The problem with Xbox is that you don’t need an Xbox

This week The Shiitake Show asks: what's the point of Xbox? That's not us being sarcastic or snide. It's a question that everyone in the industry, not least Microsoft themselves, needs to find an answer to.
That’s not to say the Series X and S aren’t fine machines. They absolutely are - yes, even the “underpowered” and much maligned Series S, which I’ve been a big advocate for in the past and will continue to be because, in a nutshell, it’s the most bang-per-buck deal in gaming. A lot of people pointed to the Baldur’s Gate 3 fiasco as a big indicator that the Series S was Bad Actually. As things stand right now, the plucky machine is by a considerable margin the cheapest place to play Baldur’s Gate 3. And Cyberpunk 2077. And Starfield. And every existing or future current-gen only game, excluding PS5 exclusives and the odd rarity that never makes it off PC. For a box that costs half as much as a decent low-mid range GPU, that’s incredible.
But if you already have a halfway decent GPU sitting inside a halfway decent PC, you simply don’t need an Xbox. Not even the cheap one, such is the business model of Xbox Everywhere. PC Game Pass essentially delivers the entire Xbox experience as a handy little Windows app. Hell, you don’t even need a proper PC: if you own a Steam Deck and have ten minutes of free time, you can get Game Pass running via Xcloud, and very nicely too. Microsoft provides an official guide for the procedure. It even includes bespoke artwork.
Android phones. Samsung TVs. Your mum’s crappy laptop with integrated graphics and duct tape over the webcam port. Any one of these devices technically negates the need for an Xbox, in as much as it’s a device for accessing Xbox games. And this is a problem, because Microsoft is still ostensibly in the business of selling Xboxes.
.....
If Xbox’s thing turns out to be that, a place where ideas can thrive, and where the democratising effect of popular subscription service like Game Pass gives the business a cushion of revenue that allows its creatives to constantly go off and make stuff like Pentiment alongside tentpole stuff like Starfield, it would be a good thing for everyone. A diverse and eclectic portfolio of studios making a steady stream of double-A event games and B-tier curiosities strikes me as far more sustainable than a slate full of GAAS slop and HBO bait.
Xbox is in a position to deliver this. They just need to, y’know, get on with it.
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#xbox #thirdparty #gamepass

[@ceripowe3818]

Is Tom not on this because all of his takes are universally acclaimed?

[@MrVg247]

STOP MAKING EVERYTHING ABOUT TOM

[@ceripowe3818]

If you didn't want Tom to be a star you shouldn't have put him in the limelight

[@MrVg247]

Hmm. I will meditate on this

[@BreakfastAtNoon]

I think it's a case of head honchos at Microsoft having a go at the heads of xbox for costing so much and making so little and the heads of xbox doing panic decisions. All they had to do was manage their teams and not allow them to drag their feet and run every single franchise into the ground.

[@StephenYuan]

They haven't actually done anything extreme enough to be accused of panicking.

[@LordMorltha]

MS doesn't care about Xbox. The entire company is worth $3 TRILLION (aka 3 million million dollars or $3,000,000,000,000). Xbox makes up a tiny portion of that, and they'd likely just prefer the company to sell games without having to build consoles. But Phil is likely fighting hard for the life of the Xbox.

[@ronto55]

na the heads of microsoft trust Phil completely. that guy saved a sinking Titanic thats also why he got the money for buying Activision. When it comes for supporting xbox the Board is fully in.

[@anthonyayre2910]

You don't need the pa5 any more to play games

[@oladapofamodun7771]

the fact is that consoles dont matter Sony too is going on pc as well

[@Bransfiiiield]

needs more beard

[@MrVg247]

Listen I had a beard before either of these guys so one of them can shave

[@captaincokecan]

I just want to see how tom would work this into his ' toddler having a shite' illad

[@LordMorltha]

Commenting 11:00 in, so sorry if this is addressed later. Is it a good thing for Sony players that Xbox players don't have Spider-Man? YES! That Sony are trying to use Spider-Man to not only sell the game, but *the console* means it has to be the best product possible. And to compete, MS should ideally be making games of an equal quality. If there were no exclusive games; Sony, MS and Nintendo would have to compete on a pure hardware basis. Look how that works out for PC gamers with Nvidia and AMD, or the smartphone market. Do you want a new $1000 console every 2 years?

[@ayooeverything]

Xbox enters the chess competition like "you coppin up that COD/Minecraft/Diablo/Hi-Fi Rush on PC/Xbox/Nintendo/Sony. Thanks for your money 😁 Checkmate 😈

[@Alexander_Martin]

Xbox identifies as a console.

[@gregorymorrison5818]

Nintendo, as ever, are so far removed from this conversation it's silly

[@SheepAmongGoats]

IKR. Pulled out my PS the other day and fired up some Halo. Then jumped on Starfield laughing the whole time at people dumb enough to buy an xbox. It worked out great too because I have nothing to play directly from a Sony studio! Poor xbots...

[@Mal_Ah_Key]

I enjoy these wee discussion episodes but the comment section are always so unhinged taking everything so seriously or an innocuous comment as some great slight. But Sherif's wrong about Nintendo being for babies I own a nintendo and I'm NOT a baby!

[@slapndbass]

I have all the playstations and my brother all the Xbox (s) and we have a steam deck each and we play on all the 3 platforms as grown men. So when he wants to play ps exclusives he borrows my ps4 pro or ps5 and I borrow his Xbox one x or Xbox series x cus I do love gears of war and forza. Both consoles are great. I don't own a Xbox cus I just use his and he borrows mine. There's no beef here. I'm not going to buy Xbox games for my ps consoles ultimately pc wins if it's goes down that route.i would love if Microsoft makes a Xbox handheld that runs pc at Xbox specs. No tinkering with settings just runs out the box at performance like an Xbox os. But will see.

[@George-um2vc]

PC just way better

[@commissionergordan]

That's just how xbox people are.

[@unk_101_GHOST]

Don’t mistake the lack of engagement to this video for anything meaningful. They are factually correct but those who also agree are currently playing games. Xbox guys bring the most views, hate comments and likes because of the obvious. Salt and not playing games.

[@De1usionsofGrandeur]

Yep xbox sells cause it's a great product and people actually want it... switch and playstation sell cause they are forced to buy them due to the locked games

[@khasho]

Gaming journalist opinions don't matters. They get all games for free. Buying a platform and having exclusives is completely different for someone who buys with their own money. They need to feel satisfied for their investment. If everything is on every platform what's the point of buying any system. Everyone will just buy pc and consoles will die. Journalists want to kill console platforms.

[@Bransfiiiield]

🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃

[@collyboy187]

What a doofus

[@StephenYuan]

That's not true. Consoles are still the best performance for the least money right now.

[@DV-ou1yu]

Everyone doesn't want pc. Yall need to stop saying that.

[@markedone494]

The thing is, PC are turning into consoles themselves, all the handhelds will be more and more popular as tech improves, the future of gaming is basically a beefed up nintendo switch that has a base to hook it up to a tv for a full console experience. Were just not there yet with technology but are definitely going to be.

[@Msfasolin]

fake

[@edwink6461]

'Promosm' 😂

[@markshorthouse8564]

Disney owns Indiana Jones therefore needs to mske certain amount that Xbox cant do

[@Roberto_Marx]

These pc guys.. shut up about consoles and play tourneys and stagers games. Pc and Xbox is ass.

[@woodsee7564]

It's not substanable for Sony either from the CEOs mouth, your guys takes are so out of touch

[@vonbleak101]

This topic would only makes sense if xbox stopped having exclusives and the most powerful console... And we know xbox will continue to have both... So its a bit of a waste of time this video it seems...

[@jmxarcx1173]

Xbox doesn't care if you buy the plastic box. They want you subbing to the services and buying their games. Nothing spells the end for the brand or your click bait video. Unsub! Lmao 😂

[@benclarkey1412]

Not really a clickbaity title and I think this is a good discussion on the current state of Xbox and it's general direction