Oliver Cragg / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Microsoft is reportedly deprioritizing work on a local Xbox handheld.
- As a substitute, it’s going to deal with bettering Home windows on third-party handhelds.
- The native Xbox handheld was anticipated in 2027 alongside next-gen consoles.
The hand-held wars are heating up, as Steam OS is lastly extensively obtainable on third-party handhelds. Early comparisons between Steam OS and Home windows on the identical {hardware} have proven a big hole in efficiency, with Home windows’ appreciable overhead inflicting it to lag behind. Microsoft has taken word of this, and it’s reportedly shifting focus to attempt to sustain.
Yesterday, sources inside Microsoft (through Windows Central) revealed that the corporate introduced internally that it’ll shift priorities away from Xbox handhelds to enhance the Home windows expertise on third-party {hardware}. Importantly, this is not going to delay the “Project Kennan” handheld being created in partnership with ASUS. That system continues to be slated for launch later this 12 months, and it could be the primary to characteristic these Home windows optimizations.
Nevertheless, the next-gen Xbox handheld that the corporate has been engaged on will probably be shelved. New rumors point out this was certainly a local Xbox handheld, and never a Home windows-based system. It was beforehand rumored to launch in 2027 alongside the follow-up to the Xbox Sequence X/S residence consoles.
That is bittersweet information for Xbox followers, as a local Xbox handheld would have featured improved backwards compatibility with video games from the Xbox/Xbox 360 period. A serious promoting level of the Xbox Series X/S was full compatibility with the whole Xbox catalog, with enhancements in framerates and graphics due to extra highly effective {hardware}.
Steam OS is more and more changing into a risk to Home windows handhelds.
The Linux-based Steam OS was designed particularly for gaming handhelds, giving it a definite benefit over Home windows. With much less overhead and bloat, it outperforms equally spec’d Home windows handhelds with a way more user-friendly interface and expertise.
The primary benefit of Home windows handhelds is improved compatibility. In concept, any PC recreation may be performed on a Home windows handheld, together with the ever-expanding catalog of PC Sport Cross video games. Home windows handhelds had been usually extra highly effective than the Steam Deck, however now that Steam OS has expanded past Valve’s personal {hardware}, the scales have shifted.
Time will inform whether or not these renewed efforts to enhance Home windows on handhelds could make a distinction. If not, Steam OS might occupy a fair greater share of the premium gaming handheld market.
