Phil Spencer’s Vision for a Portable Xbox
Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft Gaming, loves the idea of a portable Xbox and despite trying devices like Steam Deck, Legion Go, or ROG Ally, he can’t help but think about what a similar device from Xbox itself would be like.
“I want my Lenovo Legion Go to feel like an Xbox. I brought it with me to GDC. I’m on the plane and I have this list of everything that makes me feel like it’s not an Xbox. Forget the brand. It’s more: are all my games here? Do my games come with the saves I want? I’ll tell you a game that doesn’t currently do that, it’s driving me crazy, it’s Fallout 76. It has no shared progress.”
Spencer’s Desire for a Seamless Gaming Experience
In his conversation with Polygon, Spencer talked about what he wants from a device like this, “I want them to feel like I have the Xbox menu when I turn on the TV. I want that on these devices.”
Spencer even says that the hardware team at Xbox is testing designs, formats, and things they could do, especially focused on goals like finding more players or allowing gaming in places where it wasn’t possible before.
However, he notes that hardware is just one way to look at the goal; software is another. Much of the friction he feels on these devices is related to Windows or software. Spencer wants to improve that, one example being the ability to connect a controller, and he even acknowledges that his position allows him to start efforts to improve many things.
Spencer has not confirmed a portable Xbox, but he recalled industry moments like the Wii, where hardware innovation led to software innovation, something he hopes to achieve with his brand.
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