Microsoft unveiled the Series S and Series X video game consoles and a number of new games at the Xbox Showcase held yesterday. Following the event, Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, was interviewed by IGN, where he talked about the much-rumored Xbox portable gaming console.
To give you an idea, Spencer has been hinting at the possibility of Microsoft launching its first portable gaming console for some time. He has even indicated that there is growing interest within the company to enter the wearable device market. We also had the April survey that clearly hinted that the company is working on something.
However, in the IGN interview, Spencer made the most explicit statement on the matter to date by saying, “I think we should also have a handheld console.” Most interestingly, he has hinted that the Xbox handheld gaming console will likely offer the local play feature, which is something you don’t get with Sony’s PlayStation Portal.
More specifically, Phil Spencer said: “I think being able to play locally is really important.” This statement came after being asked if Microsoft’s handheld console would feature dedicated hardware like the Steam Deck or require “a WiFi connection” like the PlayStation Portal.
Spencer also added that he likes portable gaming devices like the Lenovo Legion Gosteam Deck and Asus ROG Ally because they all offer the ability to play locally. The PlayStation Portal, on the other hand, streams games instead. All of this means that the Xbox portable gaming console could be far superior to Sony’s offering.
Furthermore, if Microsoft makes the Xbox portable console come with a more refined operating system, such as the SteamOS from https://store.steampowered.com/steamos, it could emerge as a great competitor to the Asus ROG Ally (Z1 Extreme variant currently available). $549.99 at Best Buy).
