Microsoft working towards console hardware upgrades instead of releasing a whole new device.

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-hardware-upgrade-in-the-pipeline-says-phi/1100-6435221/

Honestly if this is true then this is easily the coolest sounding thing from any of the big 3 in a long long time, Spencer you have my attention.

Upgrading consoles hardware is a dumb move,as it was proven in the past.

This is the biggest reason Sega doesn't make hardware anymore.

So the NX launches and is stronger than both X1 and PS4 then MS upgrades X1 to be stronger than both and leaves PS4 as the weakest console.

Man, SW will be even more fun soon. :P

This gonna be gud. lol

@NathanDrakeSwag:

This ^

Also, some of the more retarded blind deaf and dumb lems will praise this news.

So theyre going after Steam

What may have failed in the past is not necessarily a reflection of what will succeed now. The main reason that this can work is due to consoles moving to x86. It can also guarantee that all future consoles will be backward compatible by default.

Yes,separating your userbase is still an excellent idea!

How are you separating your userbase? Is the userbase separated by specs on PC?

That's what I was thinking as well.

Consoles are meant to be closed platforms where everyone has the same experience. Say there are 2 different versions of X1's and an online shooter runs at 30fps on one and 60fps on the other. That's a disadvantage for the people who bought the first X1 but couldn't afford to or didn't want to buy the 2nd one.

With PC everyone knows what they are getting. Consoles are meant to be cheap and hassle free. M$ is trying to turn it into a homeless man's PC.

It's not something I will think about too much now, but it is interesting and I would be curious how they go about it. I like his PS4 comparison with VR, while it is not exactly the same thing because it is an external peripheral , it does enhance the existing experience with more power.

What remains to be seen reminds me of what happened with the N64 memory pack, people without the memory pack could still play games like Turok 2, but the resolution would be lower than people without the pack. Interesting times

@NathanDrakeSwag: Then stick with your PS4.

So make game X, and some of the X1 users cant play it?

Exactly, and on PC games you can already lower / increase settings to suit your hardware.

Make a game for the lowest common denominator is pure genius.

The same PC games can run 720p 30fps or 4k / 120 fps. So they are also made for lowest common denominator?

In other words, like an expansion pak which was done by Nintendo's N64? There was a huge difference when Nintendo 64 did the upgrade feature for the console and games like Majora's Mask and Star Wars: Rogue Squadron got a huge boost from that.

People are misreading this completely.

Microsoft is working on releasing a more powerful Xbox One. They aren't going release individual upgrades for your existing console. Think of it like mobile phones.

• Xbox One 2013 Edition
• Xbox One 2016 Edition
• Xbox One 2018 Edition

Since games on Xbox One and the Windows Store are built around UAP "Universal Application Platform", those same games you buy will work on future iterations of the console, in addition to the ones you own.

It is a great idea and one I have been seeking forever now. And it won't be complicated either for the consumer.

The only "System Requirement" you will have to look up when you buy a game is "Requires Xbox One 2013 Edition or Newer". That is it. Is it hard? NO.

Developers and publishers will have the numbers to see what edition of the console should be minimum. None the less, I see them supporting a console for 4 years ago so their won't be the "NEED" to upgrade if you don't want to.

I've been suggesting this for over half a decade. There's no reason for a console (which is already a damn pc wannabe at this point) not being able to be upgraded 3y after launch.

@ShadowDeathX:

That's another way to approach it. I prefer them just building a console that you can just upgrade parts by swapping them. That will be better then xbox one 2013 and 2016 having the same motherboard and everything but new cpu gpu for example. I would rather just buy the parts of the 2016 edition rather than buying the whole thing. What your saying is almost like a new way to release consoles at a faster rate for the sake of keeping up with technology. In which case console manufactures will just cheap out any ways. I remember Yoshida speculating the same thing as Phil is doing now. I think they are still trying to find a good road map to handle this.

Um, no.

"Microsoft has said it is building towards a future where its games consoles will be upgradable, allowing the company to keep hardware viable by incrementally increasing its power instead of replacing it with an entirely new device."

That's the very first sentence and it's the complete opposite of what you just said. Perhaps you should work on your reading comprehension. I really have no clue how you could get that wrong. They do NOT want you to buy a new XBox each 2 years. That would be the dumbest idea in gaming history.

As long the game is developed for the lowest common denominator yet scales up the performance based on more powerful hardware, I don't see the problem.. It'll be a great option for those who wouldn't mind paying extra money for upgrades..

The Division is already looking to offer graphics settings for users to tailor their experience on consoles.. For example, if the base game runs at 900p/30fps but can be scaled up to "ultra settings" of 1080p/60fps if you spent the extra money to upgrade your console, then where's the downside?

this could be a game-changing idea if implemented correctly..

Sure. And you only need to buy a second X1 to achieve it lol.

That is the author's words and interpretation, not Microsoft's. Perhaps you should read other sources instead of taking what one person wrote as truth especially when that same person writes;

"Despite all this, Spencer did not provide any concrete details on whether Microsoft plans to upgrade the Xbox One, or introduce a whole new platform in the future that can be iterated on in the way described above."

in the same article.

Microsoft hasn't said exactly what they are doing but they have gave enough hints to get an assumption.

"We're allowing ourselves to decouple our software platform from the hardware platform on which it runs," Spencer said.

"You look at improvements in graphics capability, you look at improvements in display, you look at things like 4K and HDR," Spencer told me, "and these other technologies that have come along, and for the most part consoles sit outside of that [upgrade cycle]." Instead, Spencer cited the two-year upgrade cycle for smartphones as an inspiration. He wants to see steady stream of hardware innovation rather than the typical seven-ish years between console generations. If you know your games library will be intact, Microsoft can afford to push the envelope on hardware.

http://www.engadget.com/2016/03/01/phil-spencer-the-future-of-xbox/

^ ^ So true.

This is a stupid idea starting this now ... they should do this on their next console because what happens to the owners of the original xbox one ... are they still able to play future games that require new hardware to run or are we going to have to buy a brand new console that is upgrade-able ... this is why i don't like pc gaming because i just wanna look at the game not the games specs

I don't think it is a hardware upgrade like the N64 or 32X and more on the line of releasing an xbox one with stronger hardware that will play the same games but with better visuals,and it is quite possible and doable as well.

And actually a cool idea that i think sony should fallow as well,much like PC you buy new hardware,you can buy a beefier Xbox or PS4 for more money and with better performance but without breaking compatibility.

The NX has being rumor to be as strong as the xbox one . :P.

I was going to say something but ill wait until more lemms join the party...lol

Im sure Sony fans rather have PSNow than this.

Sure why not. Other gaming consoles and gaming handhelds had variations in the past, actually currently as well too, so I'm waiting to see how much of a difference this will be. With the NX coming, it gives MS the perfect opportunity to release an upgraded Xbox One. Meanwhile I think Sony will be forced to market PSVR along with the old PS4 as something new. We'll see how it goes, should be fun though.

Tell me you're joking to troll the lems. There's no way you can possibly think that fragmenting the PS4/Xbone fanbase and turning consoles into a pauper's PC is a good idea.

One of the consoles' main strengths lie in the fact that everyone that buys one of them is getting a closed unified experience. Fragmenting their fanbase like this has been a flop idea in the past (ask SEGA) because it takes away from this main strength. Nobody wants to check the minimum requirements of their console when they buy a game, they just want to pop it in and know they are getting the best experience possible on their console.

PS4 and Xbone both use an x86 architecture so their successors can be backward compatible with ease going forward without needing to become pauper PCs.

I don't know if you paid attention to that article, he just danced around talking about upgrades . That's a sticky subject what he's talking about, and he knows it, so he really didn't bring any factual evidence about what he's really talking about. As to what the h*ll he's really talking about is anyone's guess? There's no way MS is going to bring out a new Xbox superior to the one some 13 million or more already own? Just from a logistical standpoint , that makes no sense at all. I think what's really going on is showmanship , hotair, as MS is left in a hard spot with a system that has cost MS billions in losses , and the new CEO has stated anything that costs MS money will be cut.

I said this in the other thread, this probably has something to do with the cloud and/or Dx12 integration. Not sure how much internal upgrading can be done with the X1 but if they can make this happen then it's a very interesting and good thing for them, just have to wait and see.

@flyincloud1116: and I bet you'll be praising sony if they do the same thing

@naughtyottsel: Add this to the Original Post. :)

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/mar/01/microsoft-to-unify-pc-and-xbox-one-platforms-ending-fixed-console-hardware

Microsoft to unify PC and Xbox One platforms, ending fixed console hardware

Head of Microsoft’s gaming division effectively confirms Xbox is becoming a new kind of PC/console hybrid

Microsoft is planning to unify its PC and Xbox One gaming platforms into one ecosystem running Universal Windows Applications (UWAs), the head of the company’s Xbox division Phil Spencer has announced. It also looks likely that the Xbox One will become more PC-like with backwards compatible hardware upgrades in the future.

This might mean that MS will (discretely) shorten this gen by bringing more powerful model(s) built upon the X1 architecture. It wouldn't be hard at all to achieve. To me this is great news speculation, it's about time consoles stop being the most technologically stagnant product. First Nintendo showing signs of wanting to change the game, now MS... it makes me happy.

I know the console crowd tends to be too conservative, even orthodox, but still I want to believe change is possible.

its not possible to upgrade a console, they are closed systems (i mean phisically closed in a plastic box) you cant open then and put new parts, or replace anything, all they can do is release a new box (with the same name and apearance) containing better parts and call it version 2.0 , they also need to make sure the new box have software capable of running all previous games, and that requires patching all the games library oce again

It would not fragment the userbase remember the xbox uses windows which doesn't fragment players based on their rigs,actually i think MS would have to do a couple of software modification and put some tags were the OS recognize the hardware it has and run settings accordingly is perfectly doable as well on sony side all they need is keep using AMD both in CPU and GPU line and they will be good.

In fact it would not nee to come on different disc at all,just a configuration that will change settings depending on the hardware that you have.

Lets see xbox one current model you insert the game the OS detect that you are on OG xbox one and runs 900p mid low setting ,vs you getting a more beef up xbox one,you insert the game the OS detect you are on xbox one upgrade and load 1080p mid high settings is quite easy,in fact games like Project Cars allow you to play with tons of options on xbox one and PS4.

Think in the lines of something like that but at a lower level.

he is clearly talking about new hardware, this means the xbox as a console is dead, it will be like buying steam machines from alienware every 2 years, and all your steam games are there and can be played automatically, this also means the death of PS4, since it will make the sony hardware look inferior like a wii u in a couple of years, also reember that this year the new 16nm GPU will be released and PC performance per watt (and soon also performance/price) will be multiplied by 3 or 4

the X1 archtecture is PC archtecture, its a x86 AMD CPU with a handcapped 7790 graphics card running like any AMD APU on shared DDR3 memory, the software is also the same, running on DX12 and very close OS to the win10

releasing a new box every 2 years is like releasing a new prebuilt PC with a good GPU (something very rare) and with win10 installed, they can call it a console all they want, but its a prebuilt PC and Xbox as a console ceases to exist

Where in the article he states the Xbox as a console is dead if he's talking about hardware upgrades for the Xbox?

If this is true why not just go PC? Consoles already have mandatory updates, patches, game installs, mandatory online for a lot of games. Now rumors of hardware upgrades?

So you buy the base consoles buy live/psn and now possible hardware upgrades? If this is successful Sony will follow suit eventually'

It's a very bad idea. Sounds like the Sega 32X all over again, I don't know how you guys think this thing will work.

Consoles are NOT PCs.

When I buy a console I don't want to have to pay money to upgrade it every 2 years and I think most console gamers are the same. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Anyway MS has already flopped with the Xbone, flopping again won't make a difference. I hope Sony isn't foolish enough to go with this idea.

Why not just get a PC instead and play at ultra instead of wasting money on a closed system like the Xbone?

Sounds like a shit idea.

I'll bet you will be dancing in the street if Sony does too. Unlike you, I have and will criticizes both because I have my own opinion. I know that is hard for a lem to see.

Lol, I wonder what would happen to all the big-talking PS fanboys??

Anyway, interesting to hear this news. It'd be interesting to see how it'd work if they release a more powerful XB1 console.