HANDHELD NEWS – “It doesn’t make sense,” says the former Blizzard president, arguing that Microsoft would be making a mistake by launching a portable Xbox console because there are more important priorities. Recent reports say that Microsoft has paused development of the Xbox handheld to focus on boosting Windows 11’s gaming performance and the battery life of third-party console PCs.

The rise of consolidated PCs has created a major challenge for Microsoft: it urgently needs to improve Windows 11 for these devices. SteamOS has proven to be much better than Microsoft’s operating system when it comes to battery life and gaming performance. The Redmond company cannot afford to sit idly by and must offer a strong alternative to Valve’s system, which gets better with each update.

Mike Ybarra believes pausing the Xbox handheld is the right call

Multiple reports suggest that SteamOS is putting more and more pressure on Microsoft, which hopes that publishers won’t completely abandon Windows 11 given its benefits—something we’ve already seen with the Lenovo Legion Go S. The handheld device from ASUS, made in partnership with Xbox, is still on track for this year, and one of Microsoft’s long-term plans included making its own Xbox handheld, something Phil Spencer had confirmed.

However, according to the latest report from Windows Central, Microsoft has decided to pause the development of the Xbox handheld to prioritize improvements to Windows 11 and block SteamOS from taking over the handheld space. While this news has yet to be confirmed, former Xbox executive and former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra has weighed in, saying he thinks this is the right path forward.

According to Mike Ybarra, pausing the Xbox handheld is indeed the right choice: “If the rumor is true, it’s 100% the right path to follow in my opinion. There are so many devices on the market, and with SteamOS now available on so much third-party hardware, this never made sense to me other than as a reaction to fill a gap in hardware strategy. Given Xbox’s new focus, hardware is pointless. You should focus on making great games and building communities around them. As much as it pains me to admit it, Microsoft’s decision to shelve the Xbox portable makes complete sense. Windows 11 needs all the help it can get with usability and performance on laptops, and SteamOS is a bigger threat,” Ybarra said (via PureXbox).

Source: 3djuegos