Handhelds have a long and illustrious history in the gaming world. Although there were technically multiple consoles, Nintendo broke new ground for handheld gaming with the Game Boy, delivering on-the-go experiences that were almost NES-level. With subsequent Game Boy releases, Nintendo continued to prove itself in the handheld space, and with the introduction of the Nintendo DS in 2006, the company set new standards for the entire handheld space, Xbox has remained clear. But that will soon change.
After over a year of speculation and rumors, Phil Spencer recently confirmed in an interview with Bloomberg that Xbox is indeed in the process of developing a handheld device. Admittedly, Spencer also claimed that it would be a few years before fans see it on the market. But when the Xbox handheld eventually arrives, there's one obvious feature that's sure to set it apart from the competition.
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The Xbox handheld will have an ace up its sleeve
Xbox's handheld could have stiff competition
The handheld market is arguably busier than ever. The Nintendo Switch is now in its seventh year of existence and, along with its Lite and OLED models, has sold over 140 million units. While the hardware itself is objectively inferior to the last generation of PlayStation and Xbox consoles, the Switch's handheld functionality, high brand recognition, and family-friendliness have kept the Switch at the forefront of the gaming world for nearly a decade stands .
In 2022, Valve thought of trying its hand at developing a handheld console. In the two years since its release, the Steam Deck has been widely praised as one of the best handheld devices of all time, capable of playing some of the most demanding modern games without limitations.
When the Xbox device hits shelves, the handheld console market might look a little different, but it might not be much different. The successor to the Nintendo Switch is due to be revealed next year and Valve has already confirmed that a second generation of the Steam Deck is in development. So the Xbox handheld's competition may not be all that different from what it will be when it launches now.
Additionally, a recent Bloomberg report suggests that PlayStation is also in the early stages of developing a new handheld console. If that's true, the Xbox handheld will have stiff competition when it launches.
Xbox Game Pass could be the Xbox handheld's secret weapon
Last year, Xbox tried to market the concept that Xbox isn't just a console, but anything that the Xbox app can run. Xbox Game Pass has been at the forefront of this latest marketing push. The ads often show gamers enjoying their subscription across Xbox, PC, mobile, and a variety of other devices via cloud streaming.
When Xbox's handheld is officially unveiled, it's very likely that Xbox Game Pass will be a major selling point for it, and for good reason. Putting Xbox Game Pass at the center of the upcoming handheld would be a huge boon in both the short and long term.
In the short term, Xbox handheld gamers will be able to access an extensive library of hundreds of games at no additional cost. And because the Xbox Game Pass library offers a wide range of gameplay experiences, players can test the power of the handheld console right away, with tons of AAA and indie games ready and waiting for them on day one.
In the long term, Xbox Game Pass would ensure that handheld gamers have an ever-changing library of games to return to again and again. Additionally, while the PlayStation handheld could inherit its library of PS Plus titles, Game Pass would still have the edge since PS Plus doesn't add first-party games to the service from day one. And that lead will only increase over time, as Xbox's first-party offerings now include Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda and Activision-Blizzard.
