Expected to be honest, but I’m glad the Xbox community is under one roof again, hopefully get to know the new leader.
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That’s why I said a traditional release. CS2 is basically an engine upgrade for the same game, CSGo, which was actually released on console but didn’t work out because it’s just a PC centric game due to its precise controls. HL Alyx isn’t a traditional release either obvious reasons. Deadlock is the closest to a new traditional game they have had in a long time, but it’s still in beta, and seeing footage of it I don’t know why it wouldn’t work on console. Yes it and HL3 might never come to console, but I just don’t think using the limited and unconventional releases they’ve had in the last 5 years is clear indication that they won’t release on console anymore for their type of games that they have released on console before.
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I’ve seen this kotaku article passed around a bit the last few days.
The whole idea of helix sounds like a great idea to me. why have two platforms when you can focus on just one so that two customer bases can be combined. BUT…. why did it take so long for them to start this process? Or why haven’t they at least worked on the windows game store while people to this day still complain about it not working? Year after year, steam just ran away with this while people complained about the windows game store not working right. Lots of money lost.
My only way to interpret this, is that these goals aren’t possible or they would have done it already. That’s the pessimistic view for sure. But what do they have to show for it? I don’t have a rog ally but did listen to xb2 last week and jez basically said the interface is nowhere near where it needs to be. Does that mean after 9 years the rog ally is where we are at?
Everyone on these forums agrees the helix user experience MUST be similar to a console for ease of use. Everything on helix must be usable with a controller. And console users would react poorly to pop up error windows. So I have my doubts.
Since we know next to nothing about their real plans, I won’t make any final conclusions until we see it in action. But the whole why now question is what gives me most of my doubts.
On the positive side, one small thing is giving me hope. Xbox’s body language. The few references we have seen about helix have been presented with confidence and excitement. Jason Ronold’s statements last year, Bond’s remarks, even Asha has a confident demeaner about her. Their body language is that they know they can do this. Its not some we are going to give this a try and see what happens attitude.
I think the main reason was the same as in the documentory, because Xbox was just a side project for Microsoft that was there to make sure Sony(and I would argue Nintendo) wasn’t the only name in the living room.
Imo, what was being talked about in 2016 would have likely been a less robust version of the current PAW, but now becomes something likely to be bigger in scope than they ever thought back in 2016.
As they have a bigger say in what Windows can be and have the backing of the Windows team, to make it happen.
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I don’t have a ROG Ally either because I have a Lenovo Legion Go. No Xbox Full Screen Update either and I’ve honestly not had any complaints with gaming on windows or using the Xbox PC app/Windows store since like 2023. The Xbox team on PC has put in a LOT of work building out support for the Xbox App and gaming on windows. It’s really not bad if you’re just a casual gamer. You don’t even need Xbox FSE, you can turn off all notifications and everything else you don’t want in settings and then it never bothers you if all you’re doing is using the Xbox App for gaming or other launchers (though with other launchers there is the initial install).
A lot of the complaints about the Xbox App and windows store are either wider complaints that come with the many MANY different hardware configurations that exist for windows (this shouldn’t be a problem with Helix specifically but will likely continue to be a pain point if you choose OEMs) and more Steam fans wanting everything to be like Steam than anything else. Which frankly no thanks. Steam is itself a really cluttered launcher filled with a lot of slop and then some community features I don’t really want. The Xbox App is genuinely solid at this point. Like legitimately. I can’t speak to other people’s experiences, but using it in compact mode on my Legion Go is perfect.
The biggest thing Xbox on PC is missing is third party support, but that should immediately be solved with Helix once the two platforms fully merge and it’s not an option for developers to make Xbox Play Anywhere versions. The Xbox App experience is also very similar to the console UX, so it should also benefit Xbox’s design teams to be able to focus on a merged platform. There’s also stuff PC gamers want and have come to expect from Steam that just isn’t even on console gamers radar. Also speaking of third party support there’s games on the Xbox PC App (natively) that aren’t on Steam like the big one being Fortnite now.
I don’t think it’s a case of “it’s impossible and that’s why they didn’t do it” but more that it’d be a big transition and require a large investment across Xbox and Microsoft that maybe just wasn’t happening before now. In 2016 Xbox was still recovering from the Xbox One launch. They were moving SLOW with their growth strategies. They barely had first party studios at all (Xbox Game Studios didn’t exist back then). They would’ve tried this transition and then done what? Arguably Microsoft did drop the ball decades ago by letting Steam become the dominant storefront on windows, but by 2016 there was no changing that. If they really pushed hard with converging Xbox and Windows then then Xbox probably would have just sputtered out and died. I mean PC Game Pass didn’t even exist then. The Xbox PC experience was very slowly being built out by an Xbox still in recovery mode and a Microsoft that wasn’t super interested in investing in Xbox at the time. Now the business is more financially mature especially following all the aquistions (which Phil said accelerated plans). There also is the financials conversation to have with the cut on PC just being less than console and the effect multiple storefronts would have. A lot is lining up now though with consoles in general no longer subsidizing and expected hardware prices rising (it should be easier for Microsoft to price Helix) and Xbox being far bigger as a first party publisher and less dependent on the commission from sales on their platform. Plus Xbox can just push their convergence better by using games like COD to push the transition.
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They’re also likely to continue as well if this is the only pushback, in 2026 you have to tell them off directly instead of being passive. Throw a community note on the biggest accounts doing it, make it so that every time someone looks up their tweets people know they’re lying.
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Yeah, just don’t expect anything and welcome any new stuff being revealed. I wonder if they will have the visual reveal during a stream or their own later this year or even next year. Or maybe during TGA this year.
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That’s nice so Phil is at GDC.
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I know Jon said don’t expect much from today. thinking he means things like specs and features. However, it would be nice to understand how they plan on getting and keeping developers working on helix. ultimately I don’t care how many boxes xbox sells as long as they get full industry software support.
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“Hello my name is Asha”
“Hello my name is Retired.”
That second one is an achievement unlocked, especially in this economy.
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Today we get some info?
According to Tom Warrens latest tweet, it won’t be broadcasted as expected but reporters on site will share the news. Even Jon should be able to do the same, I’d imagine.
Really wonder what kind of news we’re gonna get. Any news is welcome to be honest.
are the times in EST?
Likely Pacific due to the location.
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At the very least, we could get some confirmation on what leakers/insiders have been reporting.