They added mod support to MS Store/Game Pass games ages ago. If locking it down like that was their intention they would've never even done that to begin with.

Xbox already supports mods. They have had mods support since like, 2015.

Word from SkillUp is that you can still load the desktop experience the same way you can on Steam Deck, so that would make it neither locked down nor anti-mods.

I keep screaming about how the TPM 2.0 requirements of Windows 11 are insidious due to the ability to implement remote attestation now. I don't think they'll spring the trap immediately, but it's locked and set and you'd be a fool to believe it won't happen eventually.

Remote attestation allows changes to the user's computer to be detected by authorized parties. For example, software companies can identify unauthorized changes to software, including users modifying their software to circumvent commercial digital rights restrictions. It works by having the hardware generate a certificate stating what software is currently running. The computer can then present this certificate to a remote party to show that unaltered software is currently executing.

1. consoles have mods these days, though they do need developer support

2. not everyone cares about mods, I’d go out on a limb and say most pc players don’t use mods

3. this new Xbox thing is not an OS, it’s an app. The device still has full windows in there and it is accessible. But when you’re using the Xbox app windows suspends many of its functions.

The next Xbox will simply be a prebuilt PC and it won’t be subsidized (or it will be subsidized less) so expect a $700-$900 price tag for the Series X, and a $500 for the Series S. It wouldn’t make sense any other way. Steam et all will be usable, as it is usable in the Xbox Ally as well.

Now tell me what would you rather buy? The PS5, which is absurdly locked down (even more so than the current Xbox when it comes to mods)? Deal with the gpu market shenanigans? Or buy the prebuilt Xbox PC that lets you play all your Steam games as well?

It’s fucking genius.

We already no longer own games. It’s been that way since the DMCA robbed consumers of digital ownership. If your game includes DRM or a EULA, you don’t own it.

So, Stadia then.

It’s worked well for valve in the wake of the steam machine flopping. They’ve got like 20mill+ gamepass subscribers so clearly there’s something to what they’re doing, even if it isn’t the “Netflix of video games” scale they were hoping for.

Hell notice valve has made it very clear they are not making another steam deck anytime soon, they are perfectly content getting third-party vendors to build handles that handles their OS/software as the flagship product. Exactly what Microsoft just did with their handheld.

Idk I think Microsoft is actually on to something here. The question is can they find more casual audiences to buy handheld hardware that is built around their ecosystem at such a price point ($700+) and/or invest in a window/xbox library when they’re clearly abandoning the Xbox as a central product. Xbox brand is already kind of lukewarm in the public. Not dead, but certainly not thriving.

Legion Go owner here—well, technically my wife’s.

You can dock a Windows 11 handheld, but it’s not exactly seamless. You have to dig into Settings, disable the handheld’s own display, and tell it to use the TV instead. No problem for me, but most people won’t bother. Hopefully, the next "gamer-specific" version of Windows makes this automatic when you dock.

That’s why I ended up dual-booting the Legion Go with Bazzite. Navigating with a controller is just easier, and I’m not waiting six months for another Windows version I might have to pay for.

We paid C$900 for the Legion Go, and honestly, it was worth the premium for three main reasons:

1. The controls: Think Joy-Cons, but better. They’re detachable, comfortable, and feel great in the hand.
2. The display: An 8.8” screen, 1600p, 144Hz. Gorgeous and smooth.
3. eGPU support: Plug in an external GPU when docked, and it turns into a serious gaming machine.

I get that some people just want a cheap handheld. But my wife—who’s not a PC enthusiast (her favorite game is Little Kitty, Big City)—thought it was worth it. It was still cheaper than her iPhone 16e.