Xbox fans are slating plans for a Switch 2 rival: “Why would I buy this?”

12 March, 2025

Xbox handheld

Gaming fans are already slating Xbox’s plan to release a handheld console to rival the Nintendo Switch 2 later this year.

At the start of the year, Nintendo confirmed it would be releasing the successor to the Switch at some point this year with more details set to be revealed during a Direct presentation next month.

However yesterday (March 11) it was reported that Xbox was also planning on releasing a handheld console later this year to compete with the Switch 2 – and fans don’t think it’s going to go well.

According to the article published by Windows Central, Microsoft is working with an unnamed PC company to create the console, which will run Xbox Game Pass as well as other gaming systems like Steam. “I’m baffled why anyone would have faith about this,” wrote one fan on Reddit. “Microsoft is a company that has shown the inability to compete with Steam on its own operating system, the inability to compete with Sony in the ‘high end’ console market, and now they want to enter the handheld game against both Steam AND Nintendo? This is a disaster waiting to happen.”

“As much as competition is hopefully good for the industry, this is just Microsoft coming late to the party with bad conclusions,” added another player, with a third writing: “Why would I buy this over a Steam Deck or Switch 2? Unless it comes with SteamOS, I don’t see this being hugely successful.”

“It’s such a terrible idea that it just might work,” wrote another fan.

Last year, it was reported Xbox was looking to stop making new consoles and focus on its Game Pass library instead. However Xbox boss Phil Spencer quickly debunked those rumours. “The future for us in hardware is pretty awesome. The work that the team is doing around different form factors, different ways to play, I’m incredibly excited about,” he explained. “ I love us building devices. And I think our team could do some real innovative work, but we want to be informed by learning and what’s happening now,” he added a few months later.

The same report claims the next-gen Xbox console will be launched in 2027. The PlayStation 6 is rumoured to release the same year.

In other news, the nominations for this year’s additions to the Video Game Hall Of Fame have been announced, with Angry Birds, Quake and Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare all shortlisted.

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