There are all kinds of things that could make Xbox a success in the coming years: the launch of The Elder Scrolls 6, Fable 4, expanded Game Pass options, a great expansion for Starfield and a host of exclusive games. But the one thing that I don’t think will change Xbox’s success and Xbox Series X’s position in the market is a portable console.
Rumors of some form of Xbox handheld have been bubbling for years, but few rumors have actually taken root. But more recently Jez Corden from our sister publication, Windows Central reported that Microsoft has wearable prototypes, and Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer shared so Polygon that the company is exploring “different hardware form factors and the like.” So this would add some fuel to the smoldering fire of rumors.
But while I love new hardware, I’m not sure we need a portable Xbox gaming console.
Smooth streaming
The simple fact is that you already have a portable Xbox console in the form of your smartphone. If you choose Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to get access to Xbox exclusives, cross-generation games and PC games – meaning Game Pass Ultimate remains one of the best deals in gaming – you’ll also get access to Xbox Cloud Gaming, which allows you to stream games to all kinds of devices, but especially to phones and tablets.
All you need is the Game Pass app and you can access a range of Xbox games, old and new, on any of the top Android phones or an iPhone; the latter does require an app that points to a bookmark in a web browser, but it’s trivially easy to set up.
Ideally, you’ll have a Bluetooth Xbox controller and some sort of bracket to attach your phone to it, or a controller accessory that turns your phone into a pseudo-Nintendo Switch. But if not, there are some games that Microsoft has retrofitted with on-display controls – think virtual buttons instead of custom touchscreen controls – that work quite well for a short gaming session. And with access to 5G, even budget phones can take advantage of Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Now I have to admit that the service is not perfect, especially when it comes to delays, but far from bad. And even if you don’t think a smartphone is big enough for a good portable gaming console, there’s a solution in the form of Valve’s Steam Deck.
Steaming forward
With a little manipulation on the Steam OS desktop, you can persuade the Steam Deck to not only access Xbox Game Pass via a web browser, but also to recognize the Deck’s controller. Once I set it up this way, I actually completed Starfield on my Steam Deck.
Of course, if code wrangling isn’t your thing, you can opt for one of the ever-increasing Windows 11-based portable gaming PCs, like the ROG Ally, which run Game Pass out of the box and can also run Xbox games. naturally.
So with hardware and streaming capabilities like that, I don’t do that Real see a spot for a dedicated handheld Xbox device. Unless Microsoft can make such a console at a price lower than the aforementioned Steam Deck, I’m not sure there are many people clamoring for such a device.
The fact that Sony’s PS Vita never really took off on a large scale and the PlayStation Portal is a niche device shows that even PlayStation is struggling with handheld consoles. So you’d be forgiven for asking, “Why would Xbox ever care?”
And before you say it, yes, I know people will look to Nintendo as an example of making handheld gaming work. But Nintendo has decades of experience and goodwill, starting with the Game & Watch, then the iconic Game Boy, then the various DS models, and culminating in the Nintendo Switch OLED – and possibly a Switch 2. I’d like to want to be proven wrong, but I don’t see Microsoft coming up with a device that would come within striking distance of even Nintendo’s ‘weakest’ handhelds.
However, if Microsoft were to unveil an Xbox mobile device made with the same care and precision as the Surface machines, I’d be all over it. But gadget lust aside, I think the current options we already have mean that there are already portable Xbox consoles available in a variety of form factors.
Instead of pursuing new hardware, I would have much preferred to see Microsoft and the Xbox division work on making cloud-based game streaming even better and optimizing games for use on the Steam Deck and other portable PCs. Heck, it would be amazing if some older Xbox exclusives were even ported to the Switch, although that might be a bit of a pipe dream.
In short, I don’t need or want a portable Xbox console. But I need and want Microsoft to extend the Xbox experience to portable hardware; I don’t think that’s too much to ask.