6 Issues an Xbox Handheld Must Do to Exchange My Steam Deck

I play most of my video games on an Xbox plugged right into a 65-inch OLED TV in the lounge. Regardless of this comfortable setup, I caved and at last purchased a Steam Deck in late 2024, and I’m so joyful that I’ve began padding my uncared for Steam library as soon as once more.

As an “Xbox first” gamer and long-term Sport Cross Final subscriber, I’m a first-rate goal for Microsoft’s rumored Xbox handheld. As somebody who has been completely impressed with the Steam Deck, Microsoft has just a few huge containers to verify if it desires to tempt me away.

6

Be Appropriate With the Newest Video games

The Steam Deck is a improbable little bit of package, however it’s getting previous. The AMD-powered handheld relies on Zen2 structure, which first debuted in 2019 and powers the present era of Xbox and PlayStation consoles. It’s actually no slouch, however it’s clearly beginning to present its age—notably Valve’s implementation, which has strict energy constraints on account of being moveable.

When the Steam Deck was launched again in late 2022, the hand-held might sustain with most of the newest releases together with demanding titles like Elden Ring and Crimson Useless Redemption 2 (albeit at decrease body charges than many PC avid gamers are used to). Quick-forward two-and-a-bit years and that’s not the case.

Video games like Warhammer 40,000: Area Marine 2 and Star Wars Outlaws run like slideshows on the Steam Deck. Although many devoted RPG followers insist that Baldur’s Gate 3 is Steam Deck suitable, the sport struggles to hit 20FPS within the third act due to its underwhelming CPU efficiency. Dragon’s Dogma II is one other title that’s thought of unplayable on the Steam Deck due being so heavy on the CPU.

An Xbox handheld must be an Xbox first, which implies it ought to goal Xbox video games. Regardless of its waning recognition, the Xbox remains to be a dominant platform that sees the very newest releases. An Xbox handheld that may play new video games on launch day (albeit with just a few Xbox Sequence S-style concessions) would put it head and shoulders above the Steam Deck within the {hardware} race.

5

Keep away from the Linux Anti-Cheat Issues

Whereas PC avid gamers may balk on the concept of taking part in aggressive first-person shooters with a controller moderately than a keyboard and mouse, console video games aren’t so fussy. Many Steam Deck house owners have discovered themselves omitted within the chilly solely in terms of multiplayer gaming, a results of the platform’s underlying Linux structure.

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Microsoft has two choices with an Xbox handheld: create a portable-optimized model of the prevailing Xbox working system or ship it with Home windows and take care of the interface individually. Each options would remedy one of many Steam Deck’s greatest gripes: not having the ability to play video games like Name of Obligation on account of anti-cheat necessities.

It’s not simply Activision’s flagship that doesn’t work. Video games like Valorant, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, and Epic’s behemoth Fortnite are all incompatible with the Steam Deck. The one solution to play this fashion is to stream the sport out of your PC, Xbox, or PlayStation.

This must be a simple win for Microsoft. If the hand-held runs a modified Xbox OS, the Xbox model of these video games ought to work. If it runs Home windows, then the identical is true however for the Home windows port. After all, the latter raises some regarding points surrounding the character of kernel-level anti-cheat on a transportable.

4

Ship a Person-Pleasant Interface

If there’s one factor the Steam Deck nails, for probably the most half, it’s usability. You could possibly spend your entire life in Sport Mode, looking your library, shopping for video games, and twiddling with settings with out ever touching the Linux desktop. This wasn’t at all times the case, and the Steam Deck was initially criticized for its “work in progress” software program. Fortunately, issues have improved massively.

SteamOS remains to be some of the compelling causes to decide on the Steam Deck over a competing, extra highly effective handheld just like the ROG Ally X. It’s simple to make use of if you happen to’re new to the platform whereas being superior sufficient to mean you can do issues like set a customized TDP or restrict the refresh price of the show in only a few button presses.

Home windows on a handheld, by comparability, is a large number. Middleware from the likes of ASUS makes an attempt to clean issues over, however it’s a far cry from a local answer that ties every thing up neatly into one unified interface. Microsoft undoubtedly is aware of this, since how they sort out this drawback is a make-or-break concern for the rumored Xbox handheld.

The simple choice can be a handheld-friendly model of the already usable Xbox dashboard. If it ain’t broke, don’t repair it (plus you may hold your present themes as a bonus, Valve doesn’t have something like that). Alternatively, adapting Home windows 11 to lastly perform correctly utilizing analog sticks, face buttons, and a small contact display might work too.

Maybe the best choice can be a fusion of the 2, primarily copying Valve’s homework. This could have the additional benefit of permitting you to put in Steam inside Home windows.

3

Play Each Sport Cross Final Sport

It’s a given {that a} handheld Xbox can be a Sport Cross machine, and that looks as if a win proper out of the gate. However there are undoubtedly some challenges to beat in pursuit of this aim. How Microsoft would optimize the video games to work on a much less highly effective system stays to be seen, notably since getting Sequence S ranges of efficiency from a handheld seems like a tall ask.

With this nut cracked, nonetheless, Microsoft might provide one thing that no different handheld has: an immediately unlockable library of video games in a transportable issue. Positive, you may set up Sport Cross video games by way of Home windows in your ROG Ally X, however the PC Sport Cross catalog isn’t fairly the identical as the principle Sport Cross Final providing.

This alone can be tempting for any Xbox proprietor or Sport Cross subscriber, proper off the bat. Microsoft already has the Good Supply stuff nailed, the place saves sync between consoles invisibly so you may at all times decide up the place you left off. Such a characteristic appears important on a handheld, however provided that the video games are suitable.

2

Hit The Proper Value Level

Let’s faux Microsoft manages to nail, or come near nailing, every thing above. There’s one remaining hurdle to clear if the corporate is to stay the touchdown: the value level.

The Steam Deck is a tempting little bit of package as a result of it’s not that costly, with the bottom 512GB OLED mannequin beginning at $549. Valve has been open about how “painful” it was to hit the unique Steam Deck’s launch value. Because the {hardware} has aged, these margins have possible improved. Since Valve additionally runs the world’s largest on-line sport market, the corporate isn’t precisely looking for payments down the again of the couch.

Microsoft would want to come back as near this value level as potential so as to muscle in available on the market. Microsoft’s Xbox technique has shifted significantly lately, with the corporate vying to develop its Sport Cross subscriber base by means of campaigns like “That is an Xbox” whereas turning to rival platforms like PlayStation and Swap for added income from once-exclusive video games.

If that is certainly the technique, an aggressive value level is unquestionably a part of the plan underneath the guise of creating up the losses by means of ongoing income and a lower of sport gross sales. There’s additionally a possibility to supply higher-end, pricier fashions with extra storage or restricted version designs.

1

Provide an “Open” Console Expertise

Lastly, one factor that possible isn’t of nice concern to the common Xbox gamer however that I and lots of different Steam Deck house owners would like to see is a few quantity of platform openness. Surprisingly, that is one thing that Xbox consoles already lean into with Developer Mode, however it’s fairly a problem to must restart your console each time you wish to run RetroArch.

The principle use case here’s what I (and lots of others) use the Steam Deck for a great 50% of the time: emulation. Putting in a variety of emulators in your Steam Deck is straightforward utilizing instruments like EmuDeck, and you’ll go even additional and set up must-have apps like Decky to tweak how the Steam Deck works. Even having the ability to use an app like LocalSend to get information to and out of your Steam Deck is a godsend.

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The Steam Deck makes this potential due to Desktop Mode, which dumps you right into a fully-fledged Linux desktop atmosphere. If the Xbox handheld runs Home windows beneath, this gained’t be a difficulty. Similar to SteamOS, some methodology of linking the 2 collectively can be ideally suited so to do nearly every thing from a modified Xbox dashboard if you would like.

Valve’s open method has set the bar, and whereas an Xbox handheld might see success as a closed platform that makes a speciality of the console expertise (and Sport Cross specifically), the corporate may have a tough time convincing the Steam Deck devoted to leap ship and abandon the wide-open Linux method.

I perceive that I may not be the common client, since I have a tendency to gather devices like this whether or not I imply to or not and there’s a great likelihood I’ll purchase an Xbox handheld no matter occurs. Even so, I can’t deny that the prospect of a “decide up and go” Sport Cross machine that doesn’t depend on sport streaming is simply what I’ve been hoping for.