4 reasons why Xbox needs to release a gaming console

Main points

• Xbox’s struggles in the console market may prompt a shift toward handheld gaming.
• Mobile gaming represents a trend away from traditional consoles.
• The affordable, open-platform Xbox handheld device could shake up the gaming industry.

We’re living in the midst of a renaissance in handheld gaming, and it’s a reminder of how much fun it is to be able to take gaming wherever we want. The portable gaming renaissance could also end up being the lifeline Xbox is looking for if it decides to shift its focus away from the home console space. The Nintendo Switch blurs the lines between handheld and console gaming, opening the way for others to get into gaming using similar devices like the Steam Deck. Nowadays, there are very few games that can’t be played on the go in some form. However, of the three major console manufacturers, only Nintendo has a presence in this huge market.

It’s no secret that Xbox is struggling as a brand. The Series X and Series S are both great consoles, but they don’t sell nearly as well as their main rival, the PS5, and they don’t sell enough games or subscriptions to cover their costs. It even resorted to releasing a few first-party games on rival platforms to try to gain more sales. Rumors have been swirling about a possible Xbox handheld device, with even Phil Spencer saying he hopes there’s a better way to play Xbox games on a handheld device. While this is all just speculation, I believe that a dedicated handheld device will be the best strategy Xbox can take, given its current situation.

1 Xbox loses the console war

Fight on different fronts

Not since the original Xbox has a console from Microsoft “won” a generation in terms of sales. Even in the 360 ​​generation, where PlayStation had almost everything it had, it eventually recovered and eked out a slight edge at the end. Then, the disastrous reveal and launch of the Xbox One sent the entire brand into a downward spiral from which it has yet to recover.

For now, Xbox is doing everything it can to lure players back into its ecosystem. Game Pass, backwards compatibility, and cloud streaming are all great, but haven’t progressed yet. Since players are now so connected to the ecosystem they love, there’s little that can pull them away. In the handheld space, Xbox doesn’t have to compete directly with PlayStation, but can leverage all of its services to outdo other devices. The Steam Deck will be its biggest competitor, but if the Xbox handheld is cheaper and easier for casual gamers to pick up and play, it could find a whole new audience.

2 The future is mobile

The living room console is dying

When I say mobile, I don’t just mean your phone. Phones are part of that, but Xbox has recognized that the idea that people need a dedicated gaming console connected to a TV won’t last long. We’re rapidly approaching a future where anything with a screen can play any game you want, and exiting this market before it collapses would be a wise choice.

The Xbox handheld will be the perfect transition from a dedicated console to an Xbox that is essentially just a service. You can already use Game Pass on your computer, phone, and smart TV via streaming, so the groundwork is already done. All that’s left is to wait for technology and internet infrastructure to catch up and make streaming feasible for everyone. For those who don’t have reliable or fast enough internet to take advantage of streaming but can transition seamlessly when there is, a handheld that can both stream and play native games would be the perfect middle ground.

3 it can be more affordable

Make it a no-brainer purchase

Aside from Nintendo’s amazing exclusives, a major factor in why the Switch sells so well is its affordability. At less than half the price of other consoles, the Switch Lite is an easy choice for anyone on a budget, and it’s cheap enough to buy as a second console. Xbox will likely make a splash by significantly lowering the price of PlayStation when the next generation launches.

It’s the first generation of hardware where costs haven’t dropped nearly four years after launch. If this is anything to go by, then whatever the next generation of consoles looks like, not only will they be more expensive, they’ll stay at that price. By default, the handheld will be cheaper to produce because it will be smaller, but the Xbox won’t necessarily have to sacrifice performance to compete in order to achieve that. If it leverages AI technologies like DLSS and cloud streaming, the Xbox handheld could potentially run games that look as good as the PS6 at a fraction of the cost. Going back to the 360, it was significantly cheaper than the PS3 at launch, which was a big reason for its early lead. But this time around, the PS6 console can no longer cut costs like a handheld console.

4 open platform

One body

Hopefully you will be able to play its games on it. However, this is also where PCs are heading. Now, you can already run Game Pass on the Steam Deck, but it takes some work and isn’t as easy or convenient as console players might expect.

If the Xbox handheld can be an all-in-one system for as many players as possible, it could become the gold standard. Obviously, Game Pass will be built-in, but having dedicated Steam and Epic Games Store apps that don’t require any workarounds will take the audience far beyond the typical Xbox. The hardest part about convincing someone to switch to a new ecosystem is that they’ve already invested a lot of time and money in another ecosystem. If the Xbox handheld allowed players to take all their PC games with them, it would break a huge barrier. This will also make the platform almost irresistible when it comes to products.