The future of Xbox gaming has never been more exciting

By Jez Corden
last updated

Microsoft is delivering in a big way for its customers, even if haters don't want to believe it.

Gears 5
Gears 5 (Image credit: Windows Central)

Microsoft has been struggling to shake off memes about its portfolio quality, and mistrust from its handling of the 2013 Xbox launch. For people already in the ecosystem, though, Microsoft is delivering in a big way. As an Xbox customer, I'm more excited than ever about what the future holds for the platform.

When you look at what Microsoft is doing at a broader platform level, Xbox is upending the very nature of the industry entirely around us — customers, with the best-value service in gaming with Xbox Game Pass, and an approach to digital content that unilaterally moves with you across devices and generations.

Even if you're not a fan of what Microsoft is putting out, the data suggests many people are. Xbox Game Pass subscriptions are climbing, moving past the 10-million mark. Microsoft games are dominating Steam PC sales charts, a feat that would've been unheard of in previous generations, and the Xbox Series X represents the most powerful console hardware ever made.

A portfolio for everyone, everywhere

Source: Microsoft (Image credit: Source: Microsoft)

Xbox Game Studios titles don't always resonate with critics, but they certainly seem to resonate with gamers. After two years on the market, Sea of Thieves continues to be a tour de force on streaming platforms and after several weeks on Steam, remains in the top 5 games on sale, despite being available among the best games on Xbox Game Pass.

As of writing, Microsoft holds several chart positions on Steam, which certainly is an indicator that Microsoft is making experiences people want, even if professional game critics tend to overlook them. Grounded has been sitting pretty on the top spot for a few days now, despite being in early access. Microsoft Flight Simulator rocketed in at number two, simply for pre-orders. Even State of Decay 2 which has been on the market for two years is gradually rising up the sales charts, as Undead Labs continue to pour love into the game in the form of free updates. And of course, Halo's Master Chief Collection continues to impress on PC, with continued support.

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That's right now, though. What about the future? At the Xbox July Showcase, Microsoft showed us everything Xbox Game Studios is working on, joining an expansive list of the best upcoming Xbox games. There's simply never been a more exciting time to be an Xbox fan.

  • Avowed: Set to be an Elder Scrolls competitor, Avowed takes place in Obsidian's popular Pillars of Eternity universe, complete with a first-person perspective. Rumors describe it as denser than Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but details are scant for now.
  • State of Decay 3 was also revealed, set in a wintry environment complete with infected animals. State of Decay 2 has great sandbox fun, but a little rough around the edges, hopefully, the third game will be more polished.
  • Psychonauts 2 is the sequel to Tim Schafer's popular LSD-trip of a platformer.
  • Halo Infinite has proven divisive with its art style, but regardless, it looks as though it will expand the franchise in important ways, while retaining Halo's signature gameplay.
  • Hellblade II might represent our best look at next-gen gameplay on Xbox Series X, with a stunning in-engine trailer that, if representative of actual gameplay, looks truly insane.
  • Age of Empires IV is also on the horizon, reborn after several years on hiatus.
  • Wasteland 3 is the next big game from Xbox Game Studios, launching across multiple platforms by the recently acquired inXile Entertainment.

There are plenty of other upcoming games worth noting, both from first and third-party studios. The key takeaway here is the diversity in the portfolio. We have 3D platformers, we have first-person open-world RPGs. We have simulation survival games, shooters, action-adventure, real-time strategy, and classic turn-based CRPG strategy. There's something for everybody here. And that's ultimately the name of the game now: Xbox, for everybody, everywhere, all the time, accessible, and affordable.

Your content, everywhere

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

One of the most exciting things about Xbox, and perhaps something some of us take for granted, is the guarantee that every single game in the Xbox One library will carry forward to future generations.

Project xCloud is the holy grail of console gaming.

Beyond that, all of those games will also become playable remotely via Xbox Console Streaming. While that has some limitations in terms of internet speed between your console and your phone, the promise of Project xCloud aims to bridge that gap, streaming supported games directly from Microsoft's high-powered server facilities dotted around the globe.

Project xCloud is now confirmed to be part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and will feature over 100 titles at launch with more added over time. This opens up Xbox to new markets, new hardware form factors, gaming on low-powered laptops and other devices, and of course, major AAA titles on mobile devices and tablets. Every Xbox Game Studio title is destined to end up in Project xCloud, both with controller controls and eventually touch controls for that true portable Xbox experience. Project xCloud is the holy grail of console gaming that will finally be realized in full in 2020 and beyond.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

Microsoft has also begun investing in PC gaming more than ever before as well. Xbox Game Pass for PC is built directly into Windows 10 with an all-new Xbox Store app, and the new Xbox Game Bar is by far the most useful tool Microsoft has put on PC for gamers in years.

The fact Microsoft has effectively committed to bringing all of its Xbox console games to PC day and date is a huge turn around from previous years. Gears Tactics had some of the best PC settings and optimizations that I've ever seen in a game, and the commitment Microsoft has shown in building up the Halo Master Chief Collection on PC cannot be understated.

Xbox Series X power

Source: Microsoft (Image credit: Source: Microsoft)

Then we have the next-generation of console gaming, with the super-charged Xbox Series X, a monolithic beast of a console that brings the promise of being the most powerful Xbox ever built by a significant margin.

The raw visual improvements that will come with the Xbox Series X power may not be fully felt until a bit later, as first and third-party developers continue to build games that span generations. It shouldn't be long until we start seeing games take full advantage of the hardware, though. Future titles will start pushing greater visual detail while using hardware-intensive features like ray-tracing to deliver more spectacular lighting effects and reflections.

Perhaps the most visually-impressive Xbox Series X example we've seen so far is from Ninja Theory's Hellblade II. The trailer was constructed from in-engine sequences, offering us a glimpse at the sort of visuals we might be able to expect from top-flight photorealistic games in the future.

Halo Infinite will also ship targeting a blistering 120 frames per second in multiplayer, which is simply unheard of in console gaming up unto this point. The frame rates will make Halo Infinite feel more responsive to play than any title previous and will be a crucial factor in helping the franchise achieve a bigger esports following.

More hype than ever

Source: Ninja Theory (Image credit: Source: Ninja Theory)

Microsoft is investing in Xbox more than it has ever done in the past, giving us a more promising lineup of games than ever before, with a focus on powerful hardware like never before. Microsoft is also pushing the industry forward, innovating with huge investments in xCloud streaming, and services for developers like Game Stack (opens in new tab) and Playfab, not to mention advancements in DirectX and other APIs.

Xbox Game Pass and services like Xbox All Access will also make this generation of Xbox gaming more accessible than ever before, delivering larger pools of gamers for higher-quality match-making and ultimately more cash for developers of all sizes to reinvest in pushing the medium even further.

Whether you're picking up Xbox hardware or engaging with the ecosystem from your PC, or even a phone, there has never been a time to be more excited about what Microsoft is doing in gaming.

Xbox Series X/S

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Jez Corden
Jez Corden
Co-Managing Editor

Jez Corden a Managing Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his Xbox Two podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!

35 Comments
  • This is what I like to see in the changes what Xbox stands for.. No matter where you look or get your games from, it will all point/direct you to Microsoft Xbox. Many ways for people to play and how they get their games. It's already obvious Xbox is beyond consoles now. People need to put on some thicker bigger glasses if u still fail to see that Phil Spencer wants to be everywhere and dominating everywhere with Xbox. The income becomes bigger than just the Consoles and the Fake Console War.
  • Gotta disagree. Yes, the strategy as a publisher to make all Xbox games, available on Windows was great for their pc/long term strategy for MS to stay relevant in the gaming space, but it's a shortcoming for the actual Xbox console. Simply put, Xbox games are lacking in terms of great IP in my (and seemingly the opinion of many) , but compound that with the fact Sony pumps out tons both new and stellar IP for their consoles consistantly, and that all Xbox 'exclusives' are on pc as well (meaning the console really doesn't have any actual exclusives) , players are flocking to Playstation over Xbox and will continue to do so. I predict MS will eventually pack in their Xbox hardware efforts, and focus on the Xbox family of services for PC.
  • Xbox doesn't really compete with PCs. Xbox does compete with PlayStation (though plenty of people have both) and in that competition, having the Windows tie-in is a plus to Xbox gamers, because it makes developing a game for the MS ecosystem more profitable to developers. When developers look at total reach across Xbox and Windows, and can publish to both with little incremental effort, that makes the Xbox more attractive to developers, especially during the Xbox One generation when hardware sales were down. Profitability drives where they invest their development efforts. Also, PC gamers spend many thousands of dollars on their gaming rigs, and even so, they rarely have the living room experience of the main family TV. For the more typical user, especially with the upcoming Xbox Series X, you can buy almost the equivalent of a $3k gaming system for... well we don't know yet, but probably about $500. Your assessment of their strategy might have been valid several years ago, before they acquired many of the great gaming studios and announced the Xbox Series X. In light of those two things, MS is clearly here to create great games, a great console, and win every customer. While Sony clearly had the lead in first-party games during the PS4/Xbox One generation, looking forward, it seems pretty clear that 1st party gaming will be strongest on Xbox in the upcoming generation.
  • I agree with what you say about Xbox vs PC. I don't see them as really competing with each other. I'm primarily a PC gamer, but will play certain multiplayer games with friends on Xbox. If my other friends were more PC gamers then of course I'd play on PC, but they're not so I play with them on a console. Hardcore PC gamers will usually only play games on PC anyways due to their investment in high end computers.
  • XCloud ensures Microsoft is more invested in Xbox console hardware than ever. Every xCloud node IS AN XBOX CONSOLE, so this point rings hollow. They'll continue to make versions of Xbox you can run from home, because native is always better.
  • If they go to PS they can't play MS games unless they have a powerful gaming rig. I for instance moved away from PC a few years ago for a host of reasons the main one being cost and convenience. It's a false narrative that Xbox console players or people wanting to play Xbox games will just play them on PC and ignore the console, I'm not sure whether it's actual ignorance or deliberate ignorance that's fueling that.
  • "It's a false narrative that Xbox console players or people wanting to play Xbox games will just play them on PC and ignore the console, I'm not sure whether it's actual ignorance or deliberate ignorance that's fueling that."
    Your post is really funny. On the one side you state yourself as an example of moving "away from PC" for your reasons, and on the other you try to deny the possibility of people doing the opposite of what you're doing.
    How is it ignorance when that's exactly my case? I bought all "MS games" I wanted this gen on PC.
    Not everyone will play on PC and some people will still get a XB console, but you can't deny the fact that there are people who will just ignore the console and stick on PC.
    Also you don't really need a "powerful" rig to play the majority of MS's FP games they recently showed.
  • Sure some people may move from console to PC, it's more expensive to create a good equivalent gaming PC and consoles are more convenient but people could do it sure. Yeah absolutely you would need at least a good pc (at the time the games were released) to play Crackdown 3, Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4 at the same quality as I was playing them on console. You aren't going to play those with any type of fidelity on a potato pc.
    My point was there are a lot of people who don't want to play games on PC so just making the games available on PC doesn't mean everyone will then play them on PC making the Xbox redundant. Maybe I'm wrong, this upcoming gen will be a absolute disaster for the console if you are right and if I'm right there will be another console and Xbox and MS will get stronger, will just have to wait and see.
  • Well, no one is talking about needing a potato PC to run XB games. The thing with PC gaming is that people just don't make a new build or buy a complete new PC every 3 years. It's often about having an inital configuration and upgrading it depending on the system needs that changes in time. A PC with a GTX 960 can run Halo Infinite. GTX 960 is quite old and weak in today's standards.
    I have something of a mid-range PC but I can play all current games no problem. And I know that if I ever need to upgrade, I would only really need to spend on a new GPU, after selling my current one.
    Again the goal is not to get the best resolution or frame rate if that was my priority I would spend on the latests GPU... THe goal is to play the games. Yes, as of now it's just about predictions. But it's predictions based on the information we have.
    Think about it this way:
    1) The best XB could ever do in one generation was around 80m in sales. That was the the 360 and even then the PS3 (that had an overall horrible time) managed to outsell it despite launching at least 1 year after the 360.
    2) We've just had a generation where the PS totally dominated the XB. We're talking of 2-3 times more.
    3) Yes we can talk of power but the XB1 WITH XB1 X never really dominated sales. PS4 actually sold more the month XB1X launched in NA! Crazy considering that we're not taking into account wordwide numbers. And now, XB will probably lose more people.
    PC + console gamers with decent PC.
    And probably also gamers who may not have decent PC at the moment but would go for a PS5 knowing that it'll always be cheaper to upgrade their PC later on and get a PS5 (to get all games). Sure, the XB crowd will be there to support the console, like they have throughout the XB1 generation. Also yes there will be the console-only gamers who like power, or those that will keep buying all consoles. But these are the people who probably also bought the X, and we've seen what little impact the X had.
    The thing here is that I just don't see which non-XB1 owner will go and buy a Series X. Who amongst the PS or PC crowd who never owned a XB1 will go Series X this gen? I just don't see...
    They'll probably lose more owners then they will gain, and consider past numbers, it looks like the generation is already decided.
    Yes, like any prediction this can be wrong, but logically speaking I don't know how it'll outdo the PS5.
  • Traditionally, I purchase both the Playstation and Xbox of each console generation. However, this will be the first time I only plan to purchase the Playstation, since all of the MS first-party titles will be on PC anyway. I'm not sure if MS should be happy, sad, or indifferent about that, but I know I'm not the only one who is modifying their purchasing behavior in such a manner.
  • Sony is slowly coming around to that too. Some of their exclusive games will go to the PC.
  • This is such an old worn-out common sense argument. not everyone wants to game on a PC. Not everyone has the desire or the know-how to build a gaming PC. Or want to deal with the constantly updating, buying graphic cards, worrying whether not you had the right system requirements to run a game, etc, etc, etc..... Some people just won't to insert disc / download game and hit the start button. Consoles or for those people. Some people only like to game on PCS and have the know-how to build a PC. Game pass PC is for those people. It's called having option. Get in where you fit in and be happy. Whether you buy on PC or console, you're still giving Microsoft their money. And that's what it's all about. First it was "Xbox can't do 1080p". Then it was "Xbox has no games". Now it's "all Xbox games are on PC so why buy an Xbox". People keep changing the narrative for Microsoft yet accept everything that Sony does. Well there is a recent patent rumbling going around that Sony is working on a PS5 pro now. If that's the case, I'm going to hold off on purchasing one this year, because why I waste my money when another one, more capable will be out in a couple of years, that should have spent the resources and made it in the first place instead of putting people in a position to have to double dip purchase?
  • I agree with what you said
  • "Whether you buy on PC or console, you're still giving Microsoft their money."
    Ah the age old at the end MS gets your money argument.
    You're looking at it from MS's point of view. When people talk about what console they'll get and won't get they talk about their point of view as a gamer/consumer. Sure, there will still be people buying Series X. The millions of MS/XB fans who ran to buy a Scorpio for one... And yes, there are console-only gamers who will need to make a choice. Sure some will go with XB, but we've seen this generation that PS is the more popular brand and when we can say that most of the gamers who already play on PC don't really need to buy a Series X, it becomes even more difficult to see how that console can rival PS5 in terms of popularity... You get upset that people won't buy a Series X because they have a PC but you'll purchase of a PS5 is based on a rumour? That's weird.
    Anyway here is something interesting that is not a rumour, Series X is probably the first major console not to have a single major exclusive. Also what's not a rumour is that MS discontinued the XB1X less than 3 years after it's launch... Do you feel you wasted your money with the series X, or is it ok because it's MS who have done it?
  • I see that the Doom and gloom patrol is in full effect. Who said that I was angry? I simply made a common sense assessment of a statement that some people used to downplay Microsoft. If you don't want to buy series X, you don't have to. If you want to game on PC, then more power to you. Like I said get in where you fit in and be happy. And yes, Microsoft will get their money regardless. Look at the success that they are having on steam right now. And like you said in a statement below: "companies want gamers to stay in their ecosystem". Guess what: Because of gamepass, PCs, cell phones, tablets and consoles are all in Microsoft ecosystem and those games are exclusive to their ecosystem. Why is it whenever someone speaks the truth, they're deemed as a fanboy, by people like you. That's weird.... There was a patent filing that hints that Sony may be possibly working on a PS5 pro. I said if the rumor is true, I will hold off on purchasing a PS5 this year and wait for the more powerful one. And I could ask you the same question. Sony released a PS4 pro three years after the launch of the PS4. And a whole year before the one X. Let's not forget that Sony did it first... How did you feel about possibly having to purchasing the PS4 pro? I didn't buy the original PS4, I was waiting for a price drop and for some games that caught my eye. Good thing that I did. I didn't get a PS4 pro until the Spider-Man edition and by that time all the games that I was interested in were dirt cheap to buy. Microsoft was a late getting the 1X to market, because they didn't want to release a half-baked mid-gen console. as far as discontinuing the 1X, it makes no sense to have two consoles on the market at the same price, when the newer one is way powerful than the other. And with game pass, you don't have to worry about buying any games when you get a new console. Just hit the download button and you're good to go.😎 How people try to spin gamepass as being a bad thing boggles the mind
  • You just went on a long rant after some guy said he won't buy a XB console because he has a PC.
    In your post you complained about "People keep changing the narrative". The guy was just saying his case. I am in the exact same case as him except that XB1 was the first major console that I didn't purchase because I got all MS games I wanted on PC/Steam. That's just a reality. You don't need to accuse people of changing a so-called narrative... At least, he is making his purchasing decision based on facts and not on rumours. I mean how would you know if the rumour is true or not now? You think they'll already announce a PS5 pro in the next 1-2 years? lol How did you feel about possibly having to purchasing the PS4 pro?
    Well I didn't care because unlike some people power is not my priority. So I don't have a PS4 pro and I'm not planning of getting a PS5 right away. The only time I'll buy one is to play games that I can't play with the systems I currently own. "I didn't buy the original PS4"
    Let me guess, you went with the weaker XB1 instead. lol
    I'll continue guessing, maybe like Spencer power back then was not really that important. LOL It's hilarious how you'll make statement like this: "People keep changing the narrative for Microsoft yet accept everything that Sony does." when you do the exact same thing but for MS.
    I mean it's ok for short console cycles if MS is doing it, but not if Sony is doing it... lol
    Of and btw neither the PS4 nor the PS4 pro were discontinued less than 3 years after their launch. It's funny how you'll keep making excuses for one... Oh and game pass the renting service... Well I'm absolutely against services in gaming. I've already posted many of the reasons here. But you know what PS Now and PS+ also suck. You see? I can criticise and trash Sony's product too. That's the advantage of not belonging to a side. I can trash whatever product or company I want. I don't need to constantly do damage control and change opinions/preferences depending on what a company does... :)
  • He's a Sony sheep don't mind him.
  • I think they'll be pretty happy, since they won't have to sell you the console (at cost or even at a loss) in order to see you the game(s), which is where the money is. Think about it... If PS5 can sell 20 million consoles in the first year, then they can sell 20 million copies of Spiderman - Miles Morales at the most. If MS sells 10 million consoles in the first year, then they can sell copies of their games to 100 million users (or however many Xboxes and PC are out there that are able to run the games).
    Sounds pretty smart to me.
  • Do you understand why companies want gamers in their ecosystem? It's because once they are in they'll buy more games on that platform. 1st/2nd party AND 3rd party games. Console make money out of that. Plus all the hardware and services that can go with it...
  • Even if you buy a Playstation to engage with Xbox on your PC is a win for both Microsoft and you imo... The more reason to be grateful to Microsoft. Spencer stated clearly he isn't competing with PS because the vision is much larger than the estimated 300 million console gamers.
  • Some people can't seem to get that through their thick heads. "But, but, but it's not exclusive if it's on PC". It's still a part of Microsoft's ecosystem
  • Very few are in the same boat as you I would say. You are talking about a crowd that has both consoles and a powerful gaming rig who prefer to play on PC and I would guess that group is relatively small. Also remember Sony is slowly putting it's games out on PC as well and that will increase over time so maybe all gamers will give up consoles if your theory is correct.
  • MS came out with exclusives for xb1 to start, but they didn't review very well.
    MS needs the media on their side.
  • The easy way to get good reviews is to make good games. When you make Crackdown 3, what do you expect?
  • Crackdown 3 campaign was awesome, I still don't get what people don't like about it.
  • Awesome? Nope, that shouldnt be called that. Fun? Maybe, to a limited extent. Mediocre? This is probably on the right path. The campaign should have been much better than it was. I know Crackdown has always been a copy paste shoot everyone and capture the building rinse and repeat game, but these types of games have evolved to where if you don't have a variety people will get bored. This game should have done the same as this is what people expect. We all also used the Game Pass excuse for it being limited, that may have been forgivable at the time, but no longer acceptable. The MP was indeed atrocious, that goes without saying.
  • I never felt I was just mindlessly repeating tasks, there was a good mix of things to do outside of the main missions and I was always having fun and that city was just beautiful. It's a shame you didn't enjoy it but each his own i suppose. Didn't touch the MP so no comment on that.
  • @Dush
    Oh no please stop with the "media bias". This doesn't need to sound like politics...
    Good overall games usually means good reviews.
    FH series gets excellent score, where is the media bias for those games?
  • This article really fails to mention how games like Sea Of Thieves and State Of Decay 2 were completely unfinished at launch. In fact so was Crackdown 3 and Bleeding Edge. It reads like "Critics got it wrong" but the reality is that the games were just broken and lacking content.
    The average Xbox fan probably couldn't care less about xCloud or playing stuff when they go to the bathroom. It seems a moot point when the exclusive situation is just so dire even after they bought new studios. The games list:
    Avowed, is likely 2023 or beyond.
    State Of Decay 3 isn't even in production yet, and is likely 2023 or later.
    Psychonaughts 2 is a full on multiplay going to PlayStation as well.
    Halo Infinite looks like it should be delayed, honestly...If they're just going to shove any unfinished game out into Game Pass and fix it later, why bother?
    Hellblade 2 we've seen no footage from, and Unreal Engine 5 doesn't even ship until the end of next year, it could be a 2023 or later game.
    Wasteland 3 is a full on multiplat on PS4 as well.
    Stuff like Gears Tactics, Flight Sim and Age Of Empire are PC games without console release dates even.
    Forza Motorsport sounds like it's getting turned into a GAAS like Halo and isn't releasing until 2022 at the earliest....
    Everwild doesn't even have the gameplay figured out, likely 2023. So the last AAA from Xbox was Gears Of War 5 in September of 2019 and the next is presumably November of 2020, that's a 14 month wait. And after Halo Infinite, it seems like we could be in for another 18 month to 2 full year AAA exclusive drought. Having the "most powerful" console is cool, but why have we seen nothing running on it yet? And Halo looks like a last gen game, power is nice but if everything is held back for years to come it's another moot point. A lot of the moves Microsoft make are fine, but they're more fitting to a 3rd party publisher than a company with console hardware.
    As someone who suffered through this Xbox generation, this really sugarcoats the tough generation and lack of quality exclusives in a terrible way.
    I literally don't care about Microsoft's money, I do care about quality exclusives and games. And if Game Pass becomes a catch all for unfinished games and low quality first party output, even the $1 I paid for it isn't worth it.
  • I agree with a lot of the stuff you posted.
    Game pass has become an easy excuse to publish unfinished, downgraded or broken services that are rushed into the market. Right from the start they've always promoted quantity...
  • You know Game pass like service would never work for playstation. Imagine Sony released the latest spiderman or god of button masher? Nobody would buy those games then. They would just play them a few times and then done. Those single player only exclusives have very little replay value.
    What's worse is the fact they charge $60 for a weekend rental. Same old same old.
  • Despite lots of whiners in the comments (what's new?) I agree the future is looking good. There is no better deal than gamepass in gaming and I disagree with the first party zealots here. There have been lots of great smaller games landing of late. Dungeons, grounded, MCC collection, SOT and many others. The net effect is a better and better value for gamepass. But then again I see the Xbox as the more rounded machine. I own all 3 major systems. I play things on the PS plus when a good game comes along and never any other time and I see no reason to change my behavior next gen. Xbox will still be the better all around machine. I will get a PS5 at some point for sure, but they still don't have enough exclusives to outweigh the benefit of Xbox and gamepass for it to be my primary means of gaming
  • I think the Craig meme is a symbol. It actually highlight MS's mix messaging and how they try to do everything at the same time. For more than 4 years now MS and it's fanbase were hyping power, the "best pixels", resolution...
    4 years before that the same people were downplaying the importance of power and resolution. At the time Spencer himself said Power is a subjective term and what not... Their last showcase just didn't show any first party games that used all the power they've been hyping for years.
    This looks and sounds like the same thing we heard with Scorpio. And we know how that ended. They've stopped production less than 3 years after it's launch and hardy made any game that used up all the capabilities of the console.
    So much for power... This showcase is just before the launch of their new console "generation", but what it ended being was more a conference about game pass than about a new generation.
    For me, this console is going to really struggle. First major console ever to not have a single exclusive.
    Hardly any games made specially for the console. This is like the Kinect 2.0 all over again. Or the Mixer of consoles... But for me it's clear that they are going to focus a lot more on services. So it'll be game pass. But not just that, even their games will be converted into services, where the focus will be on how to keep making money through microtransactions after the service is added to the game pass service. I think very soon we'll have a situation where console gaming and purchasing games will be the Office 2019 going up against the service office 365 (game pass). Make one look bad compare to the other just so they can get people to move towards what THEY want meaning (more control over consumers)
    https://www.windowscentral.com/e?link=https2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.co... There are still few points that they'll need to talk about. When will they remove gold to play online, and what about XCloud.
    For me it's quite clear that their main strategy going forward (and just like many other services and product they provide) is to go full service. Service means more control over consumers. Controlling users, supplier... Control pricing and control what people can and can't play. The future is bright? Well, we'll see I remember loads of articles here hyping Mixer and the number of subs or whatever that ninja got. That didn't last a year.
    I think this is a bit of a gamble by MS, it could work, it could fail. We won't know about the future, and with MS hardly ever communicating on relevant numbers for XB, (Profit/loss, number of paying subscribers and other things) we may not know for sure how well XB as a whole is doing...
  • They still haven't delivered in the titles that stand to Sony's first party AAA studios. The PS4 has a deep list that Xbox just doesn't compare too. That's why the PS4 is at 112 million units and counting while the Xbox One probably hasn't broken 40 million still. If they don't fill that hole in the platform this coming generation won't change that.
  • The true good titles of PS4 is Spiderman, uncharted, last of us and God Of War (State of decay 2 outsell it one month after release) on the other side we have Halo, Forza, and Gears. Surely you have a point at what you say and I agree (not 100%) but ps4 wins only because of the brand-name...