13th June 2016, 9:04 AM
http://www.polygon.com/2016/6/13/1192038...-cross-buy
This has been a very interesting development. Microsoft technically has had two "platforms" for a while now, considering Windows as it's own platform. They've got nothing to lose with a step like this. For some background, Microsoft is shrinking down their OSes to a single universal platform. Windows 10 will simply be Windows 10 everywhere, functioning exactly the same (though with a few system settings customized for certain configurations). Windows 10 on PCs, Windows phones, and Surface tablets is already the same. Now, their game console will simply run Windows 10. One configuration difference is that the "Start Screen" (Metro interface) will be turned on by default on XBox, phones, and certain tablet setups (this is the same start screen you can turn on through a setting on the PC, which they have wisely turned off by default in that version).
This also means any and all software made for their Windows Store interpreter will run on anything that can run Windows 10, so long as the hardware specs are up to snuff. Basically, if it's made for that Windows 10 platform, it isn't designed for the hardware but an interpretation layer which then translates the program's instructions to something the processor can understand, so it won't matter if it's x86 or RISC. That said, the XBox One is already an x86 platform, so there's little need for much overhead. There have been some issues with limitations MS is putting on that universal platform, and those are worth complaining about, but the overall idea is a very good one. So, we're at a point where MS is going to go ahead and open the gates so all existing XBox One games run on PCs. They've made a very powerful emulator for 360 games as well, so that's getting ported over too. Who knows, they might even go ahead and set up a better emulator for original XBox games and get all 3 systems fully functioning on the PC.
I do have one major question. I often buy disc games, for a number of reasons, and I want to know if I can insert those discs into my PC and play them that way. At the moment, my PC's Bluray drive tells me nothing's been inserted when I stick an XBox One game in there, but I am not sure if that's a fundamental hardware issue or a software issue MS could easily fix with an update.
That question aside, there's another concern. If MS goes this route, many people would be able to simply use their XBox One AS their PC. I know for a fact it's tempting to me as my current PC is long overdue for an upgrade (the latest Doom is playable only in the barest technical sense). However, I need to be able to install and adjust anything I like. Will MS turn off the software lock so that I can "sideload" whatever applications I want onto the system? Can I install Steam and Good Old Games Galaxy on it and get my whole library ported over and fully functional? I do know that the Microsoft Store is going to host a little application called "XDOSBox", which means at least all my DOS games should be playable, but I'm talking about the rest of my games here. It'd be a major win for MS if they did that.
If not though, they just made enthusiast PC gamers very happy anyway, because they now have no reason at all to buy an XBox console ever again. I myself, even as an avid console gamer and collector, don't see myself bothering with buying an XBox when I can save the money for a major PC upgrade. Again, this doesn't hurt MS. They win either way because Windows 10 is their platform either way. I'm just saying that even as a collector I wouldn't see the point.
In fact, if they truly open up their platform on the console side, they just justified their rapid upgrade cycle for the system. It's still a bad idea for the PS4, but it would actually make sense for the XBox-as-a-PC positioning they are attempting.
This has been a very interesting development. Microsoft technically has had two "platforms" for a while now, considering Windows as it's own platform. They've got nothing to lose with a step like this. For some background, Microsoft is shrinking down their OSes to a single universal platform. Windows 10 will simply be Windows 10 everywhere, functioning exactly the same (though with a few system settings customized for certain configurations). Windows 10 on PCs, Windows phones, and Surface tablets is already the same. Now, their game console will simply run Windows 10. One configuration difference is that the "Start Screen" (Metro interface) will be turned on by default on XBox, phones, and certain tablet setups (this is the same start screen you can turn on through a setting on the PC, which they have wisely turned off by default in that version).
This also means any and all software made for their Windows Store interpreter will run on anything that can run Windows 10, so long as the hardware specs are up to snuff. Basically, if it's made for that Windows 10 platform, it isn't designed for the hardware but an interpretation layer which then translates the program's instructions to something the processor can understand, so it won't matter if it's x86 or RISC. That said, the XBox One is already an x86 platform, so there's little need for much overhead. There have been some issues with limitations MS is putting on that universal platform, and those are worth complaining about, but the overall idea is a very good one. So, we're at a point where MS is going to go ahead and open the gates so all existing XBox One games run on PCs. They've made a very powerful emulator for 360 games as well, so that's getting ported over too. Who knows, they might even go ahead and set up a better emulator for original XBox games and get all 3 systems fully functioning on the PC.
I do have one major question. I often buy disc games, for a number of reasons, and I want to know if I can insert those discs into my PC and play them that way. At the moment, my PC's Bluray drive tells me nothing's been inserted when I stick an XBox One game in there, but I am not sure if that's a fundamental hardware issue or a software issue MS could easily fix with an update.
That question aside, there's another concern. If MS goes this route, many people would be able to simply use their XBox One AS their PC. I know for a fact it's tempting to me as my current PC is long overdue for an upgrade (the latest Doom is playable only in the barest technical sense). However, I need to be able to install and adjust anything I like. Will MS turn off the software lock so that I can "sideload" whatever applications I want onto the system? Can I install Steam and Good Old Games Galaxy on it and get my whole library ported over and fully functional? I do know that the Microsoft Store is going to host a little application called "XDOSBox", which means at least all my DOS games should be playable, but I'm talking about the rest of my games here. It'd be a major win for MS if they did that.
If not though, they just made enthusiast PC gamers very happy anyway, because they now have no reason at all to buy an XBox console ever again. I myself, even as an avid console gamer and collector, don't see myself bothering with buying an XBox when I can save the money for a major PC upgrade. Again, this doesn't hurt MS. They win either way because Windows 10 is their platform either way. I'm just saying that even as a collector I wouldn't see the point.
In fact, if they truly open up their platform on the console side, they just justified their rapid upgrade cycle for the system. It's still a bad idea for the PS4, but it would actually make sense for the XBox-as-a-PC positioning they are attempting.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)