Submitted 3 days ago by onurcelik@lemmy.world to games@lemmy.world
Microsoft’s Xbox handheld, expected by 2027, may feature a Switch-like dock for TV play. Using Qualcomm chips, it could support games from Microsoft Store, Epic, and Steam. Details are unconfirmed, and the release date may change.
Using Qualcomm chips
Oof.
Why didn’t they go AMD, or hell, even Intel? They have big APUs in the pipe that would mostly just work.
I mean choosing Qualcomm means they’re targeting Arm chips, which Intel and AMD don’t make.
It would probably mean a longer battery life, but I’m not sure how that would work for backwards compatibility and power.
If that’s true though, it would really set this device apart from the competition.
It means emulation with pretty much every current title, and graphics driver issues and sluggish game out of the wazoo (as Qualcomm is very different than AMD/Intel/Nvidia).
ARM being more power efficient is also kind of a meme. Intel/AMD can be extremely good when clocked low (which they can do since there’s no emulation overhead), with both the CPU/GPU. Apple just makes x86 look bad because they burn a ton of money on power efficiency, but Qualcomm is more in the “budget” space.
I honestly thought the entire point of the Series S was that they would later be able to shrink it down into a portable device without any game patches
Yeah, that would be perfect!
Or (alternatively) they could majorly underclock the a shrunken series X chip to make it equivalent to an S.
I never get the mind blowness some people get about a hypothetical future Xbox branded handheld that could runs all these stores that can play PlayStation games. It’s a PC. You can play PlayStation games on Windows devices for years now. It’s not a gotcha big brain strategic masterpiece on Microsofts part. Pay Valve to play PlayStation games. Current Xbox gamers in the future pay Valve to play 3rd party games rather than Microsoft
Justdaveisfine@midwest.social 3 days ago
This feels weirdly too late. I can’t imagine that many people in 2027 who passed on a Switch 1/2, SteamDeck, supposed other upcoming handhelds, or the ROG Ally and are looking for a gaming handheld with money to burn.
Xbox has to really bring something hot to the table, and its certainly not whatever they’ve been doing with their hardware/games/IPs for the past 5 years.
simple@lemm.ee 2 days ago
That’s like saying people won’t be interested in new laptops because they already own one. If new handhelds are more performant and power efficient, there will be demand for it.
brucethemoose@lemmy.world 2 days ago
With a Qualcomm chip though… there will be some teething issues, best case.
Justdaveisfine@midwest.social 2 days ago
True, though people tend to replace laptops when they fall out of support or start having hardware issues, much less often to do an upgrade looking for more frames.
I still feel Microsoft has to bring something hot to really sway anyone over since they have a long history of competing in the mobile hardware space and fumbling it hard.
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 3 days ago
Allegedly, it’s an improved Windows experience so you get the compatibility without having to use a desktop operating system on a handheld game machine. So, you get Game Pass and kernel level anti cheat games with a UX similar to the Steam Deck (ish). And besides, “everything is an Xbox”. They don’t care how many of these things sell as long as you’re on Game Pass or buying their games.
Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 2 days ago
Let’s all call their bluff and buy none of them to see how much they care.
Justdaveisfine@midwest.social 2 days ago
So it’ll be the ROG Ally but ‘better’ because its less Windows than normal. Hmm.
The last part concerns me. Why am I buying into a platform that Microsoft couldn’t care less if it sells at all because they make their money from subscriptions?
People don’t want hardware that just gets abandoned when its not profitable enough, which Microsoft absolutely has a history of doing.
supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 3 days ago
Allegedly