Xbox CEO Phil Spencer announced that Xbox is entering the handheld market; Despite this exciting news for Xbox fans, Spencer also mentioned that this potential launch is still years away. The news is still exciting, but it may be a little too late for Xbox to consider entering the market.
For the future Xbox handheld to be even remotely successful, it will need to launch on time. Missing a certain window of opportunity will only hurt Microsoft. Likewise, as competition for portable gaming is getting fierce, will need specific hardware and overcome limitations. An Xbox handheld has a chance to shake up the industry, but it also has a high chance of massive failure.
The Xbox handheld has already missed the perfect launch moment
An X/S series companion notebook would have been perfect
The Xbox handheld missed the perfect window to enter the portable market. The Switch has been on the market for seven years now, since 2017. As a result, it has covered a lot of ground, but at the same time, provided competitors with an idea of what to do and what not to do when it comes to mobile gaming. The perfect time to launch the Xbox portable would be around the launch of the Xbox Series X/S. This is because the Switch was quite old hardware and PlayStation was releasing the PS5.
It may have been wise to release a handheld a year after the launch of the Xbox Series It was a bit difficult to buy due to scalpers. Not to mention that publishers are slowly moving away from the exclusive era between PlayStation and Xbox – Stranding of Death the launch on Xbox is the latest example – and Xbox has the edge because of its popular Game Pass, which allows access to hundreds of great games at an affordable price.
The Xbox handheld will have tough competition
Nintendo’s Switch and Valve’s Steam Deck dominate the market
The portable competition is getting fiercer and tougher. At the moment, Xbox has to compete with the popular Switchwhich is one of the best-selling consoles and portable consoles in the gaming market. Not to mention, Nintendo also plans to release another backwards-compatible handheld console for the Switch, unofficially known as the Switch 2. Nintendo has been exceptional in the handheld market, claiming control over it with its various popular handhelds for generations, including the Game Boy. , Game Boy Advance, DS and 3DS.
Xbox will also have to compete with mobile gaming, which has become increasingly popular. There are mobile accessories like the Backbone controller to connect to phones and make iPhone gaming easier. Not to mention, Apple’s App Store now contains full console games like the remake of Resident Evil 4, and although it’s not perfect yet, in a few years, mobile games could dominate the market. The Steam Deck is also future competition, and it’s even possible to use Game Pass on the Steam Deck, although it can be a little tricky to set up.
What Xbox Needs to Succeed
Functionality and price
Since the Xbox is already super late to the game, with its release still a few years away, it would need to be a top-tier electronic device that could compete with the Switch’s successor and the Steam Deck. Some basic requirements for the Xbox to be considered in the race include handheld gaming and being able to stream to a TV in some way. Portable systems also benefit from the ability to stream games seamlessly, and luckily Xbox Cloud Gaming is already an industry leader; otherwise, frame rates will drop and access to hundreds of games will be limited to what the hardware can run.
Most importantly, cost is another important factor when considering what the Xbox needs to be successful in the market. While the Xbox has some stiff competition that is sure to continue, perhaps it will surprise gamers and its competitors with an unparalleled feature, although it will have to beat everything the Switch and Steam Deck have to offer. The market will undoubtedly be difficult to enter, but it should Xbox Just focus on developing a laptop, it could become the best thing Microsoft hasn’t produced yet.