Update: Xbox One E3 Demos May Have Been On Windows 7

[Steven Bogos]

Update: Xbox One E3 Demos May Have Been On Windows 7

It seems that even Microsoft doesn't have faith in Windows 8, the OS that the Xbox One's OS is supposedly based on.

EA big wig Peter Moore assured us that the games it was showing off on stage at E3 were running on comparable dev kit specs to the actual home consoles. While this may have been true for the PS4, Microsoft made sure that its games were running on the most stable system specs available on the market and in some cases that may have been an HP powered, Windows 7 system with Nvidia's 700 series GTX GPU.

It all started when US Gamer's Julian Rignall tweeted [https://twitter.com/JazRignall/statuses/344967744808185857] that the Xbox One game he was playing with an Xbox One controller crashed to a Windows 7, Hewlet Packard-branded desktop. But that's just one man's experience on one specific machine that may or may not be the truth. As they say on the internet "pics or it didn't happen".

Well, ask and the internet delivers. These two pictures clearly show an Xbox One controller hooked up to PC hardware. The first picture to the right shows the iconic Windows 7 splash screen bellow an Xbox One display, and the second picture here [http://cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/546/546517.jpg] actually shows a PC desktop in the supposed Xbox One cabinet. Busted.

What is more surprising is that it seems Microsoft doesn't even trust its own operating system, opting to run Windows 7 instead of Windows 8, the OS that the Xbox One's OS is supposedly based on.

The fact that the desktops were apparently running Nvidia 700 series GTX cards is another worrying revelation if proven true. The 700 series GTX is considerably more powerful than the modified AMD GPU the Xbox One will run on.

For the record, Sony has officially come out and assured us that all PS4 demos shown at E3 were running on actual PS4 dev kits. [http://www.cinemablend.com/games/PS4-Games-E3-Ran-PS4-Dev-Hardware-High-End-PCs-56752.html]

Source: Cinema Blend [http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Xbox-One-Games-E3-We%C2%ADre-Running-Windows-7-With-Nvid%C2%ADia-GTX-Cards-56737.html]

Update: Several Xbox One developers have come out and confirmed that their titles were most assuredly running on actual Xbox One dev kits. Apparently, only a single title: Lococycle, was running on a PC because it had not been ported to Xbox One yet, and the decision was made by the dev team, not Microsoft.

Source: Forza Central [http://www.forzacentral.com/forum/threads/xbox-one-games-did-not-run-on-high-end-pcs-at-e3.39428/]

Permalink

 

[Kiya]

You can clearly see a high end Nvidia card in a blown up version of the second image which is frankly astonishing.

From what I understand no Microsoft Xbox one dev kit would be able to run on that hardware as they would be using AMD/Radeon tech. Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[FalloutJack]

You know, maybe they just SHOULD back PC gaming, and ONLY PC gaming. Makes sense.

 

[VincentX3]

BUSTED!

Simple & plain.
Between all the controversy and this, I seriously dought the sanity of anyone getting the Xbone.

I mean seriously, the games weren't even running on the OWN SYSTEMS DEV KIT!
All those games probably running at 60FPS and that look astonishing? Yea... just you wait till you get an Xbone

 

[Omegatronacles]

Yea... just you wait till you get an Xbone

Pffft, what a silly thing to say, nobody's going to buy one.

OT: I'm curious to see what comes next in the train wreck that is the unveiling of this console. Cause at this stage they're heading towards the point where they have to pay people to adopt it.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Dat misrepresentation...


Good job MS, you have such little faith in your own hardware that you had to use PCs, and you didn't even use the same brand of graphics card.


All the lolz.

 

[J Tyran]

This news makes me happy, at least now we know that kinda sexy Xbone controller will work on the PC.

You can clearly see a high end Nvidia card in a blown up version of the second image which is frankly astonishing.

From what I understand no Microsoft Xbox one dev kit would be able to run on that hardware as they would be using AMD/Radeon tech. Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

This too, why/how are they playing on the PC with Nvidia hardware when the Xbone will be AMD hardware?

 

[mKeRix]

For the record, Sony has officially come out and assured us that all PS4 demos shown at E3 were running on actual PS4 dev kits. [http://www.cinemablend.com/games/PS4-Games-E3-Ran-PS4-Dev-Hardware-High-End-PCs-56752.html]

Regardless of the whole device fiasco (which is nothing new in the industry anyways) and can't even really be proven until there's some official statement to it, does assuring mean anything in this business nowadays?
I mean, they could have run a lot of the presentations on a PC as well, just like the XBones presentations may have run on the console or a PC. Sony already showed us prerendered gameplay, so why would we suddenly trust them so much and actually just ignore what the internet hates Microsoft for? There are things that they do (nearly) exactly the same, but nobody cares suddenly.
Anyways, right now the consoles aren't finished or out yet, only the end product you actually get to buy matters.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

So not only were the 'consoles' running Windows 7, but they are running NIVDIA PC hardware instead of AMD?

This is just getting sad.

 

[Arawn]

I think the fact things were running off a PC is what makes this an interesting story. Hopefully the Xbox One will measure up to the visuals shown at E3.Otherwise some people are going to be disappointed when they boot up their units at home and things look drastically different. It feels like a "bait and switch" on MS's part. If Sony did the same I'd be just as shocked and appalled. But to be fair both of them showed videos rather than gameplay at points. Movies can look breathtaking and spine tingling good, but then you play and it's just terrible. Honestly as beautiful as these games look I pray they have hours of content to match the time taken on appearance of character's shirt when the wind blows. Yes, it's nice, but give the game itself more attention, the story too. Soon enough we'll see the fruit of both of their labors.

 

[n19h7m4r3]

So not only were the 'consoles' running Windows 7, but they are running NIVDIA PC hardware instead of AMD?

This is just getting sad.

It's also running a water cooled Intel CPU from the looks of it, and other forums.

If true it means it can't really be a true dev kit pc, as a sane developer would use hardware architectures as close as possible to the actual prototype/product. Which would have meant AMD CPU, and AMD graphics. As the API's, compatible instructions, and features are different for the other companies.

 

[Orthodox_Reality]

At this point, you have to wonder when Microsoft is just going to admit that they've been running one of the more successful trolls of modern history, and then release the actual console.

I mean, at this point they've successfully alienated most of their potential consumers... and now possibly one of their partners in manufacturing the damned thing.

 

[Evil Smurf]

So we are right to assume that the PC is the best platform Oh Microsoft, I'm not mad, just laughing at you.

 

[Jason Farquhar]

that just says to me that there will be an emulator kicking about soon after release...

...xbone exclusives on my pc? of course i wouldnt do that. hahahahaha

 

[RicoADF]

You can clearly see a high end Nvidia card in a blown up version of the second image which is frankly astonishing.

From what I understand no Microsoft Xbox one dev kit would be able to run on that hardware as they would be using AMD/Radeon tech. Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

While the XBone OS and it's draconian DRM probably isn't setup for other hardware (although technically it could be put on it if given the drivers), the games for the most part will happily port across, especially since most of them are getting PC versions anyway. This is part of the reason why PS4 and XBone has gone with x86, makes porting much easier and cheaper. It's why when you buy a PC game you don't need to buy an AMD or Nvidia version, the software is compatible on both as the drivers and hardware is made to be compatible. Having said that, this is basically cheating by M$, by using high end graphics cards they can push the games graphics up to look better than the console can provide, so they are literally pulling an ACM on us, showing 'gameplay' footage sure, but not what we would see on the XBone.

 

[Steven Bogos]

For the record, Sony has officially come out and assured us that all PS4 demos shown at E3 were running on actual PS4 dev kits. [http://www.cinemablend.com/games/PS4-Games-E3-Ran-PS4-Dev-Hardware-High-End-PCs-56752.html]

Regardless of the whole device fiasco (which is nothing new in the industry anyways) and can't even really be proven until there's some official statement to it, does assuring mean anything in this business nowadays?
I mean, they could have run a lot of the presentations on a PC as well, just like the XBones presentations may have run on the console or a PC. Sony already showed us prerendered gameplay, so why would we suddenly trust them so much and actually just ignore what the internet hates Microsoft for? There are things that they do (nearly) exactly the same, but nobody cares suddenly.
Anyways, right now the consoles aren't finished or out yet, only the end product you actually get to buy matters.

If you had followed the link, you would see that Sony's statement is backed up by multiple developers, including prominent indie dev Jonathan Blow.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

I'm pretty happy about this, because it means the Xbox One controller - the only thing I'm interested in - will work on PCs. Hooray!

 

[ScaryAlmond]

Well considering that the Console architecture has not been built yet and the whole platform has not been created I'm not surprised that they were running through a PC with high end graphics cards come on people its E3 not exactly the home of realistic portrayals of games and products
However what was surprising and also pretty damn funny is that they were using Windows 7 not Windows 8 so even Microsoft employees don't want to work with windows 8 currently sitting here pretty smugly for not getting the 'upgrade' Microsoft keeps telling me to get.

 

[Marak Daga]

This is fucking great news. It means coding the emulator will be a lot easier.

Although with both systems switching to x64 architecture im going to be a happy pc gamer playing those exclusives for both systems anyway.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

I'm pretty happy about this, because it means the Xbox One controller - the only thing I'm interested in - will work on PCs. Hooray!

But it will most likely be a different version of the Xbone controller, just like the current 360 for Windows one, so the price will be jacked up!

BOO!

But I see no difference between that one and the current one(no extra buttons) so I might buy a 360 pad once the Xbone comes out.