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[LakeOf9]

Codename "Pembrooke" was Microsoft's initial internal Xbox handheld effort. It was always a bit unclear if Pembrooke was designed to be a native Windows 11 PC gaming-style handheld, or more of a native Xbox console-style experience. But we potentially now have the answer.

It seems that it was indeed meant to be a device that could run full Xbox games, but Microsoft has decided to prioritize its teams on the partner opportunity around devices like Kennan — at least for now. I've been told that Microsoft still has big ambitions and is investing heavily to deliver a native Xbox handheld, but the shift is about prioritizing and allocating resources right now. There have been no layoffs or anything like that as a result of this reprioritization.

EXCLUSIVE: Xbox's first-party handheld has been sidelined (for now)

Xbox's handheld ambitions continue unabated, but the focus is shifting towards improving Windows 11 for third-party handhelds — for now. The Xbox Series X 'Melrose' successor is safe, with development continuing at full pace.

www.windowscentral.com

The next gen console seems to be fine

 

[daclynk]

 

[Snakeeyes646]

Doubt.

 

[Loomy]

The next gen console seems to be fine

Eh, we'll see.

Honestly though, the hardware part of this is trivial at this point. Microsoft's problem will always be the OS, and if they can't nail that and people are going to just install SteamOS on their device anyways, then what's the point?

 

[Deerock71]

An announcement of an unannounced piece of hardware being canceled.

 

[PauloRoberto]

Given the size of this market, expected. Ms does not want to be a niche company, MS only wants to dominate and smash any adversary.

 

[Magic Carpet]

That one guy they had working on it. Did he get moved to another department? Or was he kicked out the door?

 

[MiguelItUp]

If it was never actually announced, was it ever really cancelled?

 

[Banjo64]

You can't be serious

Xbox can't even handle their terrible ideas well.

Jesus.

 

[Bridges]

All I fucking wanted was a handheld that accessed my Xbox (console) library without having to stream.

Not even sure I want it anymore anyway it's been so damn long. If it's just another handheld PC then why bother, there's dozens of those on the market already

 

[onQ123]

Switch 2 got them shook lol

 

[LakeOf9]

Switch 2 got them shook lol

They saw the Crimson Desert Switch 2 leak and set fire to their work in panic

 

[nial]

Can anyone post *that one* tweet just so we can laugh at it? I don't care if it's unrelated.

 

[Scrawnton]

Can Jez please just shut the fuck up.

 

[mayham2199]

I'm not surprised. There seemed no point to it honestly.

 

[Ozriel]

You can't be serious

Xbox can't even handle their terrible ideas well.

Jesus.

Consumers: "Microsoft needs to improve Windows user experience on handheld PCs"

*Microsoft decides to prioritize improving the Windows experience on handheld PCs*

You: "Waaaaah"

All I fucking wanted was a handheld that accessed my Xbox (console) library without having to stream.

Not even sure I want it anymore anyway it's been so damn long.

You expected a handheld to have been released already, with specs more powerful than the 80W Series S, all with great battery life?

How?

We're probably a few years out from the right chipset able to run these games out of the box.

 

[Bitstream]

Whats more surprising is that MS was going to attempt putting out a handheld this gen at all.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Not shocked out of their upcoming devices this one seemed the most useless?

 

[Astray]

Looks like someone at Microsoft blinked. Now we wait and see what happens with the Uber powerful console.

I have a feeling that this old post of mine will be relevant here.

I said this to HeisenbergFX4 before, but working on something and prototyping etc doesn't really matter until someone at Microsoft actually inks the deal to mass produce these things, however way they go about it.

That's the real moment of truth, when Microsoft (or someone else like Asus or whatever) has to commit $100m or so to reserve a production line and start buying components etc.

Until then, this is just news fodder.

 

[Banjo64]

Consumers: "Microsoft needs to improve Windows user experience on handheld PCs"

*Microsoft decides to prioritize improving the Windows experience on handheld PCs*

You: "Waaaaah"

I don't need to cry mate I can just laugh at Microsoft acting like idiots just type in 'Phil Spencer handheld' to Google and laugh away.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Looks like someone at Microsoft blinked. Now we wait and see what happens with the Uber powerful console.

I have a feeling that this old post of mine will be relevant here.

The handheld fell into such an odd category with the Xbox branded Asus handheld coming

I think a lot were asking where is the need for this true Xbox handheld?

 

[BlackTron]

You expected a handheld to have been released already, with specs more powerful than the 80W Series S, all with great battery life?

How?

We're probably a few years out from the right chipset able to run these games out of the box.

Maybe, instead of two console hardware profiles, they could have had a 1 console profile, and 1 handheld profile. Like, from the beginning.

They keep putting themselves against a wall and into double binds.

 

[Badlucktroll]

 

[onQ123]

But I know something about you

You went to Pembrooke, that's a private school

What's the matter, dawg? You embarrassed?

 

[LakeOf9]

I'm not surprised. There seemed no point to it honestly.

Whats more surprising is that MS was going to attempt putting out a handheld this gen at all.

Not shocked out of their upcoming devices this one seemed the most useless?

Honestly, the handheld was the only one of their upcoming hardware projects that seemed to make sense to me. They obviously have proven they cannot go head to head with PlayStation in a direct match up, because that never works for them. Offering a high end native Xbox portable, with all the ecosystem hooks, would be a great way to differentiate their hardware and have it be appealing to people, even with all Xbox games coming to PlayStation.

Of course, Xbox isn't in the habit of making good decisions, so it's not surprising this got canceled.

 

[playbignbox]

After the case of Steam OS delivering better performance and autonomy than Windows on the Legion Go, I think Microsoft urgently needs to resolve this first.

 

[LordOcidax]

A rumor that cancel another rumor… I should made a gaming site.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

I like how this thread is about a rumor about a rumor which was originally about a rumor

It's rumorception. How deep can we go?

 

[onQ123]

Honestly, the handheld was the only one of their upcoming hardware projects that seemed to make sense to me. They obviously have proven they cannot go head to head with PlayStation in a direct match up, because that never works for them. Offering a high end native Xbox portable, with all the ecosystem hooks, would be a great way to differentiate their hardware and have it be appealing to people, even with all Xbox games coming to PlayStation.

Of course, Xbox isn't in the habit of making good decisions, so it's not surprising this got canceled.

This wasn't the only handheld this one was just more of an Xbox handheld.

 

[Fess]

Switch 2 got them shook lol

Yup. Nintendo went with Nvidia and Microsoft went with AMD. And that's that.

 

[TheBomb]

 

[BennyBlanco]

I love how MS is the biggest company in the world and they consistently get outmaneuvered by much smaller companies.

 

[R3TRO]

That was quick

 

[TheMule1983]

I'm so damn glad I got rid of my series x for 437 bucks at GameStop two weeks ago.

 

[Draugoth]

They are really doubling down on consoles when they have no exclusives left?

Bold move

 

[Rosoboy19]

Sometimes Xbox feels like a trust-fund kid in college who keeps changing their major every other semester because they have no actual idea what the crap they are doing with their future.
But it doesn't matter because they always have daddy's (MS) money to bail them out.

 

[LakeOf9]

I love how MS is the biggest company in the world and they consistently get outmaneuvered by much smaller companies.

For real. Sony has 5% of the market cap Microsoft does. Nintendo has less than 3%

Both of them have been clowning on Microsoft for decades now

 

[Astray]

The handheld fell into such an odd category with the Xbox branded Asus handheld coming

I think a lot were asking where is the need for this true Xbox handheld?

I think it's honestly an encapsulation of how muddled and almost contradictory Microsoft's strategy has been under Spencer.

Only in MS Gaming do you see 2 competing handhelds being developed in the same cubicle. The product development guys may have even been sharing an office!

The other thing I'm thinking is if they can cancel one device so unceremoniously despite hyping it up for almost a year now, what will stop them from canceling the other one? It isn't like they're pushing units right now.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Honestly, the handheld was the only one of their upcoming hardware projects that seemed to make sense to me. They obviously have proven they cannot go head to head with PlayStation in a direct match up, because that never works for them. Offering a high end native Xbox portable, with all the ecosystem hooks, would be a great way to differentiate their hardware and have it be appealing to people, even with all Xbox games coming to PlayStation.

Of course, Xbox isn't in the habit of making good decisions, so it's not surprising this got canceled.

It just felt in an odd place with the Asus product launching yet this year that will be Xbox branded.

I think it's honestly an encapsulation of how muddled and almost contradictory Microsoft's strategy has been under Spencer.

Only in MS Gaming do you see 2 competing handhelds being developed in the same cubicle. The product development guys may have even been sharing an office!

The other thing I'm thinking is if they can cancel one device so unceremoniously despite hyping it up for almost a year now, what will stop them from canceling the other one? It isn't like they're pushing units right now.

I am pretty sure we will still get other "consoles" from them, will get a much better feel for it next weekend.

This news coming out now doesn't shock me as many were wondering if they might hint at this handheld next weekend

 

[Det]

In the end it will be a PC assembled by Dell with an "xbox" seal running several games, not all, from the xbox emulating the SS
I always thought that the Xbox Portable and Xbox OEM were vaporware to keep fans of the brand engaged for as long as possible... Maybe during that time try to transition them to PC with GamePass?

I don't know, the lunatic who had fantasies of a stellar career in buying Nintendo and said that Nintendo's future was to become a third party, from an idiot like that you can expect any idiotic plan.

There's no way to predict Phil Spencer's plan, because idiots are unpredictable.

 

[LakeOf9]

It just felt in an odd place with the Asus product launching yet this year that will be Xbox branded.

Definitely, but at least to me, the Asus one was the one that felt out of place

 

[Gamezone]

We had PC handheld for more than 10 years, even though they didn't take off until the Steam Deck and Rog Ally. Microsoft could have fixed this long ago.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

"Things change, shit happens, time is linear"
-Jex Corden (Super Blogger extraordinaire)

 

[tronied]

Makes sense. They need to make Windows at least competitive with performance on Steam OS before they launch anything. I think ultimately this will benefit everyone including their own handheld ambitions.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

For real. Sony has 5% of the market cap Microsoft does. Nintendo has less than 3%

Both of them have been clowning on Microsoft for decades now

That's because Microsoft is a gigantic megacorporation whose actual primary products have nothing to do with gaming

Gaming has always been like a hobby business for them, the real moneymakers laugh at their gaming division internally

The problem now is the big boys at MS are taking notice after they spent $100 billion to do multiple gigantic acquisitions recently, there is now pressure to actually deliver financial results after all this profligacy

 

[BennyBlanco]

For real. Sony has 5% of the market cap Microsoft does. Nintendo has less than 3%

Both of them have been clowning on Microsoft for decades now

And Valve has already accomplished what Phil has been talking about for years with a handheld PC that has a good UI

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Definitely, but at least to me, the Asus one was the one that felt out of place

Yeah it does too only reason I picked the official Xbox handheld out of place is its coming after the Asus product that almost certainly Xbox will promote then a year later say hey guys now lets push this handheld

 

[Topher]

Microsoft.......just stay out of hardware. You suck at this

 

[mckmas8808]

The handheld fell into such an odd category with the Xbox branded Asus handheld coming

I think a lot were asking where is the need for this true Xbox handheld?

True indeed. It literally makes NO sense.

 

[Astray]

Yeah it does too only reason I picked the official Xbox handheld out of place is its coming after the Asus product that almost certainly Xbox will promote then a year later say hey guys now lets push this handheld

I think they ultimately ended up choosing the handheld that had a shorter time to market and less monetary risk.

It's also the more important one for Microsoft because it's primarily made to defend Windows' hegemony over PC Gaming.