The Real Reason Xbox Helix Won't Work
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Windows Central has raised an excellent question about Xbox Project Helix: Can Microsoft build an affordable next-generation Xbox that also gives players access to PC games and competing storefronts like Steam?
Traditional consoles can be sold at lower prices because platform holders make money when players purchase games through their stores. But if Xbox Helix owners immediately move over to Steam, Microsoft could lose the software revenue that normally helps subsidize the hardware. That could leave Microsoft with an extremely expensive Xbox, a restricted version of Windows, or some kind of compromise between the two. I love the premise behind Xbox Helix and the idea of combining console simplicity with PC freedom, but I have some thoughts about the assumptions being made, the importance of Steam, and whether Microsoft actually needs Helix to function like a completely open gaming PC.
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