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Title: We might not be getting that handheld Xbox for some time

Date: Fri, 30 May 2025 15:38:45 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/we-might...

A lot of people (not least EngadgetΓÇÖs own Sam Rutherford) have been asking
Microsoft to make an Xbox-branded handheld for a long time. And it looked for
a while like we might be getting exactly that in the not-so distant future.
But MicrosoftΓÇÖs priorities have reportedly shifted to improving the widely
criticised performance of Windows 11 on existing third-party PC gaming
handhelds.

In an exclusive report, Windows Central claims that a dedicated Xbox handheld
system, which could have launched in 2027 alongside the successor to the Xbox
Series X, isnΓÇÖt the companyΓÇÖs main area of focus right now, even if it
remains keen on the idea. An internally developed handheld, for which Windows
CentralΓÇÖs Jez Corden says he has seen a number of different codenames, is
not currently being worked on, and he adds that no layoffs have taken place
as a result of the strategic shift.

While a native Xbox device might be some way off, the report makes clear that
Microsoft is still very much active in the handheld market. A third-party
console that it has been working on with ASUS, codenamed "Project Kennan", is
still targeting a 2025 launch. It's likely this device, which could be
equipped with AMDΓÇÖs Z2 Extreme chip, will ship with an improved Windows 11
experience better suited to a controller interface.

The softwareΓÇÖs awkward integration in early iterations of PC handhelds like
the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally has been a big problem, and itΓÇÖs
partly why people are so excited about the SteamOS experience no longer being
exclusive to the Steam Deck. The Lenovo Legion Go S started shipping with
SteamOS running out of the box this week, the first handheld not made by
Valve to do so.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/we-might...
xbox-for-some-time-153844220.html?src=rss

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