Microsoft To Merge ‘The Best Of Xbox And Windows’ For Handhelds Starting This Year

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Major Changes For Handheld Consoles Starting This Year!

Story Highlight
  • Microsoft VP revealed that they’re working towards bringing an Xbox-like experience for handheld consoles starting this year, bringing the best of both worlds.
  • This Xbox integration in handheld devices aims to deliver a more console-like experience for handhelds.
  • This application also teases how the next Xbox handheld, expected for 2026, may feel like.

With Microsoft officially confirming that Xbox’s debut console will be launched alongside the next generation of its console, they’ve already started to tease details on their handheld.

As reported by The Verge, who attended the CES roundtable dubbed “The Future of Gaming Handhelds,” Microsoft VP Jason Ronald said that major changes should be expected within the handheld console realms starting this year.

Why it matters: Gaming on handheld devices running Windows has not always met expectations. But with upcoming changes, games on these devices will run smoother, providing a better and more enjoyable experience.

xbox handheld
Xbox handheld will reportedly run PlayStation games as well.

According to Jason, Microsoft is working on bringing the Xbox console experience to Windows rather than the other way around.

“I would say it’s bringing the best of Xbox and Windows together, because we have spent the last 20 years building a world-class operating system, but it’s really locked to the console”

Steam Deck’s use of its own dedicated SteamOS is also one of the biggest reasons why the handheld has been so successful in its own marketplace compared to its more powerful competitors. 

Valve previously also announced support for SteamOS on Asus Rog Ally, so it’ll be interesting to see how SteamOS fares against Microsoft’s planned integration of the Xbox platform on Windows handheld.

The result would still be a Windows operating system running below an Xbox-like home, similar to Steam’s big picture mode on the Steam app. Nonetheless, it is unclear whether this Xbox integration will be limited to handheld consoles or will also be included with normal desktops, which would be a nice move. 

Microsoft handheld xbox
Will handheld consoles see improvements this year?

This also gives us an idea of the handheld Xbox console, which is expected to be released in 2026. Microsoft is expected to share more details later this year, which could mean that they will also have more details about their Xbox handheld.

What do you think about Microsoft’s initiative to make the handheld console space better? Do you think that this will benefit the handheld console competition? Let us know in the comments down below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forums.

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