From Newsgroup: comp.os.linux.advocacy

Quite a long conversation on what is happening with Xbox and
MicrosoftrCOs gaming fortunes in general <https://www.theverge.com/podcast/884693/xbox-phil-spencer-microsoft-gaming-future-cloud-game-pass>.
This part stuck out for me:

**People are buying gaming PCs, playing Windows games, and
eventually buying Steam Decks. Just our own audience. Every time
we covered a Steam Deck or something that looked like a Steam
Deck, we could tell people really liked these things. Why did
they ignore that opportunity? Because it seems like it was right
there for them the entire time.**

God, this could be another podcast episode. They have a history of
Windows failures, which is why Steam is the most popular now. I
think they never really got Windows gaming and PC gaming right. I
donrCOt think theyrCOve had the right expertise there. TheyrCOve done
console, their console platformrCOs great. But yeah, there is a big
opportunity on PC, and I think thatrCOs kind of what theyrCOre seeing
right now.

Now itrCOs like reality is hitting that mobile and cloud isnrCOt ready
for them to get that growth. So now theyrCOre like, rCLOkay, PC.rCY The
next-gen Xbox is a PC. ItrCOs going to be a PC. It virtually is now.
ItrCOs running a custom version of Windows, very stripped down. No
start menu in sight.

But the next one, their bet is that they can essentially convince
PC OEMs to build Xboxes, which then boot up into their own
interface. Then they can say, rCLSubscribe to Game Pass, buy our
games in the store.rCY But is the reality that those people are just
going to buy them and just use Steam? ThatrCOs their problem.

To me, the fundamental underlying characteristic behind all of
MicrosoftrCOs failures along these lines is: every time theyrCOve tried to
do anything mobile-related with Windows, itrCOs always been a failure.
TherCOve had over 3 years to come up with an answer to the Steam Deck,
and the best theyrCOve been able to do is this supposedly rCLstripped
downrCY version of Windows, which it turns out isnrCOt all that rCLstripped downrCY at all: itrCOs just wearing a corset, and like taking off a
corset, will happily bloat itself out into full-fat Windows at the
slightest excuse.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.os.linux.advocacy

On Fri, 27 Feb 2026 01:14:43 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence DrCOOliveiro wrote:

Quite a long conversation on what is happening with Xbox and MicrosoftrCOs gaming fortunes in general <https://www.theverge.com/podcast/884693/xbox-phil-spencer-microsoft-

gaming-future-cloud-game-pass>.

This part stuck out for me:

**People are buying gaming PCs, playing Windows games, and
eventually buying Steam Decks. Just our own audience. Every time
we covered a Steam Deck or something that looked like a Steam
Deck, we could tell people really liked these things. Why did they
ignore that opportunity? Because it seems like it was right there
for them the entire time.**

God, this could be another podcast episode. They have a history of
Windows failures, which is why Steam is the most popular now. I
think they never really got Windows gaming and PC gaming right. I
donrCOt think theyrCOve had the right expertise there. TheyrCOve done
console, their console platformrCOs great. But yeah, there is a big
opportunity on PC, and I think thatrCOs kind of what theyrCOre seeing
right now.

Now itrCOs like reality is hitting that mobile and cloud isnrCOt ready
for them to get that growth. So now theyrCOre like, rCLOkay, PC.rCY The
next-gen Xbox is a PC. ItrCOs going to be a PC. It virtually is now.
ItrCOs running a custom version of Windows, very stripped down. No
start menu in sight.

But the next one, their bet is that they can essentially convince PC
OEMs to build Xboxes, which then boot up into their own interface.
Then they can say, rCLSubscribe to Game Pass, buy our games in the
store.rCY But is the reality that those people are just going to buy
them and just use Steam? ThatrCOs their problem.

To me, the fundamental underlying characteristic behind all of
MicrosoftrCOs failures along these lines is: every time theyrCOve tried to
do anything mobile-related with Windows, itrCOs always been a failure. TherCOve had over 3 years to come up with an answer to the Steam Deck,
and the best theyrCOve been able to do is this supposedly rCLstripped downrCY version of Windows, which it turns out isnrCOt all that rCLstripped downrCY at
all: itrCOs just wearing a corset, and like taking off a corset, will
happily bloat itself out into full-fat Windows at the slightest excuse.

The reason people are buying gaming PCs is not necessarily because they
want the portability of a Steam Deck or because they want the highest
quality of graphics. In many cases, the gamers themselves know that buying
the games themselves is less expensive on the PC because of the constant specials Steam has. Additionally, people are buying laptops where you can
get one capable of playing games at high settings for a price that won't
break the bank. You're therefore saving money on the games in the long run
all the while enjoying the portability of a laptop. Add to that the fact
that you can easily connect a mouse for your first-person shooters, and suddenly the console experience looks like a hard sale. I'm just waiting
for Electronic Arts to realize that there are lots of people willing to
buy their hockey game on the PC. If anything, it is my only reason to hold onto a console since it is currently exclusive to the Xbox Series and the
PS5.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2