5 ms·
I think this is really unlikely. PC gaming is an increasingly important market for Windows in the consumer space. As more casual users abandon conventional PCs
by babypuncher 5y ago
I think this is really unlikely. PC gaming is an increasingly important market for Windows in the consumer space. As more casual users abandon conventional PCs for increasingly capable tablets and smartphones, PC gaming is only becoming and even bigger piece of the pie.
The day Microsoft announces that the next version of Windows will be wholly incompatible with player's existing libraries is the day Windows ceases to be relevant to this market. Suddenly, Wine and Proton on Linux go from being "pretty good, but real Windows works better" to being the best option by a mile.
And this is without mentioning how important legacy support is to enterprise customers. A whole lot of the jank and inconsistent UI designs present in Windows 11 is there because enterprise customers still use old software that relies on old features and APIs.
- sudosysgen 5y agoThe ace in the hole is TPM. What happens when Microsoft starts shipping a TPM based anticheat and DRM? That would destroy Proton forever and allow them to lockdown Windows.
- smileybarry 5y agoThat's already a problem with kernel-based anticheats, they can't run in Wine/Proton. For that, you have Valve stepping in and working with anti-cheat companies to find some middleground for Linux: https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/valve-making-linux-anti-cheat-reality-for-steam-deck-launch https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/valve-making-linux-anti-c...
- sudosysgen 5y agoThese anticheats are being ported to Linux by valve. If it was Microsoft's anticheat working in a TPM itbwoiodht impossible. Also, Microsoft is already a DRM vendor with the Windows Store.
- greggman3 5y agoI can't wait for that day! Haha! Well, I'm crossing my fingers the Valve Steam Deck satisfies my PC gaming needs (probably not though). I hate Hate HATE that more and more games are wanting to install System level services. It's absolutely not acceptable for the same machine my financial info and other sensative info is on has apps digging deep into the system. I could run 2 machines but that's also a PITA, maintaining both machines and trying to decide when to use one vs the other. A gaming machine is powerful but I also need that power for video editing and other things. 2 VR rigs, one for non-gaming, one for gaming, would also suck. etc.... I want Windows to lockdown like Mac (and sure, you can turn it off?) but I'd like apps not to be able to muck with the system. Games have no excuse IMO.
- jrm4 5y agoUgh, this just came to me and I hate to put this deviltry in the air: But right now, kinda feels like Microsoft buys Steam or dies. (Maybe not dies, but "becomes IBM.")
- politician 5y agoYou underestimate the size of their enterprise business.
- iamstupidsimple 5y agoValve is a private company, I highly doubt Gabe Newell will ever sell.
- hirsin 5y agoSeeing as Gabe viscerally hates Microsoft, I imagine so too. Also, what's the appropriate P/E ratio for a money printer?
- FractalParadigm 5y agoHow? They've recently bought a ton of gaming IPs, including Bethesda and id, to add to their existing sizable portfolio including some big names like Halo, Forza, Flight Sim, Minecraft, Gears. They seem to have a pretty solid agreement with EA to offer their EA Play service as a part of GamePass Ultimate, allowing access to a sizeable portion of that library for no additional cost to PC and console gamers. They're starting to push hard into Xbox-as-a-service and focusing efforts equally between PC and console, adding the xCloud "Game Everywhere On Everything!" hook. People seem to forget that Microsoft is the second most valuable tech company in the world behind Apple. Unless some incredible monstrous change or disaster happens to/within the company, they're not going anywhere for a long time.