Skip to main content

Microsoft patent reveals controllers to transform smartphones into handheld Xbox

A Microsoft patent filed last month revealed plans for controllers that will transform smartphones into handheld Xbox consoles, in what may be the system’s first foray into gaming on the go.

The patent, filed on July 9, is for a charging device for removable input modules. While there is no specific mention of the Xbox in the application, a couple of the drawings feature all-too-familiar buttons and symbols.

The patent is specifically for the charger of the controllers, which the filing said will temporarily attach to a touchscreen device to provide input controls. Possible features for the controllers include built-in speakers, a headphone jack, and wireless headphones support.

The controllers will address certain issues commonly experienced in games for a touchscreen device such as a smartphone, including slipping fingers, obscured parts of the display, and the cramped space for on-screen controls.

Designer Sarang Sheth from Yanko Design took a stab at mock-ups for the controller mentioned in the Microsoft patent, creating what may be the first look at an upcoming Nintendo Switch challenger.

The detachable controllers certainly make the handheld Xbox mock-ups look similar to the Nintendo Switch. However, the major difference with Nintendo’s hybrid console is that the controllers in the Microsoft patents will focus on enabling the Project xCloud video game streaming service on mobile phones.

Project xCloud, similar to Google Stadia, will allow players to stream console and PC games to their devices through an internet connection. The games will not be downloaded to the devices, but will rather be streamed from Microsoft’s own servers.

The controllers featured on the Microsoft patent may make Project xCloud more attractive to smartphone gamers, as it will enable on-the-go gaming for Xbox exclusives like the upcoming Gears 5.

This will not be Microsoft’s first attempt at entering the handheld gaming market though. A few years ago, Microsoft’s former Chief Xbox Officer Robbie Bach revealed that the “Xboy” project was in development. However, the device did not leave the conceptual stages before it was ultimately scrapped.

With the detachable controllers just part of a patent, and without an official announcement from Microsoft, it remains to be seen how long players will need to wait for a handheld Xbox if it will arrive at all.

Editors' Recommendations

Aaron Mamiit
Aaron received a NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was 4 years old, and he has been fascinated with…
Xbox lays off 1,900 developers, cancels Blizzard’s survival game
A hunter crouches before footprints in Blizzard concept art.

Concept art from a now-cancelled Blizzard survival game. Blizzard Entertainment

Microsoft is laying off around 8% of its Gaming Workforce, affecting game developers across Xbox, ZeniMax Media, and the newly acquired Activision Blizzard.

Read more
How to watch January 2024’s Xbox Developer_Direct
Senua stares ahead wearing war paint.

Microsoft will hold the first notable video game showcase of 2024 today with its second annual Developer_Direct showcase. As Microsoft comes off a successful 2023 with games like Hi-Fi Rush, Starfield, and Forza Motorsport, this show is poised to give us an in-depth view of the development of games coming this year, like Senua's Saga: Hellblade II and Avowed. Plus, we'll see MachineGames' Indiana Jones game in action for the first time.

Xbox fans who are curious about the company's lineup of games over the next year or so will definitely want to tune into the January 2024 Developer_Direct. To help those planning to watch, we've rounded up information on when and where you can watch and what you should expect from it.
When is January 2024's Xbox Developer_Direct?
2024's Xbox Developer_Direct will begin at 12 p.m. PT today, January 18. Microsoft has not confirmed a specific length, but it's expected to be under an hour long because as The Elder Scrolls Online Global Reveal live stream will take place after the Developer_Direct at 1 p.m. PT.
How to watch January 2024's Xbox Developer_Direct
Developer_Direct 2024

Read more
Persona 3 Reload leads a surprisingly strong batch of Xbox Game Pass additions
A character uses a bow and arrow in Persona 3 Reload.

Microsoft unveiled the next batch of new Xbox Game Pass titles, which are dropping between January 18 and February 8. Of the seven new titles coming to the video game subscription service over that time span, four are new games being added on the day of their release. The most noteworthy of those games is Persona 3 Reload, Atlus' highly anticipated remake of an RPG classic.

Persona 3 was first released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan in 2006 and came to North America just a year later. While its sequels would go on to garner a bit more immediate acclaim, Persona 3 provided the solid foundation that they all built on. It is darker than those future entries, though, as you'll go from living your life as a Japanese teenager to shooting a gun at your own head to summon a Persona in stylish turn-based battles. Persona 3 is considered one of the best RPGs of its generation, and this remake brings the experience to modern platforms with a visual overhaul that makes it look more like Persona 5.

Read more