Microsoft to unify PC and Xbox One platforms, ending fixed console hardware - Polidicks

[QUOTE]Microsoft is planning to unify its PC and Xbox One gaming platforms into one ecosystem running Universal Windows Applications (UWAs), the head of the company’s Xbox division Phil Spencer has announced. It also looks likely that the Xbox One will become more PC-like with backwards compatible hardware upgrades in the future. During a press event in San Francisco last week, Spencer said that the Universal Windows Platform, a common development platform that allows apps to run across PC, Xbox, tablets and smartphones, would be central to the company’s gaming strategy. “That is our focus going forward,” he told reporters. “Building out a complete gaming ecosystem for Universal Windows Applications.”[/QUOTE] source: [url]http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/mar/01/microsoft-to-unify-pc-and-xbox-one-platforms-ending-fixed-console-hardware?CMP=twt_gu[/url]

This was pretty much inevitable. Moore's Law is starting to get so steep that consoles are launching after they're already obsolete compared to PC enthusiast hardware releases.

the question is if this will enhance the xbox, by bringing the abilities of upgrades and other benefits to the xbox, or if it will slow the pc by chaining it to the development rate of xbox

Does this mean what I think it means, that Xbox games are all going to use UWA meaning PC releases, I know GOW: UE was a shit port, but maybe they can improve (probably not)

[del]Does this mean what I think it means? PC / Xbox games working on both systems?[/del]

So Halo can come to the PC?

They better fix the Not being able to get PC Options that are standard to be changable. Otherwise, Fuck you, buying from Steam.

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;49845519]Does this mean what I think it means? PC / Xbox games working on both systems?[/QUOTE][QUOTE=RG4ORDR;49845520]So Halo can come to the PC?[/QUOTE] Yep. [quote]In other words: purchase, say, Tomb Raider on PC, and that will also get you the Xbox One version.[/quote]

[QUOTE=elixwhitetail;49845493]This was pretty much inevitable. Moore's Law is starting to get so steep that consoles are launching after they're already obsolete compared to PC enthusiast hardware releases.[/QUOTE] I want to see the end of the console era, and see them be remade into something much more modern Kind of like steam machines just, in a way that actually makes sense pretty much just more open ended consoles that get more upgrades ?maybe? semi modular

I bought Gears of War PC this morning and I can't get it to download. Off to a great start.

I was actually happy to hear that more Xbone exclusives were showing up on PC but the hardware thing is just.. quite worrisome as someone who owns both pc and xbone. I guess ill ditch the xbone and get a PS4 when/if they announce exclusives like Halo and Crackdown will also be avaliable on PC.

[QUOTE=RG4ORDR;49845520]So Halo can come to the PC?[/QUOTE] Nah they're gonna lock it down to the Xbone platform so they can ship more units

I was hoping they would release the xbox one drivers and operating system for the pc so I can just put my xbox games in my CD drive.

[QUOTE=Zenreon117;49845692]I was hoping they would release the xbox one drivers and operating system for the pc so I can just put my xbox games in my CD drive.[/QUOTE] You would need a blu-ray drive, but I don't think drivers will be able to get over the fact that the physical drive itself wouldn't be able to read the games.

Release a Halo game with xbox to pc cross compatibility and i'll start believing.

[QUOTE=nomad1;49845762]Release a Halo game with xbox to pc cross compatibility and i'll start believing.[/QUOTE] That won't happen because PC gamers would have an advantage. Don't know why you'd want that tbh.

[QUOTE=The freeman;49845743]You would need a blu-ray drive, but I don't think drivers will be able to get over the fact that the physical drive itself wouldn't be able to read the games.[/QUOTE] This. I mean, look at the Wii, the only way to read those disks on a PC was to acquire a DVD reader of a very specific range of old LG drives. Any other drive and it'll just spin...

[QUOTE=S31-Syntax;49845786]This. I mean, look at the Wii, the only way to read those disks on a PC was to acquire a DVD reader of a very specific range of old LG drives. Any other drive and it'll just spin...[/QUOTE] I think it's the same thing with 360 games where a very select few DVD drives could actually read data off some games so you could make an ISO, but I seriously doubt anything like that can happen with Blu-Rays.

[QUOTE=Saxon;49845690]Nah they're gonna lock it down to the Xbone platform so they can ship more units[/QUOTE] This. I can see every xbox game put on the pc EXCEPT halo

Microsoft is basically saying their consoles will become steam machines with Microsoft's personal software, which isn't bad because the xbones layout isn't bad, Id love support for steam style stores though instead of Microsoft's terrible store

You know, a future where the Xbox is just a Windows PC with drop-in graphics/RAM upgrades (maybe released as a bundle, once per 3-4 years? CPUs are pretty stagnant right now, and the ones in the current consoles are plenty good for most games) and a unified 10 foot interface is not a bad idea. This will be interesting, certainly.

[QUOTE=Keychain;49845774]That won't happen because PC gamers would have an advantage. Don't know why you'd want that tbh.[/QUOTE] You know they say that but GTAV has keyboard/controller mix combat and with the right tuning it could work but that may be because gtav combat is pretty bad in general

[QUOTE=Sableye;49845847]Microsoft is basically saying their consoles will become steam machines with Microsoft's personal software, which isn't bad because the xbones layout isn't bad, Id love support for steam style stores though instead of Microsoft's terrible store[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=woolio1;49845860]You know, a future where the Xbox is just a Windows PC with drop-in graphics/RAM upgrades (maybe released as a bundle, once per 3-4 years? CPUs are pretty stagnant right now, and the ones in the current consoles are plenty good for most games) and a unified 10 foot interface is not a bad idea. This will be interesting, certainly.[/QUOTE] tbh steam machines is trying to fix a problem where it doesn't exist, or rather, it does, but not in the way they think it does. Gaming PC's don't need to be simplified, consoles simply need to be opened. xbox being a unified platform would exactly solve this problem. PC's aren't 'plug-n-play' like consoles and never will be, and steam is trying way to hard to make them so.

[QUOTE=J!NX;49845873]tbh steam machines is trying to fix a problem where it doesn't exist, or rather, it does, but not in the way they think it does. Gaming PC's don't need to be simplified, consoles simply need to be opened. xbox being a unified platform would exactly solve this problem[/QUOTE] Well, Steam Machines make higher-end PC gaming more accessible, at least in theory. So they're really just trying to be a console equivalent of a gaming prebuilt. It's a good idea, but like everything Valve does, the execution was so flawed it makes the invasion of Stalingrad look like a success.

[QUOTE=woolio1;49845902]Well, Steam Machines make higher-end PC gaming more accessible, at least in theory. So they're really just trying to be a console equivalent of a gaming prebuilt. It's a good idea, but like everything Valve does, the execution was so flawed it makes the invasion of Stalingrad look like a success.[/QUOTE] pretty much the problem. They're trying to make high end PC's plug and play. The fact that SteamOS is terrible and actually much more complicated than just using windows 10 doesn't help at all

[QUOTE=Sableye;49845847]Microsoft is basically saying their consoles will become steam machines with Microsoft's personal software, which isn't bad because the xbones layout isn't bad, Id love support for steam style stores though instead of Microsoft's terrible store[/QUOTE] Honestly, this is the way I would want it to go. All games are tested and guaranteed to work on the Xbone but Windows 10 PCs are supported and YMMV depending the the hardware. It would put an end to this strange situation where MS has the largest OS marketshare and develops a hugely popular games console, but kind of ignores gaming on said OS.

[QUOTE=woolio1;49845860]You know, a future where the Xbox is just a Windows PC with drop-in graphics/RAM upgrades (maybe released as a bundle, once per 3-4 years? CPUs are pretty stagnant right now, and the ones in the current consoles are plenty good for most games) and a unified 10 foot interface is not a bad idea. This will be interesting, certainly.[/QUOTE] Even if you need to buy the whole box for $300-$350 every 3-4 years, it could still be worthwhile. Assuming they do this for the next Xbox One, it'll be interesting to see how the cost of upgrading a 2013 $400-$500 console killer stacks up to just dropping the money on a new console. Depends on what hardware they put in, I guess.

[QUOTE=Keychain;49845774]That won't happen because PC gamers would have an advantage. Don't know why you'd want that tbh.[/QUOTE] They would have to allow console users to use KB+M, and make it a setting in matchmaking. I doubt that would happen though.

Now I wonder if Sony will follow the same suit with the PlayStation.

[QUOTE=proch;49845954]They would have to allow console users to use KB+M, and make it a setting in matchmaking. I doubt that would happen though.[/QUOTE] phil spencer actually said this would most likely happen. they are even planning a elite keyboard and mouse apparently.