The future of the Xbox looks a lot like a PC

When I reviewed nan Xbox Series X astir 4 years ago, I called nan console a “next-gen PC.” Not only did nan Xbox look for illustration a PC pinch its boxy, rectangular, tower-like lawsuit but it besides felt for illustration 1 acknowledgment to hardware upgrades that allowed it to tally games pinch a assortment of PC-like graphical modes. Now, arsenic we attack nan adjacent procreation of Xbox, it looks for illustration Microsoft is astir to adjacent nan spread betwixt Xbox and PC moreover further.

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has teased immoderate perchance monolithic Xbox level changes successful caller weeks. At nan aforesaid time, leaked soul memos person revealed an accrued attraction wrong Microsoft connected Xbox crippled preservation and guardant compatibility. When you put each nan breadcrumbs together, it feels for illustration we’re astir to spot Microsoft harvester each nan bully parts of Windows and Xbox for its next-generation console.

Spencer precocious said successful an interview pinch Polygon that nan Xbox squad is reasoning astir really to unfastened up its ecosystem and clasp PC stores for illustration nan Epic Games Store and Itch.io. It’s a extremist rethinking of nan Xbox console model, and Spencer doesn’t usually tease things for illustration this unless it’s thing Microsoft is earnestly considering.

To beryllium capable to unfastened up nan Xbox to PC stores and clasp a much unfastened model, respective things request to hap that I get nan consciousness are successful mobility wrong Microsoft. First and foremost, it will request to make nan console tin of moving PC games.

That doesn’t mean Xbox owners will abruptly beryllium booting into a Windows desktop pinch a Start paper and pop-up ads for Bing, but it could mean that a early Xbox console would thin much toward nan PC broadside of crippled development. Microsoft has been trying to span this improvement spread for years, pinch projects for illustration GameCore, a method that makes it easier for developers to package up games that usage some Xbox and PC services and tally arsenic container-based apps.

While Microsoft has promised “the biggest method leap ever successful a generation” for its adjacent Xbox console, nan institution has besides group up a caller squad dedicated to preserving existing Xbox games. “We are building connected our beardown history of delivering backwards compatibility to our players, and we stay committed to bringing guardant nan astonishing room of Xbox games for early generations of players to enjoy,” Xbox president Sarah Bond wrote precocious successful a leaked soul memo.

This feels for illustration a squad being group up to modulation distant from nan thought of Xbox and PC games being 2 abstracted things, while besides ensuring that existing games proceed to tally connected early consoles that adopt this caller measurement of operating. It would unfastened up nan Xbox to tally a batch much games and make it easier connected developers.

Microsoft opening up its Xbox console to rival PC stores comes pinch immoderate risks and rewards, but it shouldn’t travel arsenic a surprise. Two years ago, Microsoft said it was committed to opening up its Xbox level to nan app shop principles it put successful spot for its Windows app store, which allows developers to usage replacement systems for in-app payments. “We will build our next-generation crippled shop based connected these caller principles,” said Microsoft president Brad Smith at nan time.

If Microsoft does spell down this road, opening up nan Xbox level will dramatically displacement nan economics of Xbox console hardware. Microsoft typically sells its Xbox consoles astatine a nonaccomplishment that it recoups done income of games. If rival PC stores are connected an Xbox, past subsidizing hardware gets acold much analyzable and could lead to much costly consoles.

Spencer admitted successful an interview pinch Polygon precocious that subsidizing hardware is “more challenging successful today’s world” of pricey components and a deficiency of wide console marketplace growth. “So I think, what are nan barriers? What are nan things that create clash successful today’s world for creators and players? And really tin we beryllium portion of opening up that model?” asked Spencer.

Opening up nan underlying exemplary of Xbox to beryllium much PC-like could besides alteration third-party Xbox consoles successful nan future. That doesn’t mean Microsoft will locomotion distant from Xbox hardware, but if it’s doing tons of package activity to unfastened up its level and make it easier for developers to build games, past why not widen that to moreover much hardware?

All of these imaginable Xbox level changes will besides use to handhelds, and I deliberation this is simply a large portion of Microsoft’s wide reasoning here. Valve has shown that nan Steam Deck is simply a viable console, years aft it tried and grounded to make Xbox-like Steam Machines a reality. The Steam Deck is powered by a civilization Linux OS that utilizes Proton, a compatibility furniture for Windows games to tally connected Linux. Proton has been cardinal to making Steam Deck a occurrence because, without it, developers would person to do a batch much activity to larboard their games to Linux.

Microsoft is rumored to beryllium moving connected an Xbox handheld, and while I’m not expecting nan accepted next-generation Xbox console to tally connected Arm-based chips, I deliberation they make a batch much consciousness successful an Xbox handheld shape factor. For an Xbox handheld to beryllium successful, it will person to leverage nan strengths of Windows and Xbox successful a smart combination.

On The Vergecast, I precocious discussed my perfect for an Xbox handheld. It would tally Windows astatine its halfway but ne'er expose this to you truthful it looks and feels for illustration an Xbox console, but if you want to tally Steam games aliases Xbox games, you can. Microsoft has nan expertise to tally nan Xbox OS connected Windows and has experimented pinch doing precisely that successful nan past.

The Steam Deck mightiness person only sold a fewer cardinal units truthful far, but it represents nan biggest threat to Xbox consoles and Windows-based PC gaming ever. Valve has managed to create a console-like acquisition for PC games, and it has entree to each of nan champion Xbox- and PlayStation-exclusive games done its Steam store.

Microsoft’s consequence to nan Steam Deck has been muted truthful far, but nan institution has formed a caller Xbox Experiences and Platforms squad that will thief amended nan Windows acquisition connected handhelds.

“I want to beryllium capable to footwear into nan Xbox app successful a afloat screen, but successful a compact mode,” said Spencer recently, discussing handhelds successful a Polygon interview. “Like I want it to consciousness for illustration nan dash of my Xbox erstwhile I move connected nan television. [Except I want it] connected those devices.”

If Microsoft tin propulsion disconnected merging Xbox and Windows together, it mightiness genuinely execute its “Xbox everywhere” imagination — nan thought that each surface is an Xbox.