A patent for the handheld Xbox 2 was leaked, and it shows a pair of controllers familiar to Switch owners.
The patent application was filed on July 9, 2019, and rough sketches of the devices were leaked just now.
Designer Sarah Sheth posted a digital image of the Xbox 2 using the sketches from the patent filing. If the final product comes close to the mockup, it’s a very elegant looking device indeed.
Those who played with the Xbox One controller will find most of the elements present on the handheld device. All the buttons, keys, and joysticks are there. You can even find the right and left triggers on top of the controllers.
Just like the Joy-Con of the Switch, the Xbox 2 controllers are completely detachable. Hopefully, it won’t encounter the same issues that the Joy-Con controllers on the Switch. Nintendo Switch owners have complained about the drifting issues and have accused the company of ignoring their demands.
In fact, a Switch owner sued Nintendo for continuing to address the issue despite being aware of the problem. Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith handled the lawsuit, which encouraged others to join the class suit. It’s filed before the US District Court for Western District of Washington.
If Microsoft can roll out a pair of detachable controllers without any problems, then Nintendo Switch may be in trouble.
However, there’s a kink to the design. Unlike the Nintendo Switch, the screen is basically just a smartphone. The peripherals can be attached to the smartphone then connect it via the software app.
If you think you’ve heard all of this before, that’s because it’s similar to the Project xCloud. However, early designs literally look like Xbox controllers split in the middle to be clipped on to the phone. There’s no rhyme and reason to the design as the clip-on controllers look out of place.
The Xbox 2 design, meanwhile, looks more like a result of careful planning. The integration into the display screen is much more seamless and organic.
Although the patent didn’t detail the Xbox 2 specs, speculations are rife that it would support 4K gaming. The handheld device seems to be part of the Microsoft xCloud service where games are delivered through powerful servers. The idea is you can play your game anywhere, anytime whether on your console, tablet, or smartphone.
