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Microsoft opened Pandora’s (X)box earlier this year.
But perhaps Microsoft is banking on yet another unique “feature” to remain competitive next gen, too.
The only picture I could find in our library to represent Xbox Live Gold was on a sexy Lumia 920.
Will we still have to pay to play online?
donotcharge a fee to play online on their respective platforms.
Nor will they ever.
The only picture I could find in our library to represent Xbox Live Gold was on a sexy Lumia 920.
I can’t imagine Microsoft will paywall Steam etc.
on Xbox for access.
But that creates another question how will Microsoft monetize the Xbox console hardware in this scenario?
Will the hardware end up being more expensive to be more profitable?
Will that make the prices less competitive with Sony’s PlayStation 6 and the Nintendo Switch 2?
Furthermore, how will these experiences sit side-by-side in the first place?
How will you avoid degrading the ‘console’ experience?
On Steam, games like Call of Duty, Overwatch, et al.
often have anti-cheat layers installed on top of them to prevent hackers (with mixed success).
They also expect keyboard and mouse inputs and often have aim assist disabled.
Some games are more “peripheral aware” than others.
It’s a question many will ask.
That is, if Microsoft doesn’t have a plan in place.
I suspect people would like to know what the plan is.
Why would developers still support Xbox Store versions to sit side-by-side with Steam?
The only picture I could find in our library to represent Xbox Live Gold was on a sexy Lumia 920.
Either way, it also creates a problem.
Microsoft might be opening a can of worms here.
Has Microsoft asked any of its existing customers if people actually want the scenario they’re proposing?
The Xbox Series X|S might be the last “traditional” console generation for Microsoft ever.
Are the benefits worth the costs?
Are there even any real benefits to begin with?
Dropping the Xbox Live Gold paywall for a moreSteam Deck-likeoffering could also offer huge differentiation against PlayStation as well.
Developers already skip the Xbox ecosystem on PC en masse, unless they have an Xbox Game Pass deal in place. Why wouldn’t they skip the Xbox ecosystem on console too if Steam was present?
But there are so many unanswered questions.
What will the user experience look like on this console-PC hybrid?
Will PlayStation block their games via Steam and Epic Games Store on Xbox hardware?
Many console fans are still questioning Xbox’s future.
Will Steam Workshop and other mods be supported?
Will I be able to sideload stuff like the Genshin Impact or Riot Games launchers?
Is Xbox Game Pass alone good enough to fund all of this?
