Hardware Could Microsoft make a Switch-like portable Xbox?

[Futurdreamz]

I'm thinking that technically they can, but only after completing their Grand Overhaul (unifying Xbox and Windows 10 and 10 mobile, porting Windows actual to arm, etc)

 

[KoopaTroopa311]

I mean like, laptops are a thing

 

[Futurdreamz]

I mean like, laptops are a thing

And tablets are a thing.

The problem is: Xbox games don't scale between systems, and a gaming laptop would have horrid battery life.

 

[Deleted User]

Technologically, yes. Technicly, yes. Marketively..... everyone know's Nintendo is king of portable gaming system, even when comparing and/or ignoring Mobile phones.
To try and take Ninty's spot.... you'd have to be crazy, maybe even suicidal.

 

[RevPokemon]

Would and will are different things but there is no reason that they should not except for the fact that there is of course the cost an what not but tech wise it is possible

 

[Futurdreamz]

The thing is, It seems Microsoft is working towards a future where this is simple:

1. Porting Windows 10 to ARM while maintaining backwards compatibility
2. Unifying Windows 10 and 10 mobile by bring the Phone app and such to 10
3. Making it easy to bring a game to Windows 10 and Xbox simultaneously
4. Unifying the Xbox and Windows OS
5. making Windows 10 better scale from large to small screens

Based on this, I see a few things that Microsoft may be planning:

Discontinuing the Xbox line in favor of third party HTPCs that are certified for Xbox level games

Bringing those same games to PCs running powerful ARM processors

Making a 8"-ish Surface tablet with a powerful ARM processor and break-away controller, which can be plugged into a dock with an eGPU to play those same games at higher quality on a TV.

 

[Kioku]

The thing is, It seems Microsoft is working towards a future where this is simple:

1. Porting Windows 10 to ARM while maintaining backwards compatibility
2. Unifying Windows 10 and 10 mobile by bring the Phone app and such to 10
3. Making it easy to bring a game to Windows 10 and Xbox simultaneously
4. Unifying the Xbox and Windows OS
5. making Windows 10 better scale from large to small screens

Based on this, I see a few things that Microsoft may be planning:

Discontinuing the Xbox line in favor of third party HTPCs that are certified for Xbox level games

Bringing those same games to PCs running powerful ARM processors

Making a 8"-ish Surface tablet with a powerful ARM processor and break-away controller, which can be plugged into a dock with an eGPU to play those same games at higher quality on a TV.

Why are we going into ARM? Why not stay with what we have? Bringing their Xbox line to x86 wouldn't be difficult.

 

[Futurdreamz]

Except Intel is dropping the ball on small & efficient chips. It may be possible, but Intel has been leapfrogged by good ARM chips in small devices

 

[SuzieJoeBob]

(This is based on the average consumer)

The main problem with a portable XBOX console is that the average person would demand/expect something the same size as a Switch, but with specs that match the XBOX One X, as those are now the precedents Nintendo and Microsoft have set. Many people would be very disappointed that the console's memory would most-likely be flash/eMMC, as many users are accustomed to manually upgrading their hard drives since the 360. An HDD or SSD would be unfeasible without adding major bulk to the system, given their thickness compared to the average tablet. Currently, eMMC is up to 256/512 GB, which is nowhere near 1 or 2 TB, so the size is lacking for a system that has 40GB+ games. What would gamers think of an Xbox that requires an SD card or USB drive to have more than 10 digital games and DLC? Also, how much would a 512GB/1TB eMMC drive the price up?

Unlike Nintendo, almost every game on the XBOX has a heavy reliance on online multiplayer, so 4G LTE would be required to play online while on the go. People like convenience, so they wouldn't want to be hassled with setting up mobile hotspot or tethering, which also assumes their phone can do that. Now the system would require a data plan on top of Xbox Live. After all, people don't want to lose features that they have been given on previous console generations. Even at home, many Xbox players use wired Ethernet for better connections to game servers, so it will be really awkward to have a portable system that is constrained by the length of the cord. (This is assuming the console is strictly portable and not a hybrid like the Switch)

I could go on about 4K, 5+ hour battery life, and other things, but simply put, Microsoft would have a HUGE challenge developing a portable/hybrid console that could be priced competitively with the Switch that meets the demands that Xbox users would expect.