Gaming’s breaking free from the living room and the big consoles we’re used to. Microsoft’s gaming folks are thinking hard about making a handheld Xbox that fits right in your hands. Phil Spencer, the big boss of Xbox, shared his big dreams about a portable Xbox in a chat with Polygon.
The gaming scene’s always changing. Spencer’s tipping his hat to companies like Valve, Lenovo, and Asus for making cool portable gaming gadgets like the Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion Go, and Asus ROG Ally. These gadgets are starting to feel a lot like playing on a console but on the move. Spencer really digs what they’ve done, saying, “I like the fact that Valve, Lenovo, and Asus went out and innovated in a new form factor.”
But, playing games on these gadgets isn’t always smooth sailing, mainly because of some Windows issues. Since Microsoft knows Windows inside out, Spencer’s keen on making things better, like logging in with a controller and making it as easy as playing on an Xbox at home.
Spencer wants no matter what handheld device you’re using, it should feel like you’re playing on an Xbox. He’s thinking big, wanting games to be easy to get to, your game saves safe, and chatting with friends like when you’re gaming on the couch with an Xbox controller. He imagines turning on your handheld to a full-screen Xbox app that looks just like your Xbox at home, but smaller.
Spencer’s talking about a bigger plan for Xbox, to mix things up with different kinds of gaming gear while keeping that Xbox vibe. They’re brainstorming on “different hardware form factors and things that [they] could go do” to get new folks into gaming and make it possible to game in new ways.
Xbox’s hinting at showing off some new gaming gear later this year. The details are still under wraps, but there’s a world about what could be a big deal in portable gaming. Spencer’s giving us a sneak peek into the future of gaming, where the line between gaming at home and gaming on the go gets fuzzy, making Xbox gaming something you can take with you.
