Xbox Consoles will become a Windows 10 S PC Console in a sea of third party devices.

Microsoft’s future of Windows is clever modes for clever hardware

Understanding Windows Core OS.

"Microsoft’s Windows vision includes the idea of a gaming mode for playing games with an Xbox controller"

Windows CShell – With the same kernel, a flexible core, and unified app platform, the last piece is the shell – or UI – that itself adapts to the screen. Taking the idea of Continuum to the OS level, CShell lets devices adjust their UIs for different tasks and experiences. A device running full Windows 10 for the desktop would be able to take on a Windows 10 Mobile UI to run in phone-mode, for example. Or, a Windows 10 PC could take on the Xbox UI when in gaming mode.

This seems like it'll be able to play future Xbox UWP games in a Xbox UI from your own PC, phone and tablet and likely AR/VR.

This seems like a very important milestone for Microsoft and Xbox as a hardware. As I predicted this does mean that we will see third party Xbox PC Consoles in the future. It also does setup a future where we will see AR/VR replace screens. So in this case Xbox consoles will become the Surface of the Microsoft ecosystem and OEMs can create their own versions of the Xbox, be it having Win32 compatibility or not.

Interestingly this does setup a future where Xbox hardware essentially will become a locked down Windows 10 PC. CShell, UWP, Mouse and Keyboard support. This will mean that Xbox consoles/PCs will come with a Windows 10-like UI that uses Mouse and Keyboard and an Xbox UI for Controllers, and since this is going to finally bring the Xbox OS to Windows 10 proper. I do wonder how Valve will feel about this, this is Xbox consoles competing in their backyard.

This does also could mean that Xbox hardware will come with M&K and Controller out of the box.

Understanding Windows Core OS.

So in the future Xbox Consoles will essentially be running Windows 10 Polaris with a Xbox UI.

So if this is Microsoft's move to compete with Steam, they are smart about it.

You can already play games with an Xbox controller... It's the default controller mapping for every PC game...

But I still prefer DS4 for PC gaming (thank you Steam for adding full DS4 driver support).

Smart of MS to slowly start transferring their gaming division to Windows. Xbox is on its last legs.

I disagree. Xbox will likely become the Surface of the Console world.

Its clear you didn't read the article. This is about having an Xbox UI running on top of Windows 10.

But yes the future is going to be Windows 10 based Consoles and Xbox consoles is going to transition to that. But that doesn't mean that we will see Win32 compatibility on Xbox consoles though.

But this does set up a future where we will see a Windows 10-like UI come to Xbox Consoles, combined with UWP and this and M&K support. It does seem like that Xbox hardware will end up as a locked down Windows 10 PC Console, like Steam Machines. That I do wonder how Valve will feel about this.

so xbox still stays as discount PC when it comes to gaming, nothing really changes

Would surprise me if they did just make over the top PC/gaming hybrid with easy to install games. The Xbox now pretty much is just that. If my misses is on the PC, I can use my Xbox as a pc except for random installing software. With the new edge UI with a mouse and keyboard its just like on pc.

Hmmm....i just use inputmapper and use DS4 for my controller.

Whelp, that pretty much does it. Phony and Nintendont are absolutely doomed. "N" still has a possibility of a future with their Handheld Bait & Switch but Phony, eh, without gaming, poke'em with a fork, they're done. :P

Um, that sounds awful. Everything they've done surrounding their games on Win10 has been awful. I don't get it. They are supposed to be the software/OS masters, but literally the worst way to play games in Win 10 is with the native MS service. Now they want to mess it up further by converting to the cluster-F XBox UI that's built around a controller instead of a proper mouse?

Get this (I've still been to lazy to write a review up...): in AOE remastered, because it's an "app", the zoom functionality appears to use the Windows desktop accessibility zoom tech... the whole thing turns fuzzy with just one click in OR out from the "native" zoom level in the game (which is set via one of only a few discrete options in the game menu). It's insane - it looks like ass and feels like a cut corner. Some smarty was like "hey, we already have a zoom thing for Windows. Let's just shoehorn that into the 2D gamespace. As long as the UI is an overlay, they'll never know"

@xantufrog: it's clear you have no idea what you are talking about. It's similar to Continuum for Tablets and Mouse and Keyboard.

Somewhere Gabe is laughing hysterically.

It would appear that PC and Xbox will share ecosystems moving forward (or at least they're FINALLY taking steps to make that the reality), which to the uninformed was the very purpose of Xbox to begin with.

But now it has me wondering what MS' next will do moving forward in the hardware space. What does an entry level Xbox look like? Will they account for modularity, i.e. plugging in your Surface to an exterior device for technical enhancements?

Nevertheless, it still leaves a giant question mark on what they're going to do regarding their dearth of IP. Hopefully E3 holds some answers.

EDIT: A move like this, however, makes you wonder why MS hasn't declared thermonuclear war yet on Steam. Windows Store, inevitably, is going to become a focus of their parternships.

To be fair, this isn't a bad idea. When you have a Windows 10 PC hooked up to a TV and happen to not have a keyboard/mouse plugged in, but only an Xbox controller, you have to use a 3rd party software to control Windows functions with the controller. So, a native UI isn't a bad idea, kind of like Steam Big Picture(or perhaps it would just emulate mouse movement like the Steam controller does).

I've been in that situation before, and I just had to hook up a mouse and keyboard because it doesn't have the functionality out of the gate.

I know exactly what I'm talking about, you just don't like my opinion. That gui was designed for controller use, and this is why they are implementing it - because they think gaming+xbox app = controller environment. Except most PC gamers only use controllers in specific gaming scenarios, if at all, and use mouse and keyboard the rest of the time. For good reason. The fact that you are pointing to it being similar to continuum only supports my point. That's a bad design for Mouse and Keyboard.

@xantufrog: hence whyt it supports my point for future Xbox hardware to come with a mouse and keyboard and a controller. If the game is a controller based game then they get a controller and play it. If it's m&k game, They get a mouse and keyboard. It's not hard, the only major thing that'll change is the place where Xbox hardware is placed.

But lets be honest. Multi input and convergence is the future.

LOL don’t count on Microsoft having any kind of cohesive vision for the future. They can’t even manage their own xbone ui for Christ sake

Nah.

This move is basically a war on Steam. Unless Steam can compete against Xbox consoles without using Linux. This is basically a major locked down ecosystem/platform coming to PC.

Like Sony, Valve, and many other gaming companies they have literally no vision of the future. With the move to closed ecosystems, IOS, Chrome OS, Windows 10 S Mode etc. Where does that leave Valve, Epic and many other gaming stores? The market and consumers is NOT moving to Open source and in fact the opposite. Long term wise we are moving towards closed ecosystems.

With the way things are going I won't be surprised if Valve loose relevancy to the vast majority of consumers outside of legacy systems and hardcore gamers.

@daniel_su123: It appears to be a prelude to such. But MS has an anticompetitive cloud hanging over it (a leftover from its 90s dominance) that causes them concern from locking others out of their platform or forcing them to distribute through approved channels (ala iOS). And unless they can alter the existing precedent in the States (either by legislation or judicially), I doubt they're going to make that move unilaterally.

Would be interesting if Microsoft allows HP, Dell, Samsung, etc to make Xbox consoles with Windows 10 S.

I think trying to make a console a PC is a stupid idea.

just use a friggin PC and stop the bitching.

The Xbox App + "Game Mode" on Win10 is a complete joke.

I have as much of it disabled / uninstalled as possible.

MS was talking about this same thing ages ago with their 360 launch.

But it never caught on. 360 did not become companion to our PCs, or a PC peripheral device.

So it wont happen in the future either.

Console gamers already have PCs. They do not want one with their console. When people buy console, they want an autonomous gaming unit that does not have PC dependency or all the crap that PC comes with (such as virus protection hoopla)

That's what the articles are talking about. Windows 10 will have a UI for Xbox Game Controllers.