[The_Mike]

Maybe. But I do not expect it to be fully walled. I think you will just be pointed to the Xbox ecosystem (esp if they are not MS products). And I cannot see how the one license model woudlnt be appealing to the masses. Here is my current situation. I bought CP2077, RDR2, GoT, Death Stranding, Days Gone, GoW and many more one PlayStation. Now I actually wish I had waited and bought them all on PC. So I am forced to rebuy them all and my saves do not transfer. Feels really shitty.

I think when you run the numbers, its actually fairly appealing. Appealing enough for someone, like me to jump back to Xbox being my main.

You wished you have bought them on pc? Then this device wouldn't be for you, for these games aren't play anywhere.

 

[Arkam]

You wished you have bought them on pc? Then this device wouldn't be for you, for these games aren't play anywhere.

The simplest way to say what I am attempting to convey is that an ecosystem where I can buy a game once is preferred to having to double and triple dip. The rest is just illustration of the current paradigm and my lamentation of it.

 

[cryptoadam]

Cannot speak for anyone else, but I am a GP subscriber and would very likely buy an Xbox 'branded" handheld PC. I was unsure of the SD at launch and have been waiting for a real V2 and looked at the other comparable devices. But if they truly have the "one license" model and I get my Xbox games on my PC, Handheld and Console.... that actually seems super appealing. Especially if they can do their cloud save management properly and you can move between platforms with ease.

Ms wishes there were 80 million more of you.

 

[Arkam]

Rumor seems to be spreading.

Asus rumored to launch Xbox handheld in 2025 — OEM working with Microsoft to 'unify' Windows and Xbox libraries

Are we getting an Xbox handheld in time for Christmas 2025?

www.tomshardware.com

I can now with 95% confidence say this is happening. There will be some sort of Xbox branded or otherwise heavily supported handheld coming.

I was at dinner yesterday night with a few former colleagues. And when one of us brought this topic came up, our friend (who is a Sr Tech Director at a MS owned studio) went silent. They normally cannot be shut up about HW rumors. They talked about the Switch 2 all day before it was official. The silence was deafening. So much so that me and one of the others at the dinner were texting about it this morning. About how it was super odd and basically and unintended confirmation that MS is targeting Handheld games in some capacity in the near future.

 

[Phunkydiabetic]

I can now with 95% confidence say this is happening. There will be some sort of Xbox branded or otherwise heavily supported handheld coming.

I was at dinner yesterday night with a few former colleagues. And when one of us brought this topic came up, our friend (who is a Sr Tech Director at a MS owned studio) went silent. They normally cannot be shut up about HW rumors. They talked about the Switch 2 all day before it was official. The silence was deafening. So much so that me and one of the others at the dinner were texting about it this morning. About how it was super odd and basically and unintended confirmation that MS is targeting Handheld games in some capacity in the near future.

Nice. So Xbox has been stomped in the console arena for a few decades now, why not try the handheld market eh. I mean for real, it's only Nintendo as their main competition there right? What's the big deal? What's the worst that could happen?

 

[cryptoadam]

A licensing deal with Asus to paint a ROG with green accents and slap on a Series X launcher with GP probably isn't costing much. I don't see it competing with Switch 2 this is more for the portable PC market. Seeing ROG prices it will be 600 to 1000 which is not Switch 2 money.
Someone can correct me if I am wrong but can't you just get GP on these machines already ? Not sure about the deck but I swear I saw it on a ROG I player around with at Best Buy. So essentially it will just have an Xbox logo and default into GP when you turn it on and call it a day. They probably shit out a million units to Xbox nerds.

 

[Torrent of Pork]

A licensing deal with Asus to paint a ROG with green accents and slap on a Series X launcher with GP probably isn't costing much. I don't see it competing with Switch 2 this is more for the portable PC market. Seeing ROG prices it will be 600 to 1000 which is not Switch 2 money.
Someone can correct me if I am wrong but can't you just get GP on these machines already ? Not sure about the deck but I swear I saw it on a ROG I player around with at Best Buy. So essentially it will just have an Xbox logo and default into GP when you turn it on and call it a day. They probably shit out a million units to Xbox nerds.

From what I understand it's going to be a testbed both for working with OEMs for Xbox hardware, and for the gaming features that are supposed to be integrated into Windows 12 that launches later this year. The 2027 devices will likely run the refined 'Xbox OS' wrapper around Windows 12 in the background.

 

[Arkam]

well well well….

Asus drops teaser for Xbox 'Kennan' handheld — reveals sneak peek days before Switch 2 launch

They're trying to steal Nintendo's thunder.

www.tomshardware.com