Not an official announcement, but it’s probably safe to assume an Xbox handheld is in development.
Why would anyone buy this? You can already do this streaming through the Deck or any of the other handhelds, if Game Pass is your thing.
Arm based platform with modern games over cell connection.
A big part of the Deck outselling the competition is price. An Xbox handheld could be sold at a loss (like the deck) with the plan of making the money back on Microsoft store/Xbox store sales.
I would never buy an Xbox handheld. Why would you want a handheld that is locked into Microsoft’s ecosystem even more than a Windows handheld? You’ll get maybe ten to fifteen years out of it, then it will become a brick that Microsoft has abandoned. You will never have fond memories of playing on the Xbox handheld that you can recreate with physical hardware. You’ll never get to show your kids what gaming was like on the thing, because the authentication servers were shut off years ago, and now it is a worthless paperweight.
You’ll get maybe ten to fifteen years out of it
That’s way longer than most consoles last before the servers get turned off
Microsoft is at least good about supporting their gaming hardware for quite a while. But better than other consoles still isn’t good enough. I’ve got a computer from ~1990 that still works and can play contemporary PC games. You can bet the Steam Deck will still work in 2060.
No, it would use the same Microsoft auth it already uses for xbox, outlook, windows etc.
Way ahead of you. I would never buy an Xbox. Or anything microsoft for that matter. It’s just been better this way.
Microsoft could just drop a Windows handheld that can play Xbox games natively.
The Xbox already runs on a custom VM based on Windows 10/11. Microsoft themselves are the only ones keeping the two who systems separated by artificial software limitations.
They could, but they won’t.
They could also release a handheld gaming PC that runs Windows under their Surface brand, if they wanted to go that route.
That’s something that could have even saved them money on R&D for the Xbox itself, but there’s no way in hell they would allow you to use your gaming console as a desktop.
It is fascinating how they are willing to waste a shitload of money just to lock users into an ecosystem. Imagine how easy it would be to just run Windows on the Xbox and allow to boot into desktop or game mode as needed. That would have been a huge selling point against Playstation, but “make life better for your users” will never be part of MS’s philosophy.
Microsoft : “When we added all the extra ‘features’ of Win11 into our Xbox OS, we saw a severe drop in performance. So we have kept them separate.” Customers : “So you do agree the features in Win11 are detrimental to the user experience?” Microsoft : “Fuck no, those features are essential for a user. Btw, have you upgraded to Win11?”
Do these other handhelds sell enough to justify all these different devices?
Must be, there were at least 3 new handheld PCs announced last week.
Sometimes its not just about selling enough to justify creation of new device. Sometimes its the potential that they have in mind. The prices are quite high, so they probably make some bucks out of it while it is hot. Soon the market on PC gaming handhelds will be saturated. Then they need to innovate and create something outstanding in whatever way. At least this is what the optimist in me thinks.
Then they need to innovate and create something outstanding…
There’s the snag. Anything they innovate or create that’s outstanding will 100% be anti-consumer. That, or their version of innovation will be forcing an update to your system that pretty much brick it to ensure you buy a newer model (at least for countries that don’t have strong pro-consumer laws). I can count the number of companies on a single hand that I would trust not to do that.
I think everyone is looking at Steamdecks success and wanting a piece of that pie.
Lol “steam deck”.
Try; switch.
Nah probably the deck. Switch has been out for a long time these companies didn’t start rushing to make these portables until after steam deck. With your logic why stop at the switch. Switch? TRY THE GAME BOY MY GUY
Total Sales numbers don’t lie.
You cannot compare these. While it is true that the switch sold 13 million+ units it’s first year, these are worldwide sales, while the Steam deck started (and still is) only in a few select markets, and started at a bit over 1 million units sold the first year. That’s what, 8% compared to the Switch’s first year? The deck was not being sold (at least not directly) in over 92% of the countries where the Switch was, so it seems like they are on par, or at least very close, by region.
Also consider that the switch is more targeted at kids, while the deck is targeted at more mature players.
TL;DR You can compare. By total sales to unequivocally know why everyone wants the same form factor.
It’s weird the coolaid drinkers cant read the start of threads to stay on topic.
That literally has nothing to do with it as evident by the fact that these handheld didn’t start coming out until after the steam deck. Switch total sales have been high for years now. This is a new trend. You’re free to think whatever you want though
Ah yes the unoriginal and completely outsold “success”, keep on shillin.
nintendo fans are not ok
The switch came out 7 years ago my guy. The steamdeck was definitely inspired by the switch, but the steamdeck has something the switch doesnt: hardware that runs modern releases that normally only run on pc or a powerful console. This is why microsoft is interested in the market now: they realised the time is here for handheld gaming that can play homeconsole releases.
Called it months ago, they’ll develop a handheld version of Windows and have their own handheld!
If the controller feels as good as my Elite 2 then I’m sold
Windows is already the handheld version of Windows but it’s kind of terrible at it.
They haven’t done anything to adapt it to handheld controls and a small screen
Windows 8 was an attempt to do all that already, though I don’t know that it succeeded. My guess is that this sort of handheld will run a stripped down version of Windows running the Xbox app.
Well Windows 8 phones were considered to be awesome by those who had one, it’s the lack of support from third party that killed mass adoption.
Also, if we’re looking at the past to decide what is and isn’t possible then gaming on Linux is impossible.
Let’s not pretend that using the desktop on a Deck is a wonderful experience either, Steam’s big picture mode is just a front end that improves the experience and Microsoft could do the equivalent by reusing the Xbox UI with the option to fall back to Windows 11 proper and then people could launch another launcher from there if they wanted. Heck people could launch Steam in big picture mode from their Xbox handheld if they wanted!
If Microsoft stuck with what it already does, it would be better. They already have cloud streaming technology which makes playing games on their ecosystem possible on any screen. Having a separate handheld console would complicate things. I just don’t see the appeal.
They are risking Linux becoming an actual thing in the portable, desktop & living room spaces.
Roflmao at Linux winning the desktop space.
People thought the same about portable, yet they did things for it to happen. If a company as inluential as Valve does the same for desktop, it could become a thing. I don’t mean dominate, I mean like a noteworthy event, just like the Deck.
Peak g*mer comment.
I said this earlier in the thread but I am very confident at this point that Microsoft already lost this battle to Linux in the longterm. Particularly because Linux operating system devs don’t care about AI and Microsoft is obsessed with it like all other dumb massive tech companies and honestly it is going to lead nowhere in terms of providing a useful basis for an operating system especially if the foundation you are working from sucks (glares at Microsoft and Windows). So volunteer Linux devs actually have a huge lead here even though Microsoft has wayyyyy more resources and money because Microsoft is firehosing it all at the stupidest shit while they fire core team members left and right destroying their longterm capability to create quality products.
You really have to understand AI as the dream come true from sociopathic tech CEOs standpoint, they can finally get rid of the humans, fire most of the programmers and suck up so much data that they can create an UBER AI that knows all…. except reality doesn’t work like that. No matter, reality is kept safely at bay always at least 4 kilometers from the Microsoft C-suite at all times.
The shift just hasn’t happened yet like a dead tree limb hanging on until that gust of wind comes along and the whole limb comes crashing down abruptly weeks after the storm that weakened it.
Yes, devs work on Linux. Now, since the Deck, people (2%) are starting to game on Linux. The next battlefields are the desktop and the living room. The latter could be solved by a Deck 2 (and a new dock) with E-GPU support. That is trickier, there needs to happen a lot of things, and is much more complex.
Phil Spencer holding a steamdeck and looking over at a switch: After all, why not? Why shouldn’t I have a handheld system.
If they make a device that doesn’t suck, will people not just install Steam on it?
For my money? It won’t allow that without jailbreaking.
I doubt even Microsoft are stupid enough to think they could release a PC-based gaming handheld without Steam support and not fail spectacularly.
If it’s Xbox branded they could probably get away with it.
but xbox games could run o it?, pc games runs on steam deck because you can lower the graphics, they can make the same for xbox games?
They use the xbox brand for microsoft store pc games too, and it’s probably those + gamepass that it would run. Those should let you lower the graphics.
Also if the device is successful, it might actually get more devs to release their games on the Microsoft store instead of just on Steam, which would be a win-win for Microsoft.
I saw a video on the extent they went to locking down the Xbox, I think they would do the same for the handheld.
Every console they release is so locked down you can’t even install their own os on it, I think you’re wrong.
For sure, but regardless of that.
And all other launchers and any PC game that doesn’t run on Linux…
Xbox Remote Play already works on the Steam Deck and Android devices. Not sure on iOS, I haven’t tried that, but I’ve personally run it on my Android tablet and Steam Deck.
Oh, I was wondering how it was going to happen. So many of these games look fantastic and like a good strong future ahead for Xbox. So I was wondering how they were going to screw this up.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Speaking on stage as part of an IGN Live interview, Spencer said directly that “I think we should have a handheld, too.”
The comment stops just short of an official announcement that Microsoft is actively working on portable gaming hardware for the first time.
“The future for us in hardware is pretty awesome,” Spencer continued during the IGN presentation.
Comments like these are a big change from internal Microsoft documents that leaked last September, which listed an Xbox portable as a “current gap in FY23” that is “not in scope for 1st party” (alongside potential products like a mobile controller, earbuds, and a media remote).
But Spencer was quick to call that leak “outdated” at the time, so it might not be the last word on Microsoft’s portable gaming plans.
That feels like ancient history, though, in a world where everyone and their corporate subsidiary is looking to draft off the market success of the Steam Deck.
The original article contains 386 words, the summary contains 157 words. Saved 59%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
I hope they call it XBox Zune
I would absolutely buy one of these and I’ve been wishing for something like this for years. I do most of my gaming on Xbox these days, and it would be great to be able to play in bed. I don’t even care if it runs Windows or just an Xbox OS.
I do have a Steam Deck, but some games are too much effort to setup and troubleshoot. I want to hit one button and have a guarantee that the game will work, like the Switch.
If they can’t pull this off as an ARM device and recompile all the games to run on it, then don’t bother.
There’s nothing they can really bring to this that the Steam Deck hasn’t already done better.
“if only we had a way to like, take a desktop pc and make it, like, not tethered to a power outlet. and made the mouse and keyboard a part of the case. and added a screen and speakers too. too bad we have no idea how to do that.” -Microsoft, as they shove the 10,000 laptops off of the desk. “guess we will have to do it ourselves.”
(yeah yeah a laptop “isn’t a handheld” but you get the stupidity all the same, surely. MS abandoned their platform just to make a different, more constrained platform, and charge people for multi-player. and they want to act like they couldn’t do that 25 years ago for free. fuck off MS.)
To be fair, gaming laptops kinda suck (at least they did when I owned one). I would probably recommend a steam deck + a desktop over a gaming laptop.
I have only positive experience with them. The only downside is it gets hot like hell, but other than that it works spectacularly.
My experience with them is they’re too large to be portable in any sort of convenient way, have terrible battery life, struggle to compete with desktops for performance (without spending a huge amount on the laptop), frequently have overheating issues (especially as they age), and lack the upgrade freedom of a desktop requiring you to buy a brand new laptop every few years.
My personal experience is based on an $1850 Asus gaming laptop I had 10 years ago though, so maybe things have changed since then or other brands are better.
Same. Every gaming laptop i have ever had the displeasure of using has been absolute garbage.
The steam deck on the other hand? Pure kino.
What’s the difference? Afaict most of the problems with gaming laptops (e.g. the form factor introducing restrictions on power and cooling capacity) are independent of the specific os and hardware. How does the steam deck solve them better?
Gaming laptops are both too big to be portable, and yet subpar for a desktop experience. I feel like they’re an inconvenient compromise between something focused on being a portable gaming experience and a desktop computer, and they fail to meet either need well.
I am one of those that fell for the falacy of “gaming laptops” because I have to travel a lot for work, and need my dose of gaming to stay sane. As such, I usually played on console when at home, work on a non-gaming PC, and tried to game on a laptop while away.
I found that, while I was able to somewhat play a bit while on the ground, those laptops are huge power suckers. This lead to any flight over 2 hours leaving me at the expense of the airline’s ad-ridden and ridiculously limited “entertainment” (those that provide it and IF they provided it). Never mind how freaking hot they get and how heavy that shot is (21 pounds with the power brick).
The deck has saved my life. I can carry a powerful laptop that will give me 8+ hours of battery for my in-flight media consumption and watch whatever the he’ll I want without being exposed to ads and the pilot interrupting my enjoyment, and I can play anything available offline on my deck at any point.
Unfortunately I still have a “gaming” system76 laptop that is only 2 years old, this is my second (and last) “gaming” laptop. My next travel companion will not have, nor need, dedicated GPU, because the deck covers that itch.
Real Xbox Kinect vibes…
