With the new console generation in full swing, those who have managed to get their hands on an Xbox Series X seem satisfied with the console. While a few Xbox Series X features are slated for improvement with future updates, it seems that the console is mostly working as intended.
Recent acquisitions of major game developers like Bethesda and Id Software show that Microsoft wants quality games to go along with its hardware, although the next killer app for the Xbox Series X has yet to materialize. With the company trying hard to reach players on all fronts, some have broached (not for the first time) the question of a Microsoft handheld gaming device, a topic which a former Xbox boss has expanded on.
Robbie Bach, former President of Entertainment & Devices at Microsoft and head of Xbox from its launch to 2010, spoke in an interview on Twitch about the lack of an Xbox handheld. Turns out, no less than three different devices were proposed, all of them called “Xboy.” Bach was certain the name would cause trouble, and beyond that, declared that setting up such a device and a dedicated team for it would have been too expensive. According to Bach “we just didn’t have the bandwidth.” With the healthy rise of Xbox revenue, it’s arguable that a handheld might be unnecessary at this point.
On top of that, plans for a mobile Xbox experience have moved beyond a handheld console with the advent of xCloud. The developing project allows players to stream games to their Microsoft devices wherever they wish, and portable controllers complete the mobile experience. Xbox’s current boss, Phil Spencer, has big plans for Xcloud, likely making any handheld Xbox device entirely superfluous in the future.
With game streaming becoming a large part of gaming’s future, the question has shifted from why Xbox doesn’t have its own handheld equivalent to how many will follow Microsoft’s model for game streaming. With the Nintendo 3DS and PS Vita out of production, it’s a real question of whether standalone portable consoles have a future.
There will still, undoubtedly, be a market for things related to gaming on the go. The Nintendo Switch provides a never before seen hybrid of home and portable console (unless one counts the Virtual Boy) and OtterBox released peripherals for Microsoft’s mobile gaming experience. Hopefully mobile gaming becomes both less cumbersome and higher quality with time, but there’s still a long way to go.
Source: Gamespot
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