We need to stop thinking of Xbox as ‘Just a Console’

The evolution of the gaming industry has been somewhat of a whirlwind over the past three decades. Games that were once cutting edge can now be played on mobile devices, as the newest console hardware is forever in pursuit of delivering photo realistic graphics and game changing experiences. Companies have competed over the ages to deliver the ‘must have’ console as well as produce the best first party games to complement. Xbox entered the arena in late 2001 and back then it was just a console to compete with all the others….now it is much more.

[LordoftheCritics]

What are the non console things we can do on it?

1. Can we browse the internet with a kb/m?
2. Can we alt+tab out and multitask with background apps?
3. Can it be an effective day to day communication device?
4. Can we download non console software/games? If so to what extent?
5. How plug and play friendly is it with other accessories? Is it a pc lvl usb device or console supported only?

[Profchaos]

Yeah mine can do all of that I've got the Xbox 2070 with a 8700k 32gb ram edition.

[bartender64]

1- yes
2- some apps run in the background, but no alt+tab, you need to move through mini guide.
3- Maybe if you use skype? You can also use web discord.
4- there are UWP apps, not a lot of functioning ones though and you can turn it into a dev kit and side load apps to it and you can use office 365 in it. You can find some great homebrew apps if you know where to look.
5- you can only plug external usb drives for media or xbox formatted and keyboard and mouse. Still, what else is needed? Surely you will not be plugging maestro kits, arduinos or raspberry pi to the xbox lol.

[LordoftheCritics]

So half assed basically.

The idea is that whenever I want to use a browser, the xbox console doesnt come to mind.

When I want to use skype/discord or email someone, again the xbox does not come to mind.

When I want to multi task, again the xbox doesnt feel like a good platform for it.

For other apps, definitely not.

To connect devices as in blindly trust that I could buy any wireless keyboard/mouse/any kind of hard drive usb, along with formatting options, connecting any web cam of my choice, etc? It feels half assed.

Everything feels like extra bonuses but nothing I would seriously use except gaming. There are nice things to have, but its so much more convenient to grab my phone and search something while my controller is connected to a game. Or reply to an email via phone or laptop/pc

When they make all of the functions feel accessible like it is on a pc or an iphone then we have something here. The xbox one which I still have, was originally marketed as a multi functional device. Everything about that was stripped away and now its multi function lite. Nothing really feels that useful or productive about it.

I think Sony got it right with PS5, make a game focused monster. Thats it. Im sure if one day Sony can make all of the multi functionality feel spot on, they'll do it right.

[Sitdown]

@LordoftheCritics
All you had to do was say you love Sony. You spent all that time asking a question, you clearly already had the answer to, so you could finish off my praising Sony for being perfect.

[LordoftheCritics]

@Sitdown

Sony does nothing but just be itself. MS is the one trying to be everything. If them sucking at it makes others look good, its on them.

The questions were not for me but arguments against the article. We keep hearing, xbox is a service etc etc
What need is it exactly servicing well? The gaming part they are beginning to do better but thats it

[Shiken]

It is more about how XBox gaming as a whole is no longer about just console sales, like PS and Nintendo primarily are. Did you even read the article?

There is the traditional console yes, but you also have XCloud, gamepass, and all 1st party games on PC day 1. They push the entire brand as a whole, not just XBox consoles. That is what the title is pointing to, not what kind of functionality a Series X/S has outside of being a console.

[LordoftheCritics]

I did read it. I know its mainly talking about gamepass, cloud and being accessible to multi platform etc.

Why I brought up my points was because MS in the past have clubbed it all together, with skype and the dead and done mixer etc etc and called themselves various names over the years. And game journalists have used that make xbox look like a platform for everything. Something trends, they chase it. When they fail at following those trends, they abandon ship. They clubbed mobile os+windows 8+xbox tiled all together. I have owned all those devices from surface to lumia and xbox with kinect.

Their store names conveniently changing. And on pc it was hell and its only a little better now. From Games for Windows to xbox companion to xbox console app to xbox app to game pass. Even today im not sure if i should use windows store or xbox app for downloads. Also its near impossible to even find some of those installed games on the drive. MS messaging has always been confusing. Their xbox console names says it all. Thats why I mentioned Sony purely for comparison and not praise in particular. Clear messaging. Its not what Phil Spencer says in an interview, its about actually seeing it in Windows 10 OS taking effect. We dont see that. Its a mess.

That is their core principal issue.

I hope they do games and games only platform right, but we have yet to see that in full effect. These opinion articles are bs fluff pieces.

[garos82]

i love how "alt tab" is thing to be happy for. i mean here is this amazing brand new game with a killer score and beautiful environment to explore and immerse yourself in but yeah please go put on your favourite podcast to play in the background on you tube because thats totally how people are supposed to enjoy the art at hand

[oldenjon]

Yeah Microsoft got it in their head that Xbox needs to be more than just a game console to be viable competition for Sony and Nintendo. I would hope that it and its followers learned a lesson with Xbox One but apparently not. It ends up a jack of all trades master of none situation. It can do A, B, C, D but it doesn't matter if its core function isn't compelling in ways the competition's is. That's where it needs to focus. This reminds me of xcloud on mobile devices. You really think the number of people who want to use their phones for AAA gaming is significant enough to make it a game changer?

[porkChop]

You're specifically talking about the console. The article is talking about Xbox as a whole and how they're not just a console manufacturer anymore. They've integrated Xbox into PCs, they offer cloud gaming on a ton of devices, they have Game Pass, etc. Xbox is an ecosystem now, one that you can access nearly anywhere at any time.

[Levii_92]

Yes it's clearly a saviour of the human race.

[Silly Mammo]

Nope. That's Apple's job. /s

[TheDoomedGuy]

I thought it was epics job.
:P

[neutralgamer1992]

Let it first become a successful console that can deliver amazing games before we make it anything else. Never seen so many goal posts being moved for one brand over the last 10 years. No matter how anyone looks at it Ms had the market share by a huge margin and they have yet to regain even half of it.

I want amazing games from both playstation and Xbox on yearly basis that are competing for GOTY contention. Is that's asking for too much?(I didn't put Nintendo in there because I haven't bought a Nintendo console since SNES but I do understand they have their own fan base and make amazing games that appeal to a lot of gamers)

[stamps1646]

It's been 6 years since it was just a console.

2015, Xbox ecosystem = Console/PC
2020, Xbox ecosystem = Console/PC/Mobile device

[TheDoomedGuy]

Yes.. its barely a console and more of a service.

Since they know they failed in the console space competition they are going towards the service side of gaming.

[Sitdown]

Making money is considered failing for a business now? Wow

[TheDoomedGuy]

Wow....where in my comment did you read "failing as a business" or "business?"

[Rimeskeem]

It is failing as a console, succeeding as a PC with a subscription.

[Sitdown]

You said they said are failing in the console competition space....how are they failing? Regardless of they are 3rd, if they are maintaining some of the market and making money, where is the fail?

[JackBNimble]

I don't know what you think the definition of failed means, but clearly... obviously Xbox has not failed.

Maybe your sonyboi goggles are blinding you but the xbox brand is still in business and continuing to sell. That is not failure be any definition of the word.

[TheDoomedGuy]

They're failing to deliver games. Theyve failed all last gen and so far still failing.

That's the metric i use to determine what fails for me. And in terms of sales yes...they most definitely epicly fail. Considering it's micrsofts and they have a near bottomless pocket of money....just imagine what sony would do with all that money.

So yeah...they consistenly fail to deliver games, sell their own games, and create a console that is revolutionary. They fail to understand that it's not about tera flops. Or having a weaker version at a much lower price...or buying up timed exclusivity...or buying matured developers.

But I concede that they are doing very well with the service subscription called gamepass. Most of the worthwhile games not being 1st party but hopefully that will change by 2025.

This is Microsoft and they have zero idea of how to do anything remotely close to what Sony does with it's studios. Or even continue the success of its own IP like what Nintendo does.

They are 3rd only because there is only 3 in the race. If there were 10 companies in the race they may even be 10th.

[MadLad]

Call it whatever you want.

As long as I'm getting good games at a good price, I consider that a win.

[TheDoomedGuy]

I agree...lets hope they are good games.

[GhostofHorizon]

I read the article but I'm not quite sure what the overall message was...

Stop thinking of Xbox as a console and start thinking of it as a service?

[Knushwood Butt]

Yes, because clearly Microsoft's efforts to tell everyone that are failing.

[TheGreatGazoo30]

Microsoft has been referring to Xbox as a Platform for a while now, so yes, the title is right.

[dbcoops]

Platform - Noun: "a raised level surface on which people or things can stand"

So people should stand on their xbox?

All kidding aside all consoles are platforms.

[TheDoomedGuy]

What about cars? Cars can be on platforms too!

[JackBNimble]

You obviously don't know what platform means.
Playstation is also a platform... this doesn't make the title correct.

All it means is the title is click bait

[TheColbertinator]

Xbox is a revolution and the greatest technological leap forward since Yuri Gagarin first blasted off into space.

I don't throw the word hero around too often but I do believe Phil Spencer is a hero.

[PS-Gamer-1986]

Lool good one

[TheDoomedGuy]

I believe too! All hail Kind King Spencer!

[Mr_Luke]

I sense comedy here!
If not... *facepalm*

[CrimsonWing69]

A gaming console is a gaming console. When it tries to veer away or encompass more than that it becomes a let down. Need I remind you why the Xbox One sh*t the bed out the gate last-gen? It’s fine to have media features, but at the end of the day the Xbox is meant for gaming, pure and simple.

[jznrpg]

Eh? What is it a toaster too?

[russo121]

Paperweight too.

[anast]

It's because they lost the console race. They need a space of their own to be competitive.

[MadLad]

Tesla doesn't have majority market share, but that doesn't make them not quality, profitable, and interesting.
If a company is putting out a solid product, is making a product that people enjoy, and is making a profit, then they are doing well.

I swear the majority of this site would love to see just one of the big 3, whoever it may be, control the entire gaming scene in some sort of hideous monopoly that would only make gaming that much worse when everything is said and done.

It annoys me that these fanboy wars are going to go on forever. I'm 29 and people attacking each other over a few extra pixels, or a few extra fps; or just straight berating people simply for preferring a simple piece of plastic they use to play games just seems so juvenile to me.

Which is bad, being I know there's people on here who have 20+ years on me, and still cant help themselves.

[anast]

The car market is like the console market (both are in the entertainment business), also Tesla cars are in the same price range...MS Xbox has MS which can keep them going for live services, but their consoles sales are dismal. It's not my fault, it is their fault. Give me a reason and I will be a consumer.

I am having fun here. I enjoy picking a side, not unlike a sports fan sending out some jabs to the opposing team. Is there an age limit on this? Do you have a manual on what way people can enjoy things at a specific age? It is only your problem (if) this upsets you (if not then good on you), for, you are voluntarily taking the position as the God of fun... you must be having fun too...There is no way people actually think like this, I mean for real, like for real, real.

[justadelusion]

i wouldnt buy a xbox but if i did id buy it to run games, not 'try' to be a jack of all trades and fail at each one of them

[Good-Smurf]

Less than a console considering their push for Gamepass nowadays.
Until it about as common as cockroaches they won't stop and probably just as annoying.

[foker]

A console? I'd say it is a piece of something,..

[mastershredder]

Oh geez, Every gen since ps1and the original xbox we've had to listen to this delusional claim.

Yo, for reals, your console is nice and all but it only does it all, if your focus is keeping yourself entertained.

MS did not turn it into more “than just a console” because they legally made ‘just a console’.

[-Hermit-]

The comments on here are full of people that didn't even bother reading the article or seem to understand that Xbox isn't just a console anymore. You no longer need an Xbox console to play on the Xbox. It's really not hard to understand.

[Chevalier]

You're right the other 100 articles didn't also reiterate that point. Oh wait they did.....

[MadLad]

It's more that you no longer need Xbox hardware to play MS games, and enjoy their services.
I mean, they're still selling and pushing consoles, and it's not like they aren't pulling good numbers.

Xbox is a console. It still does well. They simply offer a service that's available to a broader audience than just Xbox.
They're still adding attractive features to the Xbox to push people to buy one.

People saying Xbox isn't a console .... well... it's dumb.

[WillyC009]

I agree. I can think of another word to describe it….

[nRicosS]

PlayStation held an event, then come this kind of article lol

[Christopher]

No I don't. I'm going to think of it for the purpose for which it was purchased, not for the things it can do that my phone and laptops do better and that I'm never going to use because I don't do this stuff on my TV.

[secrettalkshowhost]

We need to stop writing dumb articles.

[ocelot07]

To me and this is not me taking a dump on Xbox. But I don't see Xbox as a platform anymore. I see it as a service. With there games on pc as well as gamepass. It's just another store front to me.

Ever since the last few years of th Xbox 360 days when Microsoft's first party output started to become awful I always seen them coming more of a publisher than a console maker.

I can still see it happening. I think Microsoft's are always going to make Xbox consoles. I just think that in the next few years they will be more if a publisher. They have already said that want to put gamepass on as many devices I believe. If this is correct then maybe there end goal is to get gamepass on all devices to your Nintendo consoles your playststions. Your windows pc and laptops but also there own consoles. As people simply do prefer to own a Xbox console.

[LWOGaming]

Xbox has been heading toward being an experience rather than just a console ever since it was just a glint in the eyes of Microsoft. They hit a rocky patch with the last gen but that's happens to them all from time to time but the current generation is very much what I feel they have been aiming for from day one. They will keep giving us consoles but they also want as many people in as many places to be able to easily access their games and in my opinion it really is as simple as that. Their strategy has never been in doubt, it as just taken them until now to start to execute it fully and in many ways the shortage of consoles and parts due to the pandemic has helped them in that respect.

[OneLove]

Lmao the moment sling came on xbox, it became my entire set up. Xbox is on as long as I'm home.

[frostypants]

So then what term do we use when discussing just the console? We aren't Microsoft's PR team...we don't need to be dodgy about it.

Xbox the service is a totally different product (that happens to work with the console). The author buys into this silliness by acting like Xbox "evolved" into the service. No...MS just re-used the name so they could muddy the waters just like the author is.

Stop conflating services with hardware. It's dumb.