Windows 10 is looking great

- And finally some dedication to PC Gaming

- Microsoft HoloLens

- Surface Hub

Looks ok

What did they announce for PC gamers?

Here's my round-up of the announcements:

Resizeable Start Menu, Continuum, tablet/PC Mode, windows Modern apps, unified Control Panel, universal apps: Finally, Microsoft gets it! You don't need to force a single OS with a single UI to work on tablets and PCs, you just need one OS that behaves differently in different devices! Why wasn't all this in Windows 8.0?

Free upgrade for Windows 8.1 and 7 users for one year: I'm aware of that Microsoft were considering this for 8.1 users, but having them announce it for 7 users as well was a pleasant surprise. I'll jump in with my 8.1 laptop first for a few months, then if I think it's all clear, I'll follow suit with my 7 desktop.

DirectX 12: The most compelling reason to upgrade to Win 10. And with the upgrade being free to 8.1 and 7 users, there is sure to be more games that actually use it this time.

Fable Legends for Windows 10 with DirectX 12 and cross-platform play through a new XBox app that with social features for non-XBox games, supports DVR and streaming from XBox One: Eh.

Cortana: sounds like a feature I'm either gonna end up marrying or switch off.

Spartan: Sorry, Microsoft, but there is no cure for Netscalgia. Even Firefox is more like insulin shots for a diabetic than a treatment. That it was you who caused it in the first place didn't help either.

Surface Hub: Basically a giant Surface tablet the size of a TV.

Holograms: ...what?!!

Motherfreaking augmented reality headset that makes motherfreaking holograms that lets you go to motherfreaking Mars: ... ...tell me more.

Ehh, still not interested in Windows. Linux has made shitloads of progress as well.

I have a question I'm wondering if any of you can answer: Since anybody with W7 or newer are eligible for a free upgrade to W10, would it also work if I want to install W10 on a new SSD rather than my current HDD?

No one knows the finer details yet.

The whole inbuilt streaming and video recording etc.

Forgive my skepticism but every time Microsoft releases a new Operating System they claim to be "rededicating" themselves to PC gaming.

/yawn

I totally agree, but at least this time they have showed some features which are PC Gaming based.

Oh, I couldn't be bothered to watch the video. I figured it was the same old dog and pony show Microsoft trots out ever few years to appease us groundlings. So, what are these Pc gaming features? I hope it's more than Xbox Live and SmartGlass integration. Ugh...

Well here are the highlights of the Win 10 announcement in about 8 minutes. http://c.mily.co/413t76 Giant touchscreens, holographic glasses, and a new OS.

Watch the whole video.

Windows 10 has some great features apart from the gaming (all explained in the video).

The PC features so far are mostly streaming and recording gameplay.

In a nut shell, DirectX 12 and the DVR game recording feature that you find one xbox one is now available on PC. Also, not necessarily a PC gaming feature but you can now stream play your xbox one games on your PC.

Havent MS already been beta testing this all summer long in Australia?

I've definitely seen a huge TV/Surface tablet on channel 9 during the cricket test series, and they are still using it for the upcoming world cup I think.

It even has the MS logo.

I believe it was an older version of the Surface Hub, or more like just a big touch TV with Windows on it.

This is a whole revamped Hub OS specially made for that.

DX12, W10 and Hololens are looking fantastic. Kudos to MS.

How in the world a crippled version of Shadowplay and having to spend $350 on a closed console box to stream to a most likely higher spec machine is "dedicated" to PC gaming still eludes me.

Umm.. What features?

Recording: We already have a lot of applications that can do that, and I really doubt that whatever they're adding is gonna be better than Shadowplay.

Streaming Xbox games to the PC: That's an Xbox feature, useless for PC gamers.

Literally the only reason to upgrade is dx12, whenever games actually start using it.

Those are just the ones they announced, there are more coming (I think).

I know there are applications that can record, doesn't mean it's not a new feature for Windows does it?

I've seen 0 pc focus. They even called it "The Xbox Experience".

I never seen any of you fellows running round crying out for a console port of Fable: a steam app for Xbox or Xbox game streaminng.

How the **** is that pc gaming? it's not. It's garbage. Everything about that was to promote Xbox gaming, not pc gaming.

I've seen 0 pc focus. They even called it "The Xbox Experience".

Extactamundo.

New is only half of what I want. The other half is utility.

Unless the majority of your friends are on XBL, Game DVR is quite literally USELESS and outright crap compared to every other equivalent solution on the market. In fact, most of the announcements are worthless unless you already own or have an interest in purchasing an Xbox one.

Microsoft promised dedication to PC gaming, all I saw was "We kinda remembered PC gaming exists so here is a new DirectX, oh and by the way....XBOX XBOX XBOX".

I was kinda curious about what they had so I gave them (ch 9) a call and just asked what TV touchscreen they were using.

The guy on the other end told me to wait and he'll ask, came back 10 mins later saying it was "a big Microsoft tablet that they sent us to test, and they are one of the sponsors"

I asked if its just for the cricket and he said no, it has presentation capabilities and voice search (Cortana?)

He didn't know anything else, so I just said thanks and hung up.

Ok. So it doesn't have that many PC gaming features. Did everyone ignore all the other new features of Win10?

Maybe they are testing it already then???

@FelipeInside:

To be honest, I hope they are testing it, maybe another TV maker in MS, and if they are testing already, then it means less bugs in W10 on release day.

Hopefully.

I remember they did release something a few years back called Surface Hub, but it wasn't the same as this... and it never took off. Maybe this is just a revamped version.

So Windows 10 is gonna be subscription based? Oh boy, I can't wait to see how much Micro$$$soft are gonna charge a month.

Start button DLC $19.99.

To be honest, I am still happy with 7 and don't want to "upgrade".

Well I don't know if you have see the hololens, but that thing looks revolutionary, well maybe not but that's another one that jumps on the vr wagon

I for one am excited.

It's not. I don't get what is causing this much confusion.

@FelipeInside said:

Ok. So it doesn't have that many PC gaming features. Did everyone ignore all the other new features of Win10?

No. I myself stated in a previous post in this exact thread that I liked Windows 10, DX 12, and Hololens. The new browser looks nice, Universal apps will be great, and playing to the strength of each platform is exactly what Microsoft needed to do.

However they also told PC gamers that they would do more. Upgrading DirectX is barely acknowledging Existence. Everything else? Was for Xbox gamers with PC's and PC owners who planned on getting a console, not PC gamers.

Here you go:

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/more-microsoft-franchises-coming-to-windows-10/1100-6424808/

Don't give a shit. Pc gamers. Pc not a dumping ground for Xbox: get fucked.

That's ok. Nothing ground breaking for PC gamers.

Legends is nice and all, but not personally a game I would play.

Forza 5, Forza Horizon 2. Those are games I would like to see ported over.

And a new AOE/AOM/RON is what I want when MS is interested in making PC exclusive again.

Let's hope this is the start of more.

Not at all, it does have a lot of new features, it's just not "dedicated to PC gaming" like you described. :P

I did. I also saw the first Kinect video.. Remember how that ended up like?

Well the first kinect video may have games in it that never were developped but a lot of games were developped that were quite similar, still there's isn't much choice out there. Why? because motion control gaming doesn't work very well in front of a 2d screen. I for one tried a lot of motion controls out there. I had the ps move, the wii, the wii motion plus, the balance board. I even had a gun for the playstation. Some people might like it, but to me it only stayed fun for a short time and that is because it's missing something and that is a 3d experience.

The screen has to be 3d and/or you have to be able to move around in a 3d world. I have been noticing that one doesn't work very well without the other. The kinect let's you move around freely in a 3d world, but a 2d screen pretty much handicaps a lot of movement and potential, you could see it with a lot of motion control games, in the end we got railshooters. A 3d screen (like a vr helmet) can be nice for some games , but in the end it will just be a nice gimmick for a while. Spaceship games can only go so far and while elite is a magnificent game the oculus rift or any other vr helmet is capable of a lot lot more.

This hololens can make that possible. I've been waiting desperately for something like the virtuix omni that let's you run around in a VR world while staying still in the real world and it will come soon, but it will also be pricey. This hololens might actually not be such a bad idea, since it has camera's , it can provide some sort of positional tracking and make your room/mancave/garage/whatever into a vr world. If they're going to do it is another story.

But new tech always starts with ups and downs. Remember the sega cd, the analog stick, the mouse and mouselook, the first gpu's, the n gage, the virtual boy. Some fail some don't, some don't seem to have any use while suddenly 20 years later they've found the perfect use. VR is coming wether you want or not, if this hololens is going to play a big part in it remains to be seen, but it's certainly a step in the right direction. The only real solution for vr is now an omnidirectional threadmill, but it's way to expensive to be viable as a general consumer product.

This hololens could be a great alternative

I really don't know how to feel about this. Project Spartan for the browser, Cortana for helping us search our computers or to help us with Spartan? They also really seem to be trying to integrate Xbox One into the PC experience which I think is an awful idea because most of us here just don't want that. All we want is Halo and Forza and Gears properly ported over to PC. Not the crap they are trying to shove down our throats. Hmm, I think that's how I really feel about it. It feels like they are trying to shove Xbox One down PC gamers' throats. I hope to goodness I'm wrong. Maybe they actually have those games coming down the pipeline for PC. We'll see. I've got tax money coming in, and my old machine is due to be replaced this year.

I think i'll finally upgrade from Win7. Especially for DX12.

BUT... i have so much audio editing software that i'm afraid some of it could be incompatible, or not working properly with it. so i don't know if i'll upgrade day 1.

Typical...posting internet comics when an indefensible position gets called out.

Just because the rest of us don't have a shallow of a definition of "commitment" as you do hardly changes the fact that Microsoft's definition of "Commitment" to PC gaming is basically nothing short of "Here, have some Xbox!"

Ehh, Spartan and Cortana aren't on XBOX.

WTF are you on about dude? Please show me where I used the word "commitment", oh that's right, you can't.

I'll just humor then, since I didn't make it clear enough. You don't have to use the word...but you aren't Microsoft

Now, we are also bringing that same focus, passion, and commitment to gaming on Windows 10, enhancing the PC games and gaming devices you already love, including the Xbox One. We’ve listened and learned from our past efforts in PC gaming and I am excited about what the future holds.”

-Phil Spencer

And from what a MS employee said you responded to MY post with "Typical...posting internet comics when an indefensible position gets called out."

Mkay then.

no

Thanks for the constructive contribution???

np. after win10 flops like 8 and 8.1 did maybe micro$oft will realize how bad they are now and stop doing all the stupid things they've been doing.

Labels Microsoft as Micro$oft... (hater alert !!!) :P

Anyway, MS made some interesting choices with Win8 which didn't go down too well with people, but they fixed all that with 8.1. I wouldn't call 8.1 a flop, most people are on it now and have no issues, and lots of devices have now been sold with it.

I'll call it now though, imo I think Win10 might do as good as Win7. It's bringing the best of 7 and 8 into one OS.

I guess so. But as someone else said. We have to wait for the finer details.