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Microsoft has turned the Surface Duo into a handheld Xbox

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Re: Microsoft has turned the Surface Duo into a handheld Xbox

#91

Post by minimaul »

bartread wrote: post #76

No, no, no, no, no, no, NO! Touch controls for most games suck (I've tried). Replicating somebody's Xbox controller on the second screen sucks . It's unendingly annoying when you die over and over in a game because your thumb or finger wasn't in quite the right place to fire or move in a particular direction. Not to mention, the Duo is ####ing expensive: top-end iPhone kind of money for the unlocked variant. If you r…

100% yes. Touch controls suck for gaming because your fingers drift. There's no physical feedback that your fingers are on top of the button and ready to press.

It sucks, and I really really hope that this doesn't catch on.

Re: Microsoft has turned the Surface Duo into a handheld Xbox

#92

Post by didibus »

Can we make it clear that Microsoft has NOT turned the Surface Duo into a handheld Xbox in any way. This is streaming games with an existing Android App, all they did was span the touch controls on the second screen. It does not actually run Xbox software.

You'd have a better experience just plugging in a real Xbox controller on any Android phone equiped with the xCloud streaming app.

Re: Microsoft has turned the Surface Duo into a handheld Xbox

#93

Post by Shadonototro »

adventured wrote: post #64
Shadonototro wrote: post #56

Console Sales: - Switch: 85 millions - PS5: 8 millions - XBOX: 4 millions Looks like both Sony/Microsoft forgot something when they announced their new console.. A proper portable console with 1 (and not 2) home console would have been a killer I'm not sure what the target audience is with a virtual gamepad, smartphone users want games designed for their phones, and console users want games designed for a gamepad, an…

PS4: 115 million units. Looks like Sony didn't forget something when they announced their new console.

PS4 since 2013

Switch was released 4 years later in 2017, and yet about to pass the PS4 lifetime sales by the end of the year

Re: Microsoft has turned the Surface Duo into a handheld Xbox

#94

Post by Shadonototro »

Splendor wrote: post #65
Shadonototro wrote: post #56

Console Sales: - Switch: 85 millions - PS5: 8 millions - XBOX: 4 millions Looks like both Sony/Microsoft forgot something when they announced their new console.. A proper portable console with 1 (and not 2) home console would have been a killer I'm not sure what the target audience is with a virtual gamepad, smartphone users want games designed for their phones, and console users want games designed for a gamepad, an…

Days since launch (as of 2020-05-24): - Nintendo Switch: 1,543 - PlayStation 5: 193 - Xbox Series S/X: 195

Even if we extrapolate, Switch is still #1

Re: Microsoft has turned the Surface Duo into a handheld Xbox

#95

Post by amelius »

bartread wrote: post #76

No, no, no, no, no, no, NO! Touch controls for most games suck (I've tried). Replicating somebody's Xbox controller on the second screen sucks . It's unendingly annoying when you die over and over in a game because your thumb or finger wasn't in quite the right place to fire or move in a particular direction. Not to mention, the Duo is ####ing expensive: top-end iPhone kind of money for the unlocked variant. If you r…

You could put a thin plastic/silicon stencil over the screen, with holes in the places where the buttons are located, which makes it possible to feel where the buttons are.

Re: Microsoft has turned the Surface Duo into a handheld Xbox

#96

Post by Shadonototro »

mafuyu wrote: post #63
Shadonototro wrote: post #56

Console Sales: - Switch: 85 millions - PS5: 8 millions - XBOX: 4 millions Looks like both Sony/Microsoft forgot something when they announced their new console.. A proper portable console with 1 (and not 2) home console would have been a killer I'm not sure what the target audience is with a virtual gamepad, smartphone users want games designed for their phones, and console users want games designed for a gamepad, an…

Competition in the portable market would be rough, although I would love to see Sony give portables another shot. Especially now that smartphone gaming is its own segment entirely. Microsoft's strategy seems pretty solid, especially given their stumbles last gen. They're buying in heavily into Game Pass and making games subscription and cross platform across PC and Xbox. XCloud streaming ties into their subscription…

What are you on about? there is 0 competition for Nintendo, that is why they are able to sell 80 millions of units in the first place

No matter what game pass strategy is, it will not work on smartphones, console gamers doesn't want to play on smartphone using touchscreen controls, and smartphone gamers doesn't want to play console games because they aren't designed for their device in the first place

XCloud is not a tech ready for wide adoption, everyone with a smartphone know how shitty the network is in busy cities at peak hours, even when at home it's not perfect, wifi? then daddy will complain because he can't stream his netflix movie anymore

Re: Microsoft has turned the Surface Duo into a handheld Xbox

#97

Post by macspoofing »

amelius wrote: post #95
bartread wrote: post #76

No, no, no, no, no, no, NO! Touch controls for most games suck (I've tried). Replicating somebody's Xbox controller on the second screen sucks . It's unendingly annoying when you die over and over in a game because your thumb or finger wasn't in quite the right place to fire or move in a particular direction. Not to mention, the Duo is ####ing expensive: top-end iPhone kind of money for the unlocked variant. If you r…

You could put a thin plastic/silicon stencil over the screen, with holes in the places where the buttons are located, which makes it possible to feel where the buttons are.

Or you can pair a controller.

Re: Microsoft has turned the Surface Duo into a handheld Xbox

#98

Post by cercatrova »

mumblemumble wrote: post #25
neogodless wrote: post #9

What's pretty clear is that the small form-factor multi-screen device needs a compelling story to establish value and utility. The Surface Duo looks like a very cool device that I would probably never use over a phone with one good screen, more power and a great camera. Similar to tablets, I personally just reach for the phone or the laptop or my TV, and never a tablet. But a Duo released with some more power and som…

Every time I revisit the device, I'm just disappointed all over again that it doesn't run Windows 10. This seems like the device that might have justified Windows 8's ill-fated attempt to unify the mobile and desktop operating systems. I see it, and what I want it to be is a dual-function device that works like a tablet when I'm on the train or whatever, but switches into a more PC-style interface when I plug in a mo…

Have you seen the Surface Neo? It's a larger version of the Duo that runs Windows 10(X). Although 10X is canceled for now and development is paused on the Neo.

Re: Microsoft has turned the Surface Duo into a handheld Xbox

#99

Post by bartread »

systemvoltage wrote: post #83
bartread wrote: post #76

No, no, no, no, no, no, NO! Touch controls for most games suck (I've tried). Replicating somebody's Xbox controller on the second screen sucks . It's unendingly annoying when you die over and over in a game because your thumb or finger wasn't in quite the right place to fire or move in a particular direction. Not to mention, the Duo is ####ing expensive: top-end iPhone kind of money for the unlocked variant. If you r…

Now extend your argument to a large equipment that travels at lethal speeds on 4 wheels. It's gotten so bad that I am surprised they've have kept the steering wheel intact and still analog.

FWIW I 100% agree with you about touch controls in cars. I even considered drawing a parallel between the two but thought my post was already long enough.

Re: Microsoft has turned the Surface Duo into a handheld Xbox

#100

Post by bartread »

partiallypro wrote: post #81
bartread wrote: post #76

No, no, no, no, no, no, NO! Touch controls for most games suck (I've tried). Replicating somebody's Xbox controller on the second screen sucks . It's unendingly annoying when you die over and over in a game because your thumb or finger wasn't in quite the right place to fire or move in a particular direction. Not to mention, the Duo is ####ing expensive: top-end iPhone kind of money for the unlocked variant. If you r…

You can still use a physical controller with this, and it's obviously at a proof of concept phase.

I did mention using a physical controller toward the end of the post. But then it's unclear what the advantage is versus doing that with your existing phone (as I say, unless you already have a Duo).
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