3 ms·

This is screaming for Microsoft to release a gaming Surface, possibly one that looks/acts a lot like a Nintendo Switch.

Server6 5y ago
Yeah if Microsoft released an xCloud device that looked like a Switch that could side load emulators I'd buy it.
neogodless 5y ago
There's something like that called the Aya Neo[0]. It runs Windows. It runs emulators. It's reasonably powerful and compact. And it has hardware buttons. It's also a bit pricey if you think of it as a portable game device, and it also probably falls down a bit on battery life comparisons. Would you want a gaming Surface to have two screens and touchscreen buttons, or hardware (perhaps as a Surface keyboard-like magnetic accessory)? [0] https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ayaneo-world-s-first-7nm-handheld-gaming-device#/ https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ayaneo-world-s-first-7nm-...
- LegitShady 5y ago
  It's too much money, so it doesn't matter. They've priced themselves out of relevance.
  - neogodless 5y ago
    For most people and use cases, I agree. If you get it as a combo tablet/gaming/tiny laptop, it's not a bad price. The OS allows you to do all those things, and the screen is acceptable for some of them. But personally, yeah, I want a 15"+ screen for laptop usage, and I don't really have interest in a tablet, so there's not enough value here for the money.
    - LegitShady 5y ago
      >If you get it as a combo tablet/gaming/tiny laptop, it's not a bad price. It's an integrated graphics Ryzen 4500U machine - it's not a gaming device and shouldn't be called that. It doesn't have a keyboard, so it's not a laptop. It's at best a ryzen 5 4500U powered tablet with integrated gaming controls. You can buy a $500-600 dell laptop and a $50 xbox controller and get the keyboard too. I'm happy they found 2500 people to back their project but it looks like a major rip off to me. It's not without some controversy either https://www.reddit.com/r/ayaneo/comments/n6k0n0/breaking_latest_updates_uncle_a_sold_the_company/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ayaneo/comments/n6k0n0/breaking_lat... https://www.reddit.com/r/ayaneo/comments/n7hgmd/guide_on_refund_im_out_pals_but_wish_you_the_best/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ayaneo/comments/n7hgmd/guide_on_ref... The company behind the device has been sold and it's a new team, new manufacturing, etc. I would not back a $1000 crowdfund for any reason.
      - myhf 5y ago
        There's obviously a niche for high-end UMPCs with integrated controllers. (Aya Neo, GPD Win 3, ONEXPLAYER, etc.) If you are planning on using an eGPU with a laptop, the laptop might as well be smaller.
JohnWhigham 5y ago
It would be dead on arrival. Nintendo is just too good in the handheld department. I'd look at the PS Vita as a cautionary tale.
- Hamuko 5y ago
  The Vita is an amazing piece of kit (I own two!) and I think the main fault with the system was Sony's lack of support and the garbage proprietary storage medium that was worth its weight in gold. If Microsoft made a Vita with xCloud, I imagine it'd be a pretty popular device and further enhance the value of the Microsoft gaming ecosystem. Also, even though the Vita was not a smash hit for Sony, developing for the Vita was apparently pretty lucrative. The attachment rate for Vita was very high and Vita owners bought a lot of games. Granted, that was probably due to Sony's abuse of its Vita buyers.
slver 5y ago
I can foresee dozens of people buying it.

Yeah if Microsoft released an xCloud device that looked like a Switch that could side load emulators I'd buy it.

There's something like that called the Aya Neo[0]. It runs Windows. It runs emulators. It's reasonably powerful and compact. And it has hardware buttons. It's also a bit pricey if you think of it as a portable game device, and it also probably falls down a bit on battery life comparisons. Would you want a gaming Surface to have two screens and touchscreen buttons, or hardware (perhaps as a Surface keyboard-like magnetic accessory)? [0] https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ayaneo-world-s-first-7nm-handheld-gaming-device#/ https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ayaneo-world-s-first-7nm-...

LegitShady 5y ago
It's too much money, so it doesn't matter. They've priced themselves out of relevance.
- neogodless 5y ago
  For most people and use cases, I agree. If you get it as a combo tablet/gaming/tiny laptop, it's not a bad price. The OS allows you to do all those things, and the screen is acceptable for some of them. But personally, yeah, I want a 15"+ screen for laptop usage, and I don't really have interest in a tablet, so there's not enough value here for the money.
  - LegitShady 5y ago
    >If you get it as a combo tablet/gaming/tiny laptop, it's not a bad price. It's an integrated graphics Ryzen 4500U machine - it's not a gaming device and shouldn't be called that. It doesn't have a keyboard, so it's not a laptop. It's at best a ryzen 5 4500U powered tablet with integrated gaming controls. You can buy a $500-600 dell laptop and a $50 xbox controller and get the keyboard too. I'm happy they found 2500 people to back their project but it looks like a major rip off to me. It's not without some controversy either https://www.reddit.com/r/ayaneo/comments/n6k0n0/breaking_latest_updates_uncle_a_sold_the_company/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ayaneo/comments/n6k0n0/breaking_lat... https://www.reddit.com/r/ayaneo/comments/n7hgmd/guide_on_refund_im_out_pals_but_wish_you_the_best/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ayaneo/comments/n7hgmd/guide_on_ref... The company behind the device has been sold and it's a new team, new manufacturing, etc. I would not back a $1000 crowdfund for any reason.
    - myhf 5y ago
      There's obviously a niche for high-end UMPCs with integrated controllers. (Aya Neo, GPD Win 3, ONEXPLAYER, etc.) If you are planning on using an eGPU with a laptop, the laptop might as well be smaller.

JohnWhigham 5y ago

It would be dead on arrival. Nintendo is just too good in the handheld department. I'd look at the PS Vita as a cautionary tale.

Hamuko 5y ago
The Vita is an amazing piece of kit (I own two!) and I think the main fault with the system was Sony's lack of support and the garbage proprietary storage medium that was worth its weight in gold. If Microsoft made a Vita with xCloud, I imagine it'd be a pretty popular device and further enhance the value of the Microsoft gaming ecosystem. Also, even though the Vita was not a smash hit for Sony, developing for the Vita was apparently pretty lucrative. The attachment rate for Vita was very high and Vita owners bought a lot of games. Granted, that was probably due to Sony's abuse of its Vita buyers.

slver 5y ago

I can foresee dozens of people buying it.