Phil Spencer Signals Xbox One Hardware Upgrades!

"Lei Fang, keep in mind with such a hypothetical situation "all" is not guaranteed. There is nothing to say the a Game 7 years from now will be able to still work on the current Xbox One. They will keep a minimum tolerance for operating but given enough
new SKUs the current Xbox One might be incompatible with a Game built to maximize the newest SKU at that time.

I think MS is banking a lot on the Universal Windows Platform and the Consumers wanting to buy a "new" Console every few years or so. Its really not that far of stretch with the SKU itself. Look at how many Launch Xbox 360 still might out there, I doubt
many and no one that Generation received any true befits from each new Xbox 360 SKU."

This right here. It amazes me how many people I know that do not understand this.

I explained this to a few gamers I know and they still did not get what I was saying. I was pretty sure originally that they where not going to go the modular upgrade route. I explained that the console would have a newer model every 2 years or so and
that people could upgrade and that would also be there for new buyers. Possibly and most likely keeping the older sku for a time as well with a lower price. But after 5-7 years the newest games may not work with the oldest model. Which makes sense because
it still fits into a standard console cycle. Games can be made to work like that. And the mp component would be fine as well. So it is a viable option and keeps the Xbox brand moving forward without a new generation hardware reveal.

They think that if MS was to launch a more powerful Xbox One now, even if games where compatible with the current model as well, that theirs would be obsolete. And even talked about how they would feel ripped off. Yet they buy other devices every 2-3 years
for better hardware/software. And some of those older devices will not work with some of the newer software. Not really any different. And with keeping the original compatible for a long enough time things would really be just like they are already.

Personally, I have slowed down my console gaming a lot. These newer consoles are just not that great overall to me. They are fine but I can run games 4k on my PC (and it is a few years old) with decent settings and things look much better and run better
than these current consoles. Not a knock on the consoles, just how it is. And I never really have to configure much if I do not want to. So that is not an issue. Of course there can be issues but that goes for PC/Console either one. Overall, I think these
consoles will need a shorter cycle. Unless an upgrade path like this exists. That way those who want to move up can. Others can use what they have just fine. But I am sure there will be a lot of people upset if MS goes this route.

 

[quote user="Redeye Expr3ss"]The only reason that half the internet claims the consoles are dead and the PC's have won is because of the basic fact that there are more pc's and pc owners in this world that can latch on and feel special with their special
machines that blow the consoles away, apparently.[/quote]store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey

The thing is that the average PC is worse than the Xbox One hardware wise according to the Steam hardware survey, so it isn't the hardware that people are using to declare themselves the 'master race'.

So what is it? Simple. Every console generation takes a move closer to what PCs can do software wise. With this generation we are even going to be seeing user made content hit the consoles with those for Fallout 4. But you can bet your bottom dollar that
they will have to go through a approval process in order to be allowed in the console.

That is just one small example. I believe PC gamers look at the consoles and see decent gaming machines, but gaming machines that labor under massive restrictions such as if Live goes down you lose all online functionality, you can't even use the video streaming
apps.

Ps. The Dreamcast was an awesome machine.

 

@Dante

The thing is that the average PC is worse than the Xbox One hardware wise according to the Steam hardware survey, so it isn't the hardware that people are using to declare themselves the 'master race'.

There is a serious flaw with that assumption.....the survey is optional. Several gaming sites have had articles mirroring your comments but it is always followed up with comments from Steam users pointing out the flaw in it.

Most of us hit decline for a variety of reasons....."Big Brother" doesn't need to know what's in our system, fear of a vac ban for applications or running processes, etc etc. The only way it'll be accurate is if it's made mandatory and even then many Steam
users run more then one computer ( I have 3 with drastically different specs ) and only one will be used in the survey.

I do believe there is a larger percentage of low end machines being used on Steam in the last 5 years simply because of the influx of free to play games (DOTA in particular) has brought a huge number of new PC gamers.

It would be interesting to see how the specs of people currently playing the new Far Cry (or AAA titles) on Steam compare to the console specs but I don't see that we'll ever know.

 

"I believe PC gamers look at the consoles and see decent gaming machines, but gaming machines that
labor under massive
restrictions such as if Live goes down you lose all online functionality, you can't even use the video streaming apps." ~ Dante

-

Consoles are nothing more than low end PC's.

What makes a console a console is where they HAVE (per-programmed) to connect.

Xbox/Sony consoles are programmed to connect to MS/Sony corp owned servers ONLY and like an old switchboard, then that connection is routed to apps and/or gaming servers.

I also think that like the agreement between PC monitor/tv manufactures. (Yes, back when windows 98 came out their was an agreement between manufactures not to make a Tv which could serve as a PC monitor etc.)

Times have changed. I think it's time to eliminate that switch board. Thus if you want to connect and play an EA game, or watch Netflix. The console powers on, you select what to do and based on that selection. Do whatever, all without ever needing XBL.

In this way a console would be a low end gaming PC in every respect.

 

True Randver the survey is optional but I'm willing to bet that a conservative half of Steam users allow the survey to collect it's data. At half that is still a sample size of around 50,000,000 gamers, and that is more than enough to judge the average PC
on.

Even if those people also own a console, there has to be a reason they would choose to game on PC as well.

I agree that it would be interesting to see what games are being played on what hardware combinations.

ElectroFlying. Consoles aren't just low end PCs yet, although it isn't going to take much of a push to get them there.

Consoles haven't been just games machines for a good while. My PS1 played CDs, my Saturn could play VideoCDs with a hardware addon, my PS2 was my DVD player for a long time, and I got into HD movies with the 360's HD-DVD drive (not a wise purchase looking
back.)

The thing is, as I touched on above, as technology advances the gap is narrowing with each generation of consoles to what makes a PC. The big thing for example that gave consoles an advantages was plug in and play, which doesn't really exist now outside
of handhelds.

Problem is that I don't think a 'games console' would survive today if all it could do was play games, no matter how good they were. We expect our devices to do so many other things these days.

 

So in conclusion, we have choices in life.

 

Don't be so silly, the Illuminate has seen we have no choices.

 

Maybe they're the reason we don't have custom soundtracks on xbox anymore.

 

^ But my ps4 plays elevator music on the home screen, Oh, Because the hardware is better. Omg, update the XB1!

 

Elevator music? Better than nothing I suppose, at least it makes an effort.

 

Yeah, like McDonalds music. That random slightly off key a.m radio type music. Most of the themes have background music, I don't know if xb1 does.

 

the end of all level playing fields, this has got me a bit worries, i have a pc capable of running all games but i would rather game on a console as all players have identical hardware and it is a complete level field, there are to may alternatives with
upgrades and who is to say that third party upgrades don't come out to spoil things. swallowed my pride and went and bought a ps4 several days ago, least if the xbox goes south i can play CONSOLE games still.