega hybrid

you have to have at least a few console-exclusives to attract people to your box and to differentiate your box from the other guys. My thoughts on Microsoft's new strategy have always been that traditionally multiplatform games such as Doom, Call of Duty, Diablo etc were always going to remain multiplatform. Games like Sea of Thieves makes sense as the more players the better. Grounded, Hifi Rush and Pentiment are all such minor titles, no one really associated them with Xbox in the first place. Huge licensed properties such as Indiana Jones - makes sense that it's also going over to PS5. However, tentpole or flagship Xbox franchises such as Halo, Gears, Fable, Forza will NOT be released on rival consoles. The day that happens would truly be the day the Xbox brand as a console would die.

Isn't there still a strong case for having a console that sits in the living room under the TV?

The portable console really doesn't excite me. I have a Steam Deck but I ended up using it as a really nice Desktop computer (docked) to play awesome indie games on Steam.

I'm not sure about the streaming of GP games either. As someone who loves fighting games, I imagine the inherent latencies being an issue.

I hope we have some technological break throughs where we can still have native games running on consoles/steamboxes at home.