Xbox is crazy if it thinks it can compete with Nintendo Switch 2 – Reader’s Feature
Will Xbox’s portable plans work out? (Nintendo/Microsoft) Microsoft’s plans for new gaming portables comes under question from a reader who thinks they have little chance of competing with Nintendo. The conclusion that I have come to over the last decade or so is that nobody at Microsoft, or at least nobody high up, really understands video games. The Xbox 360 was one of the most important consoles of all time, that set the pace for the modern era of video games that we’re still in today. But only a few years into its life Microsoft were messing up, with Kinect, and everything they’ve done since then has been nothing short of a disaster. We found at this week that, after spending over $70 billion on Call Of Duty, it sill made virtually no difference to Game Pass, which means they’re now committed, whether they want it or not (and with announcements like Gears Of War they certainly don’t seem all that enthusiastic about it), to being merely a third party publisher, no different from EA or Ubisoft. Of course, that’s not really true though. They are different because a) they’re the richest company in the world and b) they are still technically making consoles, even if nobody’s buying them. What’s more they’ve promised to make more, including at least two portables. Somehow, I don’t think Nintendo are quaking in their boots. The Xbox Series X/S was dead on arrival but it’s not clear to me whether Microsoft are going to make any more home consoles. There’s probably a good chance they’re not sure yet either, but they have said they’re releasing a portable this year and that they have another coming out in a few years. Presumably that’s their next gen console but I don’t believe they’ve ever confirmed that they are one and the same. Either way, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has made it very clear that he’s a big fan of PC portables like Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally. That’s fine but none of those sell very much, so I’m not really sure what he’s expecting to get out of any of this, especially the new Asus crossover that just got leaked. Even the Steam Deck has only sold a few million, which is completely irrelevant when the Nintendo Switch just said it’ll be at 156 million by the end of the year. The ROG Ally is over £500, so unless Microsoft is prepared to take a massive loss on each one, I don’t see it making any impact at all. The Switch 2 already seems destined for success (Nintendo) So what about the next gen portable? There’s talk that it’s going to be mostly for streaming and/or AI. But broadband isn’t going to get some massive boost in just a couple of years so I don’t see how that’s going to work. If streaming’s the gimmick, then you’re looking at a portable that you can only reliably play at home, because who knows what the Wi-Fi is like elsewhere. We don’t know all the details yet, but I can’t think of a single one that would make the idea work. I can, however, think of an endless parade of big ideas from Xbox that haven’t worked out. So the idea that they know what they’re doing and we should wait and see what they have in mind doesn’t really cut it for me. You can see the Nintendo Switch 2 is clearly going to be a massive hit. When your biggest problem is that you can’t make enough stock that’s not really a problem at all. By comparison, Xbox’s legacy in the games industry is such a mess, that gives me no confidence at all that they know what they’re doing. It’s something like 15 years since they were the trendsetters in the games industry and I don’t see that ever changing. Not only are they late to the party in getting into portables but the things they’re trying to copy are already just a niche. By reader Weasley The Asus portable hasn’t been officially unveiled yet (FCC) The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at [email protected] or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email. ArrowMORE: Why I tried to beat Oblivion Remastered without ever using fast travel - Reader's Feature ArrowMORE: GTA 6 and price rises are going to destroy gaming forever – Reader’s Feature ArrowMORE: How Game Pass led me to abandon my PS5 – Reader’s Feature
Microsoft’s plans for new gaming portables comes under question from a reader who thinks they have little chance of competing with Nintendo.
The conclusion that I have come to over the last decade or so is that nobody at Microsoft, or at least nobody high up, really understands video games. The Xbox 360 was one of the most important consoles of all time, that set the pace for the modern era of video games that we’re still in today. But only a few years into its life Microsoft were messing up, with Kinect, and everything they’ve done since then has been nothing short of a disaster.
We found at this week that, after spending over $70 billion on Call Of Duty, it sill made virtually no difference to Game Pass, which means they’re now committed, whether they want it or not (and with announcements like Gears Of War they certainly don’t seem all that enthusiastic about it), to being merely a third party publisher, no different from EA or Ubisoft.
Of course, that’s not really true though. They are different because a) they’re the richest company in the world and b) they are still technically making consoles, even if nobody’s buying them. What’s more they’ve promised to make more, including at least two portables. Somehow, I don’t think Nintendo are quaking in their boots.
The Xbox Series X/S was dead on arrival but it’s not clear to me whether Microsoft are going to make any more home consoles. There’s probably a good chance they’re not sure yet either, but they have said they’re releasing a portable this year and that they have another coming out in a few years. Presumably that’s their next gen console but I don’t believe they’ve ever confirmed that they are one and the same.
Either way, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has made it very clear that he’s a big fan of PC portables like Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally. That’s fine but none of those sell very much, so I’m not really sure what he’s expecting to get out of any of this, especially the new Asus crossover that just got leaked.
Even the Steam Deck has only sold a few million, which is completely irrelevant when the Nintendo Switch just said it’ll be at 156 million by the end of the year. The ROG Ally is over £500, so unless Microsoft is prepared to take a massive loss on each one, I don’t see it making any impact at all.
The Switch 2 already seems destined for success (Nintendo)So what about the next gen portable? There’s talk that it’s going to be mostly for streaming and/or AI. But broadband isn’t going to get some massive boost in just a couple of years so I don’t see how that’s going to work. If streaming’s the gimmick, then you’re looking at a portable that you can only reliably play at home, because who knows what the Wi-Fi is like elsewhere.
We don’t know all the details yet, but I can’t think of a single one that would make the idea work. I can, however, think of an endless parade of big ideas from Xbox that haven’t worked out. So the idea that they know what they’re doing and we should wait and see what they have in mind doesn’t really cut it for me.
You can see the Nintendo Switch 2 is clearly going to be a massive hit. When your biggest problem is that you can’t make enough stock that’s not really a problem at all.
By comparison, Xbox’s legacy in the games industry is such a mess, that gives me no confidence at all that they know what they’re doing. It’s something like 15 years since they were the trendsetters in the games industry and I don’t see that ever changing. Not only are they late to the party in getting into portables but the things they’re trying to copy are already just a niche.
By reader Weasley
The Asus portable hasn’t been officially unveiled yet (FCC)The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at [email protected] or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.
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