Rumors of an Xbox-branded gaming handheld are heating up.
According to a report from Windows Central, Microsoft plans to launch its first-ever dedicated Xbox handheld at the end of this year. This is arguably the most solid news about a real release we've gotten yet.
Despite those rumors, we still don't know much about what an Xbox handheld might have in store. What will it look like? What kind of power will it pack? How much will it cost? Can I get it in an Xbox green translucent shell? That last one is a joke. Unless...
Those are some big questions, to be sure, but there's one question that's top of mind for me personally, and it's got a lot to do with... the Nintendo Switch.
Dockin' on Heaven's door
One of my biggest questions is: What will an Xbox handheld offer that other handhelds don't?
At the end of the day, that answer may be... not a whole lot. Xbox has exclusive titles, which might be a significant reason to spring for one over, say, an Acer Nitro Blaze, but outside of that, I don't know how much Microsoft will bring to the hardware party.
One thing I'd love to see, however, is something the Nintendo Switch has offered since its inception — a dock. While that may seem simple, once a dock enters the equation, it beckons many questions, some of which could affect your decision to buy (or not buy) a Switch 2. Hear me out.
The Switch is all about playing Mario and Zelda, yes. But the Switch value proposition is also based on its ability to hold it while you play, or dock it and play on your TV, like a traditional gaming console. It's the switching of the Switch. As far as features go, it's iconic. If Microsoft envisions its Xbox handheld similarly, it will ask potential customers to compare the two directly.
Once you start comparing a potential dockable Xbox handheld to a Switch 2, you see many similarities. Both are handhelds made by console companies with exclusive titles. Both are presumably trying to push the envelope in terms of power (Switch 2 will likely have a major processor upgrade from the previous generation). Both will look to take advantage of an array of third-party, multi-platform AAA titles.
However, I'm not sure Nintendo is entirely competitive on those fronts. If you want power, I highly doubt a Switch 2 will blow you away with benchmarks. Nintendo consoles have never been about competing on the graphical front. And why would they? Mario doesn't need ray tracing.
As far as exclusive titles go, that's just a matter of preference. Maybe you're a big Legend of Zelda person and having a handheld that plays Tears of the Kingdom is a priority. But just as easily, you could be a Halo lifer who needs to pwn grunts on your subway commute to work.
And as far as having an extensive array of multi-platform titles, Microsoft is arguably the winner on that front, given the Xbox's edge in graphical prowess. This allows it to play simple indie games and more demanding titles.
In years past, comparing an Xbox console to a Switch might be comparing apples to oranges, but if both have the same form factor and the same audience, well... our fruit analogy just got a little less flavorful.
Existential questions for Xbox
This is all speculative, of course, since we don't know any real specifics about what Microsoft has in store for an Xbox console, but the idea of a dockable Xbox that's similar to the Switch begs a lot of existential questions.
For instance, if Xbox goes the Switch route with a handheld/traditional console, why would anyone really want to buy something else?
If Microsoft can pack the power of a Series S into something that can also play games on the fly, it makes the idea of an at-home console seem like a bad deal.
Is Microsoft really ready to go that route with its Xbox console, or is the worry of cannibalizing its at-home console business too great? Also, how much does Microsoft lean into Game Pass with its handheld? Will an Xbox handheld have cloud streaming capabilities, or will it find its happy place somewhere closer to a Steam Deck?
Microsoft is obviously making some big decisions, and many of them involver its handheld is just that — a hadeld or a f—or-blown console.
I, for one, welcome the Switchening of Xbox. I've often felt like Nintendo arrived at the ultimate form factor with the Switch and being able to enjoy all of the same benefits in an Xbox-branded package feels like a great way to evolve Microsoft's console business into a new, more value-packed era.
I'm all for pushing boundaries, but if Microsoft can make its Xbox handheld more Switch-like, then I'll be the first one in line to buy.
