This will probably be the biggest competition the Steam Deck has within the handheld PC space.
Most noteworthy is that windows is finally focusing on providing a decent handheld experience, including booting straight to a controller friendly interface, and reducing background processes for better fps and battery.
Edit: The handheld Xbox UI will.come to all windows PCs, but it’s not clear if the reduced performance bloat version will be available. It sounds like only Xbox branded devices may get the full benefit of optimized windows.
It’s also the ugliest handheld PC yet (imo), but I can appreciate that they’re pushing for comfort over looks.
I fail to understand why hardware manufacturers are so afraid of dual track pads and 4 back buttons. Do they think that including these features will reduce sales?
I didn’t think I would use the trackpads much, but now that I have them, I can’t move to a handheld that doesn’t have them. They are just too convenient.
Mainly I use them for more keybindings but they are essential for that.
It’s so cool to play the old X-Wing and TIE Fighter games and be able to control them with some custom HUDs.
The cyberpunk thing is, if we were actually fighting in a resistance and you needed to practice flying TIE Fighters to know how to steal one or fight against them, you would probably be playing an emulator of an outdated but still very good empire TIE fighter simulator on a third party device :)
Rebel af
Conversely I bought a Steam Deck specifically because of the trackpads but I find I only ever use them on the rare occasion that I need to go to desktop mode. I love my Deck but I’ve discovered that could easily live without the trackpads if they weren’t there.
Can’t look back since I got my first Steam Controller. Once you get used to them trackpads are way more comfortable (and durable) than joysticks. I’d be happy with a controller with no joysticks too. Much easier to throw in a bag and take for a trip.
Well, it makes the hardware more complicated to manufacture, more error prone, more bigger, more costly. The software becomes also a little bit more complicated. Maybe they are afraid that trackpads wouldn’t appeal to normies, because it looks weird first and most “console” gamers might want to use a “normal” gamepad like handheld, like any other handheld. Trackpads look so different and weird compared to the Switch in example. Being similar to the Switch in the look might be a reason for them to exclude it. But most importantly, it makes it more costly. So, I can see reasons for this.
Having said this, I would never buy a PC handheld without a single trackpad again. I love them (not in the literal sense BTW :D). Compared with good software for input, like Steam Input, they become invaluable.
I understand the trackpads somewhat since they take up space, but the lack of back buttons is inexcusable.
Personally though, I’d buy a trackpad only deck (maybe with a real d-pad) but I know I’m in the minority on that one.
Personally though, I’d buy a trackpad only deck (maybe with a real d-pad) but I know I’m in the minority on that one.
I can’t understand this. There are a few fans of the original Steam Controller (I have one too from launch of it) and they seem to be okay for the missing d-pad. Maybe if you play games where d-pad is never needed, I can see it. But games like Fighting Games, classic Platformer or anything that requires precise single clicks (even menus, like RPGs) are better with d-pad in my opinion. And if you are a fan of emulation like me, then there is no discussion, a d-pad is a must.
Do you really never use the d-pad?
Well, I did say “maybe with a real d-pad”, it’s just the thumbsticks that aren’t necessary.
I actually did play with the Steam Controller for years using the trackpad as d-pad. It was more of a comfort thing that made it less than ideal which was due to the shape/texture of the original SC, but I could live without it personally if it’s done right.
I’ve even played shmups with it, with the right settings, but I get there is a learning curve and its easier to use a physical d-pad.
Oh, I’m sorry, I completely misread that part about “with a real d-pad”. Not sure what happened there.
Trackpads cost “money”, and besides you already have a touchscreen.
The thing that really makes me jealous is the Freesync panel. The secret to getting a battery-powered GPU to keep up with the screen is to stop making it keep up with the screen.
I love the trackpads on my steam deck, but I think the best part is steam input. Having so much control on their behavior and being able to map various kinds of menus make them so powerful!
The same trackpads with shitty software wouldn’t be half as useful.
@tiberius @Fubarberry If they put trackpads will scare away many users. The handheld needs to look like a console. Many gamers don’t want to go into PC gaming territory so xbox is wrapping this one as a “console”.
What an impressive way to dismiss the behaviors of others as “fear”. And in the face of no data even. So brave!
Microsoft has no integrity left. I’m all for competition. If you have an xbox and this is as friendly a combination as the deck is to a bazzite/any Linux really and the Ally is what you choose, fuck yeah get your game on. For me, I’ll never trust any Microsoft product.
7" non-OLED screen is a hard no from me, regardless of everything else.
Tell that to Nintendo and their fans.
this is like 2 years too late. microsoft couldve done something to salvage the xbox brand by competing with the steam deck around when the rog ally first came out. “this device is 100% compatible with windows games because it IS a windows machine!”
steamOS and bazzite are now in a really stable spot and the enthusiasts are already settled in.
This is going to appeal more to regular consumers over enthusiasts.
Shit
Embrace, extend, and extinguish
Not sure about diving in… More like dipping their toes. I think it’s great that they’re making windows more usable on different types of devices. To be honest though, all of this sounds like Windows 8, especially the bit about limiting background processes. People were pissed about it then, but I guess maybe now they’ll like it if it makes gaming better (and really, it probably makes everything better. There are so many background processes on my PC, it’s ridiculous).
I’d like to see a Microsoft branded handheld. I’m curious if it would be Xbox or Surface branded…
Supposedly they were working on an inhouse one, and then changed directions to just do software tweaks for other companies hardware instead.
It definitely needs some background process limiting, comparing official windows vs official steamOS on that Lenovo legion Go showed pretty terrible performance impact from running windows.
No touch pad. I guess your limited to controller only game. No rimworld, harder time modding etc. Not really a competition for me
Ah shit Microsoft responded to steamOS. If this this matches or whoops linux in performance its going to make it very hard to convince people to move away from Microsoft.
It probably won’t whoop Linux, but if it can at least get the performance closer, we could have an excitingly competitive handheld OS market.
You are sitting here saying finally a competitive os market but the competition has pretty much just ended.
They would both have different strengths, so handheld Windows will never snuff out SteamOS when it has a pretty good head start already. Not to mention that any windows handheld will be more expensive than a SteamOS one unless Microsoft is willing to give the license away for free.
SteamOS has had a good start but its not a headstart. Its still a minority OS in the handheld space. Now that you can get a slick UI with good preformance, 100% software compatibility, im failing to see the advantages that will draw windows users onto steam.
Im a linux users so I place a lot of value in the freedom of the ecosystem but most non linux users dont think about that or care. SteamOS needed this win to convince people to leave the microsoft ecosystem and now microsoft has closed the gap.
Steam Deck sold about 3.7 million units, while the handheld PCs have sold around 6 million since the Steam Deck was launched. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound like a minority to me unless you’re counting the Switch, as well.
However, neither this Xbox handheld and the Steam Deck will be able to even compare to the volume being sold by Nintendo, so what’s the point of even including it in this comparison? We might as well include Android gaming in that comparison, then, which should dwarf everything else by comparison.
Fizz was comparing SteamOS vs Windows market share, which SteamOS/Linux is just 2.69% compared to windows, now with new windows for handhelds there’s a risk that Microsoft could further solidify its monopoly in the PC ecosystem. This development could pose a significant challenge to Valve’s efforts to compete with SteamOS/Linux, potentially stifling its growth in the handheld gaming space.
Bro, he said a minority in the handheld space. Why would you use the number that included everything that is not handheld?
Competition in the handheld gaming device is good. Why would we want another category where Valve has a monopoly in?
I doubt Microsoft has what it takes to completely overcome Linux’s advantages, and the competition will not stifle SteamOS’s growth because it is a growing market. Both handheld OS can occupy its own niche that they are good at.
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