Could Xbox Be Working On A Handheld Console?
Handheld gaming has kicked off good and proper once again. We thought that this gaming generation’s submissions to the world of consoles that could slide into your backpack would start and end with the Nintendo Switch, but now as Xbox Game Pass offers huge cloud capabilities for mobile and the recent announcement of the Steam Deck has sent the PC gaming community through the wringer.
But it doesn’t have to end here. What if Xbox isn’t satisfied just with their cloud contributions to pocket gaming? What if they’re working on something completely new to compete in the handheld market?
Xbox Handheld Suggested To Be On The Way
Click to enlargeAn interaction between VentureBeat reporter Jeff Grubb and YouTuber Rand al Thor 19 has suggested to many that Microsoft could be developing a handheld console. Grubb is seen reacting to the hefty price of the Steam Deck, suggesting that Valve are incredibly confident in their pocket computer because they’re so willing to charge so much for it.
A tweet from Rand Al Thor 19 has sparked conversation, though - in a reply to this tweet, the YouTuber suggests that Xbox could be working on their own answer to the Deck.
Could Xbox Be Making A Handheld Console?
Click to enlargeIf Xbox were making a handheld console, we could assume that it’d make the most of the Game Pass. Its Cloud possibilities have already been shown off by its addition to mobile, so it’d make sense to build a dedicated console that can not only handle the Game Pass’ cloud library, but also power its own installed games with the same power.
It’d be a smart move for Xbox to take this opportunity to allow for cross-progression and to activate quick resume on the handheld, offering a bridge between at-home and on-the-go gaming in a similar way to the Switch. The Xbox experience’s transition to handheld could bring about immeasurable player choice, and it could extend the life cycle of the Xbox Series by years if effectively implemented.
The Xbox handheld is still a pipe dream at the moment, but Microsoft would be smart to capitalise on the recent boom of handheld gaming. After all, one more console for us to buy wouldn’t hurt, would it?