Xbox wants to release a portable console but doesn’t know how yet

Leaks of an Xbox-branded portable console are not new. Already in 2021, a console dedicated to cloud gaming was on everyone’s agenda and hasn’t stopped since. In the age of Steam Deck-inspired portable PCs, the rumors have started again, so much so that at the beginning of the year almost everyone seemed to agree that Microsoft would soon introduce its own model.

After all, the Redmond company has it all: a piece of hardware that no longer needs to prove itself, an operating system on which to run its games, and a growing list of special features. So what is Microsoft waiting for? It’s the right formula, according to Microsoft’s gaming division boss Phil Spencer. He admits on Polygon’s microphone that he tried all the “handheld” consoles of the moment. And none of it really convinced him.

Here’s why Xbox still hasn’t released a portable console

According to Phil Spencer, the crux of the matter for now is not on the hardware side, but on the software side. “I want to be able to launch the Xbox app in full screen but in compact mode. And my entire social experience is there. I want to feel like I’m on my Xbox dashboard when I turn on the TV.” explains to our colleagues. According to him, while several models for the Asus ROG Ally now run on Windows, the Xbox experience is not yet ideal for the gamer.

Moreover, Phil Spencer is not fooled: Xbox has no interest in locking itself into its own ecosystem like Sony (or even less so) and Nintendo. This is also why Microsoft has timidly started releasing its exclusives on other consoles. So over time, it’s crucial to deliver a true portable experience to Xbox gamers on other platforms before considering launching your own console.

“For example, if I want to play my console games on the go with a portable console, I don’t want to have to buy just one console. I want everything we do in hardware to be great. But if someone chooses to play today [ailleurs], I don’t want him to feel like he’s less of a good Xbox gamer. »

So how can we improve this experience? According to Phil Spencer, this involves asking a few questions. “Are all my games there?” Do all my games appear with the saves I want? I will tell you one [jeu] The one that doesn’t do all this right now, and it’s driving me crazy – is Fallout 76. There’s no cross-save support.” We will avoid telling him that this problem no longer bothers many people.

But Phil Spencer isn’t completely ruling out the possibility of a true Xbox-branded portable console being released one day. In fact, this tells Polygon that their engineers are currently working on the issue and exploring the various possibilities presented to them. But as you can see, it is not like that for now. Right now Xbox’s priority is undoubtedly on cloud gaming, which wants to be accessible (and stable) for a larger number of people.