On your first sentence, the Xbox One having an emulator isn’t a negative attribute. While PS4 charges you a monthly fee (which if you calculate, adds up to tons of money being wasted on PS3 games you already paid for , and which could be used for new games) Xbox One doesn’t do this. Please consider heavily whether you consider the backwards compatibility to be a frivolous attribute of the Xbox One. You also call this “damage control”. Are you making the case that so long as Microsoft continues to attempt innovation, you will always label it as “damage control”? What innovative product or software from Microsoft would you not criticize as being simply “damage control”?

Your second point was that the PS4 will also be improved on the API level. But this wasn’t the argument. We are distinguishing between the generic updates that all consoles go through regarding API improvements and that of Direcx12. The major difference is that DirecX has always been widely used in the development of gaming even in Sega Dreamcase (but mostly in Windows), but that no update has occurred for over a decade. That Directx9 has been used for so long is a testament to the API’s strength in the gaming industry. By the way, can you tell everyone here what specific API the PS4 uses?

Your third point was about lag. For this, I believe you should google the words “Kahawai+Microsoft+Duke University”. If, after reading about this, you still believe that lag will be a problem, let me know. If you google my screename here, you’ll see that I’ve written about it as well. Have you given the same critique to PS Now? I do give you credit for saying “it will come eventually”, but as always, that is the safe bet to say whenever you are not at the forefront of technology. I understand; you are more comfortable with making assessments after they’ve already been proven to you rather than make a wild prediction. This completely makes sense. But you seem to be making a lot of predictions based upon what you don’t think is possible.

For example – your fourth point – which says that Directx12 benefits will mostly be for the PC. I am still astounded as to how this conjecture makes more sense than those who conjecture the opposite paradigm. For the life of me, how do people distinguish between a PC and an Xbox One with regards specifically to gaming? I take the opposite motion with the same amount of proof you’ve used to develope yours; I believe Directx12 will have the exact same benefit on the Xbox One as it will for the PC – with the only difference being hardware based ( i.e that the PC’s hardware can be upgraded when the user wishes). This is the extent of the difference. The API will have the same software effect on both devices, and it will effect all devices on the Windows 10-gaming-ecosystem. But please also understand that this is a prediction in parallel to your more pessimistic one. Both are predictions.

Your last point mentions having to purchase new hardware. But anyone who studies virtualization, cloud VDI – IaaS -understands that it is precisely cloud technology which results in less frequent “refreshes for hardware”. For this reason, I believe your last point is moot.

I have to admit though, it’s a brilliant marketing strategy to downplay your console and let your competitor win in sales just so that you can surprise them with new features years after launch and still lose the console war due to people choosing the system with more people playing it. Consoles are apparently all about being social now. If you want to play a game you get a PC. :p

This might just be the stupidest argument I have ever heard. You honestly think just because MS went into damage control and emulated the xbox360 on the Xbone that suddenly they will be able to massively increase the power of an integrated graphics chip that came to market in 2013? Maybe they should have included a graphics card slot so you can upgrade it. The PS4 will also be improved on the API level as the lifespan goes on. This is what the consoles do over time to squeeze out every last bit of power. As they have made the APIs better there is less room for increases, and you will not see much GRAPHICALLY from DX12 on the consoles. If you want improvements in graphics you might have to accept the lag that will come from cloud computing graphics, and that really isn’t all that realistic at this point. I think it will come eventually, but mostly for the AI, building a living world that is loaded onto your console before you need it so there wont be delay.
DX12 will do more for the PC than it will for the consoles. They can barely keep up with the PC as it is, unless we buy new consoles every 3-5 years…. or plan to treat it like a PC with an upgrade down the road (nintendo and sega might warn you against that option).

I know that it sounds like a foolish rationale – trust me. But you have to measure this with regards to whether the technology should be secret enough so as to confuse the competition. I mean, if Sony knew what Microsoft was doing with backwards compatibility, Sony would have had a year to develop for it. This console war is a poker match. With regards to “backwards compatibility” it was dumbed-down like a Royal Flush hand that hasn’t been shown yet.

They are doing the same with Directx 12. You’ll see. My gosh…so many people are going to be far more surprised at Direcx12 than any surprise related to backwards compatibility.

Alright, thanks. So by your rational, because they were wrong/lied/misled in the past, they’ll end up doing the same?

I mentioned this already when I wrote:

“Google the names of all these guys from articles written in 2013 regarding “backwards compatability.”

I gave you the list already of their names. This is not to be rude, but if you are not up to snuff on how Microsoft purposely led us to believe that backwards compatibility was not going to happen, I can see why you believe Directx 12 will make “little difference on the Xbox”. There is no insult here. I truly believe that you think this to be true because Phil Spencer said it.

That is precisely why so many people are going to be surprised as time goes on regarding the power (or should I say, increasing power) of the Xbox One.

I personally am not up to snuff on the “dumbing down” of backwards compatibility, which might make sense as to why i’m not seeing a correlation. Either way, according to him, there should be little difference using DX12 on the Xbox. That was the argument I presented forward and I got that information from what he said in an interview. Since you’re bringing up the dumbing down portion, could you please present the information on that? <that's an honest request.

You are using a Microsoft representative to shape your thoughts on the future of Direcx 12. In parallel, this is what people did when Microsoft representatives where “dumbing down” backwards compatibility. You said : “It’s already been stated that DX12 will make little difference for the Xbox” – and you believe this from words that came from Microsoft representatives.

Do you see the correlation?

Now you’re on the right path.

You used Phil Spencer as your anchor of support for the future of a product. He is your citation and that citation is responsible for your perception regarding Directx 12 and how it will make “little difference” to the Xbox One. Is that correct so far?