Microsoft Xbox chief Phil Spencer has been hinting at the company’s desire to release a portable gaming console for some time now. At a recent AMD and Lenovo event, which was largely dedicated to the presentation of the Legion Go S console, Phil Spencer and Microsoft vice president of emerging technologies Jason Ronald stated that the company aims to make Windows more convenient for use on portable devices.
During a conversation with reporters, Microsoft representatives clarified that they do not intend to port the Xbox operating system to Windows. Instead, developers intend to bring Xbox features to the existing Windows infrastructure, thereby organizing the optimal gaming experience across various devices. This approach suggests that Microsoft is choosing to focus on improving Windows itself rather than fragmenting its user base across separate operating systems.
“We have a long history of innovating in the console space, and as we collaborate across the industry, this is really about how do we take the innovations that we have created and implemented in the console space and bring them to the PC and bring them to the portable gaming space,” the source quotes Jason Ronald as saying.
Ronald later confirmed that Microsoft is looking into ways to bring the Xbox and Windows experiences together, adding that some progress in that direction will be seen later this year. According to him, this will happen sooner than an Xbox Portable console, which could still be a few years away.
Unifying Xbox and Windows Experiences
“I would say it’s the best of Xbox and Windows, because we’ve spent the last 20 years building a world-class operating system, but it’s really tied to the console. Right now, we’re focused on how to bring that experience for players and developers into the broader Windows ecosystem,” Ronald explained.
He also acknowledged that Windows on portable devices is far from perfect at the moment and noted that Valve’s SteamOS might be a more polished solution for certain consoles. However, Microsoft aims to change that by placing the player and their game library at the center of the experience. Ronald mentioned that Microsoft plans to improve how users interact with Windows via game controllers and streamline the interface by enabling elements like the Start menu and taskbar to be hidden, creating a more cohesive gaming environment.
Overall, the company intends to make Windows the optimal platform for gamers using different devices, notes NIXSolutions. We’ll keep you updated on any developments regarding these ambitions for unifying Xbox console innovations with Windows.