GamersNexus: "Welcome to another edition of our Cheap Bastard's builds! This time we decided to take a slightly different approach to the DIY gaming PC guides -- we wanted to put together the least expensive gaming-grade HTPC (home-theater PC) for the extremely budget-conscious gamer; this custom, ultra-cheap gaming HTPC build makes for a great DIY project, and if you like ultra small gaming computers or want a system to plug into your TV, this may be the one. The fact that it's Black Friday only helps matters that much more."
AMD has mentioned that the next-gen Xbox is on track for release in 2027, which means we might be in the final year of the Series X|S.
They might think taking a crack at the PC/console hybrid approach might work out for them... but with PS6 delayed until 2029 at least, there went the power advantage that paying all that extra money was supposed to afford them once PS6 does launch. Also, releasing a console right now is stupid with RAM prices as high as they are. Either we're gonna be forking out $1200-1500 for this thing, or it's going to get downgraded. It costs over $700 to put 64GB of RAM into a PC right now because all the AI datacenters are buying up ALL the RAM.
Maybe a select few gamers will be willing to fork out that much $ for a system that is more powerful than PS5 Pro, but most gamers are only just now feeling like PS5 is hitting its stride and still has a few years of life left in it before we need to move on to a new generation. Plus, by the time PS6 does launch, RAM prices will be stablizing, so PS6 will be able to put much more of its overall budget towards a more powerful GPU and CPU vs. having to spend such a large chunk of the budget just on RAM like the new Xbox will, assuming it does drop next year while still in the midst of this RAM crisis.
People said the same thing about xbox 360 launching early but it turned out pretty good. Microsoft's R&D is much larger and more cash rich than Sony's. They have the money to do it. One of the reason Sony is waiting because they arent ready to spend billions more on hardware and the PS5 is still selling and that would definitely hurt their sales. Plus they just released Ps5 pro.
The series x isn't selling well so for Microsoft its a good time to get ready for next gen. The next console from xbox is gonna be for core gamers and no matter when sony launches it probably wont have many advances over Magnus if any at all. Im confident it will be on par or better than the next Playstation. Even the series x does features that ps5 or the pro still cant do. Sony shouldn't of released the PS5 pro. Imo its not needed and underwhelming. They could of used what they spent on that for the PS6
First, no one actually said that PS6 is delayed.
The rumor started with Tom Henderson saying he thought PlayStation might consider delaying the PS6 due to RAM prices. He specifically did not say that he heard that they were going to delay it or anything like that, it was 100% speculation, and he never implied otherwise.
That said, let them delay it, the PS5 Pro especially with FSR 4 coming in the next month or so, will be more than sufficient. There isn't going to be any publishers, including Microsoft, willing to skip PlayStation's user base, especially when publishers seem eager to put games on Switch 2 which is a significant step down even from the base PS5. So, the idea that having more power is really going to shift things in their favor is extremely hard to believe.
Microsoft can make as many consoles as they want, the issue is convincing people to buy them.
Both the PS5 and the Switch 2 sold double the amount of consoles in December that the SX sold in the entire year of 2025. And I doubt that a super expensive co-pilot box is going to help them, especially if you look at the lackluster sales AI equipped PC's have seen.
The next Xbox issaid to have 36 GB of memory so the price short from ram should not be as apocalyptic as a 64 GB kit. With the PS6 coming in with 30 GB, the RAM should not be what makes the Xbox cost so much more. Of course without Microsoft subsidizing the console the actual MSRPs may diverge wildly.
32GB of DDR5 still costs in the neighborhood of $250-300 for the super cheap stuff, $450 for the name brand. That's what entire consoles used to cost. That eats up a huge chunk of the budget that was supposed to be paying for the CPU and GPU, which means that the cost of this system will be driven farther north than previously anticipated, and it was already expected to be above $1k. Releasing a console in the middle of an industry-wide RAM shortage is stupid. Even GPU makers are scaling back production because of it, and focusing their remaining stock and production towards selling to datacenters. Some memory manufacturers have dropped consumer products entirely and now only make chips for datacenters. Nvidia is scaling back its consumer GPUs, no longer offering the super series of some GPUs, for instance.
For MS to pull the trigger now means releasing at a very risky price point against a PS5 that is simply on fire, even outselling the Switch 2 in many cases. It's coming at a time where the Xbox brand is at its weakest ever, and consumer confidence in the brand is at absolute rock bottom. Nobody wants to drop $1500 on an Xbox when they can play the same games on their PS5 Pro for half the price already, or even cheaper if using a base PS5. Only a select few enthusiasts will bother to fork out that kind of money... by the time this product reaches a price point where it can have mass-market appeal, the PS6 will be dropping... but by that time, RAM prices will be dropping, so PS6 will now be able to, assuming it does delay until 2029, invest more into upgrading its architecture over the previously released spec, invest in more RAM than the new Xbox will have, a better CPU & GPU, etc.
As for nobody saying PS6 will launch in 2029, nobody said it would come sooner either, not officially, at least. As of now all we have to go by are rumors based on internal information that could easily change at a moment's notice. Even the design of the chip itself could change as it has not yet entered into production. They could easily opt to include a few more CUs, more RAM, more CPU cores, etc. between now and when it does officially enter production. So, MS could drop a new Xbox now, but it wouldn't be wise, at all, for them to do so if they plan on even holding a candle agains the juggernaut that will be PS6. PS5 will most likely mop the floor with it due to its price point alone.
And that's assuming MS even gives the green light to start manufacturing the console to begin with. We'll see in the coming months if production even happens. Microsoft's shareholders damn sure aren't going to be willing to subsidize anything at all after they just dumped $100b into buying game publishers, expecting to see a ROI, and not seeing it anywhere near as fast as they'd hoped, which is why we're now playing Xbox games on PS5.
As for MS sitting on RAM, they are sitting on some, but Xbox is sitting on none. Microsoft knows good and well they will make far more money putting that RAM into datacenters than they ever would putting it into a console that is already at a huge disadvantage before it even launches, and has little hope of generating a lot of sales.
It'll end up being a Windows based machine that utilizes an Xbox ecosystem as well to play their game library on. But you'll end up being able to buy games from places like Steam as well more than likely.
Would make the most sense honestly. Best of both worlds.
Microsoft should just ditch Xbox and cash in on PC and PlayStation games, maybe even Switch 2. Apparently, they make a loss on hardware, so what's the point?
Replies(1)
What Xbox was is dead. Long live Xbox. I mean Halo and fable are coming to PlayStation this year. Gears and forza are already there. I'm here for it. I will absolutely give MS publishing my money if they make good games.
Replies(1)
The PS5 has ended up dominating Black Friday sales in the US, while the Xbox Series X|S consoles have fallen short of reaching third place.
Replies(2)
X|S losing in UK and, most importantly in the US by ~5-6:1 to PS5 is a very rare and telling sight.
If we hadn't come to know about Xbox execs internal plans, quote: "[...] to push Sony out of business.", trying to buy out Nintendo, Valve, Sega, make From Software games exclusive to GP, CD Projekt Red, and ultimately buying Zenimax and ActivisionBlizzardKing to weaken Playstation's revenue stream and force GP onto other platforms, I would quite certainly have said now: "That's very unfortunate for Xbox!"
But I admit, knowing all of that, that I don't share any pity for Xbox whatsoever.
That's why, no matter how many times the Xbox division comes out saying "we're releasing a new console!", I take it with a huge grain of salt. While Phil Spencer and co. might be all about it, Nadella and the shareholders, who just dumped nearly 100b into buying half the gaming industry and are not seeing that ROI come back anywhere near as fast as they'd hoped, they may have other plans... especially now that they've effectively gone third party.
Even if they do release a new "console PC hybrid" that runs windows and can play all windows games, it'll still be at a disadvantage to equally powered systems that have dedicated gaming operating systems. Now that Valve is also entering into that space to give them competition, and being that PC/console hybrids have traditionally failed, as the average gamer doesn't care to mess with drivers, navigating windows, etc... Even if MS does put out a PC in a lunchbox case and calls it a console, I don't see things changing much for them on the hardware front. It'll (based on rumored specs) be an extremely expensive system, well into the 4 digit range, and at that point, why spend that much money on a PC that you can't upgrade? Give me a box I can swap out GPUs in, add RAM, upgrade the CPU, and have it be plug and play with no need to mess with drivers/etc while still being compatible with all windows games... then you'll have my attention at that price point. However, at that point, you basically just have a PC with a specialized OS... which we can also do with traditional PCs, and MS isn't going to give up on trying to force us to buy a Windows machine, even if it isn't the best OS for gaming (vs. a dedicated gaming OS like we see in consoles).
«It'll (based on rumored specs) be an extremely expensive system»
Yes.
And don't forget to add the current undergoing price surges in components to the math.
They've announced even BEFORE them happening that Xbox Next is going to be «premium» piece of hardware.
"I take it with a huge grain of salt."
They've said they're committed too many times and they're under contract with amd. This is is you who thinks the S was holding back the PS5. I would back down Now because you know you're gonna be dead wrong later like you always are about everything. Because you know, being a fanboy and all.
The gen after next yes I think they won't make their own hardware and do OEM even then that's a maybe.
@Lightning
There is no such thing as a next gen Xbox developed and distribued from Microsoft. They may get Asus to put out a PC with an Xbox sticker on it and it but thats it. It may have the ability to play some Xbox games but thats it. Sure Microsoft could surprise us but right now its just not making sense for them to do it.
@jay that's what I said. License PC stuff with a xbox logo. That's for next next gen maybe for next next gen. Next gen though they've already confirmed more times than I can count they're making
You shouldn't have any pity because they are still making a butt load of money. Hardware sales isn't the only way to measure success.
We don't know that, do we.
Anyone from Xbox stating "We're profitable!" can be taken with a grain of salt.
It's not that I care.
But only for the sake of having a serious conversation it would be very helpful if we'd knew Xbox' operating income.
Which we don't.
It would be disingenuous to call “making butt load of money” on other companies’ platform a success.
Especially considering that you can’t even give them credit for earning the “butt load of money” as they bought the companies AND you can’t even say they are “making a butt load of money” without first explaining that they are in debt to the tune of 89 BILLION dollars which will not be paid off with that “butt load of money” for generations to come.
MS demise of Xbox is on MS at this point. All the painfully stupid decisions is all on MS.
In terms of MS making money. Obviously they do Content and services first party releases (3rd party publisher) and especially GP is said to be a big driver for them. If any of those things wasn't doing anything for them it would all get shut down a long time ago under MS specifically.
I'm a big fan of "karma" and you shouldn't feel any pity for Xbox.
But at the same time, are they really hurting? This all just seems to be moving in the direction they actually want. I think any hardware sales at this point is considered a win for them.
Well done PS5 again. Launched over 5 years ago and still going strong. Massive success.
"NEX Playground ranked third (14%), leaving Xbox Series X|S consoles in the likely fourth place."
I follow gaming news very regularly and I follow a few gaming channels on youtube, I've never even heard of NEX Playground. What the hell even is that? (rhetorical, I know I can just google it) The fact Xbox is losing to that is extremely embarrassing.
Replies(4)
yeah I was like WTF is NEX? never heard of it mentioned anywhere LOL
I googled it and watch about it on YT and it's basically EyeToy/Kinect but it's a subscription only console?? Americans really loves their subcriptions ha?
The PS5 shows no signs of slowing down. Five years after release, it commanded the Black Friday market in the US, UK, and Spain, responsible for nearly half of all units sold
Microsoft is a 4 trillion dollar company. The 23.5 billion dollars that it's gaming departments has brought in equals about half of one percent of that. If anything, Microsoft can drop it's gaming divisions and not bat an eye. And they should. Because they can't seem to make it work.
I’d rather they sell of the IP to co panics that have a passion for gaming. They don’t have a very good track record of managing studios and IP.
I’d rather they sell off the IP to companies that have a passion for gaming. They don’t have a very good track record of managing studios and IP.
FSR 4 was a substantial improvement to AMD’s upscaling solution. It reduces ghosting, improves finer mesh retention, and particle effects. In most cases, it delivers similar visual quality to DLSS 4’s CNN model, but slightly worse than the newer transformer model.
Since FSR is open-source and nvidia's DLSS isn't, I'd personally always prefer FSR.
Frankly, I think all these differences are nice to know (and notice) about if you're playing at DF level. And I totally respect that very small need to max out performance.
But given the prices, I don't think any nvidia GPU advantage justifies paying 1000+ bucks. I don't see any game(s) exclusively (or not) available on PC that offer a fundamentally different and innovative gameplay experience.
There's never a good reason to own any products from Nvidia. They are one of the most destructive and anti-consumer companies that's ever existed.
Anyone buying and using Nvidia is only contributing to the downfall and end of gaming as we know it now.
With the rise of Nvidia all we've seen is price gouging while their products that continue to become less power efficient and their performance gains are so miniscule you'd need a 100x microscope to notice the AI upscaling. Pathetic really.
Why do you need to pay 1000 bucks for an Nvidia GPU? You can find one that is faster than the PS5 Pro at 400 bucks, RTX 5060 ti 16GB, and it has better upscaling, more VRAM, multiframe generation and RT.
Exactly. Headline says FSR looks like last gen. Implying it's years behind the competition. Article says it's slightly behind.
Examples shown, the difference are barely discernible.
I dont know about anyone else, but I've never had 2 screens playing at the same time to know the difference in performance of a given game. It's like those TV screen comparisons, virtually nobody in the real world engages does this, lol. Performance seems comparable to me. Besides Nvidia is no longer interested in the gaming products, its full steam ahead with "AI".
Yeah, but the gaving division is still 8.5% of their global revenue, and they just made 30% YoY topline growth per quarter. A 11.35 billion business is absolutely massive, and this will continue to increase. That means there's 11.35bn reasons why they won't stop the gaming business, nor lose their focus on it. It's also their pivot if things do not go as well in the AI race. By end of 2026, they have DOUBLED the gaming division business in 5 years.
FY 2025 $11.35 billion 8.6%
FY 2024 $10.45 billion 15.2% (approx)
FY 2023 $9.07 billion -7.5% (approx)
FY 2022 $9.82 billion (approx) 49.6% (approx)
FY 2021 $6.5 billion (approx) 61.1% (approx)
I've been lucky enough to get a new 5090 build in March, glad I went with Nvidia. Cyberpunk looks amazing.
$357? dam so expensive, The Wii U is $300 and Both systems have similar graphics
That's a great price for a gaming rig...only thing I'd upgrade is the GPU though.
Holy crap! I JUST built an almost Identical computer over these past 2 weeks. Just waiting for the case to arrive.
I got the same A10 Processor with that exact same Motherboard, saved $12 for buying is as a combo. I got 16GB ram instead of 8GB, plus what I got runs at 1866 instead of 1600mhz, for only a few bucks more from a Shell Shocker sale. I got the same Samsung 840 120gb for the same price he has listed, although that sale is over.
I though about not putting in an optical drive like he did. Although, now that I think about it, I do have a spare laying around. But I plan on getting everything through Steam and using Big Picture mode on my living room tv. =)
The case I bought was $39 and came with a power supply. I have a spare 750GB HD I plan on throwing in there.
My total, thanks to having some spare parts laying around, and even opting for his 'optional' SSD, I spent $340.