Microsoft's plans for the future of Xbox might include a handheld gaming PC

Yes, we know how it sounds, but Microsoft might actually come up with a handheld gaming PC in the future. Even though there are Rog Ally, and Legion Pro allowing users to install Windows 11 to play their favorite video games, the Redmond-based tech giant could release a handheld of its own to address the limitations of these consoles.

In an interview for The Verge, Phil Spencer said that while he’s a big fan of the Legion Go and Rog Ally consoles, he admitted that the way these consoles are running Windows 11 is somehow not desirable:

We do have real work. One of the weak points in the experience on a ROG or the Lenovo [Legion Go] is Windows. How Windows works on controller input only on that kind of DPI, on a smaller eight- or seven-inch screen. That’s a real design point that our platform team is working with Windows to make sure that the experience is even better.

Phil Spencer

In the same interview, he also said that there is nothing to announce when it comes to Xbox handhelds, even though he is a big fan of these types of consoles. However, Xbox currently has the Game Pass subscription model which recently passed 34 million users, and the future of an Xbox handheld might revolve around it.

Game Pass is structured in such a way subscribers have access to a wide catalog of video games for both Xbox consoles and Windows PCs. The model allows for cross-play, cloud-play, and cross-progression, and it has widely become known as the Netflix for games.

Well, as we mentioned earlier, a handheld from Microsoft will definitely revolve around this model, while also being capable of handling the limitations that the current Windows-based handhelds have. With this being said, the idea of a handheld gaming PC could be plausible.

Even though Game Pass already has a cloud-based service, allowing users to play games from literally any supported device, running video games natively is a much better option, especially for those gamers who like a lag-free, no-stress gaming experience.

A Microsoft handheld gaming PC could address many of the limitations by coming with a larger screen, and keypads and controllers specifically made to suit the device. It would be bigger, yes, and it wouldn’t fit in a pocket.

But it would have a bigger battery, which means gamers could spend exponentially more time on it. It would be entirely possible? Why? Because we have the tablets going on for more than a decade now, and people are used to carrying bigger handheld devices with them.

Plus, Microsoft is currently developing the Surface Pro devices, which are portable devices, capable of very powerful performances.

There have been many requests over the years for an Xbox handheld, and users have come up with mockups of them. On the other hand, a lot of other users have tried and managed to install Windows 11 on portable devices, such as mobile phones, so there is a desire for a Microsoft handheld gaming PC.

It’s all up to the Redmond-based tech giant now!