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Why doesn't Microsoft just put Windows 10 on Xbox One X

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SpartyCrunch

SpartyCrunch

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Setting aside business practicalities or priorities, the simple answer is that it's not technically easy to do this in any way. The custom hardware in the Xbox One will not enable it to automatically or easily become a traditional PC that runs the Windows Desktop OS.

Phil Spencer even answered something like this recently:



chronic_archaic said:
With MSIX you can basically do this in dev mode.
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Not really. I'm not sure where this is coming from, but MSIX is a new packaging and installation model which enables developers to take apps and games which already run on a certain platform and package them up for installation and distribution in a different, open-source way.

MSIX is not a runtime model which will magically enable apps and games to run on a brand new platform that they were never developed to run on.
 
Deleted member 4359

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SpartyCrunch said:
Setting aside business practicalities or priorities, the simple answer is that it's not technically easy to do this in any way. The custom hardware in the Xbox One will not enable it to automatically or easily become a traditional PC that runs the Windows Desktop OS.

Phil Spencer even answered something like this recently:




Not really. I'm not sure where this is coming from, but MSIX is a new packaging and installation model which enables developers to take apps and games which already run on a certain platform and package them up for installation and distribution in a different, open-source way.

MSIX is not a runtime model which will magically enable apps and games to run on a brand new platform that they were never developed to run on.
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So far it's my own experimentation however I'm successfully ran some stock Windows 10 apps and games (Xbox app, Minecraft, Cosmo Run) in dev mode by just compiling the Windows 10 builds - if an app is x64 compatible there's no reason why it wouldn't work.
 
ShapeGSX

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brainchild

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Had they actually designed the Xbox One X to be a prebuilt Windows PC that could play steam games, I would have been one of the first people in line to buy one. In fact, if Microsoft ever takes this approach to PC gaming (provided the hardware is priced in line with traditional consoles) I will most definitely be buying one.
 
SpartyCrunch

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chronic_archaic said:
So far it's my own experimentation however I'm successfully ran some stock Windows 10 apps and games (Xbox app, Minecraft, Cosmo Run) in dev mode by just compiling the Windows 10 builds - if an app is x64 compatible there's no reason why it wouldn't work.
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Those are Universal Platform Apps that are already build in mind with the ability to run on Xbox. The suggestion was that traditional Win32 x86/x64 apps would work in the same way, which they won't.

MSIX will make it easier to package up existing Win32 apps and bring them to the store, but that won't make those Win32 apps automatically run on different platforms. They'll still run on the same set of platforms they were designed to run on, but can be installed and distributed using MSIX to those platforms.
 

Deleted member 2171

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If you deploy on UWP this is pretty much reality.

Of course, there isn't much use to running a non-gaming app on the One.
 
MP!

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FuzzyAssassin said:
This is what they originally launched with. I believe that with the Redstone update Xbox and Windows 10 are running the exact same kernel. I'm not sure how the sandboxing of apps and games work under the new system architecture, but I'm positive that it has changed significantly since launch.

EDIT: I realize I was kind of talking past you. You're totally right, the Xbox does run Windows. It's now being kept updated and in-step with the desktop Windows 10, unlike in the 360 days.
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I don't much keep up with xbox stuff but I figured they're at least running similar stuff since all their games are basically on windows 10 as well... that would make complete sense that they run the same kernel now pretty much what I figured and was kind of the point I was trying to make... but I wonder if OP is wanting like the task bar and the rest of the windows experience now that I think about it.
 
Chettlar

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Oct 25, 2017
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For the record OP, I agree with you.

I think they want PC and Xbox to continue to get even more connected. However, part of me wonders if that means making PC more like Xbox than vice versa.
 
RedSwirl

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While I think that business-wise it's crazy right now, I'd love the idea of a console that acted as an open software platform, and I think that maybe at some point in the distant future when the circumstances of the business change, Microsoft could just make Xbox into a Windows console. That time juts isn't now.

Still, I like thinking about the idea of a closed hardware box that doesn't put any hard restrictions on the software. I think it might be the best way to combine the accessibility of console gaming with the freedom of PC gaming. A homebrew console or a hacked normal console is basically this, but it would be excellent if some company could make a powerful console that works like this and get the support of all the major publishers. The way I imagine it, that platform holder would have its own digital store on the console (similar in status to the Windows Store or what Xbox Live would become on a full-Windows Xbox) but also allow other digital stores like Steam or GOG or itch. Telling EA it could just run Origin on the console would be a big incentive.
 
enMTW

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Because that would be a tremendously shitty experience and breaks the console revenue model?
 
Buttonwalls

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Microsoft cannot allow that. There is no profit made when you buy an xbox one x, it has to come from games you buy. If Microsoft allowed windows 10, people would just buy Xbox One Xs as PCs and never buy any software from Microsoft for it.
 
Ge0force

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Buttonwalls said:
Microsoft cannot allow that. There is no profit made when you buy an xbox one x, it has to come from games you buy. If Microsoft allowed windows 10, people would just buy Xbox One Xs as PCs and never buy any software from Microsoft for it.
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This. If the Xbox launched with Windows 10, people would install Steam and buy/play their games there. This would mean no income from royalties or Gold subscription for Microsoft, which gives them most of their profits.
 
Bluelote

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it would be slow as a Windows PC because of the CPU, other than that it would enable people to run any software, including games microsoft makes $0 and has no control over, which is not what consoles are for, they want to keep control and make money on all games sold

their margin on the hardware is normally not great, they have "live" and their cut in game prices (and dlc and so on) to make most of their money.
while people selling PCs make their profit on the hardware itself.

Clusterdreams said:
Does the X even have an SSD? That sounds like a nightmare to boot up.
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windows 10 boots fast enough on hard drives like less than 1 minute, and you can use sleep, so it wakes up in maybe 3s even with a HD.
main problem is that the CPU is slow, even at 2.3Ghz Jaguar is slow, using a laptop i5 from 7 years ago would feel a lot faster for basic tasks.

also I think you could use an external USB 3.0 SSD which would feel fast, even if it's capped by the interface
 
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Deleted member 1852

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MS's goal has always been to make Windows more closed, not Xbox more open. What OP is suggesting is exactly the opposite of what MS has been working towards all these years.
 

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MP! said:
pretty sure it is... in some form

Xbox-One-Operating-System-635x346.png


one of those boxes might be a stripped down version of it... if not then they'd have to add a 4th OS to communicate with the other 3


edit: oh it's windows 8... which is the suckier windows 10... so same diff
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I'm pretty sure that this isn't the case anymore.
 
Magicpork

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ZOONAMI said:
Why do they make any PC hardware at all then?
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If you're referring to the Surface product line then they have a very different price point and target audience. The profit margin on Surface Pro/Laptop/Book/Studio are many times higher than that on XBox.

Just like every other console, Microsoft is selling XBox so it can make money from games, so they're never going to open it to Steam, GOG and etc.
 
SnakeyHips

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MrCunningham said:
Basically this. If Microsoft game the Xbox One X a Windows OS, it would be something like Windows 10 S with no Win32/64 bit libraries.
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Yeah Windows 10 S with only UWP use would be very limited but allow the user to use the Xbox for basic computer use like browsing the internet, Office software and maybe some video/audio editing/converting software with the use of a mouse and keyboard (or emulated with the controller) could work. Similar to how the PS3 ran Linux before it got discontinued. It'll probably also run pretty well and easily considering the Xbox's CPU is x86/x64 architecture. They won't do it though because it would most likely open up a shit load of security issues/modification opportunites involving the Xbox OS.
 
TastyBurger666

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It's more akin to the Windows Media Center builds of yore - has the Windows 10 kernel with a Hypervisor / Virtualisation to connect the gaming part of the OS with the host UI.

It's currently in step with Redstone 4 builds.
 

ascii

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Jan 5, 2018
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The whole point of a console is a locked down hardware and software environment where you don't have to deal with all the standard incompatibility that you would in a PC.

Unlocking it just means games developers have to start catering for individual builds, which makes it much harder to put together a consistent product.

Edit: Also, they already tried the 'all in one media device' which is arguably why they're doing so badly this generation. Games consoles are for gaming, the market has spoken, let's keep them that way.
 
hotcyder

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The real question is why don't they stick Outlook and Office on it, so you don't really need a PC* - seeing as it already does Youtube, Spotify and most Streaming Services.

(*for casual PC users like tablet owners. I'm not talking content builders and programmers... though I'm sure it could do bits of that too)
 
MyQuarters

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Totally agree with OP
I also don't know why they don't put a little water tank and a heating element on it so it can boil water too.
All you'd need also is a spring and sensor hooked up to a plate on the top and it'd be a scale too.


So many applications they're just choosing to leave on the table
 
DireRaven

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I was just about to pipe up and say 'it's dumb'..

but thinking about it, I like the idea of just connecting it up to my monitor, plugging in a keyboard / mouse and using it as a nice gaming PC.. i'd install steam and gog and play all my nice pc games, and just play the xbox specific games on it where required..

good idea, lets do this!.. come on MS :)
 
RedSwirl

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ascii said:
Unlocking it just means games developers have to start catering for individual builds, which makes it much harder to put together a consistent product.
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Theoretically a closed console box with unlocked software wouldn't have that problem. It depends on whether the platform holder is controlling the hardware, the software, neither, or both. When they control both it's a traditional console, when they control neither it's basically PC.
 
elzeus

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It would take up too many resources, but in the future I could see them making a "Desktop mode/app" that enables all of the hardware to be used as a PC and it would just switch back to "xbox" mode for games. I believe apps still don't get access to all of the system resources which is why most of them run like crap.
 
entremet

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You then open up issues with security and constant patching and what not/
 
Aggie CMD

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Consoles punch above their weight in regards to the hardware they are sporting. How? Efficiently designed software. Xbox OS has always been modified Windows - leaned and optimized to play games. The original vision for Xbox was to run Windows and B. Gates lost his temper when the team told him it wasn't going to work.
 
Red Alert

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So everyone could mod their game , hack components, pirate dlcs and games and publishers get nothing from MTX,DLCS and cosmetics

no.

it would be death of xbox
 
defaltoption

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Windows 10 actual would be extremely silly on Xbox one, you'd lose the ease of use that consoles bring you'd be forced updating all of the time and have reboots during games, all for what Microsoft word, that leak is completely fake because of that one line (which is actually more ridiculous than all of its other ridiculous), we will never live in a world where people can Photoshop on their Xbox one x. Very silly that people think they want that. Why would they let you have access to steam? Or ps now game streaming? Xbox uses uwp already so you already get windows apps and I bet nobody uses most of them, why? Because want to play games on their game console and watch Netflix once in a while.
 
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