Microsoft pauses handheld development
Maybe someday it can finally see the light of day.
It's official, Microsoft has officially paused their handheld Xbox development. This is sad for many Xbox fans, including myself, who were hoping to see a handheld Xbox finally come to market after years of Nintendo dominating it.
According to many sources online, Microsoft is pausing their development to focus on the Xbox Series X successor and to get the software right. This is in line with what we would expect because the new Xbox is only a couple of years away and they need it to be ready. Plus, the handheld PC market is booming with competitors like the Asus ROG Ally, Steam Deck, and Legion Go all fighting for the number one spot. It's a market that none of the big console maker players have touched yet.
The issue with the handhelds with Windows (which is functionally all of them except for the Steam Deck and the Legion Go S) is that Windows was not really designed for handhelds. Microsoft focusing on making it great first is a crucial step to making an Xbox handheld actually good.
But, if you're wondering why Windows 11 handheld development matters for an Xbox handheld, it's because Microsoft is looking to merge their software platforms to make them all one similar OS. They want to make it not only easier for them to develop, but also easier for developers to develop their games. It's much easier optimizing for one platform than multiple. This means that whatever development they do for the handheld PCs will likely translate to the handheld Xbox. This could also make it much better than Windows based handhelds in that respect.
It's still disappointing to see the Xbox handheld get pushed back even further. It was slated for a 2027 release, which would not have been too late and it would have been great. They could have disrupted the market so early on, most likely before Sony gets to it with a real handheld Playstation. Having a more console optimized operating system like the Xbox operating system could result in smoother gameplay and more enjoyment from handheld buyers.
Either way, we will have to wait and see what Microsoft has in store for this handheld Xbox and hopefully we can see it sooner rather than later.
