Microsoft Wants Xbox to be Upgradable Like a PC

[OldNewNewOld]

Seeing the latest trend of developer being too retarded to optimize their games even for a single configuration of a console, I don't see a console with multiple possible configurations playing out well. At least not for the consumer.

Also we have this thing called PC. It's like a console. Just upgradable. And cheaper. And not locked. And is multi purpose and can be used for work, fun and relaxation. So like an upgradable console. Just without any of the downsides that MS wants to push.

 

[NPC009]

To me, the appeal of a console (or handheld) is spending a few hundred bucks and then being done for the next 5 years or so. Sure, you're not going to have a state of the art machine, but you will know exactly what you do have and what it will be able to play. It's nice and simple. The only thing I ask for is an easy and cheap way to add extra memory (because digital distribution is a thing). I like how it works for the Wii U: I simply grabbed an old external hard drive, formatted it and was ready to go. Microsoft is not going to make it nice and cheap for people who do want modular upgrades for their console. I bet my favourite gamepad those upgrades are going to be expensive, much more expensive than similar parts for PCs.

 

[votemarvel]

You can get a 1 for ?260, there's also the future proofing argument. This won't happen this generation and considering consoles are more popular than ever there's another generation coming.

Where are you seeing a Xbox One Elite for 260 pounds? I'd snap someone's hand off for that price.

 

[MatParker116]

You can get a 1 for ?260, there's also the future proofing argument. This won't happen this generation and considering consoles are more popular than ever there's another generation coming.

Where are you seeing a Xbox One Elite for 260 pounds? I'd snap someone's hand off for that price.

Zavvi

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

if only MS had a PC background so they could realise their vision

 

[votemarvel]

You can get a 1 for ?260, there's also the future proofing argument. This won't happen this generation and considering consoles are more popular than ever there's another generation coming.

Where are you seeing a Xbox One Elite for 260 pounds? I'd snap someone's hand off for that price.

Zavvi

They don't sell the Xbox One Elite console, just the original 500gb model and the occasional special edition.

You are aware of the Elite branded model of the Xbox One? It comes with a 1tb SSHD and the Elite controller. http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/xbox-one/consoles/elite-bundle

I thought it only fair to take the premium of the Xbox One consoles to try and match with my build.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

I've got mixed feelings about this.

On the one hand, there's the almost obligatory 'get a PC' response to the idea of an upgradeable console. But having said that, as easy as PC upgrading is, it's still just complex enough to put some people off to the point that they would rather buy a whole new device. So if Microsoft or someone else could make the upgrade process stupidly easy, they might have cornered a new market.

However, it feels like what he has identified as the problem is more geared towards a) lack of backwards compatibility and b) the 7 year hardware cycle. I'm hard-pressed to imagine how after 7 years you wouldn't just want to upgrade the whole device, as just about every component will be out of date. As for backwards compatibility, surely that's more of an OS architecture issue?

What makes the most sense to me is making a console that has an easily upgradeable GPU and expandable storage. Then you can run your standard hardware cycle with a modest processor and RAM specs, but keep getting some performance improvements in the meanwhile.

 

[Black Fire Dragon13]

If Microsoft comes out with a new Xbox that's upgradeable, but also has all of its games available to play on Windows 10, then what's the point? I already have a PC.

Well there are quite a few people who have serious privacy concerns regarding Windows 10. So if you want to avoid getting Windows 10 but still want to play the game you do have the alternative of grabbing an Xbox one and playing it on there. Probably not Microsoft's intention, more than likely they're doing it so as to not put all their eggs in one basket, if you know what I'm saying.

 

[william1657]

Until now I still hadn't decided whether to eventually get a PS4 or an XBOne first, but this makes the decision much simpler.

If I wanted to have to worry about whether my console is even capable of playing a game I'd get a Gaming PC.

If they actually try to do this before I finish playing through the PS3 library then I'm definitely going for an XBOne.

 

[TotalerKrieger]

It is very likely that external GPUs will soon bring high end gaming to users of of ultra thin laptops that lack a dGPU. If external upgrades become a new "thing" for mobile users, I would wager that MS and Sony will try to push for something similar in the next generation of consoles. I personally don't think this will be beneficial to console users.

The fact that MS and Sony currently sell hardware at a loss usually places consoles in a pretty decent price to performance ratio at launch. Will MS and Sony be willing to do this again in the future knowing they could simply get consumers to eat much more of the hardware costs through upgrade kits? It could be a positive development if they released upgrade kits years after launch in order to extend the life of an aging console generation, but I really don't think MS or Sony will be able to resist shifting more costs onto consumers.

An external AMD R9 Nano, with its guts spilled out:

http://videocardz.com/58350/amd-looking-into-external-gpu-standardization

 

[Rozalia1]

Microsoft has been on this path for a while now ever since they got jobbed out big time to Sony. To cut through all the crap it doesn't matter how many shooting star 450 moonsaults you can do, it's all about charisma and keeping people interested with your mic work. Your ring work merely needs to be serviceable, doesn't have to great no matter how many vanilla midget lovers on the internet say otherwise.
Microsoft has never picked on this fact. They were successful (and that is debatable in drawing terms) because the top guy was stale and went through a real bad patch.



Microsoft has been on this path for a while now ever since they got lost big time to Sony. To cut through all the crap it doesn't matter how great your graphics are, it's all about exclusives and keeping people interested with your good advertisement. Your graphics merely needs to be serviceable, doesn't have to great no matter how many PC marks on the internet say otherwise.
Microsoft has never picked on this fact. They were successful (and that is debatable in money terms) because Sony was stale and went through a real bad patch.

 

[Headsprouter]

Microsoft Xbox cartridge based add-on? Microsoft 32X? Microsoft Rare-developed catridge-based 32X Kinect hololens titles?

I feel more confident with Microsoft only being in charge of the functionality of my OS. Microsoft has a recent history of being (or trying to be) heavy handed with its hardware. I doubt they'll allow many (if any) third parties to develop hardware upgrades for the Xbox so they won't have any competition encouraging them to keep their stuff customer-centred.

 

[MHR]

I feel like that's a watering down of what Phil Spencer is saying. It lacks context.

The context, and what I think is more impactful, is that Microsoft are trying to create a shared software environment between Xbox and PC. That's a move that I think is frankly, great for both. That's the goal, and iterations of Xbox hardware is only a means to that.

I think what they're doing is great, just extremely hard to market.

It seems to me like it would poison itself. People have already said. Unmarketable stuff like this; insulting PC users with Games-For-Windows-Live type bullshit and restrictions, STILL no fucking Xbox exlusives released on the actual PC, and the creeping sense that Windows 10 is trying to choke off a section of the PC market for themselves is hard to swallow.

Then Xbox being like a PC needing to be upgraded and running windows begs the living hell out of the question; why have this instead of a PC? What possible contrived dissonance will they try to drum up now?