I said there are rumors that it would. Xbox has even sent out surveys asking the market about the potential of a handheld. It's not something out of left field.
Game Mode is on current PCs...not sure why they wouldn't have that. But I wouldn't expect an Xbox handheld to be a PC first, handheld second. I would think it would be more of the reverse. Like it's main function is gaming, but then may be able to run apps like Netflix if the user chooses to use it for that.
Yea I think no matter what...the Switch 2 is somewhere in the running. I don't think I could just ignore that even with a feature-full Xbox handheld.
Windows' "Game Mode" is just suspending a few services. I mean a legit reboot of the OS into a stripped down kernal that doesn't a host of usual OS things, very similar to the Xbox consoles' stripped down OS. And there's a few reasons I suspect Microsoft's handheld would have a full windows suite. Firstly, their chief competitor isn't the low spec Switch, it's the high spec Steam Deck. Secondly, they'll struggle to produce a machine much cheaper than the Steam Deck because they're talking about allowing third party stores - so they can't price the hardware at a loss. So, if Microsoft launched an Xbox handheld that was the same cost or more as the Steam Deck, but one that had less features and/or worse performance, it would be DOA. So, I think they'll be forced to match price, which means matching performance, which means matching features.
I'm not completely familiar with the Steam Deck's features, but it's already been discussed in this thread that the ROG Ally seems to have more features and is more powerful, albeit at a higher cost. What features would Xbox have to match? Also, wouldn't Cloud capability already be a feature that Steam Deck currently doesn't have?
the one being a clown is you for failing to see the reality of the handheld market, which is rather crowded. Not counting steamdeck and switch, there are handhelds from asus, msi, and lenovo. For argument's sake, even if xbox were to make handheld, it would not have access to steam or epic store because it is in xbox's best interest to keep their customers in their own eco system. Just making another steam handheld offers no advantage over the competition.
Ok, I'm not the one speaking in absolutes. That's you. That's what makes you a clown. I never said Xbox will definitely have a handheld, as you stated. In the OP I specifically said there are RUMORS about an Xbox handheld. Again, that's what makes you a clown. Anything else you say is irrelevant to this conversation.
The Steam Deck is an open Linux platform running SteamOS. That means it has all the features of a Linux Desktop PC. Think of a feature, and it has it, or, can be altered to have it. For example, because it's a Linux Desktop, I can run any Desktop application including Winux. So, it can be my emulation machine - including running Switch games, but it can also be a Plex server, a NAS, run Steam games, run games from Epic, or GOG, or EA Play: anything. Cloud gaming, for example, is easily possible - presuming xCloud is accessible via a web browser. ROG Ally is a Windows Desktop in your hands, which is why it needs beefier specs, which is why it costs more. Steam Deck is relatively cheap for everything its putting in your hands - and it isn't locked down.
There's also playing on the crapper, but a phone or a cheap portable emulator like Anbernic can cover that.
