It seems as if a new era of technology is set to sweep the gaming industry, with recent rumors regarding major platforms like Xbox and PlayStation only feeding into this notion. Many rumors and leaks point towards a departure from traditional gaming consoles in the near future, with Cloud streaming and even handheld devices becoming more commonplace as things like internet speeds gradually improve in large parts of the world.
A huge amount of discussion has recently been sparked over semi-confirmed upcoming handheld devices for both Xbox and PlayStation, with these major players of the gaming industry seemingly aiming to break into a gaming sector that has been dominated by Nintendo for quite some time. Of course, these devices would need to do a lot to cement themselves as viable and attractive alternatives to traditional consoles, and some high-profile rumors seemingly shed light on how Xbox is aiming to achieve this. According to some reports, the upcoming handheld console for Xbox will have the ability to play PS5 games, marking a huge step forward that could revolutionize platform accessibility in gaming.
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PS5 Support Would Be a Huge Deal For Xbox’s Handheld Console
Rumors about Xbox developing its own modern handheld console have been circulating for years, but some recent comments from Xbox head Phil Spencer essentially confirmed that this kind of technology is in the early stages of internal development at Xbox. It is unclear what this kind of hardware would look like in terms of how it offers access to titles, with it being likely that this handheld console is years away from release, if it ever releases at all.
However, it is clear that Xbox is placing a huge amount of attention on Cloud streaming for video games, with the platform recently extending Cloud gaming capabilities for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, and this technology would play perfectly into the hands of a dedicated handheld device. Through Cloud streaming, players can already access Xbox titles through devices like phones, tablets, and Amazon Fire TV, making a handheld console or device a logical extension of this new Xbox philosophy.
With it seeming likely that Xbox will lean more into Cloud streaming for its future projects, its handheld tech will probably act more like a remote streaming device, in a similar vein to the PlayStation Portal. On top of this, Xbox is making a concerted effort to bridge the gap between its console and PC demographics, meaning its handheld device is also likely to play more like a remote gaming PC akin to the Steam Deck.
The Likely PC-Focus of Xbox’s Handheld Device Could Break Down PlayStation’s Barriers
Many recent industry trends point towards a future of complete availability for most games across all platforms, with Phil Spencer also stating his hopes for PC third-party stores to eventually be available on Xbox hardware. Of course, with more and more PlayStation titles now becoming available on these very same PC stores, a future Xbox handheld could have the massive benefit of having access to a wide range of PlayStation releases.
Of course, this new relationship works both ways, with Xbox being very forward with allowing its own exclusives to come to PlayStation consoles, and it seems like this unifying move could be reciprocated in the upcoming era of handheld devices. Most of this thinking is still speculation, but an unmistakable industry trend is clearly pointing towards a breakdown of traditional platform exclusivity, and the heavily rumored handheld projects of both Xbox and PlayStation will likely use the full breadth of gaming stores and titles. While Sony has enjoyed more of this increased exclusive accessibility in recent months, it seems that Xbox’s handheld device is finally going to capitalize on Sony’s own stock of coveted exclusive games by centering itself around the growing catalog of PC-available games.