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AlanOC91

Owner of YGOPRODeck.com
Verified
Nov 5, 2017
962
If you ain't got a full tower, you ain't got a PC. :-P

932_01-hover.png

Still rocking my HAF X in 2019! What an amazing case. Still a beast at cooling.

On Topic, I'm excited but really trying to be cautious about it too. MS have just let me down so much in the past with this stuff but having said that, this....this feels different. This actually feels like for once they are taking it completely seriously.
 

SuikerBrood

Member
Jan 21, 2018
15,507
I'm just puzzled by the fact that MS seems to think that forcing Xbox social features on PC gamers is a good idea.

I've never felt like they pushed Xbox social features on me. I use the app.. barely. I play Sea of Thieves but when I'm playing with my friends we use Discord.

It's nice that they have a decent Xbox Live option for PC gamers tho.
 

Lukas Taves

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
5,713
Brazil
Still rocking my HAF X in 2019! What an amazing case. Still a beast at cooling.

On Topic, I'm excited but really trying to be cautious about it too. MS have just let me down so much in the past with this stuff but having said that, this....this feels different. This actually feels like for once they are taking it completely seriously.
I'd say even if they do nothing more, putting all their games on steam plus accepting win32 games as is already is basically everything everyone's dreams, so even if they fail to make their services and apps compelling they are already delivering to the PC gaming community
 

NippleViking

Member
May 2, 2018
4,502
I hate the 'Companion'. Why can't it just be 'Xbox on PC', 'Xbox PC' or even just 'Xbox'?

MS shouldn't be aiming for a 'Companion' app - it should be a functional gaming and social media platform in its own right. It should effectively simulate the full Xbox experience and ecosystem, but on PC. If that's what they're going for (and it's what many believe they are), I can't help but think 'Console Companion' is sending the wrong message.
 
May 25, 2019
6,045
London
I hate the 'Companion'. Why can't it just be 'Xbox on PC', 'Xbox PC' or even just 'Xbox'?

MS shouldn't be aiming for a 'Companion' app - it should be a functional gaming and social media platform in its own right.

That's what the new app will be, I think. And it will be the xCloud hub as well.

The XBox companion will be the app for users who want to game on their console, not their PC, but want to be able to message their friends, chat in parties, buy stuff on the store, etc. It'll have XBox console streaming to it as well.
 

DrDeckard

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,109
UK
Haf X was an absolute beast of a case! What a classic!

Gone with a H500 Mesh now though, I can't even imagine having a disk drive in 2019. ring this on MS...Keep making win 10/xbox better.
 

zedox

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,219
I still think it will be a Discord competitor (with a store as well). Since MS couldn't buy them, they'll make one since they already have an app like it, aka MS Teams and they have the functionality like Clubs. This is an easy decision to make. Mark my words.
 

SuikerBrood

Member
Jan 21, 2018
15,507
I hate the 'Companion'. Why can't it just be 'Xbox on PC', 'Xbox PC' or even just 'Xbox'?

MS shouldn't be aiming for a 'Companion' app - it should be a functional gaming and social media platform in its own right.

Maybe the naming makes more sense after this weekend. If their new app is called 'Xbox Gaming' or something it would be very confusing if there would also be a plain Xbox app.

Still think it's a problem their gaming brand is called Xbox. A PC isn't a box. It will confuse people.

''Xbox Game Pass for PC''
 

NippleViking

Member
May 2, 2018
4,502
The XBox companion will be the app for users who want to game on their console, not their PC, but want to be able to message their friends, chat in parties, buy stuff on the store, etc. It'll have XBox console streaming to it as well.
Maybe the naming makes more sense after this weekend. If their new app is called 'Xbox Gaming' or something it would be very confusing if there would also be a plain Xbox app.

Still think it's a problem their gaming brand is called Xbox. A PC isn't a box. It will confuse people.

''Xbox Game Pass for PC''
It seems silly to juggle and support multiple separate applications though. They should just consolidate it all into one neat little app.

I personally don't think their brand name is a problem - 'Xbox' still feels super clean and sleek. There are plenty of catchy permutations they could use with it: 'Xbox PC', 'Xbox on PC', 'Xbox @ PC', 'Xbox Windows', 'Xbox Desktop', or simply just 'Xbox'.
 
May 25, 2019
6,045
London
It seems silly to juggle and support 2 separate applications though. They should just consolidate it all into one neat little app.

This seems to be the trend with apps in the past few years (see the Playstation app split between Friends, Remote Play, etc.) It's a decoupling so that development of each app can proceed at its own pace. One of the biggest issues with the original Edge on Windows 10 was that they could only update it with major Window updates/releases.

They probably want to be able to move quickly and not be tied down by any other apps, codebases, or platforms. I would expect all XBox PC games to be yanked from the Windows Store and put on this new XBox PC app/storefront. I wouldn't be so surprised to see the Windows Store majorly deprecated or minimized.
 

BeI

Member
Dec 9, 2017
6,020
Lemme have a console experience on my PC. I wanna be able to boot straight into an Xbox UI, do everything with a controller, and play with Xbox users. Maybe go the GOG Galaxy 2.0 route and put all your games into the same UI. And maybe build your entire game library into the overlay like on Xbox.

And if the cross-platform infrastructure between Steam / Xbox grows, allow cross-play between anyone playing any cross-platform games on Steam and Xbox.

Maybe I'm hoping for too much. Still kinda hoping to see Steam end up on Xbox.
 

NippleViking

Member
May 2, 2018
4,502
This seems to be the trend with apps in the past few years (see the Playstation app split between Friends, Remote Play, etc.) It's a decoupling so that development of each app can proceed at its own pace. One of the biggest issues with the original Edge on Windows 10 was that they could only update it with major Window updates/releases.

They probably want to be able to move quickly and not be tied down by any other apps, codebases, or platforms. I would expect all XBox PC games to be yanked from the Windows Store and put on this new XBox PC app/storefront. I wouldn't be so surprised to see the Windows Store majorly deprecated or minimized.
Oh, it's always been a common approach with development. But I'd hope that any leader with a bit of retrospect would reflect on just how often segregating features like that goes belly-up. Typically when features are split across multiple applications like this, the experience of both suffers - they feel feature incomplete (missing aspects you'd think would be there), in-cohesive, and unnecessarily convoluted. People like their applications in one place, in neat little suites, under a single umbrella. Most companion apps seem to die, or fail to realise anywhere close to the potential reach that a single application may have had, when they don't follow this rule.

I expect that not one person among my Xbox playing friendship group would use an Xbox Companion App. Most won't use a dedicated Xbox PC app either. But consolidated? I think there'd be a huge amount of appeal there.
 

dmix90

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,885
Weird...

Bring gamepad friendly Dashboard and X360 BC to PC you cowards! Hopefully this is a sign of something like that happening soon...
 

Delusibeta

Prophet of Truth
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
5,648
As I understand it, all of the social features is being folded into the Game Bar. Therefore, I would expect the Companion app to focus on streaming from an Xbox to a PC, with maybe some storage management options for said console.
 
May 25, 2019
6,045
London
Oh, it's always been a common approach with development. But I'd hope that any leader with a bit of retrospect would reflect on just how often segregating features like that goes belly-up. Typically when features are split across multiple applications like this, the experience of both suffers - they feel feature incomplete (missing aspects you'd think would be there), in-cohesive, and unnecessarily convoluted. People like their applications in one place, in neat little suites, under a single umbrella. Most companion apps seem to die, or fail to realise anywhere close to the potential reach that a single application may have had, when they don't follow this rule.

I expect that not one person among my Xbox playing friendship group would use an Xbox Companion App. Most won't use a dedicated Xbox PC app either. But consolidated? I think there'd be a huge amount of appeal there.

Completely agree. But our preference just doesn't seem to align with the product management paradigm/reality these days.
 

Pryme

Member
Aug 23, 2018
8,164

RedSparrows

Prophet of Regret
Member
Feb 22, 2019
6,543
Just so some people realise: I use Xbox stuff on PC, it isn't cancer, it's actually quite useful. I also manage to simultaneously use Steam and GoG without having a meltdown.
 

Deleted member 11517

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,260
I'm just puzzled by the fact that MS seems to think that forcing Xbox social features on PC gamers is a good idea.
That's the weird part, I don't have an xbox that I actively use so I don't have "xbox friends", this will only drive me further away from it.

It's in your title "Xbox Console Companion".

If that's how it's called... It just sounds way worse than "Xbox app" that's at least short and makes sense.


"Companion" is these things you need to install that your HP printer works...
Just so some people realise: I use Xbox stuff on PC, it isn't cancer, it's actually quite useful. I also manage to simultaneously use Steam and GoG without having a meltdown.
I have a cheap CPU (AMD 4core) that's completely unthinkable for me, using two resource hogs at the same time...
 

Iztok

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,164
Thanks to Steelyuhas

Good to see. The Xbox app wasnt great to use for PC gaming. And never really good many updates to improve it also.
The new desktop experience can refer to the "Garrision" app/launcher Brad Sams referred to.

I mean... it was never meant for "PC gaming", it was always just a desktop app for your Xbox related stuff.
Which the new name now clarifies, at least.
 

SuikerBrood

Member
Jan 21, 2018
15,507
That's the weird part, I don't have an xbox that I actively use so I don't have "xbox friends", this will only drive me further away from it.


It's in your title "Xbox Console Companion".

If that's how it's called... It just sounds way worse than "Xbox app" that's at least short and makes sense.


"Companion" is these things you need to install that your HP printer works...
I have a cheap CPU (AMD 4core) that's completely unthinkable for me, using two resource hogs at the same time...

If you don't use your Xbox much, you won't need to use the Xbox Companion app a lot. They'll have a separate Gaming app for their PC gaming efforts, PC Xbox Live things and Xbox game Pass for PC stuff.

PC users don't need to be bothered with Xbox settings, Xbox streaming and games they can't purchase anyway on PC.
 
OP
OP
Theorry

Theorry

Member
Oct 27, 2017
61,279
I mean... it was never meant for "PC gaming", it was always just a desktop app for your Xbox related stuff.
Which the new name now clarifies, at least.
Well its was mostly used when you played Sea of Thieves and needed to send a invite etc for example. Wich indeed was bad because it was desktop app for Xbox you you still used it for PC gaming and that made it bad.
 

Complicated

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,371
I've been using game bar on pc pretty much exclusively. It's great, so I'm curious what functionality an update app would have that game bar wouldn't. I guess the achievements and clubs and streaming stuff is still in there, but that seems like it could just be rolled into game bar.
 
OP
OP
Theorry

Theorry

Member
Oct 27, 2017
61,279
I've been using game bar on pc pretty much exclusively. It's great, so I'm curious what functionality an update app would have that game bar wouldn't. I guess the achievements and clubs and streaming stuff is still in there, but that seems like it could just be rolled into game bar.
Storefront i am sure. Its needs its own storefront outside of the MS store. So am expecting a special app/launcher.
 

Deleted member 11517

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,260
If you don't use your Xbox much, you won't need to use the Xbox Companion app a lot. They'll have a separate Gaming app for their PC gaming efforts, PC Xbox Live things and Xbox game Pass for PC stuff.

PC users don't need to be bothered with Xbox settings, Xbox streaming and games they can't purchase anyway on PC.

That always confuses me honestly, I use "Game bar" on my PC sometimes and I could swear it has "Xbox" plastered all over it, so for me it's the exact same thing, I'm not aware there are two separate apps
Maybe what you say is right, but that's not how I perceive it at all.
 

Iztok

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,164
Well its was mostly used when you played Sea of Thieves and needed to send a invite etc for example. Wich indeed was bad because it was desktop app for Xbox you you still used it for PC gaming and that made it bad.

Right, I forgot about that.

I only ever really used it to look at my achievements or screenshots and to launch Xbox streaming once or twice.
 

SuikerBrood

Member
Jan 21, 2018
15,507
That always confuses me honestly, I use "Game bar" on my PC sometimes and I could swear it has "Xbox" plastered all over it, so for me it's the exact same thing, I'm not aware there are two separate apps
Maybe what you say is right, but that's not how I perceive it at all.

The confusing part starts with the fact Xbox is both a platform and a gaming console. In the next couple of years, you'll see a lot more Xbox as a platform things from Microsoft. Things like Xbox Game Pass on PC, Project xCloud, Xbox Game Studios games on PC, etc.

So the Game Bar, the new Xbox PC experience App and even Age of Empires 2 on Steam are all Xbox. But they don't have a lot to do with the console.

In the future this will be more clear. The new gaming experience app and the Xbox companion app will both be branded Xbox. But you'll notice the difference. The Xbox Game Bar will be part of that Xbox PC experience.