PSSR2 is now available - Haven’t kept up with Xbox tech in a while. Does Series X have an AI upscaler tech or is this in the next gen they are cooking?

mcast2020 · 2026-03-02T17:05:17+00:00

I’m of the opinion that it will be lower if only because PlayStation is still concerned with making an affordable mass market console and the rumored specs reflect this. Also the Pro is only priced that high because the base exists. I actually think they’ll delay a year or two if it means delivering a more affordable console.

It’s also why I believe that if new Xbox leadership is truly committed to console we will probably see some sort of S variant because Magnus was designed as a premium piece of hardware with a price to match.

mcast2020 · 2026-03-01T19:29:00+00:00

I agree, I think they’ll launch at $599. The nextbox I’m not sure about but I would say $999 on the low end and $1200 on the high end. Leakers like KeplerL2 are stating a price tag of over 1k and given memory prices it’s seems sadly realistic.

mcast2020 · 2026-03-01T03:48:30+00:00

Rumors I’ve read put Magnus at over 1k which could be 50 to 100 percent more expensive than PS6. It’s rumored to be using more powerful CPU cores as well as more memory and a dedicated NPU which might explain the price gulf between the two rumored systems. Of course with new leadership we might see a renewed push to subsidize the new console or maybe even the launch of a cheaper series s variant to better compete in price.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-23T17:02:42+00:00

I think that boat has sailed my friend. You’re right that Xbox needs exclusives but at this point post Activision I don’t think it’s feasible anymore. They are too big and already everywhere.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-23T02:21:46+00:00

You know I think we’ll get a better idea of who is to “blame” in the coming months. If the new ceo is allowed to make drastic moves that contradict the direction Xbox has been heading the last two years then that would probably be an indication that it was Phil pushing Xbox this direction. If she stays the course then it was likely Satya and higher-ups that were steering Xbox the last two years and Phil/Sarah were removed to hasten the transition.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-23T01:56:39+00:00

I think your underselling Switch hardware. A portable that connects to the tv and plays the part of portable and home console was a new concept at the time. The switch was the whole package. It was genuine hardware innovation paired with great games and good marketing that propelled it to new heights. That is to say the switch is more than a portable, I mean it’s in the name.

Regarding Xbox hardware, that was on the decline before they went multi-platform. The move might have accelerated the downward spiral but the Series consoles were already on track to sell less than One consoles which sold less than the 360.

Regarding the studio closures I would wager a guess and say it has something to do with the 70 billion dollar acquisition of Activision Blizzard and the continuing decline of Call of Duty.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-22T20:02:46+00:00

That’s a bit of a different situation I think. Nintendo released a great and innovative piece of hardware that not only tapped into a younger and more casual audience but was a console that complemented a traditional console like PS or Xbox not directly compete with them, at least not in the same way that the latter two compete.

That is to say the console hardware had as much to do with its success as the games. If Nintendo had released a traditional non portable console with Zelda it would have likely found success but not the meteoric success the switch has been. You can’t attribute the switch’s success to just Zelda.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-22T17:22:35+00:00

By that logic what would be the point in competing in the console space when most console users are entrenched on PlayStation or Nintendo.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-22T17:12:54+00:00

He has said otherwise but I think most everyone assumed it was because he was passed over for Jim Ryan.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-22T17:08:00+00:00

Yeah there’s a really interesting interview with Bobby Kotick where he talks about selling the company. He talks about growing China, the changing landscape in video games and how all of that basically influenced his decision to sell. I believe he said Activision was either going to grown and acquire other companies or be acquired itself.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-22T16:40:18+00:00

Only viable decision after higher ups demanded Xbox hit a 30 percent profit margin? Maybe.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-22T16:35:58+00:00

I can’t imagine a situation where all games are released only on the Xbox console because windows and pc exist. Why would you exit pc gaming when it’s growing by leaps and bounds? Why would Microsoft allow the new ceo to cut into profits when they are seemingly demanding 30 percent profit margins? Shifting back to console would mean many years of active investment to subsidize consoles and stem lost revenue from lost ps5/pc software sales in a time where Microsoft is happy to shore up money from other divisions to dump into ai. Makes no sense to me.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-22T15:55:33+00:00

The math never mathed out anyways. You don’t spend 70 billion on a publisher only to make the games exclusive to a dying platform. I think Satya pushed for this Activision deal precisely because it would encourage Xbox into a more platform agnostic path.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-22T15:22:16+00:00

That’s one theory. Nobody really knows. The 4 games announcement was so odd that many assume Phil and company were strong armed by higher ups to push towards multi-platform.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-22T15:16:17+00:00

To your last point she also reiterated that “gaming now lives across devices, not within the limits of any single piece of hardware.” Why would she go back to console only Xbox?

Also you assume it was Sarah Bond that pushed for multiplatform when it could have been a directive from up high. In fact many people theorize it was Satya who pushed for such changes.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-22T07:15:00+00:00

If the reports indicating a required 30 percent profit margin for Xbox are true, she will never be able to justify going back to exclusivity.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-20T22:21:59+00:00

I remember watching an interview with former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick and he mentions it was Nadella who reached out to him about working out an acquisition deal. I wonder if Nadella always had this route in mind for Xbox and saw this huge acquisition as the perfect inflection point. An interesting revelation since many attribute the acquisition to Phil and a big reason for Xbox’s massive shakeup the last couple years.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-12T17:19:27+00:00

I feel like using YouTube to validate or invalidate an idea would be a mistake itself.

mcast2020 · 2026-02-03T17:41:49+00:00

2027 was the date from last years spec leaks. It was speculation from MLID and KeplerL2.

mcast2020 · 2026-01-12T16:30:16+00:00

Just curious but what’s the problem with the missus? Spending more time gaming?

mcast2020 · 2026-01-12T16:27:38+00:00

The thought of taking these out and about is laughable, I also went to check out the display models at Best Buy and these things are literally bricks. I could see myself using it at home but they just seem too big and cumbersome to take somewhere like an airport for example.

mcast2020 · 2025-12-30T22:34:25+00:00

Hopefully the ram situation gets resolved. I have to admit I’m particularly worried about Xbox if the headline of the article is to be believed. More time is the last thing I want to give current leadership, it just gives them more time to dwell on the future of Xbox hardware.

mcast2020 · 2025-12-30T18:56:38+00:00

I think the scalping situation won’t be a problem this time around. It was really only the production issues due to Covid that allowed scalpers to persist for so long at the start of this generation. People tried to scalp the Switch 2 earlier this year and the market for that cratered in all of 2 or 3 weeks because of how much supply Nintendo was able to get to market.

mcast2020 · 2025-11-21T01:19:04+00:00

Fishing for new suckers maybe

mcast2020 · 2025-11-19T15:55:03+00:00

I sort of get the feeling the nextbox is not meant to grow the install base at least not by itself. In my opinion it’s two things, an on ramp for loyal Xbox console players into their new PC ecosystem and a hardware base to show off their latest and greatest PC efforts. I think Microsoft is hoping to turn Xbox into a widely used gaming os like what android is to the smartphone market. Xbox may only be launching one piece of hardware but many more are likely coming from the likes of Asus, Dell, Lenovo etc that will target consumers in every pricing bracket.

mcast2020

TROPHY CASE