With devices like Valve’s Steam Deck selling well and major PC manufacturers releasing portable Windows 11 gaming consoles this year, such as the ASUS Rog Ally and Lenovo Legion Go, many people are wondering if Microsoft will release a similar device. Recent rumours suggest that the company may be working on its portable gaming device.
Microsoft’s goal is to expand the Xbox ecosystem beyond traditional home consoles. According to Xbox insider Jez Corden, the tech giant currently has internal prototypes of a “fully native” handheld device that doesn’t rely on cloud gaming.
While prototypes don’t guarantee a commercial product, creating a portable device makes strategic sense for Xbox. The Nintendo Switch has greatly expanded the portable gaming market since 2017, selling more than 100 million units. Meanwhile, Valve’s Steam Deck and other portable gaming devices are showing consumer demand.
Phil Spencer, CEO of Xbox and Microsoft Gaming, hinted that the next Xbox projects will be “unique and powerful”. Microsoft Xbox president Sarah Bond also hinted at new hardware announcements this season and an ambitious new generation of consoles in the works.
In September, The Verge reported on the Xbox portable cloud gaming device. “Microsoft has developed a lightweight version of the Xbox user interface that can work on portable devices, dedicated cloud consoles and televisions,” the message read.
The article did not provide any details on when this portable Xbox cloud gaming device was in development, nor when the company decided to end the project. Thus, Microsoft may have abandoned its plans for cloud-based laptops.
If a portable Xbox is developed, it will likely run its games natively without the limitations of streaming, rather than relying on cloud gaming as such products have been rumoured recently. This will allow you to play on the go. Whether gamers will accept this business plan remains to be seen.
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