Earlier this week, Xbox boss Phil Spencer as soon as once more talked about that an Xbox handheld is doubtlessly within the works, however that it’s nonetheless a couple of years out. While that timeline sucks, it does imply Microsoft has time to essentially make it into one thing superior that may compete with top-end handheld gaming PCs just like the Steam Deck or Asus ROG Ally X.
What we do know is that Phil Spencer has gone on document saying he “assume(s) having the ability to play video games domestically is basically necessary”, which means that any Xbox handheld that comes out received’t observe the identical playbook because the PlayStation Portal, which may solely play video games streamed out of your PS5. Unfortunately, that’s about all we actually find out about what the hand-held console would really be, however that doesn’t imply I can’t sit right here and dream about what I’d prefer to see out of a possible Xbox handheld, even when I do have to attend a pair years to get my arms on it.
Run Windows, But Make it Controller-Friendly
Let’s face it, Xbox consoles develop into extra like Windows 11 each single day – hell, there’s even advertisements on the house display screen now – so why not go all the best way and make the presumptive Xbox handheld run Windows 11. This would open up the platform to tons of of video games that the Xbox Series X merely can’t run, plus, it might enable (or pressure) Microsoft to create a model of Windows 11 that’s navigable with a controller.
Microsoft has actually created bizarre one-off UIs for Windows earlier than. After all, this is similar firm that created Windows RT, plus variations of Windows 7 and eight that ran on Windows telephones – bear in mind these? It could possibly be argued that every one of these disparate variations of Windows had been full disasters, however so long as it’s optionally available, it could possibly be an effective way for Microsoft to get extra Windows customers, whereas additionally letting folks that don’t like navigating a conventional desktop ignore the extra arcane parts of Windows 11.
Make the Gamepad-Friendly Windows UI Downloadable on Any System
If Microsoft makes its Xbox handheld a Windows system with a gamepad-friendly UI – and that’s an enormous if – it might be tremendous cool if it might additionally make it accessible for anybody to implement on their gaming PCs. I personally have a gaming PC arrange in my front room, and I’ve to have a keyboard and mouse close by to make use of it, particularly after I’m making an attempt to play a recreation that’s not on Steam. A controller-friendly Windows UI would do wonders there. It would additionally make utilizing handheld gaming PCs a lot simpler, now that extra of them come working Windows 11.
Manufacturers like Asus and Lenovo have created methods to navigate the working system with the controllers, however they’re not superior. Essentially, each of them have methods to emulate mouse enter once you’re interacting with the desktop. This works more often than not, however there have positively been instances the place it’s stopped working for one motive or one other and I’ve needed to fumble round with a touchscreen, and Windows 11 is notoriously terrible for contact shows. I’m no engineer, so I don’t understand how exhausting it’d be to implement, however I’d like to have a toggle someplace in Windows 11 settings to allow a ‘controller mode.’
Don’t Lock It Down to the Windows Store or Xbox Store
The foremost motive an Xbox handheld working on Windows 11 as an alternative of a standalone working system could be interesting is as a result of it’d allow you to run no matter you wished, quite than simply what’s on the Xbox Store. Letting individuals play any recreation they personal on Steam, Epic, or one of many numerous PC gaming platforms could be unimaginable. I don’t find out about you, however as of late, I simply wish to play my recreation on no matter system I’m utilizing at any given second, and the extra open the Xbox handheld’s OS is, the extra it’ll let me try this.
Microsoft has already indulged my have to play video games on a billion little units with its Play Anywhere program that basically allows you to purchase a recreation on PC after which play it on Xbox Series X, along with your saves carrying over. The downside is that it solely helps sure first-party video games.
Even if Microsoft has it locked to the Xbox retailer by default, at the least give us entry to the BIOS so we will set up an unlocked model of Windows ourselves. It took Microsoft a couple of years to be taught that lesson with Windows 10S and RT, let’s hope that it applies these classes to the Xbox handheld, too.
Quick Resume
The one factor that retains me enjoying video games on the Xbox Series X as an alternative of my gaming PC is Quick Resume. There’s one thing to be stated about having a number of video games which might be basically suspended, that you could swap between at will. This is superior once you’re caught on a boss and also you wish to take a break with a distinct recreation, then come again with a transparent head with out shedding any progress. I need that on Windows, particularly for a handheld system.
Most of the time, once you put a gaming PC in sleep mode whereas it’s working a recreation, that recreation will nonetheless be working once you wake it up. This is basically what occurs once you faucet the ability button in your ROG Ally. However, it’s not good, and there are occasions the place issues will break in your recreation once you wake your system from sleep. So, the aptitude is technically there for one thing like Quick Resume, it might simply have to be carried out.
Wait for More Powerful Hardware
While the AMD Z1 Extreme is superior for handheld gaming PCs, we’re nonetheless ready for AMD to create a next-generation model of it. What makes the Z1 particular is that it’s specifically engineered for the wants of a handheld gaming system. It has superior graphics efficiency, however doesn’t draw an excessive amount of energy, permitting you to play video games on battery for a couple of hours. The trade-off, although, is that it’s not nice at shifting above 1080p on medium settings in most video games.
The AMD Z1 Extreme is utilizing a Zen 4 CPU core, together with an RDNA 3 GPU core. We have already got Zen 5 processors available on the market, just like the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, however we’re nonetheless ready for RDNA 4 to indicate up. With how late within the 12 months we’re, my wager is that AMD will showcase its next-generation graphics tech at CES 2025. If that occurs, we should always see the Z2, or its equal, a while in mid-to-late 2025.
Microsoft being Microsoft, although, it’s completely attainable that it may work with a chipmaker like AMD to create customized silicon to carry the Xbox handheld to the following stage, which might make it stand out in a market that’s turning into more and more saturated with new handhelds on a regular basis.
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC elements queen. You can observe her @Jackiecobra
