Handheld consoles have always been a bit of a gamble for video game developers, and we wonder, would Microsoft ever launch its own portable console? In the history of portable consoles, there have been runaway smash hits, as well as underperforming failures.
Currently we can point to the Nintendo Switch, which can either be a home or a portable console, depending on the needs of its user, and see the potential for success in its sales figures. During its fiscal quarter earnings report only a few days ago, it was reported that the Switch has sold 36.87 million systems, putting on par with the Sony PlayStation 4’s lifetime sales.
With a portable console selling among the most popular of all time, perhaps Microsoft should be pursuing its own version. Consumers have clearly voted with their wallets that portable gaming is where they want to experience their games.
The Raw Power Is Already Here: A Redesigned Surface Pro
The technology is most certainly available, at least in the form of raw power within a small device, as evidenced by Microsoft’s Surface Pro tablets. When a developer states that Forza Mororsport 7 runs well on the Surface Pro, there is little doubt that anything else would be problematic to run on the hardware as well.
When we consider that the Nintendo Switch is little more than a tablet with controllers attached, the possibility of a more powerful Microsoft version seems not far from reality. Not only that, but the multiplayer component is already established and ready to go.
Xbox Live Mobile
Nintendo is constantly under pressure to upgrade its online multiplayer experience, which as it stands, is underwhelming. Some justify its general lack of options, games, and reliable connectivity between parties with its lower price point compared to Microsoft and Sony.
With that said, Microsoft has an outstanding framework already for its online services, and adding games through a mobile platform, or that allowed players to join in and play with others who are on PC or console, would be an explosive combination and welcome by all.
Games Sell The Console
There is no doubt that when launching a new console, the initial lineup and what follows in terms of games is of the utmost importance. Most recently we can point to the Sony PlayStation Vita and the Nintendo Wii U to see the pitfalls of not having a strong network of developers willing to put the time into making great games for a particular console.
Microsoft already has a dominant library of exclusive titles that could easily translate to a mobile platform. Imagine a fully fleshed out Halo or Gears of War game as a launch title for this hypothetical console, that would help drive sales like nothing else.
Streaming Services And An Enormous Back Catalog
A mobile gaming device from Microsoft could be made with one of two designs in mind, or a combination of both, either towards using a game cartridge or internal storage to run a game, or towards streaming the game in its entirety.
By now it is old news that Microsoft is pouring resources into developing its Project xCloud, which is a streaming service that will allow consumers to access the totality of the Xbox catalogue from all three of their consoles. This totals over 3,500 games, and the idea is to allow players to stream the games onto whatever hardware they choose, be it their Xbox consoles, PCs, Tablets, Smartphones, or something else.
We say this is old news because it has been a few months now since any real updates were given on the status of the work, which in late May was being tested in an early alpha among Microsoft employees. For now, we are not likely to hear anything until after the launch of the Google Stadia, which is a similar technology.
While Project xCloud purports to have players use whatever device they want, including smartphones, a Microsoft branded hand-held device would sell well if it was made with the next evolution in online streaming in mind.
Why It May Never Happen
History is often the best indicator for future action and performance, and in the seventeen years that Microsoft has been in the gaming industry, it has never released or teased the concept of a mobile device.
The main reason we may never see a Microsoft console lies with Phil Spencer, the current head of gaming for the Xbox, who often speaks to the benefits of industry wide succeeds for all developers because that success opens allows for innovation to reveal itself. He recently stated that “The business is selling software and services. The business is not how many consoles you sell.”
In that context Spencer was speaking to the misconception that consumers believe there is a deep rivalry among Sony and Microsoft, when in fact there is none. From Spencer’s perspective, there is little reason right now to explore a portable console device. When we consider that Project xCloud will transform any tablet and smartphone into a portable device for the totality of Microsoft’s game collection, this becomes even more apparent.
Anything’s Possible
Although we are not likely to see a mobile device like this in the near future, there is reason to believe that it could happen at some point. Returning to the Sony PlayStation Vita, that console eventually found its legs too far into its lifespan to recover before it was discontinued, yet it showcased the potential for a strong portable console in its streaming capabilities of games like Destiny 2. With the success of the Nintendo Switch, it would be difficult to believe five or ten years from now that Microsoft would not revisit the idea, for it is clearly where players want to experience their games.
