I play most of my video games on an Xbox plugged right into a 65-inch OLED TV in the lounge. Regardless of this comfortable setup, I caved and eventually purchased a Steam Deck in late 2024, and I’m so comfortable that I’ve began padding my uncared for Steam library as soon as once more.

As an “Xbox first” gamer and long-term Sport Move Final subscriber, I’m a main goal for Microsoft’s rumored Xbox handheld. As somebody who has been totally impressed with the Steam Deck, Microsoft has a couple of large bins to verify if it desires to tempt me away.

6

Be Appropriate With the Newest Video games

The Steam Deck is a incredible little bit of equipment, but it surely’s getting previous. The AMD-powered handheld relies on Zen2 structure, which first debuted in 2019 and powers the present era of Xbox and PlayStation consoles. It’s definitely no slouch, but it surely’s clearly beginning to present its age—notably Valve’s implementation, which has strict energy constraints on account of being moveable.

When the Steam Deck was launched again in late 2022, the hand-held may sustain with most of the newest releases together with demanding titles like Elden Ring and Crimson Useless Redemption 2 (albeit at decrease body charges than many PC avid gamers are used to). Quick-forward two-and-a-bit years and that’s not the case.

Video games like Warhammer 40,000: Area Marine 2 and Star Wars Outlaws run like slideshows on the Steam Deck. Although many devoted RPG followers insist that Baldur’s Gate 3 is Steam Deck appropriate, the sport struggles to hit 20FPS within the third act because of its underwhelming CPU efficiency. Dragon’s Dogma II is one other title that’s thought-about unplayable on the Steam Deck due being so heavy on the CPU.

An Xbox handheld needs to be an Xbox first, which implies it ought to goal Xbox video games. Regardless of its waning reputation, the Xbox continues to be a dominant platform that sees the very newest releases. An Xbox handheld that may play new video games on launch day (albeit with a couple of Xbox Collection S-style concessions) would put it head and shoulders above the Steam Deck within the {hardware} race.

5

Keep away from the Linux Anti-Cheat Issues

Whereas PC avid gamers would possibly balk on the concept of taking part in aggressive first-person shooters with a controller fairly than a keyboard and mouse, console video games aren’t so fussy. Many Steam Deck homeowners have discovered themselves disregarded within the chilly fully in terms of multiplayer gaming, a results of the platform’s underlying Linux structure.

Microsoft has two choices with an Xbox handheld: create a portable-optimized model of the prevailing Xbox working system or ship it with Home windows and take care of the interface individually. Each options would resolve one of many Steam Deck’s largest gripes: not with the ability to play video games like Name of Responsibility attributable to anti-cheat necessities.

It’s not simply Activision’s flagship that doesn’t work. Video games like Valorant, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, and Epic’s behemoth Fortnite are all incompatible with the Steam Deck. The one technique to play this fashion is to stream the game from your PC, Xbox, or PlayStation.

This needs to be a straightforward win for Microsoft. If the hand-held runs a modified Xbox OS, the Xbox model of these video games ought to work. If it runs Home windows, then the identical is true however for the Home windows port. In fact, the latter raises some regarding points surrounding the character of kernel-level anti-cheat on a conveyable.

4

Ship a Person-Pleasant Interface

If there’s one factor the Steam Deck nails, for essentially the most half, it’s usability. You can spend your complete life in Sport Mode, searching your library, shopping for video games, and fidgeting with settings with out ever touching the Linux desktop. This wasn’t all the time the case, and the Steam Deck was initially criticized for its “work in progress” software program. Fortunately, issues have improved massively.

SteamOS continues to be one of the crucial compelling causes to decide on the Steam Deck over a competing, extra highly effective handheld just like the ROG Ally X. It’s simple to make use of should you’re new to the platform whereas being superior sufficient to let you do issues like set a customized TDP or restrict the refresh price of the show in only a few button presses.

Home windows on a handheld, by comparability, is a large number. Middleware from the likes of ASUS makes an attempt to clean issues over, but it surely’s a far cry from a local answer that ties the whole lot up neatly into one unified interface. Microsoft undoubtedly is aware of this, since how they deal with this downside is a make-or-break subject for the rumored Xbox handheld.

The straightforward possibility could be a handheld-friendly model of the already usable Xbox dashboard. If it ain’t broke, don’t repair it (plus you possibly can hold your current themes as a bonus, Valve doesn’t have something like that). Alternatively, adapting Home windows 11 to lastly perform correctly utilizing analog sticks, face buttons, and a small contact display screen may work too.

Maybe the best choice could be a fusion of the 2, primarily copying Valve’s homework. This may have the additional benefit of permitting you to put in Steam inside Home windows.

3

Play Each Sport Move Final Sport

It’s a given {that a} handheld Xbox could be a Sport Move machine, and that looks like a win proper out of the gate. However there are undoubtedly some challenges to beat in pursuit of this purpose. How Microsoft would optimize the video games to work on a much less highly effective system stays to be seen, notably since getting Collection S ranges of efficiency from a handheld seems like a tall ask.

With this nut cracked, nevertheless, Microsoft may provide one thing that no different handheld has: an immediately unlockable library of video games in a conveyable issue. Positive, you possibly can set up Sport Move video games through Home windows in your ROG Ally X, however the PC Sport Move catalog isn’t fairly the identical as the principle Sport Move Final providing.

This alone could be tempting for any Xbox proprietor or Sport Move subscriber, proper off the bat. Microsoft already has the Good Supply stuff nailed, the place saves sync between consoles invisibly so you possibly can all the time choose up the place you left off. Such a function appears important on a handheld, however provided that the video games are appropriate.

2

Hit The Proper Value Level

Let’s faux Microsoft manages to nail, or come near nailing, the whole lot above. There’s one closing hurdle to clear if the corporate is to stay the touchdown: the value level.

The Steam Deck is a tempting little bit of equipment as a result of it’s not that costly, with the bottom 512GB OLED mannequin beginning at $549. Valve has been open about how “painful” it was to hit the unique Steam Deck’s launch worth. Because the {hardware} has aged, these margins have possible improved. Since Valve additionally runs the world’s largest on-line sport market, the corporate isn’t precisely trying to find payments down the again of the couch.

Microsoft would want to return as near this worth level as doable so as to muscle in available on the market. Microsoft’s Xbox technique has shifted significantly lately, with the corporate vying to develop its Sport Move subscriber base by means of campaigns like “That is an Xbox” whereas turning to rival platforms like PlayStation and Change for added income from once-exclusive video games.

If that is certainly the technique, an aggressive worth level is definitely a part of the plan below the guise of creating up the losses by means of ongoing income and a lower of sport gross sales. There’s additionally a chance to supply higher-end, pricier fashions with extra storage or restricted version designs.

1

Provide an “Open” Console Expertise

Lastly, one factor that possible isn’t of nice concern to the common Xbox gamer however that I and plenty of different Steam Deck homeowners would like to see is a few quantity of platform openness. Surprisingly, that is one thing that Xbox consoles already lean into with Developer Mode, but it surely’s fairly a problem to should restart your console each time you want to run RetroArch.

The principle use case here’s what I (and plenty of others) use the Steam Deck for a superb 50% of the time: emulation. Putting in a spread of emulators in your Steam Deck is straightforward utilizing tools like EmuDeck, and you’ll go even additional and set up must-have apps like Decky to tweak how the Steam Deck works. Even with the ability to use an app like LocalSend to get recordsdata to and out of your Steam Deck is a godsend.

The Steam Deck makes this doable because of Desktop Mode, which dumps you right into a fully-fledged Linux desktop surroundings. If the Xbox handheld runs Home windows beneath, this gained’t be a problem. Similar to SteamOS, some technique of linking the 2 collectively could be perfect so as to do nearly the whole lot from a modified Xbox dashboard if you’d like.

Valve’s open method has set the bar, and whereas an Xbox handheld may see success as a closed platform that focuses on the console expertise (and Sport Move particularly), the corporate can have a tough time convincing the Steam Deck trustworthy to leap ship and abandon the wide-open Linux method.

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I perceive that I may not be the common client, since I have a tendency to gather devices like this whether or not I imply to or not and there’s a superb likelihood I’ll purchase an Xbox handheld no matter occurs. Even so, I can’t deny that the prospect of a “choose up and go” Sport Move machine that doesn’t depend on sport streaming is simply what I’ve been hoping for.