Microsoft Could Turn Every PC Into an Xbox (theverge.com)

For the past few years, Microsoft has been trying to mold Xbox One system's user interface and functionalities to resemble that of Windows 8 and Windows 10's Modern UI. But the company has also hinted that we will be seeing a closer integration in the coming months. It is expected to unveil some of that at E3 tradeshow next week. Long-time Microsoft watcher Tom Warren reports for The Verge: Microsoft is currently working on a secret project internally, codenamed Helix. Kotaku originally reported on the Project Helix name, and the work is designed to more closely combine Xbox and Windows 10. Some of that work has started, but more of it is due later this year and next year with future upgrades to Windows 10. Microsoft wants to enable features like streaming PC games to the Xbox One, but sources familiar with the company's plans also tell us there are greater ambitions to make Xbox One games playable on a PC without needing a console for streaming. Part of this could involve bringing the full Xbox One UI and system directly into desktop versions of Windows 10. The latest Xbox One dashboards are built on top of Windows 10, so most of the work involved would be customizing the interface towards keyboard and mouse. Bringing the Xbox One UI over to Windows 10 machines would effectively turn every PC into an Xbox One, especially if they're also capable of running the latest console games.

Comments

Re:Even Linux Boxes?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, yes, we're all terribly impressed by your ability to notice the lack of the qualifier "Windows" to the headline's mention of PC.

Quite an unsurprising response to Steam/Linux

[Guybrush_T]

That just a natural response to steam/linux. I'm even surprised it took so long for them to enable any windows PC to run XBOX games since the XBOX is a PC running windows.

Great More Windows Bloat

[Crashmarik]

More junk on my system to support features I don't need or want.

The Linux community is destroying itself.

[Anonymous Coward]

If Microsoft really wants to destroy Linux, all it has to do at this point is sit back and watch.

The Linux community is doing a superb job of self-destructing, all on its own. It's causing more harm than Microsoft, SCO, or any other external party could have done.

Systemd has torn apart the Linux community. It has caused huge problems for many Linux users, as evidenced by the many mailing list posts and bug reports describing serious problems with it. A recent example is how a systemd change broke tools like screen and tmux. Obviously, many Linux users just cannot put up with nonsense like that, especially those running servers and other important systems. Yet moving to another distro isn't an option for them, because all of the major Linux distros now use systemd! The only Linux distros that don't force systemd on the users are niche distros like Slackware and Gentoo, but they typically aren't suitable replacements for a general-purpose distro like Debian.

Systemd is just the tip of the iceberg. GNOME 3 was a serious regression from GNOME 2, alienating a huge number of users. Unity isn't much better. Firefox has gotten progressively worse, forcing most of its users over to Chrome. X has stagnated, while Wayland has gone nowhere. PulseAudio has been problematic for so many users.

We've seen a lot of Linux users, many of whom had used Linux for decades, give up on it lately. Those wanting a better workstation environment have moved to OS X. Those wanting a better server environment have moved to FreeBSD. Linux has entered the same dismal feedback loop that Firefox has entered: the software got worse, which drove away the best users, which allowed the software to get even worse, which drove away mediocre users, which allowed the software to get even worse than that, which drove away the remaining users.

It wasn't outside forces that have started the demise of Linux. It was actors within the community who have been responsible.

Re:The Linux community is destroying itself.

[Anonymous Coward]

Android and ChromeOS are very bad examples to use.

They're absolutely nothing like traditional Linux distros. Yes, modified versions of the Linux kernel are used, but that's where the similarities end.

The only times we've seen Linux become truly successful is when pretty much all of the traditional software running above it is thrown away.

That means X is discarded. That means systemd is discarded. That means most of the GNU utilities are discarded.

Then all of that is replaced with custom or proprietary software.

At that point, the Linux kernel isn't much more than a convenient hardware abstraction layer. It's used mainly because it's free and people are familiar with it, rather than any technological advantage it would give over other kernels.

We can't really attribute Android's success to Linux. Most Android users wouldn't have any clue that the Linux kernel is even present on their devices, it's buried under so many layers of abstraction.

Re:Linux here I come

[PopeRatzo]

If they do this I will never use a microsoft OS ever again. Nor will most businesses.

^This guy thinks it will mean having to control his Excel spreadsheet with an Xbox controller.^

I can understand not liking Windows, or Microsoft, but how in the hell is being able to run Xbox games on your Windows PC a complete, goodbye-cruel-world dealbreaker?

Re:Not happening.

[Merk42]

Why would Microsoft let you play Xbone "console exclusive" games on any generic Windows 10 PC

Because Microsoft loses money on every sale of the hardware of an Xbox One. If people don't even have to buy the hardware, then it's a win for Microsoft.

No. No. No. No.

[Chas]

If I wanted a fucking XBox, I'd buy a fucking XBox.

I use my PC for actual WORK, and I wish those asshats at Microsoft would realize this and stop trying to turn my workstation into a goddamned game console!

Wasn't Windows 8 enough of a fucking clue that people LOATHED a non-desktop UI on a desktop computer? How many more interface abortions do they need to foist off on us until they get it through their fucking heads?

Do people want to pay $100-200 for an OS? No? Give THEM a fucking XBox.

Let me pay for my OS AND LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!