Ask Paul: April 14 (Premium)

It finally feels like Spring here in Macungie, so let's kick off the weekend a bit early so we can enjoy the weather for a change.
Handheld gaming
OldITPro2000 asks:

There are more and more Steam Deck like handhelds being released, like the Ayaneo 2 and ROG Ally, not to mention the rumors of the PlayStation “Q-Lite” handheld and the already released Logitech G Cloud. In the news today was a Microsoft project to create a “handheld mode” for Windows to pair with devices like this.

Yeah. There's nothing wrong with this idea: Windows 11 can and should adapt to whatever hardware it's being used on, and a handheld (gaming) mode makes as much sense as a tablet mode. (And this kind of adaptation makes a lot more sense than the approach from 20 years ago where each of these things would be a specific Windows product edition.) I like the idea of a "launcher" in this mode where the user might select the Xbox app or Steam, or whatever, and have that be the full-screen UI when in this mode. It's a good idea.

I keep asking myself why Microsoft doesn’t make a device like this themselves. It would fit more under the Xbox brand, but I could see it as a Surface device as these are often docked and used with external peripherals. Any ideas why Microsoft might be hesitant to enter this market?

I have wondered about this for years. I still think that Microsoft making a handheld Xbox makes sense, and that's true whether a handheld mode for Windows 11 is a thing or not. (After all, console and PC games coexist in Xbox already.) I don’t understand why Sony killed the PSP/Vita and feel that those devices started to really make sense when they correctly emulated a console controller (i.e. went to two thumb sticks). And now that most videogame sales are digital, this would be yet another great way to move the platform forward.

Back in the day, I always sort of imagined that an Xbox handheld would basically be based on whatever the previous-gen console was and that you would play those games on it. Today, however, Microsoft has formalized a tiered development system in which games scale to meet the capabilities of the Series X and Series S consoles. So why not call this thing Xbox Series H (or whatever) and formalize a third tier so that this thing could play the same games? This seems doable today. And, honestly, semi-obvious. Plus, it could be a good Xbox Cloud Gaming choice.

The other option, obviously, is to make an Android-based gaming handheld. This could make a lot of sense too, but the missing piece is the mobile gaming IP that Xbox currently lacks. Perhaps this is a side goal of the Activision Blizzard acquisition.

Regardless, Sony is apparently looking at making another handheld gaming machine and, whatever form it takes, Microsoft should do the same.
The Amiga of mobile
j5 asks:

Hi Paul! Did you try out the Palm Pre when it came out? If so what were your thoughts on it? I had one and I loved it! I thought the OS was ...