Microsoft Halts Xbox Handheld Plans to Enhance Windows 11 Portable Performance

Alright, let’s have a convo about Microsoft’s latest ambitions in the handheld gaming world. So, I stumbled over this report, and—wait, should I say this?—it’s like Microsoft is kinda ghosting its own Xbox handheld dreams. Yup, instead, they seem to be pouring energy into optimizing Windows 11 for gaming handhelds and backing Asus’s project, “Kennan.” Windows Central spilled the beans on this, and it’s kinda intriguing, don’t you think?

Why’s Microsoft doing this? Maybe they’re watching folks having a blast with SteamOS on Windows 11 devices. Remember that post on the Lenovo Legion Go S? Yeah, same deal. It handles both SteamOS and Windows 11. But—and here’s the kicker—drop Game Pass if you go with SteamOS. Weird trade-off, huh? But if you don’t mind, the performance is something else. People say it’s like swapping an old station wagon for a sports car. Could be an exaggeration. Or maybe not. Who knows.

Oh, and if you haven’t been keeping up with Xbox’s handheld saga, here’s a bit of a rewind. Microsoft’s been juggling its original Xbox handheld idea alongside the Asus thing, Kennan. The latter? Still aiming for a launch later this year. Yes, soon-ish. Apparently, the device’s hardware is “essentially finished.” Whatever that means.

Now, when it comes to this elusive Xbox handheld—Microsoft’s pet project—it’s supposed to feel like a native console on the go, playing full Xbox games! Sounds cool, right? Except, yeah, it’s been benched for the moment. Priorities, I guess.

Alright, back to Windows 11. So many gaming handhelds are riding this OS wave. But SteamOS crashes the party by, like, offering performance perks. I mean, imagine choosing between speed and the full Windows ecosystem. Decisions, decisions. And Asus ROG Ally lets you toggle between both. Feels like a tech buffet. Maybe it’s just me—or I’m getting hungry.

Seems like these tech companies are just throwing all sorts of options at us. Ever get the sense they want us to commit to something we didn’t even know we needed? Or is that just marketing doing its thing? Anyway—oof, almost lost my train of thought—where was I going with this? Right, handhelds. They might be the next big gaming frontier! Or maybe not. We’ll see.