Xbox Handheld Might Be Able to Run PlayStation Games

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home November 26, 2024 8 Views 5 Min Read
Xbox Handheld Might Be Able to Run PlayStation Games



Key Takeaways

  • Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox handheld console may have the ability to run PlayStation games.
  • The Xbox handheld could run Windows instead of a closed operating system, allowing access to Steam and other PC storefronts.
  • Since Sony publishes PlayStation games on PC, a Windows handheld made by Xbox should be able to run them natively.



It appears Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox handheld console may be able to natively run PlayStation games. With the Xbox brand opening up to numerous types of hardware, its highly-anticipated handheld device could expand on the software side in a major way.

The popularity of portable consoles and PCs has blown up in recent years, primarily due to the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, and more such handheld systems. Unsurprisingly, other major platform holders like Xbox and PlayStation have almost certainly taken notice of the same and are heavily rumored to be working on their own handheld consoles. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer even hinted somewhat recently that an Xbox handheld is in the works, but is likely a few years away from release.


Xbox Handheld Console Wishlist

Related
Xbox Handheld Console Wish List

Rumors continue to swirl about the possibility of Xbox releasing a handheld, posing questions about what this hypothetical device could look like.

Beyond just being a new hardware format for Xbox, though, the handheld console could bring about a revolutionary design change that would allow PlayStation games to natively run on the system. Reputable Microsoft insider Tom Warren recently tweeted a link to his report of PlayStation purportedly developing a handheld console, where one commenter lamented the possibility of it running both Xbox and PlayStation games due to the former’s multiplatform push. In response, Warren claimed that the Xbox handheld will be able to run PlayStation games, as Sony publishes its titles on PC.


Xbox’s Upcoming Handheld Console May Run Windows

Warren’s retort implies that the Xbox handheld might ditch the closed software ecosystem Microsoft usually went with for previous Xbox consoles and potentially run a specialized version of Windows, basically making it a handheld gaming PC along the same lines as the Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go. Since PCs can install storefronts like Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, etc., the Xbox handheld would theoretically be able to download and run any PlayStation first-party games that are available on the platform.


Phil Spencer also reinforced this notion in a recent Bloomberg interview, remarking that he wants the Xbox app experience to be improved on existing handheld PCs before Microsoft launches its own handheld device. All of these clues point to Windows potentially being the operating system of choice for the Xbox handheld. If true, then it could make for a very interesting situation where PlayStation’s games natively run on hardware produced by its direct competitor. As always, though, Microsoft’s plans could change, especially for a device that won’t hit store shelves for several years.

Source link