Maybe Microsoft should create a Windows console a la Steam Deck but with many more options, when mobility gaming is one of their priorities-Activision

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After watching this video some days ago titled "How The Steam Deck Is Changing Console Gaming".


quoting @Newguy from another thread: "The video talks about about the Steam Deck's flexibility, how it's a "PC Switch" (handheld + home console) with a library of PC, Xbox and certain PS exclusives. Along with how a handheld/console fits their changing taste over the years allowing them to play more games, being a pick up and briefly play experience."

The video's author also details that he is more likely to complete a game with this kind of hardware, although the sentence that struck most with me is when he says that he, as a console gamer mainly, is playing once deemed PC only games on a console, it's like a dream.

That leads me to the point that, If Microsoft wanted, they could create a great handheld with a exclusive Windows OS that could use Steam, PC Gamepass, Ubisoft, GoG, Rockstar, Epic Store, etc etc etc etc, but made to run all those stores without any hassle for the user.

This is an unique opportunity for MS to make some extra money in games, imho, creating a Windows console that can be used as a regular PC if need be, but it'd be a triumph, without the limitations of emulation and hacks here and there the Steam Deck must use to work properly.

Tbh I like devices like the GPD Win 2 more than Steam Deck, but the Steam Deck is soooo appealing and this is something ideal for MS, a mix of a console and their native PC background.
 
This is an unique opportunity for MS to make some extra money in games, imho, creating a Windows console that can be used as a regular PC if need be, but it'd be a triumph, without the limitations of emulation and hacks here and there the Steam Deck must use to work properly.

Unfortunately, there is no opportunity for Microsoft to make actual money off of it outside of the retail price of the unit. Everyone would be buying games from Steam where Microsoft does not get a cut of those software sales.
 
Unfortunately, there is no opportunity for Microsoft to make actual money off of it outside of the retail price of the unit. Everyone would be buying games from Steam where Microsoft does not get a cut of those software sales.
Sure, but every unit sold is a potential Game Pass subscriber.
 
and if they followed steam's regional pricing, i would gladly buy games from them instead of steam.

btw does MS games bought from steam requires ms store/xbox app?
 
The likely route for MS would be a series s portable. go with zen 4/5 for the cpu along with rdna 3

Series S is a RDNA 2 20 CU @1.5ghz
Zen 2 8 core 3.4 smt / 3.6
8GB /128bit and 2GB/32bit

Amd has announced some options in the 7000 series

The likely ones would be the 7035 series which would be Rembrant R Zen 3+ 8/16 20MB total cache 65nm 12cu rdna 2 with USB4
Then there is the 7040 series which is zen 4 8/16 20MB cache 4nm 12x rdna 3 usb4 and the AI engine in select models.

MS is large enough that they could get custom pairings outside of the standard offerings from AMD

however I think whatever they do it will be under xbox branding and locked to xbox eccosystem. Windows would be a resource hog for such a device and the first thing people would do is put on steam or other game services offered on windows.
 
The likely route for MS would be a series s portable. go with zen 4/5 for the cpu along with rdna 3

Series S is a RDNA 2 20 CU @1.5ghz
Zen 2 8 core 3.4 smt / 3.6
8GB /128bit and 2GB/32bit

Amd has announced some options in the 7000 series

The likely ones would be the 7035 series which would be Rembrant R Zen 3+ 8/16 20MB total cache 65nm 12cu rdna 2 with USB4
Then there is the 7040 series which is zen 4 8/16 20MB cache 4nm 12x rdna 3 usb4 and the AI engine in select models.

MS is large enough that they could get custom pairings outside of the standard offerings from AMD

however I think whatever they do it will be under xbox branding and locked to xbox eccosystem. Windows would be a resource hog for such a device and the first thing people would do is put on steam or other game services offered on windows.
while very reasonable, that would defeat the point, which is having an universal device that works from the get go, no hassle for the user. By universal I mean a device that can play Sony games, PC games, Epic Store games, GoG games, Ubisoft store games, etc etc.

Offering a new Xbox device just to run Xbox games might not appeal to many people. I've seen PS fans buying the Steam Deck, 'cos they don't see PC gaming as a competition, but another Xbox device...., that would be a different story.

Steam Deck would be well behind that just because in the end is proprietary hardware running a single store only, using hacks right and left to work -most of the games are just Windows games running on Linux- for it to work properly. It's very impressive because it just works. But games need more space than on native Windows because of Proton, crashes can happen in some allegedly compatible games -I've seen games like Bioshock Infinite listed as Gold compatibility wise, yet the game crashed here and there at any given moment on my PC, so that classification for that game is a lie-.

Of course, that version of Windows wouldn't be a resource hog, but a Windows meant for gaming. In fact, I have a single partition of Windows just to play games on my current PC -and another Windows partition for general use-. But many people uses Windows nowadays to play games.

Microsoft, being the owners of Windows, could have a lite version of the OS just to play games, without many services and useless software that you don't need for gaming, and even could have a "general use" mode where you could start adding peripherals or use typical Windows software if you needed, but "gaming mode" would be unavailable in that case.
 
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Unfortunately, there is no opportunity for Microsoft to make actual money off of it outside of the retail price of the unit. Everyone would be buying games from Steam where Microsoft does not get a cut of those software sales.
if such a device were a success -it'd certainly sell even more than the Steam Deck, imho- nothing would stop Microsoft for earning a little cannon in every game sold on Steam that is running under their hardware, which could also have a specific graphics quality setting in the settings menu so people wouldn't have to hassle and touch settings ever.

As a PC gamer, I love the hassle, but I can understand why this doesn't appeal to anyone.
 
if such a device were a success -it'd certainly sell even more than the Steam Deck, imho- nothing would stop Microsoft for earning a little cannon in every game sold on Steam that is running under their hardware, which could also have a specific graphics quality setting in the settings menu so people wouldn't have to hassle and touch settings ever.

As a PC gamer, I love the hassle, but I can understand why this doesn't appeal to anyone.

But why take the risk? It's very expensive to take that risk too, to even start that product, to start the design, the research, the production, the manufacturing, the assembly, the packaging, the shipping, the sales. Pretty much everything is a huge cost before you even can sell 1 single unit.

So again, why risk a lot to sell a low-margin product when you can avoid the risk entirely and remain in your higher-margin market because of the walled-garden approach for consoles.
 
But why take the risk? It's very expensive to take that risk too, to even start that product, to start the design, the research, the production, the manufacturing, the assembly, the packaging, the shipping, the sales. Pretty much everything is a huge cost before you even can sell 1 single unit.

So again, why risk a lot to sell a low-margin product when you can avoid the risk entirely and remain in your higher-margin market because of the walled-garden approach for consoles.
that's a good question. The reason it'd be worth to take a risk...is because..., such a device could be so huge. A native Windows console, with an unified hub running Epic Store, GoG, Steam, PC Gamepass, Ubisoft, etc etc, whatever Windows game, which are thousands and thousands, DOS emulation and stuff like that.

If it was huge enough, it could become so popular that companies like Valve would have to jump through hoops and accept to pay some money when a game is running under said device. Epic Games would gladly pay as long as people purchased a game on their store running under Windows.

Also, they could create an open Windows standard for desktop PCs from Dell, Asus, whatever, and have that OS in gaming PCs -desktop, laptops-.
 
I'm of two minds on this... harsh corporate reality vs consumer desires, and sadly they don't align. If they did, I'd have a new toy. :)

[Reality]
I don't think it would be able to clear the initial Risk-vs-Reward that most companies use in the beginning to make decisions. It usually takes some well off company that has enough passionate people to push it through. This is obviously outside of the various KickStarter/GoFundMe/CrowdFunding projects which alleviate risk by getting the funding up front.

[Desire]
I would love to see them try to produce such a product. I'd likely buy one too.
 
I'm not sure if this would realistic just from anti-trust standpoint if the business model is essentially based on Microsoft basically requiring a cut of everything running on Windows.
 
If it was huge enough, it could become so popular that companies like Valve would have to jump through hoops and accept to pay some money when a game is running under said device.

How does it get to be huge enough without Steam in the first place? Valve aren't going to invest in a unified/friction free storefront this device.

Maybe GameWindows can launch Steam straight to BigPicture? There are probably still cases where it'll dropout/need to drop out to desktop?
 
How does it get to be huge enough without Steam in the first place? Valve aren't going to invest in a unified/friction free storefront this device.

Maybe GameWindows can launch Steam straight to BigPicture? There are probably still cases where it'll dropout/need to drop out to desktop?
something like that might work, in fact with game bar you can launch your recent played games from a list of games at the top of the game bar and play them without needing to go to Steam or other services.

Also GoG Galaxy has an unified model to launch your games after scanning through your store accounts.

As for being huge without Steam, well, it can be, but my point is that a device like that not only would benefit MS but also Valve, attracting more people to their platform.
 
while very reasonable, that would defeat the point, which is having an universal device that works from the get go, no hassle for the user. By universal I mean a device that can play Sony games, PC games, Epic Store games, GoG games, Ubisoft store games, etc etc.

Offering a new Xbox device just to run Xbox games might not appeal to many people. I've seen PS fans buying the Steam Deck, 'cos they don't see PC gaming as a competition, but another Xbox device...., that would be a different story.

Steam Deck would be well behind that just because in the end is proprietary hardware running a single store only, using hacks right and left to work -most of the games are just Windows games running on Linux- for it to work properly. It's very impressive because it just works. But games need more space than on native Windows because of Proton, crashes can happen in some allegedly compatible games -I've seen games like Bioshock Infinite listed as Gold compatibility wise, yet the game crashed here and there at any given moment on my PC, so that classification for that game is a lie-.

Of course, that version of Windows wouldn't be a resource hog, but a Windows meant for gaming. In fact, I have a single partition of Windows just to play games on my current PC -and another Windows partition for general use-. But many people uses Windows nowadays to play games.

Microsoft, being the owners of Windows, could have a lite version of the OS just to play games, without many services and useless software that you don't need for gaming, and even could have a "general use" mode where you could start adding peripherals or use typical Windows software if you needed, but "gaming mode" would be unavailable in that case.
But that is the point. If they make that device then they make less money. MS doesn't want to develop and launch a system only for an end user to use steam instead of MS's store. What would be the point of that on the MS side ?

Meanwhile you have a much more resource intensive os on the hardware which will make it perform worse than similar hardware using steam os or linux. Then you go on to say that MS is going to spend all this money making a lean Windows OS and pay to keep supporting it so that people can install the epic store and steam and whatever Sony comes out with ?

You think that is a better option than MS putting out a handheld series s that runs xbox os an already streamlined os that they already developed and support and that they get a % of every game sold on the device and all dlc sold on the device ?


I'm sorry what you are saying may be a dream come true for end users but makes zero sense for MS
 
But that is the point. If they make that device then they make less money. MS doesn't want to develop and launch a system only for an end user to use steam instead of MS's store. What would be the point of that on the MS side ?

Meanwhile you have a much more resource intensive os on the hardware which will make it perform worse than similar hardware using steam os or linux. Then you go on to say that MS is going to spend all this money making a lean Windows OS and pay to keep supporting it so that people can install the epic store and steam and whatever Sony comes out with ?

You think that is a better option than MS putting out a handheld series s that runs xbox os an already streamlined os that they already developed and support and that they get a % of every game sold on the device and all dlc sold on the device ?


I'm sorry what you are saying may be a dream come true for end users but makes zero sense for MS
fair point, the question that remains unanswered iis how appealing a handheld Xbox is to the majority of people.... It would be "just" another Xbox, or another console, which sure would cater to people like us who have had or have a Xbox console, but if you want to attract new public the context could be creating a device that takes some risks, 'cos the Steam Deck is receiving good reviews overall and it's more limited than a native Windows console. Couldn't they use the Xbox Series OS? It's Windows after all, they could just adapt the part of Windows needed for games and make people's life easier, or devices having two modes, "PC console" mode by default and "regular Windows mode" -optional for those who need it-.
 
fair point, the question that remains unanswered iis how appealing a handheld Xbox is to the majority of people.... It would be "just" another Xbox, or another console, which sure would cater to people like us who have had or have a Xbox console, but if you want to attract new public the context could be creating a device that takes some risks, 'cos the Steam Deck is receiving good reviews overall and it's more limited than a native Windows console. Couldn't they use the Xbox Series OS? It's Windows after all, they could just adapt the part of Windows needed for games and make people's life easier, or devices having two modes, "PC console" mode by default and "regular Windows mode" -optional for those who need it-.
Well sure its another xbox. But is a portable xbox. It could fit into many peoples ecco system. Lets compare real fast here

So if you are a Steam gamer you have
PC with steam
Steam deck

You could get one or the other. You could also get both allowing you convent gaming on the go unlike a laptop. However both pc gamign and steam deck gaming are not just click and run

With playstation well
You have a ps5 for at home
A steam deck to play some sony games that you have to buy again to play ?


With Xbox and a protable xbox you'd have

Xbox series X for higher end console gaming , S for lower end gaming

Xbox series portable for easy to play on the go gaming

Xcloud - for when you don't have either of the other devices around.


All 3 options present an experiance where all your xbox games will simply work

You can then add on PC gaming through xbox app / windows store where you can play some of your xbox games that are play anywhere on them


Nintendo
Switch - low end portable gaming


Imo the Xbox senario gives the most flexibility out of all the options there for a console gamer. The PC + Steam deck would obviously give the most options if you aren't affraid to go into say linux on the steam os and install 3rd party launchers in flat packs and mess around with proton and other stuff to get it running. But that is obviously more for the power gamer.




As for just using windows and xbox os . Well Windows is a huge resource hog. Windows 11 is like 18 gigs by itself. Also again how would MS make money off this ? You can argue that gamers could boot into xbox os to play games but it just leaves the xbox os even more vunerable to hacking but also most people will just buy on steam or epic store. While it be great for a power user there isn't much point. Asside from that GDP win and aya already have windows handheld devices.

Xbox series portable would just work with all series games. Not only that but it will work with all BC games also. It be extremely easy for even the switch crowd to just pick up and play. Being as powerful as the series s it could even hook up to a tv and pull double duty for some gamers.
 
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