All Channels
Popular
900°

Xbox 360 web browser may force Sony to make PS3 improvements

Product-Reviews writes: PS3 users have been crying out for a fully functional and easy to use web browser for years, but unfortunately Sony hasn’t delivered. The web browser remains pretty shocking and sadly, the browser on the PS Vita isn’t exactly amazing either.

Read Full Story >>
product-reviews.net
danswayuk5129d ago

Let's hope the next-gen systems start out with web browsers much better than this generation.

Lucretia5129d ago

6 years late MS.....but better late than never

saladthieves5128d ago

True.

Always wondered why a software giant company like them never considered putting a browser to the Xbox 360 before.....until now.

crzyjackbauer5128d ago

6 years later ps3 browser still sucks
still freezing my ps3 LOl

Dee_915128d ago (Edited 5128d ago )

i doubt they wil be able to improve the ps3 browser anymore.The last update made it waay better but its still frustrating.Either they make a totally new browser from scratch,get google chrome or just wait til ps4 and make the proper improvements with better specs.
However im looking forward to see what type of browser 360 get. i would die if it got windows mobile 6.5 lol

And at this point wouldnt it be ps3 that forced 360 to get a web browser in the first place ?

Dazel5128d ago

To be honest we don't need it, they aren't very practical with a controller and even if it's better that the terrible ps one, why would I use it when I have pc, tablets and phones?

STONEY45128d ago (Edited 5128d ago )

The fact that the stock browser on my phone (Galaxy S) is faster than the PS3 browser, has a much better UI, and never crashes on me, says a lot.

It's not even really about the gamepad being bad for browsing. The PS3 browser is slow and LOVES freezing up. Plus, it should have a huge advantage considering it's directly connected to the internet through a cable, while my phone is on T-Mobile's pseudo 4G. Even scrolling down a loaded page on my phone is fast and smooth. The PS3 just kinda... skips when scrolling.

sikbeta5128d ago

Took 4 years to improve the browser in the PS3 and still is crappy, HW issue though, hope next gen browser kick @ss or at least be on par with Firefox, Chrome being the absolute peak, can't expect much for X360 browser because HW is in the same league, but then again, MS is SW company, so they can pull it off :D

Brosy5128d ago

I personally don't care about a browser on a console. It's just not practical, Sony has proven this with the PS3. No need for a browser if you have a PC.

n4gisatroll5128d ago

You fools do realize they did patch the browser awhile ago right?sure its not the best, but it does work, and hasn't crashed on me since they fixed it.

5128d ago
jadenkorri5128d ago

problem with a console browser is that most of the time when i want to use it, is when im playing a game and stuck, however im not gonna quit the game, load the browser search for what i want then back to the game, when i can easily search on my phone or walk to my cp in the other room and search there... The ps3 browser would be better if it worked while in game.

Hisiru5128d ago (Edited 5128d ago )

WTH? Web Browser isn't even important for gaming.

Don't you guys have web browser on your computer, smartphone etc? Seriously... I know aditional features can only be good for us but are you guys really disappointed about the lack of a good web browser in your console?

You can't even have a decent keyboard + mouse... Why would people prefer to use web browser on consoles if they can have it on personal computers?

Boody-Bandit5128d ago (Edited 5128d ago )

Are these gaming consoles or what?
I have all the consoles (PS3, 360, Wii, handhelds), Killer gaming rig but I never use my PS3 or even my gaming rig to surf the net or the other features like netflix, etc. I use one of my many other devices like laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.

My gaming devices are for gaming not surfing, social networking or watching tv / movies, sports, etc. I have Satellite and everything else listed above to fill those needs.

MS needs to start focusing on exclusive core games and not adding additional apps and features that only a very small segment of their consumer base use.

I am frustrated with the direction they are headed and what they are focusing their efforts on. This generation is nearing it's end and I'm not going to purchase their "Next Box" unless they give me moderately challenging games that I can only get on their hardware. I honestly don't see that happening. They are too busy chasing what's fashionable and trendy instead of sticking to gaming.

It's almost as if MS just keeps throwing mud against the wall to see what will stick. MS, the people that brought you to the dance are being ignore by you. Stop the casual crap and useless features and add ons that work better on other devices.

Edit: Pound disagree until your fingers bleed. I'm just being honest. I think all this Facebook, Twitter, HBO GO, Netflix, Web Browser, etc is useless to me, a GAMER. I purchase gaming consoles to GAME. I have a ton of other devices to do everything else and they are a lot more accessible, functional, faster and easier to use.

Tacking on this worthless crap is just a way for them to take attention away from the 800lb gorilla in the room, they now are lacking in the area that matters most, GAMES.

THESONYPS35128d ago

@crzyjackbauer, you do realise that the playstation 3 has been out a year less than the 360?

Boody-Bandit5128d ago

Yeah, you guys are right.
Web browsers are more important than games for game consoles. /S

SilentNegotiator5128d ago

Wait....internet explorer?

......ps3's browser has nothing to worry about. lol

DeadlyFire5128d ago

I say spec wise. Either one will have problems with a web browser. PS4/XB3 on the other hand I think are more aligned to have a modern browser. I think the X360 browser talk is just another rumor. Likely if Microsoft is talking about putting a browser in anything it will be next Xbox. As they could have slapped a browser into X360 when they were thinking about facebook/twitter integration. There was a reason they did not do it. Likely that reason still exists.

Trebius5128d ago

Internet explorer is EASILY the worst browser out there. I dont dare let that browser find its way on my computer. They used to be forced on us back in the day, most new notebooks and pcs still come with IE pre installed, but everyone just gets a different browser.

IE is notoriously inefficient.
But at least the 360 HAS a browser, thats a step in the right direction, just hope they dont charge for it.

SolidStoner5128d ago

why Sony just dont take Google browser??? that would be good for Google, Sony and Us!

+ Show (15) more repliesLast reply 5128d ago
Akuma-5129d ago (Edited 5129d ago )

A web browser added to xbl may force Sony to add a hd media format like blue ray to the ps3. I know a lot of people would rather a web browser on the xbox than new exclusive games.

Playstation is the future and the future is playstation

dark-hollow5129d ago

"rather a web browser on the xbox than new exclusive"

If someone already an Xbox owner, why would he care if the upcoming game is exclusive to his console or not?

He can't enjoy assassin creed III? Anticipate gta V? Play skyrim?

Persistantthug5129d ago (Edited 5129d ago )

It's a lie.
How do we know?
Because XBOX 360 fans get excited about GEARS & HALO & FABLE every year.

XBOX 360 fans want exclusives too.
And perhaps if, like you, they admitted the problem & screamed at MS and vehemently let them know theres a problem instead of lying & pretending everythings fine, mabey there could be some change.

Change doesn't come by pretending, dark-hollow.

koh5129d ago

I'm going to tell you right now, and I mean this from the heart, I couldn't give less of a damn about exclusives. Exclusive games are great for the Sony or Microsoft, but do absolutely NOTHING for me. I don't take any extra enjoyment from watching other people not play a good game. I may really be in the minority here, but as long as the game is not crippled by bugs because it was designed with the other system in mind (Skyrim anyone?), I don't care.

Typically, I buy multiplayer-centric games for Xbox, and single player games for PS3 (Skyrim excluded of course), but I would be thrilled for my Xbox -only friends to get a try at Uncharted and by PS3-only friends to play Halo with me.

dcbronco5129d ago

Persistantthug, I think Sony fans don't care about exclusives. If exclusives mattered so much. Playstation would be the number two console at this point. The Xbox was a faulty machine for the first three years. 30% + failed. Not many exclusives. Pay to play online. Xbox started with a 5 million headstart. They are still two million ahead after almost 6 years.

So those exclusives account for 500,000 extra consoles a year. Or was it the Playstation brand that did that? Or Blu-ray? Or free online? PS2 sales were more than double PS3 sales.

The difference exclusives have made have been to the bottom lines of the two companies. Sony has surely lost money on some of their exclusives. While they have made a ton on others. Same for MS. But if you added all of the cost involved with making and advertising exclusives, I would bet you that MS has made more money. And Sony has little or no additional console sales to justify their decisions.

And you wonder why the stock price is so low.

5128d ago
Kurt Russell5128d ago

@Persistantthug.

If Gears and Halo weren't exclusive, I would still buy them... as they're great games. The fact they're exclusive makes no sodding difference to my excitement what-so-ever.

If all games were multiplat I wouldn't have a problem... I would simply buy the system that ran them the best... and play that.

kreate5128d ago (Edited 5128d ago )

Exclusives dont matter to a fanboy whose console doesnt have exclusives. Becuz a fanboy would rather pretend.

In 2006-2008 everyone said exclusives matter. Every website to every game magazine to every developers said exclusives matter.

I had a 360 at this time and many times i heard xbox gamers talking about how ps3 has no games over on live.
If u played live during these times u should know exactly what im talking about.

Go to youtube everyone was making fun of the ps3 putting sausages inside it and laughing at it.

Well tables are turned i dont see ps3 fanboys (although just as bad) putting sausages
inside a xbox.

The same arguements about exclusives didnt matter, why didnt ppl use it back in 2006-2008 days?

Becuz to some level of degree at least, it does matter. Generally speaking that is.

Or did u put ur head in the ground during these days?

TheRealHeisenberg5128d ago

@ Kurt Russell

I am with you on that one. I although I prefer gaming on my PS3 it is by no means the "be all, is all" that some here seem to think it is. Sure exclusives are important, just not to everybody.

Perjoss5128d ago

Exclusives are a nice bonus, nothing more, why? because they only make up a tiny percentage of all games release over the course of a year.

TheRealHeisenberg5128d ago

@ kreate

I remember those days. Personally, I think the multiplat games have gotten better than they were years ago which "may" be why exclusives (which are definitely better now) don't matter to some anymore. I honestly think fanboys take the exclusive arguments and sales arguments way too seriously.

Hicken5128d ago

You're delusional. There's no other way to put it. Where is this proof that PS3 fans don't care about exclusives? Most AAA exclusives have sold a million or more, which is more than can be said for most multiplats.

That lead wasn't 5 million, either. From November to November, Microsoft sold more like 8-10 million 360s that first year, which means they had about that much of a lead. Trying to minimize it down to 5 is some spin control if I've ever seen it.

Does it have to be pointed out to you AGAIN that the PS3 has continually outsold the 360 since both have been on the market. Oh, yeah, Microsoft edged them out last year, so suddenly all the other years don't count.

The 360 will be 7 in November. And it will have sold a certain amount by then, likely around 70 million or so.

The PS3 will be 6 in November. And it will have sold a certain amount by then, likely around 70 million or so.

Which one is doing better? Oh, and one of them is STILL more expensive than the other, as it has been since its launch. If it's all about the multiplats, then they should be selling at the same rate, right?

But they're not. You named a lot of things that could be factors, and there's no doubt all of them are. But don't downplay exclusives just to try and make it suit your argument. They contribute to that difference in rate of sale. Make no mistake.

And that parting shot of yours was pure ignorance. All of a sudden, you forget that Sony has multiple divisions, and that not all of them are doing well? Yeah, whatever. I wonder if anybody else will call you out for being the troll you are.

jrbeerman115128d ago

exclusives dont matter to those that have both consoles. They only care about good games. at least thats how I feel.

Ill enjoy Diablo 3, Uncharted, Gears of war, and Skyrim based on the games themselves and not what system they are on.

HOWEVER if you only own one console or just a gaming PC, then exclusives do matter. because no one wants to be interested in a game that they cannot play, like me and skyward sword.

Yes multiplats like Skyrim and Arkham City and Rockstar Games stand up to the exclusives in quality, but exclusives are still important and its a shame that 360 has strayed from that.

jetlian5128d ago (Edited 5128d ago )

whatever 20 how did you get a bubble in 1 day? anyway this year MS has better exclusive and they wont even be the reason.Exclusives dont matter.

Name any ps3 exclusives that are above witcher 2 and halo 4?! No point mention kinect games even they are out selling core ps3 exclusives.

XBLA has 10 times more decent games coming over PSN if you want name them too.

Games im most looking forward 2 are tekken tag 2, DOA5, virtua fighter 5fs, Resident evil 6 and cod bo2, AC3 all of which are MP games

edit: Also the whole 06-08 exclusive was true then more so than now, Media or internet. Nobody could justify a 500-600 console with no exclusive games and MPlatforms that ran like crap.

tokugawa5128d ago

the thing is, 90% of sonys exclusives are simply forgettable! and only really matter to the fanboys that plague n4g.

just look at the numbers they shift to get an idea of what the "real" world thinks of them. the last "exclusive" i bought was gow3 on my ps3.... lets see what the AAAAAAAAAAAAAA exclusive starhawk does.

sorry kids, i think you lot need to get a new argument. exclusives certainly do count, but when only 2 or 3 of the 20 or so exclusives are worth getting excited about, it gets boring reading you fanboys going on like broken records.

i think it is also worth remembering that the ps3 is dirt cheap now. if people wanted one they would just buy one. being a ps3 owner is not, and has never been like being a member of the masons or owning a ferrari..

mobhit5128d ago

Denial is still denial. PS3 exclusives are forgettable? Gran Turismo, the God of War and Uncharted series would like to have a word with you...

I can't tell if you're trolling for the sake of trolling or your serious because if you are serious, then I suggest seeing a shrink.

tokugawa5128d ago

mobhit: no i aint trolling, and yes apart from gt, uncharted and perhap gow, for me atleast, they are just totally forgettable!

it is just here in sony fanboy land n4g, that everything sony is automatically mana from heaven.

trust me, i am not trolling, and I certainly dont really have much against sony. seeing as last year i bought a brand new 2011 model 46" LED 3D bravia.... and 5 pairs of tdg-br250 active shutter glasses. in the last 5 yrs, sony have gotten alot more of my cash than microsoft have.

Genghis5128d ago

meh try this on. if console owners want more exclusives they would buy more ps3s. but the xbox is still outselling the ps3.

Optical_Matrix5128d ago

You what? PS3 has had blu-ray AND a browser from day one? Are you high, son?

kreate5128d ago

@tokugawa

u bought a sony tv?

I bought

Windows 95
Windows 98
Windows 2000
Windows xp
A pc that came with windows xp
a laptop that came with windows xp
windows vista
a laptop that came with windows 7

Microsoft word 1998
Microsoft word 2002
Microsoft office 2005
microsoft office 2009
Microsoft accounting 2009

Few microsoft game studios games from the 90's
xbox and several games.
Xbox 360 and 25+ games
another xbox 360
Paid for live

and somewhere down the line i bought some microsoft mouse,keyboards, paid for hotmail at one point, several other junk and software and licensing fees.

I spent a ton of money on microsoft.

But... Does this really matter?

+ Show (16) more repliesLast reply 5128d ago
hay5129d ago

Good. Console browsers are crap. Great to see improvements anywhere. Others will follow shortly.

hay5128d ago

Care to elaborate how it's worse than PS3 or Box current browsers?

Veneno5128d ago

the PS3 browser is still pretty bad. But it's true that it has made major improvements. I was never able to access my Gmail until the second to last major update. That's pretty damn good considering where the browser was at the start of this generation. But I'm starting to see what alot of people are saying about Sony devices trying to be multi-functional devices. Each one only does one or a few things right while the rest of the functions suffer. I thought I was going to get a Vita this spring, but it will have to wait for a price drop and for now I'm going to get an Asus or Galaxy tablet.

irepbtown5128d ago

IE is so bad you fear simply clicking it.

The PS3 definitely needs to improve the browser however I'm sure most people (like myself) have their laptops next to them when playing PS3.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5128d ago
metsgaming5129d ago

Sony is making games they wont waste their time to improve a feature no one claimed they cared about before just to answer ms especially when new consoles could be announced in a year. Why waste the resources for no gain. I do hope they get something like Chrome in the PS4 though.

ThichQuangDuck5128d ago

It will be hard to make a proper web browser on 360 with that typing. I have a computer next to me while I play so does not bother me. Web browsers for next gen consoles is cool,but not first priority

orange-skittle5128d ago

How can a browser still freeze a PS3 after all these years and updates? Let's hope MS takes this into account. I am sure they will do just fine considering it will be operating Explorer with Bing search engine

Dee_915128d ago

wth is a psn browser? lol
your trolling is showing

5128d ago
Christopher5128d ago

The only people crying about the PS3 browser are those who want to be able to watch videos from any Web site. Most people I know, and don't know, don't use the browser at all. I haven't touched it since my first few days of goofing around with my PS3.

Microsoft adding a browser is a "meh" factor. People turn on their TVs to watch movies, tv shows, play games, and the like. Not to browse the web with voice commands or a game controller. And you can bet that all those sites that don't work for streaming certain types of videos on the PS3 won't work on the 360 either. It'll most likely be a way to focus on more MS specific Web sites and tie into their WP7/WP8 devices more than anything else.

Gamer19825128d ago (Edited 5128d ago )

A web browser will NEVER come to 360 why? As then you can get facebook and netflix etc.. without having to pay for gold package. Now you really think MS would do that? REALLY? That would be shooting themselves in the foot. For those who think they would give it to gold subs only they won't do that either they pride themselves on their browser being completly free and available to everybody. It's catch 22.

Also wasnt google chrome coding found in PS firmware? So Sony are already working on a better browser its.. Well just not here yet..

mobhit5128d ago

I recall that 2007 was very different. You couldn't say a good thing about the PS3 without being made fun of. 'Duuuurr, you bought a bluray playeeer!!!'

Cute, but no.

jjdoyle5128d ago

Agree 110%! The Wii has one, and it's semi-functional, and pretty decent with a keyboard, but I'm surprised the beefier systems don't already include one...especially Microsoft. HELLO INTERNET EXPLORER?

MASTER_RAIDEN5128d ago

The ps3 browser was actually decent for all my normally virus-friendly porn needs.

Welshy5128d ago

360 fanboys saying "we don't need a browser!" is starting to get just as annoying as PS3 fanboys saying they don't need cross game chat.

Despite being technically correct that you don't NEED it, it sure as hell is nice to have them!

i don't NEED a 40" TV in my room but i do it anyway.

I've owned both consoles since launch and have absolutely no issue with a browser on my 360, purely for convenience purposes of not having to fire up the laptop and hook it to the TV when i'm most likely already on my PS3/360 playing a game anyways!

+ Show (10) more repliesLast reply 5128d ago
tr00p3r5129d ago

PS3 has had a shit browser since 2006, they probably think there's no need to upgrade it now. Optimistic for next-gen though, it has to be better right?

Knushwood Butt5129d ago

I found the PS3's browser used to crash my PS3 a lot a while back, but a few months ago they released that system updated that improved the browser, and very rarely have any issues now.

It's not amazing, but it's not that bad either.

WeskerChildReborned5129d ago

Yea that's the reason why i don't use my internet browser on my PS3. Now if they had Chrome then that would be a different story.

Tony-Red-Grave5128d ago

i dont think they CAN upgrade it anymore. Wasn't there some issue with flash?

Biggest5128d ago

There is nothing wrong with Flash now.

NYC_Gamer5129d ago

MS should have been put I.E on the 360 with all its features

Trenta275129d ago

I like that plan. Too bad I.E. is terrible. If they got Firefox up in these beast, wow.

iamnsuperman5129d ago

Microsoft will always have IE in there devices aslong as it lives. It will be interesting to see who Sony go with or try to make a better version of their own. I am personally not a fan of firefox. I would like to see a more console oriented focus to these web browsers like we get on mobile phones. A browser that is built specifically for a console from the ground up and not some browser that has been tweaked for console use

SPAM-FRITTER-1235129d ago

chrome for me but anything is better than I.E

JANF5129d ago

Well the new IE promise to be a big improvement from the others IE. So lets hope they can deliver. I used the beta and i was pretty happy with what i saw.

IHateYouFanboys5128d ago

Firefox would be the absolute WORST browser to put on consoles lol. Out of the 3 main browsers it is by far the slowest, most bloated, and most resource intensive.

Chrome would be best, then Ie9. I'm guessing most of you hate ie just cause its Microsoft, but ie9 is an excellent browser. They cut the fat, streamlined everything, and its almost on par with chrome.

Having said that, I don't see the need for browsers on consoles. I bought an iPad for lounge-browsing, and have my phone as a backup, then any of my net books or laptops, and a pc hooked up to the tv. No reason to use a god awful browser like the ps3s one.

irepbtown5128d ago

IE9 is just as bad as the previous IE's (apart from the advert, Alex clare is brilliant).

Chrome is the best, and fastest browser I've ever used. However like iamnsuperman said, it would be better to have a custom built browser specifically for the console rather than these that flourish on PCs/Laptops.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 5128d ago
Lucretia5129d ago

especially since they raised the price of live, or make u pay in general, explorer shuda beeeeen on it.

Neko_Mega5129d ago

I'm betting Sony hasn't because their hasn't been a need to, how many people really use it? Seeing how everything else can get online and Microsoft would use IE an that wouldn't be much better.

Hx3KinG5129d ago

IE on 360 would be very cool, makes me wonder why its taken so long though, id love to see chrome on the ps3 too, the ps3 already has an integrated google search on its UI, so chrome is never impossible i suppose.

Show all comments (179)
70°

Microsoft Gaming Revenue Drops 7% Year-on-Year, Content and Services Down 5%, Xbox Hardware Down 33%

Microsoft announced its financial results for Q3 of fiscal year 2026, including an update on its gaming Xbox business and more.

Read Full Story >>
simulationdaily.com
Jin_Sakai27d ago (Edited 27d ago )

Not looking good. Hopefully Asha Sharma is able to turn Phil’s disaster around.

dveio27d ago

To me it's still quite remarkable how they can cash-in 5.3bn in revenue in a single quarter, since their hardware is basically dead.

Jingsing27d ago

The stock mark is what makes Microsoft remarkable, They have convinced every institutional and retail investor to just keep piling money into them. Like many big tech giants they are just a big growing pyramid scheme. As long as people keep dropping money into ETF's that cover the market Microsoft will always be liquid. At the same time it is completely stifling innovation and competition. People need to start being more discreet in how they invest their money as it's killing the system.

Tanktopmaster9227d ago

Once they re-evaluate exclusive all will be fine….

S2Killinit27d ago

Riiiiight because people will just flock back to them for one or two games per year.

Jingsing27d ago

15+ years of bad performance is what they call irreparable in business. It is time for them to sell off the assets and get out of entertainment.

Tanktopmaster9227d ago

These declines are on the back of extra revenue received from releasing games like Forza horizon 5 on PlayStation. So I’m being sarcastic here when I said they should go back to exclusives. Killing off a revenue stream from Ps5 sales will only make things worse

Show all comments (13)
80°

(For Southeast Asia) New Price Changes for PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal remote player

For Southeast Asia, new price changes.

Prices effective starting May 1st, 2026.

Read Full Story >>
blog.playstation.com
30d ago Replies(1)
BeHunted29d ago

Looks like PlayStation took a hit with Marathon and is now quietly adjusting prices worldwide to recover the losses

andy8529d ago

Lets be honest raising prices doesn't do that when no one's buying it. I imagine the profit it greater selling 10 times more at a lower price

Pergele29d ago

Whatever you say buddy, let's all wear the tinfoil hats.

IceKoldKilla29d ago (Edited 29d ago )

LMFAO Your comment alone says a lot more about you than anything else. When has one game not selling 10 million copies made a company raise the prices of their console? Then Xbox would be costing $5000 by now lol. You remind of the crazy drug addicts on the street rambling on about conspiracies. xD You sure you don't need a hug, buddy?

ChunkyMonk28d ago

One game that Sony payed $200 million for. lol
Also, you sure were quick to get triggered. Maybe your the one who needs a hug?

Eonjay28d ago

If nothing else, we should be united against the real issue here. AI and unnecessary tariffs that are effecting all gamers.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 28d ago
Athlon10129d ago (Edited 29d ago )

The price increases are due to the RAM demand associated with AI and the US-Iran war. You can look to any business news website and local news to see that. Heck, even the 2026 Asus Zenbook Duo I've been eyeing has faced delays and has had a price increase of $400; that laptop has two specs. Asus is doing a staggered release with per-orders for the lower spec now and shipping in May and pre-orders for the higher spec that I'm eyeing starting in June. Basically, all computer manufactures are affected. It'll most likely start affecting smart phones too if it hasn't already. I can't remember the last time any major console maker (Nintendo, Sony, Sega, etc) increased the price of their console mid cycle outside of Microsoft just to make more profit.

S2Killinit28d ago

Its not the war. Its the RAM issue.

jznrpg28d ago

War is causing gas prices to rise. Transport of everything requires gas so the prices of those items go up as well. So it does have an impact

Athlon10128d ago (Edited 28d ago )

The blockage of the Straight of Hormuz due to the US-Iran war has affected raw components used in semi-conductor manufacturing such as bromine, aluminum, and helium. Iran had attacked the liquified natural gas (LNG) plant in Qatar which is a large producer (1/3 globally) of helium which is used in semiconductor etching. So it's the both the war and the RAM crises.

badz14929d ago

Oh no...should I get the Pro now before the price increase?

70°

Xbox boss: Memory crisis could impact next-gen hardware pricing

Xbox boss Asha Sharma has discussed how component shortages will impact the company's plans for Project Helix.

Read Full Story >>
gamedeveloper.com
Eonjay29d ago

When does this end? Its killing everyone. Consoles and PC. And for what? AI? The benefits of AI are completely outweighed by the negatives. And the government should have never allowed one company to buy up all the RAM.

Lexreborn229d ago

This kind of proves this is an after thought product, most products like this are in r&d 5 years before they start mass producing. So they typically have the cost of components and things worked out long before assembly starts.

This is an assumption still, but I wouldn’t be surprised if project helix is similar to Scalebound,perfect dark and sod3. They had an idea but no actual execution other than concept stage. Being impacted by the ram shortage likely would also put this device 3-4 years out.

I’m not even sure MS has that endurance with Xbox yet

Fishy Fingers29d ago (Edited 29d ago )

I mean.... what?

We're at a point that Samsung wont even provide their own phone department ram because they can sell it at higher prices to 3rd parties (AI). Its more profitable to sell the ram than make their own devices with it.

You think because R&D starts 5 years ago the 3rd party component manufacturers will honour that price? They'll sell it to whomever is paying the most today, not some gentlemens agreement they made years ago. AI farms will buy more volume at higher prices than any console manufacturer will. It'll be the same for Playstation.

Lexreborn228d ago

Contractual agreements are not the same as “gentlemen” agreements. If you think that they work with their distributors a month before production then their entire business model is trash. They work with companies like nvidia constantly for building the graphics cards they need. They work with companies that build motherboards years in advance. This is what proper business planning does.

They are not buying components on a whim like a consumer. So again, considering the ram isn’t a singular module and is integrated into the motherboard I highly doubt they wouldn’t have a final schematic that they are supposed to be building around.

If they are delaying production another 3 years then it’s obvious again this is an after though project and is just trying to be responsive to their bad execution they had the last 14 years.

It also isn’t far fetched to use their failure to produce first party titles the last 7 years including the highly anticipated games I mentioned all being cancelled. That they would continue to you know… lie

Sitdown29d ago

You don't really know how this works huh?

Profchaos29d ago (Edited 29d ago )

Helix is going to be stupidly expensive

Instead of leaning into smarter upscaling techniques they're brute forcing hardware that will cost them dearly and it remains to be seen if it's genuinely going to provide a meaningful differential

I know in the oc.doace people like to brag about not using frame gen or dlss to get to high on a game but for the majority of players they happily use those technologies without a second thought

That's going to be ps6 vs Helix

Eonjay28d ago

Yeah with FSR 5 they should be able to offer a much cheaper version of Helix.

Eonjay28d ago

While this does seem to be the case, I am encouraged by the statement from Microsoft about wanting to provide affordable options. If this means a Series S style Helix, at least there will be something affordable being offered.

XBManiac28d ago

Series S is what has killed Xbox Series so... Will they dare?

blacktiger29d ago

It's called systematic inflationary. Yes we get it Microsoft, keep raising in the name ofall kinds of stuffs

pwnmaster300029d ago

Honestly if there was thing I learned from this generation is that new consoles arnt day one anymore.
I can wait 1-3 years.

DarXyde29d ago

Another important lesson from this generation: while Nintendo showed us that prices don't necessarily need to ever drop, we've now learned that waiting 1-3 years does carry some risk that prices increase. This generation is just bizarre in all the wrong ways.

LucasRuinedChildhood29d ago (Edited 29d ago )

The factors are largely external. Covid and Russia-Ukraine war causing inflation led to the first price increase in 2022.

Then we get Trump's tariffs increasing hardware prices, AI boom causing a RAM crisis, war on Iran causing a worldwide fuel crisis which impacts the cost of everything.

Gaming doesn't exist in a vacuum. The last few years have been a shitshow and lot of it was definitely avoidable.

DarXyde28d ago

LucasRuinedChildhood,

For sure. No disagreement on the external factors doing a lot of this. Where I have to gently push back however is on two fronts:

1. The pandemic definitely caused some issues: asynchronous development was a big issue and really complicated timelines and affected game quality. At the same time, when it comes to price hikes, it's really difficult to know what was genuine necessity and what was taking consumers for a ride. The pandemic brought about "stag-flation" which was increasing prices and stagnant wages, which was a problem caused by supply chain constraints. There was also "Greed-flation", where companies that were slightly affected or had no issues took advantage of the situation and squeezed everyone citing supply chain issues when there were none.

2. It's definitely true that the tariffs, AI boom, and RAM crisis were all things enabled by tech broligarchs throwing money at this caricature of a world leader, one of them being Satya Nadella. I don't think Sony and Nintendo have contributed much to this problem if at all, but Microsoft's Nadella I feel was instrumental in causing every one of those issues. Microsoft as a company contributed to both candidates (though they gave Harris 4x as much if I recall), but Nadella was all in on letting AI run wild. He paid for unregulated AI, and got a war that's not a war (even though Trump called it that at least five times on television) that screwed up helium access. So for me, I feel that one of the players in the gaming industry is a key architect of these issues, and for that reason I struggle a bit to think of it as "external".

Show all comments (28)