5 things we’d want to see

Microsoft hasn’t developed an Xbox handheld console yet, despite the fact that the Xbox brand is nearly 20 years old. In fact, Sony has seen three PlayStation handhelds come and go during that time, while Nintendo has blown countless iterations of the Game Boy and DS. Getting started with handhelds would be tough now – the majority of mobile gamers play on phones and tablets, and the Nintendo Switch has a firm grip on the console angle. Valve’s Steam Deck seems poised to make handheld PC gaming viable.

That said, there are ways Microsoft could make a portable Xbox attractive, maybe even enough to take a niche of its own. Here are five things we’d see if Microsoft ever decided to launch an Xbox handheld.

1. Access to every Xbox game

One of Sony’s obsessions with handhelds was creating portable offshoots of larger game franchises like God of War. Nothing inherently wrong with the idea – some of these spin-offs became classics themselves – but sometimes it felt like you were getting an inferior B-Team product, with smaller scale, weaker graphics, and / or a side story that included the did not advance the action. That doesn’t really fly in the 2020s, not when Switch players can play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild anywhere.

An Xbox handheld should therefore be running most or all of the X / S series games. Lower resolutions and Nvidia DLSS scaling could go a long way in making this work, as 4K textures don’t make much sense on a smaller screen. At least some developers would need to produce low resolution assets, but that could be an acceptable hurdle to expanding a game’s audience.

Developers who can’t scale down their graphics could use Xbox Cloud Gaming for delivery and mirror the cloud technology Nintendo uses for games like Control and Hitman 3. Xbox Cloud Gaming is currently limited to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers – and Microsoft will likely keep it for financial reasons – but better than nothing. Cloud technology could even let a handheld play both Xbox and PC titles as long as they use the same control scheme.

Anyway, we’d like a handheld to get a version of Game Pass that is the same as the X / S series, with a robust library. The trap to avoid is Game Pass for PC, which has an anemic selection by comparison.

2. Touch screen, trackpad and motion controls

The standard layout of the Xbox controls is given. That means two analog sticks, a D-pad and four face buttons as well as trigger and shoulder buttons.

A touchscreen may not be required, but would certainly be expected since virtually every other handheld in the past decade has had one. This would make it easier to navigate the Xbox UI, especially when typing.

Related: The best handheld consoles

A trackpad, meanwhile, would open up mouse-style controls for everything from Halo Wars to Call of Duty. For this reason, there are two trackpads and a motion sensor on the steam deck, with which the aiming can be fine-tuned. Adding these to an Xbox portable system would be crucial if Microsoft were to rival Steam by offering PC gaming support on the go.

Oddly enough, the Switch lacks native video streaming apps, though that seems like an obvious way to add value to a console. The only options are YouTube, Hulu, and Funimation, which leave big gaps like Netflix, Disney Plus, and HBO Max. The Steam Deck should be in a better position, but only because it can open services on the web – it could use its own native apps for improved playback and offline caching. None have been announced so far.

A portable Xbox should have access to a full suite of third-party streaming apps, as well as access to Microsoft’s video store and rentals. It could also have the presentation to back it up, including Dolby Atmos support and a widescreen HD display of at least 7 inches. HDR (High Dynamic Range) would be welcome, although that would likely require a resolution of 1080p, higher than the 720p on the Switch’s built-in display.

4. A dock

The Switch proves that it’s so nice to play on the go, when you’re at home it’s still better to dock a system and play on a TV. Even the Steam Deck has an optional dock to match Nintendo’s home handheld hybrid setup. While this could cannibalize S Series sales at similar prices, Microsoft probably wouldn’t care as long as it gets your money in some way.

See also: PS5 vs Xbox Series X

Hopefully in a base spec, an Xbox dock would offer 4K upscaling and Gigabit Ethernet. Ideally, it also includes alternative sound outputs and USB ports for connecting controllers and other peripherals. That could theoretically include cheaper storage, though it would be staggering to drag a device out of a dock and suddenly lose multiple games.

5. Great networking options – at home and on the go

While Microsoft would almost certainly keep up with its competitors, it’s worth noting that a good handheld should allow people to play together, with or without an internet connection, wherever they are. At home, a portable Xbox should be able to connect multiple controllers – while on the move, peer-to-peer networking would be a must. It keeps kids busy on road trips, and adults only have a limited amount of Monument Valley or Words With Friends on their phones.

Related: The best Xbox Series X and Series S accessories

Perhaps more interesting is how Microsoft could go one step further. For example, imagine the company has an Xbox handheld connected to a Series X / S as a controller. At least that would be a great fallback, especially when friends are over. If touch and trackpad input are supported, this could make a handheld the best control option.

A handheld would almost certainly enable a powerful all-in-one experience for Xbox Remote Play. Currently, X / S Series owners can stream to iPhones, iPads, and Android devices using Remote Play, but to get the full effect, they’ll need to plug in a separate gamepad, often with a mount or stand. A dedicated handheld would streamline the technology.

Microsoft could potentially add 4G and 5G cellular, though that would be difficult. 5G is a notorious battery drain, and regardless, gamers would still have to pay for a monthly data plan.

Is there a chance an Xbox portable console will actually hit the market?

If it exists, it’s small. As mentioned earlier, gamers already have plenty of mobile options, and an Xbox handheld would probably be more expensive than the $ 350 Switch OLED. With the X / S series, it would also be superfluous for people who have already set up remote play on a smartphone.

To be successful, Microsoft would likely have to pick Valve or Nintendo’s carotid artery and accept a loss of hardware to get people into the Game Pass ecosystem. The payouts could be huge, but the challenge of selling enough units to (safely) gain a foothold means it may not be worth the risk. Stranger things have happened in the tech industry so we’ll never say never.