Microsoft‘s priorities have reportedly shifted to improving the widely criticized performance of Windows 11 on existing third-party gaming laptops.
In an exclusive report, Windows Central claims that a dedicated portable system for Xbox, which could be launched in 2027 with the Xbox Series X successor, is not the company’s main focus right now, although it remains interested in the idea. The company’s own portable device, for which Windows Central’s Jez Corden says he’s seen several different codenames, is not currently being worked on, and he adds that no layoffs have been made in connection with the strategic shift.
While an Xbox device of its own may not be coming anytime soon, the report makes it clear that Microsoft is still very active in the portable console market. The third-party console it is working on with ASUS, codenamed “Project Kennan,” is still targeting a 2025 launch. It is likely that this device, which may be equipped with an AMD Z2 Extreme chip, will ship with an improved Windows 11 that is better suited to the controller interface.
Awkward software integration in early iterations of portable PCs like the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally was a big problem, and that partly explains why people are so excited that SteamOS will no longer be exclusive to the Steam Deck. This week, the Lenovo Legion Go S launched with SteamOS running out of the box, and it’s the first non-Valve laptop to have this capability.
