Why doesn't Microsoft just make a PC/Console hybrid? (Tech savvy people please respond.)

[Wraith]

Now, I am going to admit here and now in the first paragraph that I do not know a damn thing about, hardware/software or the gaming industry aside from the little things needed to be a basic gamer. So what I am going to suggest in the following sentences may upset some of you who are a little more fluent in the trials and tribulations of gaming and/or game design. So here we go.

The reason I chose Microsoft for this is because they are one of-- if not the most-- popular software manufacturers on the planet... that and they make gaming consoles. So with their knowledge of PCs and other gaming devices, I ask what is stopping them from making some type of hybrid? By hybrid, I don't mean a console that doubles as a PC, (though that would be sweet) I mean a system that can deliver the best of both worlds?

I imagine a device that looks similar to the 360, (the sexier new black model) but with a detachable graphics card slot in the back. That way if Microsoft were to, I don't know, gain a contract with some very reliable graphic card manufacturer, instead of making a new system every couple of years they could keep up with high end PCs and allow the consumer to buy the cards directly from them to upgrade their gaming experience.

We hear ever so often how PCs are better. How they can render things so much faster, with crisper colors. How much power they can push out, how they are the master race. What is holding MS from jumping on that? What's stopping MS from this idea?

Again, I don't know shit about tech or business, but I assume with something like this all Microsoft would need to do would be to ship out a basic model of their system that comes with a very decent GPU, a heavy duty CPU, decently sized RAM, and about 300GB of HDD space, then when their partner makes a new GPU, (most likely the following year of the system's release) MS could sell it to their already invested costumers so they can get even more out of the system they already own. We as gamers wouldn't need to buy MS's new console every six years, we'd just have to buy the card once every year, extending the usage life of the console. And even if we didn't buy the newest card, that'd be fine. From what little I know of PC gaming, I understand that you can have a pretty old GPU and still play certain games on mid to low settings. If MS partnered with a graphic card manufacturer who could make cards specifically for their system wouldn't that mean that the GPUs would always be compatible, therefore the first model of the GPU made for this hybrid would still be usable for a game made a few years after the new GPUs have been released for the system, except you'd probably be missing a few particle effects and textures? (Here is my ignorance showing. Sorry guys.) I know the GPU isn't all you need to have a working gaming console/pc so this same process could be applied to any other component the MS could make upgradeable.

I guess I'm just asking why the hell doesn't Microsoft take some cues from their PC software roots and just sell an upgradable PC/Console?

 

[Corven]

Because it isn't profitable for them to do that.

Why sell a machine that can be upgraded when they can sell something that is closed where they can get you to buy a new version a few years down the line.

 

[Maxtro]

I have an idea of what you mean.

What if the next Xbox had the ability to dualboot, Windows and the Xbox (gaming) OS.

Xbox mode would also have the ability to install PC only games on it, though only from limited sources, to reduce the risk of virus infection. It should also have a separate hard drives for gaming and Windows.

It would essentially be a PC and gaming console in one.

If you were working in Windows and wanted to play a game, you'd click the gaming mode button and it would save your current session into hibernation, and reboot into Xbox mode.

The default setting for power on would be, push the power button on the controller to turn on Xbox mode, while pushing the power button on the system itself turns on Windows mode. Of course the settings could be changed.

 

[EstrogenicMuscle]

I think being modular kind of defeats the purpose of the console. They want the hardware to be universal so games are developed specifically for a specific set of hardware.

Also, all of the upcoming consoles will be sort of like PCs in some way.

I imagine a device that looks similar to the 360, (the sexier new black model)

False! False false false!

The classic white model is so much better looking! I love my classic white XBOX, it is so pretty.

Too many electronics today are jagged and edgey looking. And are trying to make my house look like night-time. I have to go out of my way to find electronic items that aren't some share of midnight.

 

[RikuoAmero]

The reason they don't do it is because the console game developers want the system to be static, so they know exactly what hardware is in it so as to program for it. On the PC, a game developer has to take into account the dozens of graphics cards/CPU/motherboard combinations.
Not only that, but upgrading isn't as simple as putting in a new graphics card. Your CPU also has to support it. You know those slots on the motherboard where you actually put in the graphics card? For the past few years, those have been called PCI-E 2.0. Then in the last year or two, PCI-E 3.0 slots were made, which allow for a lot more data traffic to go to the graphics card. In order to get the best performance out of 3.0 slots, you'd need a high end CPU.
Anyway, it wouldn't have been possible if Microsoft had done this for the Xbox 360. That one has the CPU and GPU on the same chip, there's not a separate card you could have swapped in and out.

Lastly, I don't think anyone would buy a system where the only thing you can upgrade is the graphics card. For the price of that console/PC hybrid, you could buy a low end system, wait a while, then upgrade the CPU/RAM/Graphics card and have far better performance than the hybrid.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Ah I see you mean hardware upgrade ability, well as much as people romanticize the idea of all equal hardware that has long since been irrelevant as we have software layers.

It is a more simple matter of why do it at all? Console players aren't demanding upgrades, in fact they are the biggest PR force against them, not to mention the fact most people can't actually work out the differences in higher image quality...
So who would these upgrades be made for?

 

[Joccaren]

Because that's not something people would buy.

Consoles are bought because people don't want to have to bother upgrading their parts, CBF checking system requirements, and want a cheap system they can buy once and use and it'll work. Something they don't have to think about. Also exclusives, but that's another issue.

People buy PCs because they want the best experience possible, no matter what the cost in money, time or effort. And again, exclusives, other issue.

What you have suggested is actually just a prebuilt PC, which already exist. Different OS, sure, but its still a PC. Why don't people buy PCs now? That's why they wouldn't buy this.

 

[SomeLameStuff]

It gives them less money. Also, most console gamers I know game on consoles because of it's plug-and-playability and they don't need to worry about upgrading their specs. When they want an upgrade, they buy the next console generation.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Because it isn't profitable for them to do that.

Why sell a machine that can be upgraded when they can sell something that is closed where they can get you to buy a new version a few years down the line.

Actually, if they make things like graphics and sound cards down the line that are as easy to change out as cartridges were in days of gaming past (or HDD's to the 360...the older taller one that is) then they could potentially have a profitable idea. A gaming PC that's easy enough for console players to get into and understand! Not only could they sell a core console for one price (no hard-drive and bare-bones graphics/sound card: saving would be done on the cloud since/if the console is online-only). Then as time passes and Sony starts talking about their 3rd slim model, Microsoft can roll out what would likely be their third or fourth wave of graphics/sound cards that make the Xbox8 seem to "last an eternity". This whole idea is just a massively up-scaled version of the N64 Boost Drive or whatever the Hell that red thing is called that you got so you could play Donkey Kong 64.

Just an idea really...aren't Microsoft making some kind of big announcement tomorrow anyway? They'll probably drop the bomb then but if the Xbox Infinite turns out to be online only (or Online-if-you-want-it-to-function-properly) than why not just bite the bullet and make a gaming PC for newbs?

 

[The Lugz]

Even simpler,

if there were a market for it it would exist

the problem is you have all the downsides of all the platforms in such a device, it would just be unpopular.

what we need to do is invest money in training people to use pc's and abandon the console, because that would make everything cheaper and easier for everyone.

 

[Voltano]

One advantage consoles have over PC is fixed hardware versus variety. New hardware is made at a rapid pace for personal computers -- higher RAM, better graphics cards, bigger hard drives, and so forth -- that each PC is radically different from another PC, even though they are technically the same "PC". For example, Getting a PC that is five years old wouldn't be able to run "Skyrim" well, but most modern machines should be able to handle it well.

Since consoles have a lot of proprietary hardware that is standard from one machine to another, getting the game to play is a lot easier for developers. The developer knows all the limitations of the hardware for each machine and can just say the requirement to play this game is to just have a PS3/Xbox 360/3DS. The developers can just focus on making the game and it should run on multiple machines.

This is also great for consumers who have little knowledge of how to set up a gaming PC. Not everyone is born as a PC tech and just want to play games, so getting a console is the easiest solution to fix this problem. Somewhat related is that some of the features of a game might produce unpredictable results with some hardware not tested by developers. Technically machines today should have more RAM and great graphics cards to run old DOS games like "Monkey Island" or "Daggerfall", but you would still need an emulator to run these since the hardware is considered incompatible with these old (yet great) games. So, if a gamer just wants to sit back and play a game without fussing with hardware, consoles are the best option right now.

 

[Dendio]

I think getting a gaming pc is the better deal so long as you aren't looking for games with friends on the couch. Everyone needs a pc anyway, might as well spend a few extra hundred and make it a gaming pc. You don't need to spend more than 700 to get a laptop capable of playing anything out right now at decent fps

 

[Doom972]

Because the PC is considered a platform that has too much piracy (though I'm pretty sure that the 360 has surpassed it in that regard). That's also why console makers use CPUs with a different architecture on their consoles - they don't want people playing the games on a PC with emulators, because that would make it easy to bypass copy protection methods.

The console makers want the console to be closed platforms that are unable to do anything that they didn't intend for them to do. It can't be done effectively on a PC/console hybrid.

 

[Maximum Bert]

As others have already said its because its not something people want the hardware has to be static and a known quantity to get the best out of it and once you start having upgrades and such if you develop for the higher end models then you can miss a huge part of your market.

Also I dont think there is that high a demand for really high end gaming I mean how many people actually have a top end PC and keep it that way? not many Ill bet most just dont care enough, especially when something substantially cheaper will do the job to a satisfactory degree.

I dont think its a money issue to be fair because as far as I know they sell the 360 at a loss anyway its the games where they make the money oh and kinnect ofc but who buys that anymore?

Also why a hybrid? just get a PC gaming machine or a console or both they have different markets and blending the two would only weaken both.

 

[roozie1]

well it would cost alot to make a hibrid and most already have both

 

[Tom_green_day]

Why doesn't Minecraft just make a PC/Console hybrid? (Tech savvy people please respond.)

This is what I read as the title. I was so confused.
I think people play consoles because they like having a console- having a dedicated system to gaming, having a controller, plugging in to a TV, playing with multiple people. PC has more power, but people don't always care about power which is why a PC/ console hybrid would not appeal to console gamers like me. I don't want an upgradeable system because I want a system that comes fully-functional and doesn't have to be upgraded to play new games.

 

[Alfador_VII]

It's not profitable, and Microsoft's gaming division don't care about the PC at all.

 

[thesilentman]

Eh, I've got some time, so lets do this!

Now, I am going to admit here and now in the first paragraph that I do not know a damn thing about, hardware/software or the gaming industry aside from the little things needed to be a basic gamer. So what I am going to suggest in the following sentences may upset some of you who are a little more fluent in the trials and tribulations of gaming and/or game design. So here we go.

No problem. I'll just point out that gaming on a PC and a console is different. It's an apples and oranges deal you might say, but this idea could be explored more.

The reason I chose Microsoft for this is because they are one of-- if not the most-- popular software manufacturers on the planet... that and they make gaming consoles. So with their knowledge of PCs and other gaming devices, I ask what is stopping them from making some type of hybrid? By hybrid, I don't mean a console that doubles as a PC, (though that would be sweet) I mean a system that can deliver the best of both worlds?

First off, MS is really only a force in gaming now, with people jumping off of Windows 8 for idiotic (and not so idiotic) reasons. The whole idea for this requires that people give a damn about Windows. It's only really the enterprise sector at this point that does thanks to Linux. Really, it's only gamers, OEMs and the enterprise sector driving Windows sales at this point.

I could just say that MS likes money and be off on my merry way for the next point, but I'm more professional than that. That point is also going to be addressed later as I go, so stay with me here.

I imagine a device that looks similar to the 360, (the sexier new black model) but with a detachable graphics card slot in the back. That way if Microsoft were to, I don't know, gain a contract with some very reliable graphic card manufacturer, instead of making a new system every couple of years they could keep up with high end PCs and allow the consumer to buy the cards directly from them to upgrade their gaming experience.

Well, it probably won't work unless MS offers them for cheap. If there's a graphics card slot in the back, what's stopping the third party manufacturers from making their own GPUs and selling them for cheaper. That kind of slot in the back is begging for a situation like that, which kind of defeats the point of a console.

Oh, and the APIs[footnote]Application programming interfaces. In PC land, this pretty much is a compatibility layer that allows the code to communicate with the hardware. It's also a solution to simply buying a new GPU every year as, say, Nvidia can write a driver that uses a certain API which can be deployed to a certain model of GPUs, like the GTX 600 series. It's not just a hardware thing though. MS uses DirectX as the APIs for their Xbox and Windows games, allowing for (in theory, see Dark Souls PC for what could happen) easy porting.[/footnote] that are used in one GPU can't really be adapted to work for another GPU. It's like trying to run AMD drivers on an Nvidia card. It just won't work as the hardware doesn't comply with the software.

We hear ever so often how PCs are better. How they can render things so much faster, with crisper colors. How much power they can push out, how they are the master race. What is holding MS from jumping on that? What's stopping MS from this idea?

Note how we get those stunning colors and nice rendering though: better hardware. Better hardware costs more and can quickly drive a company bankrupt gunning for console development. It almost happened to Sony, and MS probably is not going to walk down that path.

Again, I don't know shit about tech or business, but I assume with something like this all Microsoft would need to do would be to ship out a basic model of their system that comes with a very decent GPU, a heavy duty CPU, decently sized RAM, and about 300GB of HDD space, then when their partner makes a new GPU, (most likely the following year of the system's release) MS could sell it to their already invested costumers so they can get even more out of the system they already own. We as gamers wouldn't need to buy MS's new console every six years, we'd just have to buy the card once every year, extending the usage life of the console. And even if we didn't buy the newest card, that'd be fine. From what little I know of PC gaming, I understand that you can have a pretty old GPU and still play certain games on mid to low settings. If MS partnered with a graphic card manufacturer who could make cards specifically for their system wouldn't that mean that the GPUs would always be compatible, therefore the first model of the GPU made for this hybrid would still be usable for a game made a few years after the new GPUs have been released for the system, except you'd probably be missing a few particle effects and textures? (Here is my ignorance showing. Sorry guys.) I know the GPU isn't all you need to have a working gaming console/pc so this same process could be applied to any other component the MS could make upgradeable.

It could work, thanks to APIs, but this can quickly be abused. MS could turn around and lock out, for example, Halo 6 far far into the future just because the game needs a new GPU to use some newfangled technology we really don't need. And speaking of which, writing APIs for all of the different GPUs out there is going to be something that has to be done carefully. Like I've said (beat a dead horse, really), APIs are good for that, but making everything drastically different is going to spell trouble for MS.

I guess I'm just asking why the hell doesn't Microsoft take some cues from their PC software roots and just sell an upgradable PC/Console?

The concise version is pretty much: "havoc in the console market of done wrong". Also, PCs themselves are a different sort of beast when it comes to gaming, so there's issues like this that you may have to consider.

If anyone has questions or would like to correct me, please do so! I'm willing to discuss this today.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Well current consoles are pretty much just glorified PCs anyway so they for all intents an purposes they already have.
Don't hate me, you know it's true.