My guess is that Microsoft is recalibrating its “console as loss leader + ecosystem monetization” model. This would indicate that they’ll lean harder on services, cross-play, etc. on all platforms.
People are complaining about the price of games, about Microsoft giving up exclusivity on some games...
I've seen this happen in many markets. When no one uses the internet and annual growth is 1,000%, everyone tries to attract an audience. Free internet access, free email, etc.
Big budgets are very encouraging in growing markets (Sony surpassed Concord with a budget of 600 million, according to some sources). It's a gold rush.
When the market stops growing, everything free disappears and everyone tries to make money in every way.
Some numbers in the gaming market probably indicate the end of growth, so prices are starting to rise more sharply. The price of older consoles hasn't dropped, the end of exclusivity (having access to more people with the same game), you have to pay to access online games, etc. The idea is to squeeze every penny out of every player.
This is also happening with streaming now.
The big risk is pushing too hard and losing the audience.
I have no idea what will happen, but I bet piracy will increase significantly in the coming years, and the industry will start trying to discontinue older games and eliminate cheap ways to play, forcing cloud gaming.
Mobile games are a different story; they're essentially a casino disguised as gambling, making money off of sick people (the whales).
Maybe Steam will be the last refuge from all this. Or it will become the same thing...
I’m sure the PlayStation 6 is around the corner. PS5 came out 7 years after PS4 so PS6 should be coming within a couple years.
Now that Microsoft has seemingly abandoned exclusives why would anyone grab the next gen Xbox console when it comes out in a couple years? Seems like PlayStation 6 is the only viable option.
I’m sure there’ll be a PS6, but it honestly seems like non-portable consoles are on their way out. Wouldn’t be surprised if there’s no next-gen TV console XBox at all, or if it’s just a MS branded gaming PC.
wow; I'm not a gamer at all. never owned a console since my parents bought one for my brother and myself over two decades ago. I might (5-15% chance) pick up a ps5 just for flightsim and the new GTA. RIP xbox
They gave up on permanent exclusivity a while ago, this isn't the first game they've let slip to Playstation. The rule of thumb is now that MS games launch on both Xbox and PC then go to Playstation after a year or so, Sony games only launch on Playstation then go to PC after a year or so, but never Xbox, and Nintendo exclusives are still forever aside from some weird China-only deals.
XBOX has outlived its usefulness now that all the anti-General-Purpose-Computing “““Security””” bullshit has metastasized fully-formed over to regular PCs after incubating for twenty years in console-land. They knew people would protest that stuff if they tried to develop it natively on PC, but nobody bats an eye when they lock down some appliance machine whose exclusive software “needs” to be protected.
- OSs do not compare fairly to how easily and care free is the UX on consoles: press one button, press another and you're in game
- Most PC games have issues with local coop, especially when it comes to bluetooth controllers, some games don't even release with local coop on PC, but they do on consoles
- Many games still expect a keyboard and mouse and won't popup the virtual keyboard when playing with a controller.
- The OS itself will not work with just a mouse and keyboard
- Dimensions are much bulkier, there's virtually no low profile well performing GPUs anymore since a decade
Honestly comparing a PC to a console is nonsense. It's a very different experience. Unless you're playing at your desk, then they are equivalent.
Not hard at all, really. My main "game console" for the last year and some change has been one of those tiny gaming PCs you can get on Amazon for about $400. I installed ChimeraOS on there and got it set up with the SteamOS thing in about an hour. I don't play a lot of cutting-edge new stuff, but I do have a lot of Windows games and Proton seems to handle them all just fine.
The SteamOS interface works great even with a gamepad. I even use Xbox gamepads to drive it.
If you can afford PC, both in effort, time and money - it is obviously better choice.
Two years ago I saw a cool game, Helldivers 2. It looked like a lot of fun but my old PC was not up to the task. I went to the store, got PS5 and in couple hours I was enjoying the game. It is so much fun, and so little hustle that I honestly can't imagine going back.
kkaske|5 months ago
zac23or|5 months ago
I've seen this happen in many markets. When no one uses the internet and annual growth is 1,000%, everyone tries to attract an audience. Free internet access, free email, etc.
Big budgets are very encouraging in growing markets (Sony surpassed Concord with a budget of 600 million, according to some sources). It's a gold rush.
When the market stops growing, everything free disappears and everyone tries to make money in every way.
Some numbers in the gaming market probably indicate the end of growth, so prices are starting to rise more sharply. The price of older consoles hasn't dropped, the end of exclusivity (having access to more people with the same game), you have to pay to access online games, etc. The idea is to squeeze every penny out of every player.
This is also happening with streaming now.
The big risk is pushing too hard and losing the audience.
I have no idea what will happen, but I bet piracy will increase significantly in the coming years, and the industry will start trying to discontinue older games and eliminate cheap ways to play, forcing cloud gaming.
Mobile games are a different story; they're essentially a casino disguised as gambling, making money off of sick people (the whales).
Maybe Steam will be the last refuge from all this. Or it will become the same thing...
amai|5 months ago
https://play.geforcenow.com/
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce-now/how-to-play/
MS flight simulator is available there for a long time already.
ViktorRay|5 months ago
PlayStation 5 is 5 years old.
I’m sure the PlayStation 6 is around the corner. PS5 came out 7 years after PS4 so PS6 should be coming within a couple years.
Now that Microsoft has seemingly abandoned exclusives why would anyone grab the next gen Xbox console when it comes out in a couple years? Seems like PlayStation 6 is the only viable option.
nvllsvm|5 months ago
https://www.xbox.com/en-US/handhelds/rog-xbox-ally
My guess is they'll continue to improve handheld and TV experiences in Windows and leverage third-parties to make the hardware.
jowday|5 months ago
add-sub-mul-div|5 months ago
Sony has released some of its exclusives too so I don't know how that makes a difference.
demarq|5 months ago
The money is in services and IP, you don’t want to restrict yourself to one piece of hardware.
They need you to grab their next titles more than they need you to grab an Xbox.
unknown|5 months ago
[deleted]
dawnerd|5 months ago
Not everyone cares about Sony exclusives. Not a single one I'm interested in as a data point.
jonny_eh|5 months ago
kelvinjps|5 months ago
fyrabanks|5 months ago
the only reason to buy a traditional console these days if you want day 1 access to a game.
lomase|5 months ago
Wonnk13|5 months ago
doener|5 months ago
jsheard|5 months ago
Lammy|5 months ago
Mistletoe|5 months ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/1np99za/costco_new_...
doctorpangloss|5 months ago
It ships Windows on lots of computers and also makes the Surface. So hard to say with looser criteria too.
But. Yeah, they have.
mentos|5 months ago
edit: coming to PSVR 2026 via free update
Cool, I’ve never tried PSVR how does it compare to say Quest 2/3?
jsheard|5 months ago
HardwareLust|5 months ago
kyriakos|5 months ago
behnamoh|5 months ago
Seriously, how hard is it to DIY your own console? It's just a PC afterall.
epolanski|5 months ago
The experience is nowhere near the same.
- OSs do not compare fairly to how easily and care free is the UX on consoles: press one button, press another and you're in game
- Most PC games have issues with local coop, especially when it comes to bluetooth controllers, some games don't even release with local coop on PC, but they do on consoles
- Many games still expect a keyboard and mouse and won't popup the virtual keyboard when playing with a controller.
- The OS itself will not work with just a mouse and keyboard
- Dimensions are much bulkier, there's virtually no low profile well performing GPUs anymore since a decade
Honestly comparing a PC to a console is nonsense. It's a very different experience. Unless you're playing at your desk, then they are equivalent.
tombert|5 months ago
The SteamOS interface works great even with a gamepad. I even use Xbox gamepads to drive it.
Svoka|5 months ago
Two years ago I saw a cool game, Helldivers 2. It looked like a lot of fun but my old PC was not up to the task. I went to the store, got PS5 and in couple hours I was enjoying the game. It is so much fun, and so little hustle that I honestly can't imagine going back.
bigmadshoe|5 months ago
M95D|5 months ago
daft_pink|5 months ago
bhasi|5 months ago