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Microsoft has reignited interest in handheld gaming with new hints about a portable gaming device. While Xbox CEO Phil Spencer had already teased the possibility of a handheld Xbox in late 2024, stating that it was “years out,” fresh comments at CES 2025 suggest a different approach might be coming sooner than expected.
Speaking to The Verge after a CES roundtable titled “The Future of Gaming Handhelds,” Jason Ronald, Microsoft’s VP of Next Generation, revealed intriguing details about a potential handheld PC offering an Xbox-like experience. According to Ronald, this would not simply be a portable Xbox but rather a portable PC designed to combine the best features of Xbox and Windows.
Ronald explained the vision as a way to “bring the best of Xbox and Windows together,” emphasizing the company’s 20-year legacy of building consoles and their aim to adapt this expertise to portable devices. The focus appears to be on creating a more user-friendly version of Windows for small screens—an area where Microsoft has struggled in the past.
Historically, Microsoft hasn’t had much success with portable operating systems. From the clunky Windows Phone era to the disastrous tile-based design of Windows 7, the company’s attempts to optimize for portability have often compromised usability. However, with the recent surge in handheld PCs like Valve’s Steam Deck, Microsoft seems eager to enter the market with a device that seamlessly blends the Xbox experience into a Windows-based platform.
One of the biggest challenges will be adapting Windows to the handheld format. While the Xbox operating system is built on Windows, it’s heavily streamlined and lacks the complexity of traditional PC interfaces. Ronald acknowledged this, noting that Microsoft is working on “fundamental interaction models” to create a gaming-centric experience that feels native to a handheld device.
The concept isn’t entirely new. Microsoft has long promised to make Windows the go-to platform for gaming across devices, but its efforts have rarely gained traction. Each iteration of Windows has touted new gaming features that ultimately faded into obscurity. Yet, Windows remains the default operating system for PC gaming—often succeeding despite Microsoft’s attempts to optimize it for the task.
What sets this potential handheld apart is its emphasis on simplicity, inspired by Xbox’s user-friendly interface. This would eliminate the need for features like taskbars and cursor inputs, focusing instead on a clean, intuitive gaming experience.
While details remain scarce, Ronald hinted that more information would be revealed later in 2025. For now, the project sounds like a step toward a handheld PC that combines the strengths of Xbox and Windows. If successful, Microsoft could establish a foothold in the increasingly competitive handheld gaming market.
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Xbox has unveiled its annual recap tool for 2024, following the footsteps of Spotify and Apple Music. The feature, called Xbox Year in Review 2024, can be accessed by signing into your Microsoft account on this page. Once logged in, you’ll receive a detailed breakdown of your gaming activity, including your most-played games, total hours spent gaming, favorite genres, and more. This year’s update brings new personalized elements, such as a custom look based on your top game and a personalized gamer profile (like ‘Real MVP’ for sports fans).
The Year in Review page is available on both mobile and desktop. However, mobile users have the added bonus of generating an image of their recap that can be saved directly to their camera roll and shared easily. The 2024 Year in Review will be accessible until January 31st, 2025.
In addition, Xbox has released a general Year in Review highlighting major game releases of 2024, its sustainability initiatives, and a look at what’s coming in the year ahead.
PlayStation and Nintendo are also expected to launch their own versions of annual recaps, so stay tuned for updates.
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