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  3. Microsoft Shifts Xbox Gaming Handheld Ambitions to Third-Party Windows Handhelds, Postpones 2027 Launch Plans

Microsoft Shifts Xbox Gaming Handheld Ambitions to Third-Party Windows Handhelds, Postpones 2027 Launch Plans

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  • M muskymelon@lemmy.world
    30 May 2025, 05:43

    It's their own fault they couldn't see a demand for handheld gaming.

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    shinkantrain@lemmy.ml
    wrote on 30 May 2025, 13:39 last edited by
    #22

    To be fair, every company was sure handhelds would die and mobile games would take over everything. Then the Switch happened.

    M S K S 4 Replies Last reply 30 May 2025, 14:53
    8
    • K kecessa@sh.itjust.works
      30 May 2025, 11:08

      Eh.. No

      Without implying that desktop Windows wasn't made with hardware that has neither a keyboard or a mouse in mind? That it wasn't made to be used on a 7" screen? Sure.

      Only in the Linux fanatics minds does it implies that desktop Windows is inferior for games.

      It's not as if people are using the Steam Deck in desktop mode when they want to play games either and the experience on Steam OS in desktop mode if you don't connect at least a keyboard is pretty shit as well, so I guess that the fact that by default it boots in Steam mode must be a proof that Linux is inferior for games if we follow your logic.

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      yesman@lemmy.world
      wrote on 30 May 2025, 14:01 last edited by
      #23

      Linux fanatics

      I'd rather be a fanatic than a revenue stream with Stockholm syndrome.

      K 1 Reply Last reply 30 May 2025, 15:33
      14
      • P plebcouncilman@sh.itjust.works
        30 May 2025, 13:04

        That depends a lot on what you’re playing and what your expectations are. I use my Ally to play older games and indies and I feel like it’s great for that. AAA experiences I play on my Xbox Series X.

        I have a friend who’s had every handheld and he says they all suck, but he’s expecting to play stuff like COD at high settings and 60fps. That’s just not realistic.

        But again I’m coming from growing up with gameboys and Nintendo DS so I don’t have the expectations that someone who grew up in the HD generation might have.

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        dremor@lemmy.world
        wrote on 30 May 2025, 14:22 last edited by dremor@lemmy.world
        #24

        I'm a gameboy era dude, I don't have that high expectations from a portable console.
        To this day I managed to play to most AAA game I throwed at the Deck at an OK quality (low to medium) with good fps (40-45 fps).
        But E33 just didn't want to, and some area looked a lot different than on my 5 year old computer.
        The manor, as an example, looks washed out and overexposed, almost white and grey, while on the computer it looked oldish, but acceptable. And I was on low settings on the computer 😅. So either it is currently bugged, or there is an hidden "very low" setting specially made for the Deck.

        A 1 Reply Last reply 30 May 2025, 17:23
        0
        • S shinkantrain@lemmy.ml
          30 May 2025, 13:39

          To be fair, every company was sure handhelds would die and mobile games would take over everything. Then the Switch happened.

          M This user is from outside of this forum
          M This user is from outside of this forum
          muskymelon@lemmy.world
          wrote on 30 May 2025, 14:53 last edited by
          #25

          And how many years since the Switch? Even the Steam Deck was an open secret for years.

          1 Reply Last reply
          4
          • Y yesman@lemmy.world
            30 May 2025, 14:01

            Linux fanatics

            I'd rather be a fanatic than a revenue stream with Stockholm syndrome.

            K This user is from outside of this forum
            K This user is from outside of this forum
            kecessa@sh.itjust.works
            wrote on 30 May 2025, 15:33 last edited by
            #26

            We're talking about people using a Steam Deck instead so people that are a revenue stream with Stockholm syndrome for yet another billionaire, just one that privately owns his company instead of it being publically traded.

            1 Reply Last reply
            2
            • S shinkantrain@lemmy.ml
              30 May 2025, 13:39

              To be fair, every company was sure handhelds would die and mobile games would take over everything. Then the Switch happened.

              S This user is from outside of this forum
              S This user is from outside of this forum
              samus12345@lemm.ee
              wrote on 30 May 2025, 16:36 last edited by
              #27

              Much as I hate Nintendo now, their contribution to gaming can't be denied. First they revived it from the crash in 1983, then they showed that there's a market for a hybrid console/handheld device, paving the way for PC handhelds.

              A G 2 Replies Last reply 30 May 2025, 17:27
              2
              • S shinkantrain@lemmy.ml
                30 May 2025, 13:39

                To be fair, every company was sure handhelds would die and mobile games would take over everything. Then the Switch happened.

                K This user is from outside of this forum
                K This user is from outside of this forum
                katana314@lemmy.world
                wrote on 30 May 2025, 16:43 last edited by
                #28

                So far as I can think, wasn't the only handheld that failed the Playstation Vita? And that had very visible reasons for the failure - designing itself around an obtuse storage medium, and requiring first-party memory cards. Even with those drawbacks and with no first-party support, it had a tremendous following.

                It honestly could still be a worthwhile device to chain off of, since none of the current offerings fit in a pants pocket.

                S G 2 Replies Last reply 30 May 2025, 16:59
                5
                • K katana314@lemmy.world
                  30 May 2025, 16:43

                  So far as I can think, wasn't the only handheld that failed the Playstation Vita? And that had very visible reasons for the failure - designing itself around an obtuse storage medium, and requiring first-party memory cards. Even with those drawbacks and with no first-party support, it had a tremendous following.

                  It honestly could still be a worthwhile device to chain off of, since none of the current offerings fit in a pants pocket.

                  S This user is from outside of this forum
                  S This user is from outside of this forum
                  shinkantrain@lemmy.ml
                  wrote on 30 May 2025, 16:59 last edited by shinkantrain@lemmy.ml
                  #29

                  I love the Vita, and you're right, you can hack it to accept SD Cards, use native PSP/PS1 emulation in any game and a lot of homebrew ports.

                  PS: If you're willing to get third party PC Handhelds, the Ayaneo Air 1S is the closest thing the Vita form factor I know. 5.5" OLED screen, but the bezel is thicker and it has longer grips. It's a 2023 device, so I'm interested to know what they'll do with the next line of AMD chips

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • A atrielienz@lemmy.world
                    30 May 2025, 11:57

                    They already have the Xbox framework. I don't understand why it's so difficult to just use that for gaming and give the handheld the ability to launch a lightweight version of Windows similar to the easy way Steam OS will let you exit to Linux desktop.

                    A This user is from outside of this forum
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                    ampersandrew@lemmy.world
                    wrote on 30 May 2025, 17:16 last edited by
                    #30

                    There are a lot of edge cases. You have to handle external launchers, external error prompts; basically anything that requires you to Alt+Tab. One of the things Valve did a decade ago was the stuff that got rolled into GameScope that ensures that they never lose focus of the game window. Even with the resources to transform Windows this way, it will still take time.

                    A 1 Reply Last reply 30 May 2025, 23:11
                    11
                    • K katana314@lemmy.world
                      30 May 2025, 13:11

                      I’m guessing this is basically how the Xbox works already.

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                      natanael@infosec.pub
                      wrote on 30 May 2025, 17:17 last edited by natanael@infosec.pub
                      #31

                      It's not so much Win32 though on Xbox, the biggest similarity is the x86 CPU and the shared kernel and some security stuff

                      Edit: forgot the obvious, DirectX

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      3
                      • D dremor@lemmy.world
                        30 May 2025, 14:22

                        I'm a gameboy era dude, I don't have that high expectations from a portable console.
                        To this day I managed to play to most AAA game I throwed at the Deck at an OK quality (low to medium) with good fps (40-45 fps).
                        But E33 just didn't want to, and some area looked a lot different than on my 5 year old computer.
                        The manor, as an example, looks washed out and overexposed, almost white and grey, while on the computer it looked oldish, but acceptable. And I was on low settings on the computer 😅. So either it is currently bugged, or there is an hidden "very low" setting specially made for the Deck.

                        A This user is from outside of this forum
                        A This user is from outside of this forum
                        ampersandrew@lemmy.world
                        wrote on 30 May 2025, 17:23 last edited by ampersandrew@lemmy.world
                        #32

                        I don't know where your preferences lie, but by the numbers, far more games are coming in under the Steam Deck specifications in terms of system requirements than there are games that are stretching them or exceeding them. Very few companies can afford to make a game that runs poorly on it. If we look at the top 12 highest-reviewing games on OpenCritic for 2025 so far, I think only 1 of them (Monster Hunter Wilds) doesn't meet the spec, and at least 3 or 4 of them are 2D with a retro aesthetic. All that to say, I think the horsepower ought to be enough for most people for a very long time, barring a minimal number of games.

                        D 1 Reply Last reply 30 May 2025, 19:56
                        1
                        • S samus12345@lemm.ee
                          30 May 2025, 16:36

                          Much as I hate Nintendo now, their contribution to gaming can't be denied. First they revived it from the crash in 1983, then they showed that there's a market for a hybrid console/handheld device, paving the way for PC handhelds.

                          A This user is from outside of this forum
                          A This user is from outside of this forum
                          ampersandrew@lemmy.world
                          wrote on 30 May 2025, 17:27 last edited by
                          #33

                          I don't know how much of that was needing to prove that the market existed rather than the simultaneous development of performant and power efficient x64 APUs suitable for handheld gaming PCs. The 3DS was plenty successful even at the time, but handheld-only games had a reputation for being the B game to the home consoles' A game. It was a pretty natural conclusion for Nintendo, when their handheld was successful and their home console was not, to combine the two, using the same tech found in cell phones, no less.

                          D S 2 Replies Last reply 30 May 2025, 17:34
                          1
                          • A alphane_moon@lemmy.world
                            30 May 2025, 05:21
                            This post did not contain any content.
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                            drmoose@lemmy.world
                            wrote on 30 May 2025, 17:31 last edited by
                            #34

                            Bet that linux vs windows performance video did it in. The exec who thinks linux desktop doesn't even exist saw this and immediately shat their pants in rage.

                            L 1 Reply Last reply 30 May 2025, 20:52
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                            • A ampersandrew@lemmy.world
                              30 May 2025, 17:27

                              I don't know how much of that was needing to prove that the market existed rather than the simultaneous development of performant and power efficient x64 APUs suitable for handheld gaming PCs. The 3DS was plenty successful even at the time, but handheld-only games had a reputation for being the B game to the home consoles' A game. It was a pretty natural conclusion for Nintendo, when their handheld was successful and their home console was not, to combine the two, using the same tech found in cell phones, no less.

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                              dustydata@lemmy.world
                              wrote on 30 May 2025, 17:34 last edited by
                              #35

                              There's a massive catalog of 3ds exclusives and those drove the market, not the adaptations or ports. The latter were the minority and not even the most popular titles.

                              A 1 Reply Last reply 30 May 2025, 17:36
                              0
                              • D dustydata@lemmy.world
                                30 May 2025, 17:34

                                There's a massive catalog of 3ds exclusives and those drove the market, not the adaptations or ports. The latter were the minority and not even the most popular titles.

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                                ampersandrew@lemmy.world
                                wrote on 30 May 2025, 17:36 last edited by ampersandrew@lemmy.world
                                #36

                                Not an adaptation or port, but the Link Between Worlds compared to the console's Breath of the Wild. Say what you will about the subjective quality of each of those games, but the market at large would prefer Breath of the Wild. Plus Sony's catalog had this problem even more visibly on Vita.

                                D 1 Reply Last reply 30 May 2025, 17:53
                                1
                                • P plebcouncilman@sh.itjust.works
                                  30 May 2025, 08:43

                                  What do you mean? The ROG Ally has been successful. It’s a great device.

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                                  happystardiaz@real.lemmy.fan
                                  wrote on 30 May 2025, 17:36 last edited by
                                  #37

                                  It’s a great device once you get windows off it; which is a chore. It’s unusable with Windows.

                                  P 1 Reply Last reply 30 May 2025, 17:56
                                  1
                                  • A ampersandrew@lemmy.world
                                    30 May 2025, 17:36

                                    Not an adaptation or port, but the Link Between Worlds compared to the console's Breath of the Wild. Say what you will about the subjective quality of each of those games, but the market at large would prefer Breath of the Wild. Plus Sony's catalog had this problem even more visibly on Vita.

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                                    dustydata@lemmy.world
                                    wrote on 30 May 2025, 17:53 last edited by dustydata@lemmy.world
                                    #38

                                    4.26 million copies sold, 17 best game awards and critical acclaim as the fourth best game for the 3DS disagree. The game also predates Breath of the wild by four years. I don't know anyone else who compares the two directly. The LoZ games had always, until the Switch, been defined as existing in two distinct lines, the handheld games and the console games. I was thinking more of games like Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater, Ocarina of Time, Splinter Cell, The Sims, or Resident Evil Revelations who were more direct ports. And that's even with a caveat, as RER was released for 3DS first then ported to consoles, and other ports were purpose made remakes that conserved the gameplay loop but were otherwise heavily adapted.

                                    The 3DS has more that 1800 games, and most of them are exclusives.

                                    A 1 Reply Last reply 30 May 2025, 18:01
                                    0
                                    • H happystardiaz@real.lemmy.fan
                                      30 May 2025, 17:36

                                      It’s a great device once you get windows off it; which is a chore. It’s unusable with Windows.

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                                      plebcouncilman@sh.itjust.works
                                      wrote on 30 May 2025, 17:56 last edited by plebcouncilman@sh.itjust.works
                                      #39

                                      It’s most definitely not. The ROG Crate app is pretty good. And if you spend a few minutes setting up shortcuts, everything becomes a whole lot easier. But I basically never touch the windows layer on my ally anyways.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      2
                                      • D dustydata@lemmy.world
                                        30 May 2025, 17:53

                                        4.26 million copies sold, 17 best game awards and critical acclaim as the fourth best game for the 3DS disagree. The game also predates Breath of the wild by four years. I don't know anyone else who compares the two directly. The LoZ games had always, until the Switch, been defined as existing in two distinct lines, the handheld games and the console games. I was thinking more of games like Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater, Ocarina of Time, Splinter Cell, The Sims, or Resident Evil Revelations who were more direct ports. And that's even with a caveat, as RER was released for 3DS first then ported to consoles, and other ports were purpose made remakes that conserved the gameplay loop but were otherwise heavily adapted.

                                        The 3DS has more that 1800 games, and most of them are exclusives.

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                                        ampersandrew@lemmy.world
                                        wrote on 30 May 2025, 18:01 last edited by ampersandrew@lemmy.world
                                        #40

                                        You're making an argument that I am not. I never said the 3DS or its games weren't successful; in fact, I said it was more successful than the Wii U, which likely led to the Switch being a logical thing for Nintendo to do. I never said its biggest games were ports. But while that 4.26M copies is no slouch, it's in line with how Echoes of Wisdom or the remake of A Link to the Past have performed and not the 30M+ copies that Breath of the Wild sold. The former have smaller budgets and less mass market appeal (though it would be wildly impressive for just about any other series). They are the B games to Breath of the Wild's or Tears of the Kingdom's A games. That's what handheld libraries typically were, especially up until the point that it was clear that the Wii U was a dud.

                                        To use another example that will maybe help convey my point better: The 3DS got Hey! Pikmin. The Wii U got Pikmin 3.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • A ampersandrew@lemmy.world
                                          30 May 2025, 17:27

                                          I don't know how much of that was needing to prove that the market existed rather than the simultaneous development of performant and power efficient x64 APUs suitable for handheld gaming PCs. The 3DS was plenty successful even at the time, but handheld-only games had a reputation for being the B game to the home consoles' A game. It was a pretty natural conclusion for Nintendo, when their handheld was successful and their home console was not, to combine the two, using the same tech found in cell phones, no less.

                                          S This user is from outside of this forum
                                          S This user is from outside of this forum
                                          samus12345@lemm.ee
                                          wrote on 30 May 2025, 18:06 last edited by
                                          #41

                                          Hard to say for sure without seeing a timeline where Nintendo didn't make a hybrid console and seeing if the Steam Deck and other PC handhelds still happened the same way. I'd be surprised if the success of the Switch had absolutely nothing to do with the Steam Deck's creation, however.

                                          A 1 Reply Last reply 30 May 2025, 18:10
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