Some think the future of Xbox lies in the PC, as the Xbox has always had features of a ‘next-gen PC.’ Not only does the way it looks shout PC, but it also feels like one. It also allows a variety of games to run on a PC, in graphical mode. That said, Microsoft is looking at closing the gap between Xbox and PC.

The Report From Microsoft

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer leaked some internal memos that show a more focused look at the integration between Xbox and PC. The reports also show that the company is closely looking into compatibility.

This sounds like history in the making, as the next-gen console could be a PC. PCs are known for their flexibility and have provided some of the best information and gaming options. It’s the variety through which PC can deliver these experiences and also consolidate and expand the industries producing them.

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Spencer continued to mention that the Xbox team was looking at how to open up its ecosystem to embrace these PC stores. To open up the Xbox to PC stores, a few things must be taken into consideration. Here is one of the considerations:

• The console must be optimized for PC games. This doesn’t mean Xbox will now boot like a Windows desktop. However, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to have a PC-capable Xbox. Just kidding now, back to the story. It simply means the games on an Xbox will likely look like PC games. Apparently Microsoft has been at this development for years as they try to bridge it.

• They have introduced Game Core in the past, a system that eased the process for developers to package games that were compatible for both PC and Xbox. Apparently, these would need to run as container apps.

• What this means is that these apps will run on environments known as containers. These containers work by encapsulating an app along with its dependencies, including system libraries, configuration files, and binaries.

Microsoft’s Promise

Through its new dedicated team, Microsoft has promised one of the biggest technical leaps of all time. The next Xbox will preserve the existing games while considering backward compatibility.

Microsoft Risks and Rewards

Microsoft opening up its Xbox console to competitor PC stores has its risks and rewards which could be as volatile as crypto. If or when Microsoft goes along with this idea they are looking at a huge shift in the economics of the Xbox console’s hardware.

Considering that Microsoft commonly sells its Xbox consoles at a loss and then subsidizes them through game sales, all this won’t be possible when rival PC stores are now on the Xbox platform. This means hardware will be extremely hard to sustain, resulting in some highly-priced consoles. Also, opening up the Xbox to PC-like games could enable third-party Xbox consoles.

All these changes will also apply to handheld devices. Microsoft is rumored to be working on a handheld Xbox device of which to leverage they need to have the strength of both Windows and Xbox. The handheld will secretly run the Xbox OS on Windows.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has formed a new Xbox Experience and Platforms team to improve the Windows experience on handhelds.

Every Screen Is An Xbox

With this integration, Microsoft could bring their vision – “Xbox everywhere” to life and the idea that every screen is an Xbox. Undoubtedly Microsoft is taking the necessary measures to ensure their vision comes to life. The question remains: is this a strategy that will work?

Since it’s still a work in progress, with all said it seems Microsoft is ready for a change. Considering that Microsoft has been in third place when compared to its rivals such as Nintendo and PlayStation who have stayed and always had some of the most exclusive games. Sony has realized opportunities in PC while Nintendo is expanding into other forms of entertainment.