Microsoft executive Shane Kim recently said in an interview that a Microsoft handheld gaming unit is inevitable, but didn't disclose when the company will release it, or what it will do exactly.
Before the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) last month, there were unconfirmed rumors that Microsoft would announce the ZuneX gaming handheld -- a device said to support Xbox Live Arcade and typical cell phone capabilities.
"For us, it's a matter of focusing on when, because if we chased after a mobile or handheld opportunity, we would not have the resources and ability to do things like Project Natal" Kim said, as he noted Microsoft should have something to announce at some point. "So the question will be, how do we enter into that market. Do we do our own device? Do we create our own phone? That's a question for the company itself. Do we continue to go down the Windows Mobile path which is that path that we're on today?"
I am also a believer that Microsoft will release some type of gaming handheld at some point, and hope it is announced soon. The popularity of Apple iPhone gaming has revealed a huge demand for handheld video games, which is one motivator for Microsoft to release a handheld gaming device that is also capable of placing phone calls.
With Microsoft relying on Windows Phones at the moment, perhaps it truly is time to think about a gaming device. Although Windows Mobile has battled head-to-head with Symbian over the years, it is now competing with Apple, Research In Motion, and Google Android in a cluttered mobile OS market.
Are you looking forward to a mobile Windows gaming device?
