“Revving Up: How PC Gaming Handhelds Might Evolve Into Xbox Experiences by 2025”

Microsoft has once again made significant claims regarding a potential handheld gaming gadget. In November 2024, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer acknowledged that the company is “developing” a handheld gaming device, but noted that it was “many years away.” Now, speaking to The Verge at the CES tech exhibition, another senior Microsoft representative has shared insights into what could potentially be a handheld device more focused on PC functionalities and possibly available as early as this year.

Jason Ronald, who holds the impressive title of VP of Next Generation, spoke to The Verge after a discussion entitled “The Future of Gaming Handhelds,” where he proposed that Microsoft might create a device that leans less towards being a handheld Xbox and more towards offering a PC-like portable experience resembling that of an Xbox.

This differentiation seems somewhat perplexing, especially considering that the latest generation of consoles are, fundamentally, compact PCs, and further muddied by Microsoft’s ongoing initiative asserting that any device with an internet connection and a screen “is an Xbox” as part of their streaming strategy. Ronald seems to aim to clarify this, indicating the objective of constructing a handheld would involve leveraging the expertise accumulated over decades of console development and applying it to a portable PC. “I would argue that it’s merging the finest elements of Xbox and Windows,” the VP conveyed to The Verge, “because we have dedicated the last 20 years to constructing a top-tier operating system, but it’s unfortunately confined to the console.”

The aspiration, it appears, is to unify these two elements. Alternatively, more candidly, to enhance the user experience of Windows on smaller displays. This is an area where Microsoft has not historically excelled. Did you ever possess a Windows-based smartphone? I did! Haha! It was terrible. And what about Microsoft’s last significant endeavor, with Windows 7’s dreadful tile-based reorganization that compromised the entire user interface intended for desktop use for the sake of mobile devices that virtually nobody utilized?

As numerous technology companies attempt to capitalize on the popularity of Valve’s Steam Deck by launching their own handheld PCs, Microsoft evidently seeks a portion of the market. However, it may realize that Windows 11 won’t suffice and that it would face significant setbacks by adopting a Linux-based interface. This could likely be motivating Ronald’s statements about simplifying the user interface of an Xbox for a Windows-operated portable device. Nonetheless, he remains discreet, noting to The Verge that “we’ll unveil a lot more later this year.”

What he has revealed thus far feels alarmingly reminiscent. “I believe,” Ronald states, “ultimately our aim is to enhance Windows for gaming on any hardware.” This is a sentiment we have encountered numerous times throughout various iterations of the operating system. Each major new version comes with a renewed emphasis on making Windows fantastic for gaming, yet none have achieved lasting impact. (Do you recall when Windows Vista launched, boasting a feature that would rate your PC’s hardware out of 10 and assumed the industry would publish games with corresponding scores to denote compatibility? No? Precisely.) Yet, paradoxically, Windows has always served as the default operating system for PC gaming, often performing notably better when Microsoft has taken a back seat.

However, as Ronald highlights, the Xbox operating system is built upon a significant portion of Windows’ code, so it shouldn’t be an insurmountable challenge to transition its tiled environment to a handheld format. It will need adjustments for a PC to the extent that it eliminates the necessity for cursor navigation or a clickable taskbar, and certainly, the Xbox already accomplishes this, primarily because it distinctly does not operate like a conventional PC, given its severely restricted settings and controlled nature. “We’re developing fundamental interaction models,” says Ronald, “to ensure that irrespective of the operating system particulars, it provides a very native feeling as a gaming-oriented device with a gaming-focused experience.”

Thus, the true takeaway is, put aside visions of a potential portable Xbox for now, as we might soon see a handheld PC that emulates the Xbox experience within the year.

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