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.
I can't figure out how that makes sense. How could there not still be sigificant demand for a living room console that isn't underpowered from the handheld tradeoffs? As kids keep becoming adults their lifestyle evolves away from regularly taking their console to school and their friends houses.
The current graphics are good enough for the mainstream, and with modern SoCs, especially with AI frame generation and upscaling, can be run in a mobile form factor with low power requirements and still have great graphics. Hell, even my iPhone can run some games that look great, assuming they’re built with the hardware in mind.
Nowadays, a decent GPU (not even high end) is $700 whereas I can get a full console with a 120hz screen and built in controls for $450 (switch 2). That’s the mass market.
Consoles have traditionally been underpowered PCs but are shifting to a new product category. There’s no real downside to the portable form factor besides a lack of processing power; everything else is upside.
I am similarly dubious of the idea that TV consoles will be abandoned. Handhelds necessarily require low power. Even the steam deck is considered too heavy for many users, and it struggles to run present generation games at 800p.
Nintendo is in a special situation. They have a successful handheld line established in the Gameboy. Their games tend not to be realistic, instead going for more cartoon-ey or Anime style that can be done with low poly counts and lower resolution textures. Nintendo didn't abandon their home console so much as they merged with with their existing handheld console.
Total agreement here. The handhelds have to make extreme compromises to fit in the power/heat/performance envelope. I would guess that most Steam Deck hours are clocked within someone’s home vs on the go.
I assume the screen on the Deck/Switch is the most expensive component. Are Microsoft+Sony really going to push units where consumers have to pay for a feature they know will go unused? I guess so long as they offer a screen-less “portable” for $$$ off the price.
> As kids keep becoming adults their lifestyle evolves away from regularly taking their console to school and their friends houses.
Yes but adults like myself want to sit in the living room and play on handheld while the wife or kids watch tv. This is what I’ve been doing for years with my Steamdeck and Switch.
I mean current gen consoles are already massively underpowered(in the literal sense) compared to actual PCs - PS5 uses like 120-150W when running, that's laptop terittory(in fact it's half of my gaming laptop). Clearly they could do a lot more with a higher power budget, but are choosing not to because the gains are not worth the increased heat and noise.
And with modern upscaling solutions I think you'd be surprised what can be done in a small package - so in that way a "portable" PS6 that can be used in or outside of the dock makes perfect sense.
>>As kids keep becoming adults their lifestyle evolves away from regularly taking their console to school and their friends houses.
You see, as I got older and got my own kids I lost appetite for playing on the TV or my gaming PC. I'd rather have something portable so I can play next to my wife on the sofa. That's why my Steam Deck is seeing 10x more use than my RTX5090 desktop 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.
> Sony games only launch on Playstation then go to PC after a year or so, but never Xbox
Actually, Helldivers 2 was brought to Xbox 1.5 years after the PS5 / Windows release. But that's a live service game, so more players = a better experience.
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.
> PS VR2 owners will be able to experience the entire game through their headset and Sense controllers with a free update that will be available in 2026
I think people overestimate the awkwardness, here. Microsoft just wants to sell game copies - if they make money selling a really cool experience to Playstation owners, it's a win-win. We would know if Microsoft was envious of the PSVR sales numbers, by now.
They already support the game in Windows Mixed Reality, and the VR is already playable on non-Microsoft platforms through Proton. This seems like a really cool gesture from a dedicated software team that didn't want PS5 owners to feel disappointed buying Microsoft games.
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.
- 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.
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.
you were just setup a different way; I haven't owned a TV in like 15 years, if I wanted to jump into a console it'd be just about as much effort as building a gaming PC for me.
I would need to start reading TV reviews, re-arrange the living room, etc.
I mean, yeah, I am not going to need to worry about resolution and graphics options as much, now I just need to figure out how to ad-block a smart TV and pay a new subscription fee (probably) .
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...
Xbox Series X is 5 years old.
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.
Not a TV console, but there is a handheld "Xbox" releasing next month.
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.
They still didn't say the prices for it. such a weird launch.
It likely has to do with tariff fluidity.
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.
I keep hearing rumors that this is 100% correct. The PS6 will be a handheld like the Switch; the next Xbox is the "ASUS Xbox Ally".
I can't figure out how that makes sense. How could there not still be sigificant demand for a living room console that isn't underpowered from the handheld tradeoffs? As kids keep becoming adults their lifestyle evolves away from regularly taking their console to school and their friends houses.
The current graphics are good enough for the mainstream, and with modern SoCs, especially with AI frame generation and upscaling, can be run in a mobile form factor with low power requirements and still have great graphics. Hell, even my iPhone can run some games that look great, assuming they’re built with the hardware in mind.
Nowadays, a decent GPU (not even high end) is $700 whereas I can get a full console with a 120hz screen and built in controls for $450 (switch 2). That’s the mass market.
Consoles have traditionally been underpowered PCs but are shifting to a new product category. There’s no real downside to the portable form factor besides a lack of processing power; everything else is upside.
I’m here for it, I love handheld gaming.
I am similarly dubious of the idea that TV consoles will be abandoned. Handhelds necessarily require low power. Even the steam deck is considered too heavy for many users, and it struggles to run present generation games at 800p.
Nintendo is in a special situation. They have a successful handheld line established in the Gameboy. Their games tend not to be realistic, instead going for more cartoon-ey or Anime style that can be done with low poly counts and lower resolution textures. Nintendo didn't abandon their home console so much as they merged with with their existing handheld console.
Total agreement here. The handhelds have to make extreme compromises to fit in the power/heat/performance envelope. I would guess that most Steam Deck hours are clocked within someone’s home vs on the go.
I assume the screen on the Deck/Switch is the most expensive component. Are Microsoft+Sony really going to push units where consumers have to pay for a feature they know will go unused? I guess so long as they offer a screen-less “portable” for $$$ off the price.
> As kids keep becoming adults their lifestyle evolves away from regularly taking their console to school and their friends houses.
Yes but adults like myself want to sit in the living room and play on handheld while the wife or kids watch tv. This is what I’ve been doing for years with my Steamdeck and Switch.
I mean current gen consoles are already massively underpowered(in the literal sense) compared to actual PCs - PS5 uses like 120-150W when running, that's laptop terittory(in fact it's half of my gaming laptop). Clearly they could do a lot more with a higher power budget, but are choosing not to because the gains are not worth the increased heat and noise.
And with modern upscaling solutions I think you'd be surprised what can be done in a small package - so in that way a "portable" PS6 that can be used in or outside of the dock makes perfect sense.
>>As kids keep becoming adults their lifestyle evolves away from regularly taking their console to school and their friends houses.
You see, as I got older and got my own kids I lost appetite for playing on the TV or my gaming PC. I'd rather have something portable so I can play next to my wife on the sofa. That's why my Steam Deck is seeing 10x more use than my RTX5090 desktop PC.
I wonder if we’ll start seeing things like more powerful eGPU’s built into the docking area.
Just remember there were rumors of Sony also giving up their console all together.
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.
That’s silly, they will make a ps6, they’ve made billions with a healthy profit margin.
I don't buy it, not completely, you still need platforms to run the games on.
If IP were the only things that mattered...well, phones have last gen graphics (PS4-level) capabilities already.
Naught Dog hasn't even released a new game for PS5 yet.
The seem to be leaning into that and integrating steam. If they do seems like a good thing
even PlayStation exclusives are showing up on PC/other platforms later... Last of Us Remastered, Ghost of Tsushima, Death Stranding, FF7 Remake, etc.
the only reason to buy a traditional console these days if you want day 1 access to a game.
For many, the reason to pick a console over a PC is as true today as it has always been: UX.
I do wish they'd bring Gran Turismo to PC. If that happens, I think it will signal the end of PlayStation as we know it.
That's like saying why would anyone buy a PC when there's Macs and you can run MS Office on them.
Not everyone cares about Sony exclusives. Not a single one I'm interested in as a data point.
Will the next Xbox have Steam compatibility?
Without Game Pass the Playstation platform isn't viable to me, personally.
Sony has released some of its exclusives too so I don't know how that makes a difference.
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
Can we simulate/replay Boeing crashes?
Does this mean Microsoft has officially given up completely on 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.
> Sony games only launch on Playstation then go to PC after a year or so, but never Xbox
Actually, Helldivers 2 was brought to Xbox 1.5 years after the PS5 / Windows release. But that's a live service game, so more players = a better experience.
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.
Well….
https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/1np99za/costco_new_...
Like Google gave up on Stadia? There's a chance.
It ships Windows on lots of computers and also makes the Surface. So hard to say with looser criteria too.
But. Yeah, they have.
No mention of PSVR? Seems ripe for that.
edit: coming to PSVR 2026 via free update
Cool, I’ve never tried PSVR how does it compare to say Quest 2/3?
The Xbox doesn't have VR support so letting the Playstation version have it would be a bit awkward.
> PS VR2 owners will be able to experience the entire game through their headset and Sense controllers with a free update that will be available in 2026
https://www.flightsimulator.com/microsoft-flight-simulator-2...
Awkward for Microsoft then, but welcome!
More awkward for Sony, maybe, as this is showing more support for PSVR2 than they have in a while.
I think people overestimate the awkwardness, here. Microsoft just wants to sell game copies - if they make money selling a really cool experience to Playstation owners, it's a win-win. We would know if Microsoft was envious of the PSVR sales numbers, by now.
They already support the game in Windows Mixed Reality, and the VR is already playable on non-Microsoft platforms through Proton. This seems like a really cool gesture from a dedicated software team that didn't want PS5 owners to feel disappointed buying Microsoft games.
Sweet! I wonder how well it will perform vs. Xbox Series X.
Welp, that was the only reason to get XBOX, now I'm convinced I won't buy neither PS5 nor XBOX :)
Seriously, how hard is it to DIY your own console? It's just a PC afterall.
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.
I've built multiple living room, consoles PCs.
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.
Not sure if this is still the case but they used to subsidize the console hardware and recoup the loss on games.
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.
you were just setup a different way; I haven't owned a TV in like 15 years, if I wanted to jump into a console it'd be just about as much effort as building a gaming PC for me.
I would need to start reading TV reviews, re-arrange the living room, etc.
I mean, yeah, I am not going to need to worry about resolution and graphics options as much, now I just need to figure out how to ad-block a smart TV and pay a new subscription fee (probably) .
My point : convenience is all relative.
if it could just come to mac and quest 3
So excited for this!