Hopefully this means that the Xbox/Windows merger will get rid of or severely cripple some of the bloat that Windows forces on people(recall, copilot), and that it will be available for the general public to update to it - so that I can do so on my laptop.
Those handhelds are cool, but unless Xbox library comes to it, to me at least it’s of no use. No one would be willing to give up their library of thousands of games, so either they make it all available on all handhelds or they gotta have their Xbox native one.
For the time being this seems more like an overreaction to block Steam Deck, a platform that has very little impact on the overall PC gaming landscape imo.
Unless the APU powering the handheld is delayed, this just a re-shuffling of the work streams. I.e sequential delivery vs parallelized work.
Don’t see the need for an Xbox HH myself when one has Steam Deck
Steam Deck is quite underwhelming in terms of power and it missing all of the games that have anti cheat, aka all the most played games basically, makes it a non starter for a lot, if not most of PC gamers I’d say.
I’d be down for a proper handheld personally from MS, especially if it could run all Xbox BC and still double down as a windows computer.
What makes you think an Xbox HH is going to be a powerful monster? If Xbox no longer looks to subsidise hardware costs. It will have to be power-to-cost ratio conscious, just like Steam Deck One would guess a Steam Deck 2 in the works too.
Some say Xbox don’t need consoles since it’s all about PC and mobile. I fail to see why Xbox needs an HH when you have Steam Decks and mobiles
Yeah, I don’t really see the point of a device that’s just a ROG Ally with Xbox branding. Like myself, as not really a PC person, I don’t suddenly become interested in a handheld PC because it says Xbox.
Now, add in something like BC for my Xbox 360/XB1 game library and maybe we’re talking.
“Native Xbox Handheld” it’s right in the headline, come on.
No need for a native Xbox handheld. Just improve Windows OS and Xbox PC UI for gaming so it feels like a console and give us emulation so we can play our old games that are not part of Play Anywhere
That’s literally the plan, as Tom Warren has describe it and likely why Xbox had a forward compatibility position created.
Except that the UI will likely be more console centric, like SteamOS.
No one would have to give up their library, since a PC handheld is not a replacement for the console. They’re completely separate usage cases for most people.
And there’s over 1000 “Play Anywhere” titles. I’m sure people would find something to play on the go.
This story, once again, is about a native Xbox handheld.
Jez actually didn’t say the handheld was delayed.
It has been “put to the side”, an internal delay to working on the project. It isn’t announced and has no date so anyone saying it’s “delayed” as in a release date, would be guessing or just talking out their butts.
Exactly just side lined for the time besides it was never officially announced for all we know it might release with the next gen Xbox in 2027/28 according to rumors.
Yep. They can always return to it en-mass and/or crunch to hit the original internal date.
I can see Microsoft’s concern but it feels like a knee-jerk reaction if the dedicated handheld is on hold. The proliferation of SteamOS is scary in principle yet what number of people actually make up the market of Steam Deck and third-party handhelds - maybe <8 million users?
Forsaking the adoption potential of your console base which is in the tens of millions to prioritize a currently niche audience is odd. You’ve now expanded the window in which your core audience adopts a Switch, or PlayStation’s handheld device which will now likely release before Xbox’s, or a Steam Deck for that matter.
The strategy isn’t making sense. Yes, the idea of shoring up the software first sounds great but I don’t see the overall benefit unless the thought process is that this market is going to explode at Switch levels of engagement. If other platforms are offering wider accessibility to gaming with console, PC and dedicated handhelds (PlayStation) then you’ve now, as Xbox, fumbled one of your last few competitive edges.
We have like, 1% of the total picture and it’s all come from insiders who themselves know no more than us, for certain.
Best to do more research than release your own. Not only Steam is going further in with the market, but the market is still small. It’s not like Switch as it is not only a console but the only way to play Nintendo products. Plus, Xbox needs to make a strong impression.