Over the past few years, there has been a sharp increase in the popularity of handheld PCs but gaming on these devices isn’t entirely a great experience. Xbox has never entered this territory but Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, confirmed in November that Xbox is working on its first handheld device.
Steam Deck has been a popular choice for gamers all over the world, however, it organically comes with a Linux operating system, so it is not very ideal for gaming. The Xbox handheld is in development but Microsoft is eager to give players a handheld device sooner as Microsoft’s VP of “Next Generation,” has confirmed that Windows handheld gaming experience will change this year.
Microsoft is aiming to combine Xbox and Windows to create the best handheld device
In a recent interview with Verge, Jason Ronald, Microsoft’s VP of Next Generation, explained Microsoft’s vision of creating the best handheld Windows device that is ideal for gaming. He said,
I would say it’s bringing the best of Xbox and Windows together, because we have spent the last 20 years building a world-class operating system, but it’s really locked to the console – What we’re doing is we’re really focused on how do we bring those experiences for both players and developers to the broader Windows ecosystem.
Gaming on Windows handheld devices isn’t the best at the moment and Ronald is aware of all the disadvantages. Microsoft hopes to make these devices more gaming-friendly as this is one of the biggest reasons why gaming on handheld devices is so unpopular.
Microsoft’s goal here is to create a handheld device that gives players the same Xbox experience on a small device. This won’t be an Xbox handheld as this device will be able to perform the same things that existing Windows handheld devices can do.
Microsoft will share more information later this year
Later in the conversation, Ronald confirmed that Microsoft will be making more progress by the end of this year. So gamers should expect to hear some solid information about the handheld devices Windows is working on. He said,
I think we’ll have a lot more to share later this year – I think it’s going to be a journey and I think you’ll see a lot of investments over time that you’re starting to see already, but we’ll have a lot more to share later this year.
At the moment, Steam Deck is Microsoft’s biggest competitor but its setback is its Linux operating system. Players have found ways to install the Microsoft OS on the Steam Deck but the experience isn’t the best at the moment.
Judging by Ronald’s statements, it seems like Microsoft is laser-focused on this project. As for Xbox, Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, has confirmed that the studio is currently working on prototypes to create Xbox’s first handheld device. Unfortunately, he has made it clear that it’s years away from release.
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