The Surface Duo is the Best Handheld Xbox You Can Get

But thats not saying much

Microsoft

Microsofts Surface Duo is now a Game Boy for Xbox games.

Thanks toXbox Cloud streaming, any PC or phone can play Xbox games.

The Surface Duo uses one screen to show the game, and one screen to display the touch-screen controls.

Xbox controller with computer, tablet, and phone screens

Microsoft

In this way its a kind of combination of gaming on the iPhone, and on the Nintendo DS.

But is it really up to the job of playing Xbox games?

Power

There are two possible hitches to gaming on this rig.

iPad running xCloud and Xbox controller

Lifewire / Rob LeFebvre

One is power, and the other is the lack of physical buttons.

Power-wise, phone chips like Qualcomms Snapdragon are good enough, especially when you consider how Xbox Cloud works.

The advantage is that you might play the games anywhereeven on the iPhone and iPad via a web app.

The disadvantage is latency.

The other possible downside of Xbox games on the Surface Duo is the touch control.

The top screen is reserved for the game visuals, with the bottom screen acting as a controller.

Touch isnt necessarily worse than physical controls, but tends to work best when games are designed for touch.

The classicFruit Ninjais a great example of a touch-first game.

It would be impossible to play with a gamepad.

So, should you buy a Surface Duo for playing Xbox on the go?

But Xbox games are not designed for touch.

If only Apple would allow a native Xbox Cloud app on the iPad.

Paired with an actual Xbox controller, it would be a killer mobile gaming setup.