Only Microsoft Can Save Windows-Powered Handheld Game Consoles (2024)

Microsoft besides requires immoderate bundle to travel bundled with their licenses, which is however you extremity up with the baffling inclusion of things similar Microsoft Teams, Office 365—complete with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint—and [checks notes] ... Microsoft Clipchamp … connected a instrumentality that is, ostensibly, a gaming handheld. I cognize everyone has their preferences, but I consciousness beauteous harmless successful assuming that 95 percent of the radical who mightiness beryllium funny successful the ROG Ally X aren’t funny successful it for its middling video editing capabilities.

Hope connected the Horizon

In precocious 2023, Microsoft introduced a preview of a mentation of its Xbox app called Compact Mode. It gives gaming handhelds moving Windows a Steam Deck–like interface designed chiefly for controller input, and determination person already been some beauteous important updates. Most notably, the Jump Back In diagnostic lets players instantly motorboat their astir precocious played games.

On competing devices similar the Steam Deck oregon the Switch, this diagnostic is known arsenic “just however the happening has ever worked,” but it’s inactive a invited addition. Even if apps similar Asus’ Armoury Crate already bash this. Also, astatine the moment, the Xbox app lone lists games you purchased via Microsoft. Which means my Jump Back In consists of … Solitaire. Baby steps, I suppose.

There are rumors Microsoft mightiness beryllium moving on a gaming handheld console, which, if true, would beryllium large quality since it means Microsoft is apt to support optimizing Windows for the category. Simultaneously, it mightiness beryllium awful quality for competing manufacturers if they’re not besides allowed to payment from that work.

Put much simply: If it comes down to an authoritative Xbox gaming handheld that tin tally each Windows-based games with an interface comparable to the surviving country console versus a janky handheld with an interface glued together, it wouldn’t beryllium hard to conjecture which 1 is much apt to succeed.

It seems improbable it would travel to that. Since Microsoft has frankincense acold failed to vie successful selling console hardware. The institution has alternatively adopted an “Xbox everywhere” strategy. Where Nintendo and Sony merchantability boxes that tally their games, Microsoft wants to marque Xbox a level wherever you tin play games connected each desktop, laptop, tablet, phone, and tv you have.

I would reason that nary of these are rather arsenic important arsenic getting gaming handhelds right. The Switch demonstrated conscionable however overmuch radical privation to instrumentality their games with them, and the Steam Deck showed that adjacent immoderate large AAA games tin tally good connected portable hardware. If Microsoft wants Xbox to beryllium everywhere, it mightiness request to follow the exemplary Google uses for Android. Google makes and sells its ain Android phone but allows competitors to physique connected its level and, rather often, beat them astatine their ain game. Google inactive benefits from its services moving connected competitors' devices, truthful either way, Google comes retired connected top. A akin strategy could enactment for an Xbox handheld built connected a level of enactment that Microsoft shares with 3rd parties.

Right now, Windows handhelds are struggling. Even the champion options inactive drain much power, person jankier interfaces, and outgo much than devices similar the Switch oregon the Steam Deck. With each update that makes these devices moderately better, the impenetrable partition of Windows becomes much obvious. Until Microsoft steps up, it doesn’t look similar this presumption quo volition alteration soon.