In a far-ranging interview with Bloomberg, CEO ofMicrosoftGaming Phil Spencer opened up about the company’s future plans, which potentially includes more acquisitions, but he alsoconfirmed the long-standing rumor of a handheld Xbox. Though they are only working on prototype devices right now and any handheld is still years away. When asked for details about a hypothetical handheld being cloud-based or local, similar to theSteam Deck, Spencer explained “I think being able to play games locally is really important.”
Ever since Nintendo released the original Game Boy, they’ve dominated the handheld gaming market, with further iterations, including the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo 3DS, only increasing their market share. Competitors, including the Sega Game Gear, Atari Lynx and Sony’s efforts, the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita, have all failed to catch on. TheNintendo Switch, playable both docked and as a handheld, became one of the fastest-selling consoles in history thanks to its adaptability. Will a handheld Xbox go the path Sony took and attempt to be a portable version of its console sibling or will it go the Nintendo route and embrace adaptability?Is it possible that the next Xbox itself, is a handheld device?
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Microsoft’s Rocky Console History
When Microsoft launched the Xbox in 2002, it sent shockwaves through the industry, but it wasn’t until their second console, the Xbox 360, that the Washington-based company ascended to the top of the mountain. Introducing achievements and a built-in digital storefront that pushed indie games like no other console before it, the Xbox 360 was a massive hit, but today, it’s an outlier. The Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles both fell behind the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Switch in total sales, while Microsoft again worked towards the future with its Game Pass service and unprecedented integration between consoles and PCs.Mobile and handheld gaming is especially popular in Japan, a country that the Xbox has never found any success in,so if the new handheld console turns out to be the company’s next major console, it might just open up new markets and appeal to customers who, historically, have rejected it.
Will a handheld Xbox go the path Sony took, and attempt to be a portable version of its console sibling or will it go the Nintendo route and embrace adaptability?
In the two years since Phil Spencer’s promotion to the head of Microsoft Gaming,the company has already made large strides in recapturing its former console glory,thanks in part to Game Pass, but alsothe Activision-Blizzard and Bethesda acquisitionssolving the ongoing problem of console exclusives. Following the success of the Steam Deck, it’s no surprise that now Spencer is making it clear that a device is in the works, but all eyes are on Nintendo and the impending announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2. No one knows what handheld device Microsoft will look to for inspiration moving forward but for now, you can look forward to a new front emerging in the console wars.
Source:Bloomberg
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