Xbox is betraying the entire concept of video game consoles Readers FeatureGameCentralPublished March 22, 2025 1:20am The next Xbox probably wont be a traditional console (Microsoft)A reader reacts angrily to suggestions that the next gen Xbox is a PC in a box and argues Xbox is trying to destroy the whole concept of video game consoles.Theres been a lot of people lately lamenting the current state of Xbox, and for obvious reasons given how bad console sales are getting. What annoys me though is the way they talk about Microsoft, as if theyre some kind of loveable loser who you should pity. Microsofts attempts at dominating the games industry are pitiable but their actions are hardly that of a helpless underdog.Theyre the biggest company in the history of mankind and while theyve been entirely incompetent in the way theyve used their colossal $3 trillion bank balance theyve also been extremely destructive. At some point in the Xbox One generation they mustve decided that if they cant beat Sony fairly then theyll just tip the table over and ruin the game(s industry) for everyone.Almost $100 billion later and they now own Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, and a bunch of others and theyve completely failed to put their stamp on them. Nothing has changed about how these companies are run, or what games they make, but suddenly Phil Spencer and his cronies have started talking about what we are going to do, when discussing them. As if he or anyone else has had any impact on their success and/or failures.We know from the court cases that the original plan was to make all Bethesda games exclusives, just like Starfield, but clearly someone higher up, probably Microsoft boss Satya Nadella, told them that wasnt going to work. Theyve spent all this money and theres no way theyre going to get any of it back by only selling games as Xbox exclusives.Theyve not tried that with any Activision games, because the message had already sank in by then, and instead they pivoted to their multiformat plan (which theyve lied about and tried to underplay the entire time, even with petty things like not releasing the games physically).And now we learn that their big plan for the next gen is a PC in a box, a PC handheld, and AI. So they not only no longer make consoles theyre trying to make the entire concept of consoles go away, so that they can pretend that actually theyre irrelevant now and it doesnt matter that nobody bought theirs.What gets me though is that the first two things have already been proven not to work. Valves Steam Machines concept flopped horribly and the entire concept is fundamentally doomed to be the worst of both worlds. Not only that but the latest rumour suggests it wont even be properly backwards compatible only through emulation!We also know that PC handhelds are extremely niche concept, that have only sold a few million in the entire lifetime of the concept. Presumably Xbox thinks they can make theirs more successful but what is that based on? The Xbox brand being so super popular theyll go from Steam Deck numbers (4 million) to Nintendo Switch numbers (150 million). If they really do think that theyre more delusion than they seem.And then theres AI, which for no reason other than its an investor buzzword, theyre now going to use to make games. They know its only going to make bad games. They know its going to do talented people out of a job, but theyre going to push it anyway because theyve got loads of money and Sony hasnt.Theyre just going to do everything Sony cant, no matter how stupid or destructive it is, as they flail about, throwing everything at the wall and hoping that finally, for the first time in two generations, something sticks.More TrendingNot only is Microsoft betraying the whole concept of consoles, theyre doing it on purpose in an attempt to make Sony obsolete. If I was Sony I wouldnt be too worried, given Xboxs track record, but if they do succeed what will the future of gaming be under Microsoft? AI slop and PCs in a box. I hope they fail utterly, for the sake of all gaming.By reader Korbie Xbox accidentally leaked that theyre pushing for Steam integration (Microsoft)The readers 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 gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you wont need to send an email.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy