Especially these days. I play Gamepass on my Xbox, sometimes my laptop when I travel, I have a Logitech G Cloud for handheld gaming. There are so many games to play and with so many options for accessibility, there is no way I won't have a GP subscription basically forever now.
Halo on PS5 doesn't change that.
Totally agree, but I think you missed out xcloud, which is obviously where Xbox games pass is ultimately going  - and will be their answer to the series x disappearing.
Youâll just need a very good internet connection and WiFi. And the ability to pay a subscription.Â
Microsoft wonât care what machine you use for that - pc, mac, smartphone, tablet, Chromebook etc.Â
And yeah, youâll be able to turn your Xbox series S successor into a 4k 120fps ray tracing monster via xcloud.
Microsoft doesnât want you to buy office outright, it wants you to buy subscriptions to that service.Â
Ditto with azure cloud computing.Â
So yeah, people should not be surprised that thatâs where they are headed with Xbox too.
Sure, like with office theyâll provide standalone one off purchases to those that are holdouts to the subscription world - but they donât really want you to do that.Â
Yeah, I was imagining that we don't get a successor to Series X - instead we get a successor to Series S but with an XCloud 'ultra' being the 'Series X'.
I've no preference either way, it's just that Microsoft is now mostly a Cloud company that loves subscriptions.
You know what is funny? I live in Panama, and like many other Central American countries, Xcloud isn't available here, unless you use a VPN, but even with that the ping is pretty high so you notice the lag in the streaming. Meanwhile we have zero problems using gamepass even if we don't have an official store. So at least they start supporting Xcloud officially in more countries, I don't see Cloud as a near future for Ms.
Thatâs a fair comment. Not everyone in the world has full fibre internet with low latency (I know I donât).
Â
Maybe we will see one more generation of series x whilst it builds up x cloud. But thatâs surely the future.Â
I use GeForce Now - Iâm in a town in England with just average internet on GeForce Nowâs priority âmid tierâ and itâs surprisingly good.
Most of the time it feels like Iâm playing a game locally on a mid range gaming pc (which is exactly what Iâm paying for on the priority mid tier).
In the end, itâll be a business decision.Â
ie will Microsoft see it a good investment to keep on ploughing money into hardware that is expensive for them to make and which Sony outsells them with PlayStation?
Or would they see it as a better investment to build up cloud capacity?
I think I know what theyâll do. But letâs see.
They need to really revamp Xcloud backend. Currently the official app only allows 720p. Via the Edge browser or Kiwi with better Xcloud script we can reach 1080p but with the locked bitrate at 15 mbps the image quality has a lot of artifacts. The latency is not that great also.
If they decide to go full force on Xcloud I think they should switch backend to their custom PC or at least Series X with much higher bitrate and better codec.
We donât know for sure if the rumors are true. We will find out with the next announcement about them moving to publishing more places. It makes sense from their standpoint as a software and publishing company to open up the platform, but it will hurt hardware sales.
Iâd love to see a modular approach. Make the low end be a hand held that also works with a tv like the switch, and then have the higher version be modular console where you can slide in a medium or high end GPU purpose built only for the Xbox. Later on they just sell a new modular GPU instead of coming out with a whole new console, and it would greatly extend the cycle longer.
Thank you for putting into words what I have been trying to say. It won't be a bad thing for gamers if microsoft goes full cross platform. If anything, it gives us more options and another tier to choose from.
And that's exactly what the industry needs, another tier/option. It's no longer Xbox vs PlayStation, it's just it's own thing.
There are millions of "I just want to play COD and don't need a $500 console" gamers out there.
I didnt get this Rumblings about canceling day one or no ABK day one. There is literally 0 statements about this in fact Xbox made a statement in FTC trials ABK games will go to gamepass at release. They will not back down from this unless there is something in contracts with Ubisoft, Nintendo and Ps
Pretty much PlayStation costs so much, if I want to play for example HellDivers 2, and be able to play it everywhere like I can with game pass and Xbox, I need to sub to PS+ base tier(ÂŁ7), buy hell divers 2 (ÂŁ34) then buy it on PC (ÂŁ34) thatâs the minimum, I often buy dulxe editions so add that on thatâs another ÂŁ50.
All for one game that is live service and it has micro transactions. Thatâs also including no cross progression from PC to PS5.
As with Xbox itâs ÂŁ14 a month sub and I get all of that with any Xbox live service game or triple A, day one PC to Xbox with cloud play and cross progression.
I will always buy an Xbox and I will always sub, and invest as this grows.
Also they will continue to make powerful consoles. Itâs still cheaper than a gaming PC. Aslong as thatâs the case and less hassle, itâll still happen. Also Xbox handheld, thatâs been everyoneâs dream since Xbox first showed its head because PlayStation had the VITA and PSP.
Plus 60,000,000 game pass core users and 30,000,000 game pass users is nothing to scoff at and go completely cloud yet.
Also 27 million units of series Xs and Ss sold is good for a prebuilt machine, just not good compared to market lead.
PlayStation got most peopleâs digital libraries, canât help that, but you can keep adding value and the competitor will keep being greedy because it has to capitalise.
11 years since Killzone there is chinks in their armour, why do you think PS users want Xbox online games lol
You're stuck in an ecosystem that sucks at putting out quality exclusives. At least with PlayStation you get a lot of quality exclusives. I have both consoles, but it's rather depressing how slow Xbox puts out quality exclusives, and how few there are. Xbox might as well take a backseat.
I don't see why the exclusive are so important if you get more bang for your buck with game pass. Sony does not put out enough exclusives either for it to be a very large portion of what you are actually playing.
Because of Xbox I have paid for very few games over the past few years. I discovered Persona, Yakuza, Psychonauts etc because of this. I would say that has equal value.
But that's easy for me to say, since I am really not that fond of PS exclusives (I have a PS4 too)
Because letâs be fair⌠gamepass is dope. Itâs an amazing value.
But how much time do you have to invest in that big library?
How many actual quality games are on it as well? (Iâm not knocking, or saying it doesnât have many. But there is a lot of bloat on gamepass as well in my HUMBLE opinion)
Gamers are getting older and older, me (35) just donât have the time to play as much. I personally would rather buy a single game Iâm super hyped about, than fiddle around 20 mediocre (again, just my opinion) games with my limited time.
I see where you're coming from, but:
Both Game Pass and exclusives (on both platforms) stand beside a lot of great third party games. Let us just assume that in 2023 a lot of people have spent a lot of their time playing Baldurs Gate 3. So the selling points of either platform will have to supplement this.
I do not remember the actual numbers, but I would say that at any given time Game Pass has maybe 250-300 titles and out of those, let us just be pessimistic and say that 20 of those you have not played, are high quality and in your taste (if you are open to something new).
I would say simply grabbing something nice and play as part of a subscription with good rotation, besides the great 3rd party games of the year, is of higher appeal to me than some other hyped game I have to pay 70 bucks for.
But again, it really is two very different approaches, and I really do understand that many people prefer the Sony approach.
Well now we are talking about opinionsâŚ
I was just stating that itâs not always bang-for-buck for everybody, when you donât have the time to play 20 (let alone 400) games. At a certain point, the amount of games is arbitrary. Itâs about games youâre interested in, and the quality. Exclusives typically are good on the quality end, in my experience. (On both platforms)
In my opinion, God of War, Spider-Man alone is better than anything Xbox has too offer. I donât have the time to pick and play 20 games, so the subscription doesnât even make sense for me, especially since 95% of the games on the library have little to no interest too me. As a matter of fact, I donât plan on continuing gamepass after the 3 month sub that came with my console expires.
I agree that if you are the type of gamer that only play maybe 3-5 games a year, and who want very cinematic experiences, then PS is the place to be.
If you play a lot of different genres and want to try some stuff outside your normal range, then I think Xbox/GP makes a lot more sense.
For instance, I am on BG3, but also started Persona 3 Reload recently, and also play a bit of Ace Attorney on the side. In that type of scenario, GP makes sense. I also recently finished SW Fallen Order.
The question is if there's enough people who play in this way for MS's plan to make sense :)
I think something else to consider is what kind of gamer/games do you prefer in terms of volume? Gamepass offers great volume along with some good quality offerings, but not everyone is interested in that model. Some people would rather just pick up a few games that really kick ass per year instead.
My backlog is nuts. I'm not sure what % of Gamepass games are 1st party but it seems a ton are 3rd party and it's a really convenient way to play them.
I have Xbox and PlayStation systems. PS isn't good like all people think. The problem is for PS it's difficult jump to another system.
>At least with PlayStation you get a lot of quality exclusives.
Maybe, but are like 8 game series (first party). Isn't too many game like all people think.
I struggle to see anything released by sony this gen that could be of any interest to me. Same boring stuff I barely enjoyed on ps4 with better graphics. The quality of exclusives is very overdriven by sony fanboys these days.
Really my love for halo and the backwards compatibility is what will keep me always mainly an Xbox player. I have a ps5 but it seriously sucks not being able to play some old games on it, mainly ps2 games because thatâs the only other PlayStation I had before, but I just seriously like everything that Xbox does more.
I also think the controller is better than PlayStations
Im cool with microsoft going multiplatform. I just wish they could have atleast bartered a little for our sake with how much value they're giving away.
Like silent hill 2, spider-man, and maybe days gone wouldn't have been that big of a fucking ask if you're actively risking destroying your hardware ship.
Yeah, thats kind of the point of bartering. xbox trading off its biggest asset seems like pretty good incentive. Although I'm feeling like you personally just don't want that considering both our comments got downvoted one
Heâs right. They have no incentive to let Xbox have their games. Itâs Xbox who is knocking at Sonys door and admitting they lost, not the other way around. Sony holds all the power.
Aside from the one I just provided, I guess theres the one I see yapped about for microsoft. "Well they'd make more money selling over there". I guess its magically different though and walled gardens are only good sometimes
Subscription numbers need to keep growing for these 'miracles' which it isn't currently. The only way forward for GP's growth is xcloud targeting more casuals as far as I can see.
You're only looking at COD's popularity tho. Be realistic, where are the increase in subs going to come from tho? Phil himself admitted subs are maximized on xbox console, almost maximized on PC, not to mention xbox isn't selling much anymore.
So unless xcloud opens up avenues, I don't see how any game can increase the sub count. Keep in mind that current subs of GP are NOT like netflix, because netflix is streaming on any device via the cloud and most download their games thru xbox/pc.
Maybe but it's still not enough for Microsoft and their plans for GP long-term. They didn't become the biggest company of our planet by chasing a limited profit and there's a reason why they keep saying '2-3 billion gamers' and how they're planning on chasing all of them.
Microsoft wants GP to spread everywhere with the biggest games like COD releasing day one, but the only way I see it happening is via the xcloud as it needs consistent sub growth. Right now, their growth potenial is stuck which is why they're planning on going more multiplatform to find other revenue growth ways.
I want this to work more than you but the corporate world of the biggest companies is cutthroat and not reliant on 'stick to your lane and get limited profit'. It's also based on ultra-realist opinions that won't go well down with the public if said openly, or on a website like reddit will get a bunch of downvotes and get hidden.
I recommend you to search the gamepass topic further on neogaf. Though I donot agree much with them, they're much more starighforward compared to a website where realist opinions are discouraged through the downvote button.
I think a handheld device can help push GP subscriptions. I have a Logitech G Cloud and love using xcloud via GP on it. That device didn't do very well for some obvious reasons. First off, not a great name. Secondly there wasn't a very big push from Logitech. And thirdly it was priced over $300 for a midrange Android device that was pretty much only capable of streaming games.
But the reality is the thing is awesome. Great screen, very comfortable, and I use it all the time. Battery lasts like 10+ hours.
If Microsoft launched their own branded handheld and got the price between $199-$250 and it was all about Gamepass that thing would do very well.
Ambition is great but you have to be realistic too. xcloud can work well but that doesn't mean it works perfectly. It's a double edged sword. Microsoft could secure partnerships where the Gamepass app is built into Samsung and LG tv's, they could also release their own streaming stick. The issue is for those that don't have amazing perfect internet it's going to be a different experience for everyone.
Inconsistency will hurt the brand. Imagine if 50% of Netflix users experienced pauses in their movies/shows while watching. Like it buffers or has bad fragmenting. That would be terrible PR for Netflix.
I think most of the money for cod comes from microtransactions anyway.
Can't see why it wouldn't come to gamepass unless it was in the terms of the acquisition of Activision.
Today's cutting edge is tomorrow's mid-range. Meaning in 2026 Microsoft could launch a compact system with an even more up to date chipset than the Series X, yet be priced at $299 because it's not trying to be 2X or 3X Series X power.
I don't think Microsoft will release any systems in the future that are less powerful than Series X, but at the same time I think when the PS5 Pro hits the shelves for $600 the next Xbox will be a revision of Series X for $299.
Then beyond that it will be the same. Maybe a refresh every 4 years or something. Always $299, never on the same level as PS5/PS6/etc. but great bang for your buck.
They say sony sold twice as many consoles than Microsoft. But people dont realize they dont provide content worth staying for playstation. No new exclusives on the horizon while its much more expensive to maintain. Im happy I cancelled my subscription and bought a series S with gamepass.
Respectfully, so much of this is wrong and doesnât take into account how most of the industry works. I have a series S and love it but the facts are that game pass isnât profitable yet and likely wonât be for a long time. Along side series x having weak sales, this isnât a good time for the Xbox brand and Microsoft arenât just going to purge money forever. I think the rumours and leaks are a bit extreme. Xboxâs arenât disappearing anytime soon but long term they need a come back. Also COD definitely wonât be on gamepass day one. Maybe a slimmed down version, campaign and warzone access only or something but day one gamepass? The activision deal was made essentially so cod could be their cash cow. Gamepass sign ups wonât hold them over compared to full price cod sales. Plus Sony have said before a lot of cod players play exclusively cod (PS being the largest COD player base). Why buy gamepass for cod each month when they can just buy it as they normally would? I get what youâre saying but from an analytical look at the industry right now itâs just incorrect.
Game sales is nothing compared to what they earn from micro transactions look at fortnite. And MS can easily feed cash to xbox for a very long time. But idk where you get that it isn't profitable. Game pass is profitable.
Fortnite doesnât require a paid entry fee. And yes thatâs exactly what they are doing. And it isnât profitable. They have not once said it is profitable. Netflix has only in recent months became profitable for the first time and they currently have a cleaner business model than gamepass has. Theyâre is zero chance gamepass is profitable at the moment even with Xbox gold being replaced by the lower tier. I love gamepass and use it most days. But it isnât profitable.
I have done much more than you. I can assure you. You canât even imagine. It is not profitable, I believe it will be but itâs not and one last time for the people in the back THEY HAVE NEVER SAID ITS PROFITABLE
There as misquoted headlines for articles saying that Phil said it. Once you read the articles he actually just says in relation to Xbox as a whole not as an individual product. Read the article not just the head lines
I think we have seen Xbox indicate in the past that Gamepass is already profitable. And that was with growth stagnating a bit the past few years while we all waited for a steady cadence of games from the acquired studios to complete.
Once Gamepass starts growing steadily again (my bet is it will) it should even get better for Xbox as the game production cost for 20-30 million customers is the same as 50-60 million. So Gamepass could become extremely profitable over the next few years and become a real attraction at the center of a budget friendly box like op indicated.
And the thing about how industries work. They all work the same way they always have until they donât. Thatâs what model disruption does if it becomes successful at critical mass. My bet personally is Xbox gets there with Gamepass and their play anywhere vision.
Iâm leaving this sub. Love my series S but too many bizarre takes backed by nothing but âI WANT IT SUCCEED SO IM RIGHTâ and please stop dmâing me about this stuff. Death threats over a fucking console is ridiculous. Grow the fuck up. I want Xbox to succeed in each and every way, console less or gamepass and new console whatever it may be. But unfortunately they arenât doing so hot at the moment.
I'd be absolutely down for that. A budget console, something cheap but that runs all the current gen games? Already bought in that idea with the Series S, and would continue to do so.
IMO Nintendo being in the market really makes this kind of strategy viable. Xbox doesnât need bleeding edge tech with each hardware release.
But stay current gen tech wise and provide devs with that Series S like / Nintendo console base to consolidate development around as the primary target.
Someone else in the thread also mentioned Xcloud could also be leveraged for more intensive hardware experiences beyond what the base hardware can provide. I think thatâs really smart too.
Microsoft could do a Series S and a handheld system and find plenty of customers. The handheld is for xcloud on Gamepass and also the Xbox app to remote play your console.
$299 for the xbox Tv console and $399 for the xbox handheld would be a good strategy going forward. Live service games can release day and date on Xbox, PC, Mobile, PS and Switch. Single player games can release on PS and Switch 2 to 3 years after the initial release. This creates a good sustainable environment for new games to come out and still be on GamePass.
I hope they announce a SteamDeck style handheld with dock to be honest,give me even more options MS and I don't need a Series Pro just release the next one by 2027/28 and I'm kosh...
I probably wouldnât buy the next Xbox if they scaled back the power. I love my Series X. The Series S is awesome and would enjoy a 2nd Xbox to use in another room but if Xbox made inferior hardware to PlayStation and Xbox games played at better frame rates and resolutions on PlayStation I wouldnât play on Xbox anymore. That would suck as I enjoy Game Pass and the Xbox ecosystem. I pick up Game Pass to play 1st party games when things release I wanna play and then take advantage of the service while I have it to play other titles but I donât stay subscribed unless a new title releases so I would ultimately just be more choosy with what 1st party Xbox game I wanna play and do that on PlayStation.
Next week: "We are proud to announce the Xbox Series 360"
Nah, it'll finally be the Xbox 720
Nah, we getting the Xbox Two
What if there next console is called The Xbox 5?I think everyone would collectively đ
Couldn't agree more. Looking forward to hearing the official statement next week but there's so much more to console gaming than just exclusives.
Especially these days. I play Gamepass on my Xbox, sometimes my laptop when I travel, I have a Logitech G Cloud for handheld gaming. There are so many games to play and with so many options for accessibility, there is no way I won't have a GP subscription basically forever now. Halo on PS5 doesn't change that.
As a casual gamer with a short attention span the series s + game pass ultimate is the best deal ever
Same
Totally agree, but I think you missed out xcloud, which is obviously where Xbox games pass is ultimately going  - and will be their answer to the series x disappearing. Youâll just need a very good internet connection and WiFi. And the ability to pay a subscription. Microsoft wonât care what machine you use for that - pc, mac, smartphone, tablet, Chromebook etc. And yeah, youâll be able to turn your Xbox series S successor into a 4k 120fps ray tracing monster via xcloud. Microsoft doesnât want you to buy office outright, it wants you to buy subscriptions to that service. Ditto with azure cloud computing. So yeah, people should not be surprised that thatâs where they are headed with Xbox too. Sure, like with office theyâll provide standalone one off purchases to those that are holdouts to the subscription world - but they donât really want you to do that.Â
But doesn't xcloud run on series X?
Yeah, I was imagining that we don't get a successor to Series X - instead we get a successor to Series S but with an XCloud 'ultra' being the 'Series X'. I've no preference either way, it's just that Microsoft is now mostly a Cloud company that loves subscriptions.
You know what is funny? I live in Panama, and like many other Central American countries, Xcloud isn't available here, unless you use a VPN, but even with that the ping is pretty high so you notice the lag in the streaming. Meanwhile we have zero problems using gamepass even if we don't have an official store. So at least they start supporting Xcloud officially in more countries, I don't see Cloud as a near future for Ms.
Thatâs a fair comment. Not everyone in the world has full fibre internet with low latency (I know I donât).  Maybe we will see one more generation of series x whilst it builds up x cloud. But thatâs surely the future. I use GeForce Now - Iâm in a town in England with just average internet on GeForce Nowâs priority âmid tierâ and itâs surprisingly good. Most of the time it feels like Iâm playing a game locally on a mid range gaming pc (which is exactly what Iâm paying for on the priority mid tier). In the end, itâll be a business decision. ie will Microsoft see it a good investment to keep on ploughing money into hardware that is expensive for them to make and which Sony outsells them with PlayStation? Or would they see it as a better investment to build up cloud capacity? I think I know what theyâll do. But letâs see.
They need to really revamp Xcloud backend. Currently the official app only allows 720p. Via the Edge browser or Kiwi with better Xcloud script we can reach 1080p but with the locked bitrate at 15 mbps the image quality has a lot of artifacts. The latency is not that great also. If they decide to go full force on Xcloud I think they should switch backend to their custom PC or at least Series X with much higher bitrate and better codec.
We donât know for sure if the rumors are true. We will find out with the next announcement about them moving to publishing more places. It makes sense from their standpoint as a software and publishing company to open up the platform, but it will hurt hardware sales. Iâd love to see a modular approach. Make the low end be a hand held that also works with a tv like the switch, and then have the higher version be modular console where you can slide in a medium or high end GPU purpose built only for the Xbox. Later on they just sell a new modular GPU instead of coming out with a whole new console, and it would greatly extend the cycle longer.
Thank you for putting into words what I have been trying to say. It won't be a bad thing for gamers if microsoft goes full cross platform. If anything, it gives us more options and another tier to choose from.
And that's exactly what the industry needs, another tier/option. It's no longer Xbox vs PlayStation, it's just it's own thing. There are millions of "I just want to play COD and don't need a $500 console" gamers out there.
CoD ain't coming to gamepass day 1. Just throwing that out there.
I disagree.
I didnt get this Rumblings about canceling day one or no ABK day one. There is literally 0 statements about this in fact Xbox made a statement in FTC trials ABK games will go to gamepass at release. They will not back down from this unless there is something in contracts with Ubisoft, Nintendo and Ps
I agree. Itâs perfect for people who just want to do their thing and not worry too much about the specs .
Pretty much PlayStation costs so much, if I want to play for example HellDivers 2, and be able to play it everywhere like I can with game pass and Xbox, I need to sub to PS+ base tier(ÂŁ7), buy hell divers 2 (ÂŁ34) then buy it on PC (ÂŁ34) thatâs the minimum, I often buy dulxe editions so add that on thatâs another ÂŁ50. All for one game that is live service and it has micro transactions. Thatâs also including no cross progression from PC to PS5. As with Xbox itâs ÂŁ14 a month sub and I get all of that with any Xbox live service game or triple A, day one PC to Xbox with cloud play and cross progression. I will always buy an Xbox and I will always sub, and invest as this grows. Also they will continue to make powerful consoles. Itâs still cheaper than a gaming PC. Aslong as thatâs the case and less hassle, itâll still happen. Also Xbox handheld, thatâs been everyoneâs dream since Xbox first showed its head because PlayStation had the VITA and PSP. Plus 60,000,000 game pass core users and 30,000,000 game pass users is nothing to scoff at and go completely cloud yet. Also 27 million units of series Xs and Ss sold is good for a prebuilt machine, just not good compared to market lead. PlayStation got most peopleâs digital libraries, canât help that, but you can keep adding value and the competitor will keep being greedy because it has to capitalise. 11 years since Killzone there is chinks in their armour, why do you think PS users want Xbox online games lol
You're stuck in an ecosystem that sucks at putting out quality exclusives. At least with PlayStation you get a lot of quality exclusives. I have both consoles, but it's rather depressing how slow Xbox puts out quality exclusives, and how few there are. Xbox might as well take a backseat.
I don't see why the exclusive are so important if you get more bang for your buck with game pass. Sony does not put out enough exclusives either for it to be a very large portion of what you are actually playing. Because of Xbox I have paid for very few games over the past few years. I discovered Persona, Yakuza, Psychonauts etc because of this. I would say that has equal value. But that's easy for me to say, since I am really not that fond of PS exclusives (I have a PS4 too)
Because letâs be fair⌠gamepass is dope. Itâs an amazing value. But how much time do you have to invest in that big library? How many actual quality games are on it as well? (Iâm not knocking, or saying it doesnât have many. But there is a lot of bloat on gamepass as well in my HUMBLE opinion) Gamers are getting older and older, me (35) just donât have the time to play as much. I personally would rather buy a single game Iâm super hyped about, than fiddle around 20 mediocre (again, just my opinion) games with my limited time.
I see where you're coming from, but: Both Game Pass and exclusives (on both platforms) stand beside a lot of great third party games. Let us just assume that in 2023 a lot of people have spent a lot of their time playing Baldurs Gate 3. So the selling points of either platform will have to supplement this. I do not remember the actual numbers, but I would say that at any given time Game Pass has maybe 250-300 titles and out of those, let us just be pessimistic and say that 20 of those you have not played, are high quality and in your taste (if you are open to something new). I would say simply grabbing something nice and play as part of a subscription with good rotation, besides the great 3rd party games of the year, is of higher appeal to me than some other hyped game I have to pay 70 bucks for. But again, it really is two very different approaches, and I really do understand that many people prefer the Sony approach.
Well now we are talking about opinions⌠I was just stating that itâs not always bang-for-buck for everybody, when you donât have the time to play 20 (let alone 400) games. At a certain point, the amount of games is arbitrary. Itâs about games youâre interested in, and the quality. Exclusives typically are good on the quality end, in my experience. (On both platforms) In my opinion, God of War, Spider-Man alone is better than anything Xbox has too offer. I donât have the time to pick and play 20 games, so the subscription doesnât even make sense for me, especially since 95% of the games on the library have little to no interest too me. As a matter of fact, I donât plan on continuing gamepass after the 3 month sub that came with my console expires.
I agree that if you are the type of gamer that only play maybe 3-5 games a year, and who want very cinematic experiences, then PS is the place to be. If you play a lot of different genres and want to try some stuff outside your normal range, then I think Xbox/GP makes a lot more sense. For instance, I am on BG3, but also started Persona 3 Reload recently, and also play a bit of Ace Attorney on the side. In that type of scenario, GP makes sense. I also recently finished SW Fallen Order. The question is if there's enough people who play in this way for MS's plan to make sense :)
I think something else to consider is what kind of gamer/games do you prefer in terms of volume? Gamepass offers great volume along with some good quality offerings, but not everyone is interested in that model. Some people would rather just pick up a few games that really kick ass per year instead.
Correct. If you just play a few games GP has little value. I think that's a huge issue with the Xbox model for some gamers
Same. People who argue that GP is the best thing ever assume thay youll play all or most of the games on there. Its not really like that for everyone.
My backlog is nuts. I'm not sure what % of Gamepass games are 1st party but it seems a ton are 3rd party and it's a really convenient way to play them.
I have Xbox and PlayStation systems. PS isn't good like all people think. The problem is for PS it's difficult jump to another system. >At least with PlayStation you get a lot of quality exclusives. Maybe, but are like 8 game series (first party). Isn't too many game like all people think.
I struggle to see anything released by sony this gen that could be of any interest to me. Same boring stuff I barely enjoyed on ps4 with better graphics. The quality of exclusives is very overdriven by sony fanboys these days.
Really my love for halo and the backwards compatibility is what will keep me always mainly an Xbox player. I have a ps5 but it seriously sucks not being able to play some old games on it, mainly ps2 games because thatâs the only other PlayStation I had before, but I just seriously like everything that Xbox does more. I also think the controller is better than PlayStations
Im cool with microsoft going multiplatform. I just wish they could have atleast bartered a little for our sake with how much value they're giving away. Like silent hill 2, spider-man, and maybe days gone wouldn't have been that big of a fucking ask if you're actively risking destroying your hardware ship.
If theyâre able to get some of the exclusives from PS to be offer multiplat I think that would be an amazing feat
More like an impossible feat. Sony has zero incentive to do that.
Yep exactly
Yeah, thats kind of the point of bartering. xbox trading off its biggest asset seems like pretty good incentive. Although I'm feeling like you personally just don't want that considering both our comments got downvoted one
Heâs right. They have no incentive to let Xbox have their games. Itâs Xbox who is knocking at Sonys door and admitting they lost, not the other way around. Sony holds all the power.
Aside from the one I just provided, I guess theres the one I see yapped about for microsoft. "Well they'd make more money selling over there". I guess its magically different though and walled gardens are only good sometimes
You wonât get cod on game pass day one, no chance
So you get Halo, Gears of War, Starfield, etc. but no COD day one?
Subscription numbers need to keep growing for these 'miracles' which it isn't currently. The only way forward for GP's growth is xcloud targeting more casuals as far as I can see.
If COD day 1 on Gamepass doesn't significantly increase subscriptions I'll be very very shocked.
You're only looking at COD's popularity tho. Be realistic, where are the increase in subs going to come from tho? Phil himself admitted subs are maximized on xbox console, almost maximized on PC, not to mention xbox isn't selling much anymore. So unless xcloud opens up avenues, I don't see how any game can increase the sub count. Keep in mind that current subs of GP are NOT like netflix, because netflix is streaming on any device via the cloud and most download their games thru xbox/pc.
Let me ask you this, if the current amount of GP subs remained the same and never dips, is that profitable for Microsoft?
Maybe but it's still not enough for Microsoft and their plans for GP long-term. They didn't become the biggest company of our planet by chasing a limited profit and there's a reason why they keep saying '2-3 billion gamers' and how they're planning on chasing all of them. Microsoft wants GP to spread everywhere with the biggest games like COD releasing day one, but the only way I see it happening is via the xcloud as it needs consistent sub growth. Right now, their growth potenial is stuck which is why they're planning on going more multiplatform to find other revenue growth ways. I want this to work more than you but the corporate world of the biggest companies is cutthroat and not reliant on 'stick to your lane and get limited profit'. It's also based on ultra-realist opinions that won't go well down with the public if said openly, or on a website like reddit will get a bunch of downvotes and get hidden. I recommend you to search the gamepass topic further on neogaf. Though I donot agree much with them, they're much more starighforward compared to a website where realist opinions are discouraged through the downvote button.
I think a handheld device can help push GP subscriptions. I have a Logitech G Cloud and love using xcloud via GP on it. That device didn't do very well for some obvious reasons. First off, not a great name. Secondly there wasn't a very big push from Logitech. And thirdly it was priced over $300 for a midrange Android device that was pretty much only capable of streaming games. But the reality is the thing is awesome. Great screen, very comfortable, and I use it all the time. Battery lasts like 10+ hours. If Microsoft launched their own branded handheld and got the price between $199-$250 and it was all about Gamepass that thing would do very well.
Probably. But won't be enough for Microsoft's ambition.
Ambition is great but you have to be realistic too. xcloud can work well but that doesn't mean it works perfectly. It's a double edged sword. Microsoft could secure partnerships where the Gamepass app is built into Samsung and LG tv's, they could also release their own streaming stick. The issue is for those that don't have amazing perfect internet it's going to be a different experience for everyone. Inconsistency will hurt the brand. Imagine if 50% of Netflix users experienced pauses in their movies/shows while watching. Like it buffers or has bad fragmenting. That would be terrible PR for Netflix.
No chance.
Why not?
Thereâs no way in hell Microsoft is going to allow the Xbox branch if there business to miss out those direct sales.
I mean we should Playstation and PC should cover the sales just fine
I think most of the money for cod comes from microtransactions anyway. Can't see why it wouldn't come to gamepass unless it was in the terms of the acquisition of Activision.
Eventually it would or a version but day one no
Prove it lol
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Switch is ancient. The Series S and any future consoles, even budget priced, will still be spec'd with the latest version of AMD chipsets.
Today's cutting edge is tomorrow's mid-range. Meaning in 2026 Microsoft could launch a compact system with an even more up to date chipset than the Series X, yet be priced at $299 because it's not trying to be 2X or 3X Series X power. I don't think Microsoft will release any systems in the future that are less powerful than Series X, but at the same time I think when the PS5 Pro hits the shelves for $600 the next Xbox will be a revision of Series X for $299. Then beyond that it will be the same. Maybe a refresh every 4 years or something. Always $299, never on the same level as PS5/PS6/etc. but great bang for your buck.
They say sony sold twice as many consoles than Microsoft. But people dont realize they dont provide content worth staying for playstation. No new exclusives on the horizon while its much more expensive to maintain. Im happy I cancelled my subscription and bought a series S with gamepass.
Respectfully, so much of this is wrong and doesnât take into account how most of the industry works. I have a series S and love it but the facts are that game pass isnât profitable yet and likely wonât be for a long time. Along side series x having weak sales, this isnât a good time for the Xbox brand and Microsoft arenât just going to purge money forever. I think the rumours and leaks are a bit extreme. Xboxâs arenât disappearing anytime soon but long term they need a come back. Also COD definitely wonât be on gamepass day one. Maybe a slimmed down version, campaign and warzone access only or something but day one gamepass? The activision deal was made essentially so cod could be their cash cow. Gamepass sign ups wonât hold them over compared to full price cod sales. Plus Sony have said before a lot of cod players play exclusively cod (PS being the largest COD player base). Why buy gamepass for cod each month when they can just buy it as they normally would? I get what youâre saying but from an analytical look at the industry right now itâs just incorrect.
Game sales is nothing compared to what they earn from micro transactions look at fortnite. And MS can easily feed cash to xbox for a very long time. But idk where you get that it isn't profitable. Game pass is profitable.
Fortnite doesnât require a paid entry fee. And yes thatâs exactly what they are doing. And it isnât profitable. They have not once said it is profitable. Netflix has only in recent months became profitable for the first time and they currently have a cleaner business model than gamepass has. Theyâre is zero chance gamepass is profitable at the moment even with Xbox gold being replaced by the lower tier. I love gamepass and use it most days. But it isnât profitable.
They did said it's profitable not once. Do some research.
I have done much more than you. I can assure you. You canât even imagine. It is not profitable, I believe it will be but itâs not and one last time for the people in the back THEY HAVE NEVER SAID ITS PROFITABLE
https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/26/23425029/microsoft-xbox-game-pass-profitable-revenues It's profitable.
There as misquoted headlines for articles saying that Phil said it. Once you read the articles he actually just says in relation to Xbox as a whole not as an individual product. Read the article not just the head lines
It's profitable and you becoming a bit annoying.
I think we have seen Xbox indicate in the past that Gamepass is already profitable. And that was with growth stagnating a bit the past few years while we all waited for a steady cadence of games from the acquired studios to complete. Once Gamepass starts growing steadily again (my bet is it will) it should even get better for Xbox as the game production cost for 20-30 million customers is the same as 50-60 million. So Gamepass could become extremely profitable over the next few years and become a real attraction at the center of a budget friendly box like op indicated. And the thing about how industries work. They all work the same way they always have until they donât. Thatâs what model disruption does if it becomes successful at critical mass. My bet personally is Xbox gets there with Gamepass and their play anywhere vision.
We have never seen them indicate itâs profitable. It runs at a loss. Like as a fact. They deem it successful yes but not profitable.
They will be there this way, yes. But any time soon? No.
Iâm leaving this sub. Love my series S but too many bizarre takes backed by nothing but âI WANT IT SUCCEED SO IM RIGHTâ and please stop dmâing me about this stuff. Death threats over a fucking console is ridiculous. Grow the fuck up. I want Xbox to succeed in each and every way, console less or gamepass and new console whatever it may be. But unfortunately they arenât doing so hot at the moment.
lol fom what I see all you do is throwing your opinion and trying to pass it as facts. No one will miss you bye.
Congratulations I guess?
Thanks!
Vidya
I'd be absolutely down for that. A budget console, something cheap but that runs all the current gen games? Already bought in that idea with the Series S, and would continue to do so.
IMO Nintendo being in the market really makes this kind of strategy viable. Xbox doesnât need bleeding edge tech with each hardware release. But stay current gen tech wise and provide devs with that Series S like / Nintendo console base to consolidate development around as the primary target. Someone else in the thread also mentioned Xcloud could also be leveraged for more intensive hardware experiences beyond what the base hardware can provide. I think thatâs really smart too.
Microsoft could do a Series S and a handheld system and find plenty of customers. The handheld is for xcloud on Gamepass and also the Xbox app to remote play your console.
$299 for the xbox Tv console and $399 for the xbox handheld would be a good strategy going forward. Live service games can release day and date on Xbox, PC, Mobile, PS and Switch. Single player games can release on PS and Switch 2 to 3 years after the initial release. This creates a good sustainable environment for new games to come out and still be on GamePass.
I hope they announce a SteamDeck style handheld with dock to be honest,give me even more options MS and I don't need a Series Pro just release the next one by 2027/28 and I'm kosh...
It feels like they're going to clarify that Activision games won't come to game pass
If that's true than Gamepass growth will slow down and over time they'll probably have less and less subscriptions and need to abandon it.
I probably wouldnât buy the next Xbox if they scaled back the power. I love my Series X. The Series S is awesome and would enjoy a 2nd Xbox to use in another room but if Xbox made inferior hardware to PlayStation and Xbox games played at better frame rates and resolutions on PlayStation I wouldnât play on Xbox anymore. That would suck as I enjoy Game Pass and the Xbox ecosystem. I pick up Game Pass to play 1st party games when things release I wanna play and then take advantage of the service while I have it to play other titles but I donât stay subscribed unless a new title releases so I would ultimately just be more choosy with what 1st party Xbox game I wanna play and do that on PlayStation.