Xbox's biggest crisis right now isn't games. It's hardware.

[Windows Central]

With Sony PlayStation announcing a big 40 million milestone today for the PS5, it's time we reflected on how the Xbox Series X|S is doing.

Xbox's biggest crisis right now isn't games. It's hardware. : Read more

 

[GraniteStateColin]

Jez, brilliant piece. I really do think MS had a rational vision for the Series S -- less power, but enough so that all games that run at X FPS at 4K will still look and run the same X FPS at 1440. If they had achieved that, for everyone with 1080p or 1440p screens, the Xbox Series S is all they need. From your reporting though, sounds like games don't do that. They do NOT run as well on the Series S at 1440 as on the Series X at 4K. I'm curious if you know why.

Maybe they should lean into their original reasoning and just drop the target resolution to 1080p (if devs still want to do 1440, fine, but not required and not promoted for the console itself): Series X for 4K and includes a larger drive, Series S for 1080, but other than that, they game the same.

In terms of pixel moving, 1440 is about 44.4% of 4K (3.686 megapixels vs. 8.294 megapixels), so I would very roughly assume that the Series S needs to be about 50% as powerful as the Series X to yield the exact same FPS in any given scene (only referring to GPU here, it should have the same CPU for all the non-graphical calculations). I suspect the reality of needed processing power doesn't exactly align with pixel counts, so the S should have a bit more than 44.4% the power of the X, but something in that ballpark. Of course, my knowledge of graphics processing is limited, so this could be off.

Regardless of the original technical analysis, I think MS suffers from Nadella's cloud focus to the exclusion of all else across the board. Windows is losing OS marketshare to Mac, even in the enterprise. Mobile OS cratered and has since been abandoned, which forces MS to fight on multiple fronts with one hand already cut off. Xbox suffers the problems Jez points out so well in this article. Hardware updates across the board (e.g. Surface lines) are slow and don't seem to get a lot of focus.

Even if we stipulate that Nadella is 100% correct that cloud focus is the smart play for MS in both the short and long term, that doesn't mean it's OK to falter on everything else. If McDonalds made the best burgers, but their fries and service sucked, most people would stop eating there. If Chevy made the fastest cars (or most fuel efficient or safest or any other individual attribute), but lagged on all the others, sales would plummet.

In other words, while it's good to focus and know your core strengths, you can't take that to the extreme of being bad at everything else your customers care about or you'll lose them.

Microsoft doesn't seem to understand the importance of excellence in execution or the end-user experience. This seems to be a flaw in their corporate culture that is impacting all its end-user facing products and services (both consumer and enterprise). Note that for those who think this is just a lack of interest in consumer markets, no. In enterprise, we have the same problem with MS. It's a lack of interest in the user experience, wherever that user may be.

 

[Dumarcm]

Sony doesn't sell 40 million PS5 hardware because it can acquire a big gaming developer/publisher. Sony also doesn't sell 40 million consoles because that acquisition comes with one of the most popular franchises, which by acquiring said developer/publisher may or may not hurt their competitor.

Sony sold 40 million PS5 consoles because of their exclusive 1st and 2nd party game software. Period.

Let us not move the goalpost or metric every time numbers or sales do not meet Microsoft or Xbox's favor.

If Microsoft sees Xbox as a service like Netflix, treat its goals as such.
If Microsoft sees Xbox as a console brand like Sony, understand they can't redefine a 30+ years gaming industry because they have "no love" for exclusive games.

Apple knows IOS sells iPhones, HBO and Disney know Original Content brings subscribers, and Nintendo/Sony knows Exlcusive games sell hardware.

Microsoft has to choose one but understands BOTH require Original /exclusive content. Period.

 

[al3nas]

Microsoft just needs to include Windows 11 for Xbox with Ultimate subscription - imagine how many Xbox'es it would sell then

 

[Iamdumbguy]

Nah. Microsoft is a software company that refuses to make software. It's far more profitable that way.

 

[blkeyedmonster]

With Sony PlayStation announcing a big 40 million milestone today for the PS5, it's time we reflected on how the Xbox Series X|S is doing.

Xbox's biggest crisis right now isn't games. It's hardware. : Read more

Yeah PlayStation 5 may sell more than Series X|S; but let's not forget that the services that Microsoft provides is top notch and more intuitive, more ways to play that's why I choose xbox. I have sickle cell so that means spending alot of time away from home in hospitals and dr appointments. I am also a gamer and an AVGeek the ability to play live my dream with MSFS on any device I am holding or have next to me is a major plus . From My Gaming PC at home my Series X at my sisters to my phone, my tablet. Am not stuck to playing a Xbox Games on Xbox alone and I don't need to spend more money or even need to buy an actual Xbox for Xbox games yes Playstation have that ability as well but not as good or as diverse.

 

[chris9465]

With Sony PlayStation announcing a big 40 million milestone today for the PS5, it's time we reflected on how the Xbox Series X|S is doing.

Xbox's biggest crisis right now isn't games. It's hardware. : Read more

Microsoft doesn't see the Series X as its main console, or a problem, Its an afterthought, Microsoft is now about trying to out Game Produce Sony.

Microsoft is on a spending spree buying up any studio developer publisher it can, to produce more Series S, Cloud Games, and Game Pass.
Microsoft isn't about Next Gen, they're betting on the casual gamer that doesn't read articles like this. Going for the Pac Man and Donkey Kong players.

When Microsoft built and marketed the Series S; knowing full well, that's their primary Console, there was no way the Series S could compete with the PS5 and next year's PS5 Pro.

Microsoft went out and bought up everything they could to out game produce Sony.

If Starfield was on the PS5; nobody would buy an xbox, ever again. There's no chance xbox survies against, that. Not today Not Tomorrow Not ever would that happen. So they bought it and threw all the work bethesda employees did and threw it in the trash.
Starfield has been delayed because of the Series S.

id software lead engineers absolutely hate the Series S requirements. As do most developers. All games are built for the Series S with no differences to the Series X, they Build to the weakest machine.

Microsoft isn't about next gen gaming, Xbox is about Retro gaming, and old school graphics For games that are 10yrs old.

If you want True next gen PS or PC are your only options,

 

[Iamdumbguy]

Microsoft doesn't see the Series X as its main console, or a problem, Its an afterthought, Microsoft is now about trying to out Game Produce Sony.

Microsoft is on a spending spree buying up any studio developer publisher it can, to produce more Series S, Cloud Games, and Game Pass.
Microsoft isn't about Next Gen, they're betting on the casual gamer that doesn't read articles like this. Going for the Pac Man and Donkey Kong players.

When Microsoft built and marketed the Series S; knowing full well, that's their primary Console, there was no way the Series S could compete with the PS5 and next year's PS5 Pro.

Microsoft went out and bought up everything they could to out game produce Sony.

If Starfield was on the PS5; nobody would buy an xbox, ever again. There's no chance xbox survies against, that. Not today Not Tomorrow Not ever would that happen. So they bought it and threw all the work bethesda employees did and threw it in the trash.
Starfield has been delayed because of the Series S.

id software lead engineers absolutely hate the Series S requirements. As do most developers. All games are built for the Series S with no differences to the Series X, they Build to the weakest machine.

Microsoft isn't about next gen gaming, Xbox is about Retro gaming, and old school graphics For games that are 10yrs old.

If you want True next gen PS or PC are your only options,

I'm sure devs do hate the Series S requirements. But in what way does this differ from PC? Most PC gamers are using what? A GTX1080? What tiny percentage is using anything close to an RTX 4090? Most games on Xbox are also released on PS5 so I don't understand how Xbox is for retro and 10 year old games.