A handheld Xbox is the dream, says Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer

28 Comments

  1. Easy-Preparation-234

    I dont think that would be the best choice.

    Handheld market is pretty dominated by Nintendo, completely different demographic.

    People who use handhelds tend to like games like Pokemon, Animal Crossing, and Monster Hunter, people who buy xboxs tend to like big games like Halo, Gears and NBA/NFL stuff. Not really the same markets.

    I’m just no companies been able to topple Nintendo when it comes to handhelds and I think thats for a good reason. Handhelds are for kids and casuals (not implying owning a switch makes you a causal, I own a lite myself) which is a differant market.

    I dont expect much successes out of a handheld. Seen plenty of people with switches but never seen a steam deck out in the wild.

  2. jazzy663

    It’s a nice idea, but what would a portable Xbox really bring to the table that’s not already covered by the Switch or Steam Deck? A platform to play first-party Xbox titles anywhere, few of which are games you would play on the go? Unless it’s somehow extremely cheap yet still a compelling purchase, I don’t see an Xbox handheld succeeding.

  3. WhatWouldWintonDo

    Why do companies make things that people don’t want lol

  4. Crater_Animator

    Feel like they’re behind the curve on everything they do. Nintendo and Sony already released their handhelds. For the most part, anything Microsoft that’s available on Steam can also be played on the steam deck. They’re coming late to the game competing in an oversaturated market.

  5. hellraiser29

    Microsoft should just focus in software and PCs at this point. Portability and streaming already exists with the Switch, PS5 and Steam deck.

  6. PM_ME_YOUR__INIT__

    Microsoft might get an edge if they make their handheld switch seamlessly between the best graphical options available for the player. For example, got a Series X or PC at home and good WiFi? Run the game on the handheld and it will stream from the box. Don’t have a local option? Stream from the cloud. No internet? Default to local play. The most important part is that the user doesn’t have to choose or configure anything. And transitioning from one zone to another happens in the background. I suspend play at home, which was streaming from my PC, then on the bus I’m in the exact same spot with slightly downgraded graphics

  7. leafsfall5

    Microsoft has been making really good hardware, including the Surface. Xbox One X and Series X are the best built disk-based home consoles on record.
    There’s good reason to think this would be an enjoyable well built machine.

  8. Shakmaaaaaaa

    Throwing in my speculation – I think the Series S’s relative success is going to push them to make a Switch like docking/portable device. The Series S and X combo was the test bed for having two separate spec’d SKUs that can play the same games. The device is doomed to fail like Sony’s dedicated portables (including VR) if it has to rely on developers making dedicated games for it. I say their will be two SKUs because MS knows going full Switch competitor is suicide.

  9. boxeodragon

    Xbox always talks about new hardware or expanding & at the end they have no exclusive games all of there games already releases on PC day 1 & on PS & Nintendo at a later date (eventually Xbox will release games day 1 it’s inevitable w low hardware & low software sells) so there’s no point of buying a Xbox console when there’s really no exclusive game locked to there hardware.

    Xbox one sold 65 million
    Xbox series sold 23 million in 4 years (there tracking to sell 35 million by the end of the generation maybe even less if there next hardware is in 2026)

    Xbox next gen hardware will sell less then series w Xbox, PS, Nintendo & PC gamers knowing Xbox games will release on all other platform at a later date. My prediction is Xbox next gen hardware sells 15 to 25 million across 7-8 years could be lower if they go day n date across Xbox, PC, PS & Nintendo.

  10. picknicksje85

    He is talking about dreams, not real life.

  11. allsoslol

    handheld PC that run window: am i joke to you?

  12. TotalBismuth

    They need to leave the hardware business and focus on games. If EA can do it, so can you.

  13. NowieTends

    I remember wanting this and there being a lot of hype for it in the 360 days. Think they’re a little late

  14. GloriaVictis101

    Too late, they should partner with valve

  15. Superb_Recover_6116

    if they made it and made ALL the xbox games ever playable on it? I’m pre ordering that shit. Theres games you cant emulate still. The performance is bad or some artifacts on the screen make them look ugly. I just wanna play all the old school games I loved. On pc I’m able to play a few that released on pc and their some of my most played games over games like elden ring, spiderman or far cry.

  16. Vostroyan212th

    Just let me play gamepass natively on steam deck. A handheld sounds great, but if it *only* plays xbox stuff, I’d pass, same as I would a PS handheld. I only have a Nintendo one for their exclusives, and at this point, I’m getting bored of those anyway after around 35 years of playing Mario, Zelda, and the others I can only get with their systems.

  17. Tokenvoice

    It really isn’t. I don’t have my xbox because it is portable, I have it so that I can play it on my couch. I have a switch, and I have had gameboys and would still play my consoles more. Hell I have never really even used my switch as a handheld.

    The only thing that my xbox being handheld would do is being able to watch youtube or whatever in bed and I already have my ipad for that

  18. HisDivineOrder

    They could save a lot of money putting Game Pass on Steam instead.

  19. simon7109

    100% it will be a cloud based handheld for game pass

  20. EndTimesPreacher24

    Nobody cares lol. This guy is fucking delusional.

  21. Illustrious-Lime-863

    The level of business acumen in this thread is astonishing, I am humbled

  22. drsalvation1919

    Well, Microsoft owning both xbox and windows, if they were to make a portable, I doubt they’d limit it exclusively for xbox itself, they would probably have to make an xbox OS for portables, but also include windows capabilities (include steam or other launchers), or at least make an xbox OS for the existing handhelds like the rog ally or legion go.

    One way or another, as long as it’s completely independent of owning a console and actually runs games with its own hardware, it already has a massive advantage over the playstation portal.

  23. Duramajin

    I’m down…. But focus on your studios and pumping out more and better games

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