Xbox admits defeat in "console wars"

[Windows Central]

The courtroom showdown between the FTC and Microsoft rages on and Xbox says it's "losing the console wars."

Xbox admits defeat in "console wars" : Read more

 

[digitalhigh]

LOL @ "The Console Wars".

Consoles are an outdated concept that need to die now. They maybe made sense when computers were less ubiquitous and powerful and cloud gaming wasn't a thing, but in 2023, there is literally *no* reason for dedicated gaming consoles to exist any more, at least in their current iteration.

For example, while you point out that M$ may be "losing" the console war, does that take into account the fact that a large majority of top Xbox titles are also available on PC?

Or, take the switch. They basically took the same hardware as the Nvidia shield and added a screen and detachable joy-cons, then slapped a custom OS on it. Any Steam Deck owner with the ability to follow a readme can set up Switch emulation in short order.

Which really just leaves Sony - where I counted appx 37 "exclusive" titles for PS4/PS5 - which I would assume means that the rest of them are available on Xbox and/or PC.

So...honestly...what even is the point of a bespoke console anymore, let alone "console wars"? Why? To convince people that the only way they can play the latest AAA games is to go out and shell out $300+ for what amounts to a locked-down computer that can only play games and media?

I've been saying this for a while now, but IMHO, the only thing consoles are good for is causing an unnecessary divide in the gaming community, and making consumers shell out more money for hardware that they don't actually need anymore.

Get a shield, get any bluetooth-enabled gaming controller, get a free sub to Geforce Now or sign up for Xbox Game pass...and play like 90% of the games on the market without any need for a stupid console.

 

[daveP]

Some of us don't wish to shell out tons of money on PC and upgrades. One of my buddies is a PC gamer but says unfortunately he'd have to update his stuff for the new Starfield game which is $$ so he's going to have to wait a while until he can play it and actually IS considering a updated next gen console because it'll be cheaper and then down the road he can update his computer. I'm guessing he hasn't updated it in a few years. I prefer buying console once every 6 years or so and not dealing with all those added expenses so you do you but IMO consoles work for me better and many I know. Like one friend is in the middle of building an awesome computer but spending more than what consoles are worth because PC does offer better experiences. But I'm a casual gamer so eff that noise! Lol and my Switch is a beauty! I take it with me on my flights all the time and that's the other thing, consoles are easier to travel with. Should I be wanting to do that. So yeah, I tried PC gaming personally it was a pain to keep updating ****. But I do UNDERSTAND where you are coming from, like my buddy building his new computer, some are heavy gamers and PC is kick ass! Just for me, it feels a little overwhelming and since I game here and there, usually binge a new game hard for a few weeks then don't touch games for months I don't care for a PC at this time... But never say never.

 

[digitalhigh]

I think you're missing the point...

You don't *need* a beefy gaming rig to play most games. You can quite literally take an incredibly low-power device like a Raspberry pi, install linux+Geforce Now on it, and stream AAA games to your TV or a monitor with minimal effort.

Traveling? Use an old android tablet, steam deck, or literally any bargain-basement laptop with bluethooth and wifi. Slap GFN or Xbox Game Pass on it, stream all the things. Or for switch games, there's "Yuzu".

 

[daveP]

I consider pCs more "beefy" I'm not a big time gamer, but my buddy who is and is building a gaming computer said laptops are not meant for heavy gaming.
So I read this and yea why go through all that trouble? Mostly I'm not bothering downloading third party stuff, no interest in that stuff. I looked at yuzu and no thanks. I'm all for unbox from LP, plug in and done!!! Lol just being honest, I'm not very techy either so yea I did send this to my buddy but he said easier said then done for top AAA titles and massive games like Starfield. I'm sure if it was so easy my buddy whos all about saving money and much more a gamer than me would jump at this!! He said yuzu acted up tons for his buddy so not sure that's a great choice... but he said low quality stuff gets you low quality return. I guess you do what you do but some of us like me will stick with the LP. So yeah, consoles still matter to some of us that don't want to download stuff and jump through hoops tbh it sounds like an android box/fire stick for gaming lol and that always has issues.

 

[digitalhigh]

But...I mean...the Switch is quite literally an Android box for gaming.

Exact same underlying hardware as the Shield.

Yuzu is on the extreme end of the spectrum in terms of work required, and more an example of how even console-exclusive titles don't actually have to be...

The Shield comes pre-installed with Geforce Now, so there's absolutely nothing to install. Adding Xbox game pass support is as simple as going into the android app store and installing it.

And, while I appreciate your extensive reliance on third-party opinions, I have to emphatically argue that in 2023, laptops are perfectly suitable for the services I just described above, and require minimal tech knowledge to install.

 

[daveP]

Well, I found playing star wars old republic on my laptop worked well. And I didn't have anything wildly fancy for it. But I don't really PC game so just going off what buddies say. I appreciate you giving additional information and I'll look into it myself more and who knows, maybe one day I'm looking back saying why didn't I do this sooner