I don't think they care because the devices in the future won't be subsidised anyway, they'll sell at a profit.

Plus if it's not ready then there's not much that can be done, don't want another RROD from rushed development.

Let me ask another dumb question.

If the next boxes are basically a PC in an Xbox shell, doesn't that already reduce any development time?

I do agree though that I'd much rather the handheld had been released a year before the Series X successor, I think it's a bit dumb to release them both at the same time because they're going to force people to choose one or the other with limited budgets, Idk. I'm already debating which I want first, something I didn't have to do with Series X vs S.

Funnily Jez leaking that Xbox has a handheld coming has made me completely uninterested in the OEM Xbox branded device releasing this year, and I bet they'll be others like me thinking "Why would I buy that instead of waiting for Xbox's own handheld?" Lol. Then Switch 2 is going to beat it into the ground but again I don't really care, I'm not getting it if Xbox is making a handheld, thanks Jez

As for your 2nd question, Idk, Lol. I would assume so. Might make it easier for xCloud upgrades too.

What would take more development time is if the devices are PC in nature, extensive testing needs to be done with different builds, and scalability of Xbox games. On top of the OS. If the Xbox OS is now gonna be open sourced, that also needs additional work and testing it works on a multitude of devices. 

Xbox hardware has been static up to this point, so this is new territory. 

Manufacturing consoles (especially at first) takes time. Xbox 360 launched only 4 years after Xbox and a full year before Wii and PS3 and the RROD was a plague. A 2009 estimate by SquareTrade put the rate at 23.7% and one by Game Informer that same year put it at 54.2%. Even the lower figure there or around it is unacceptable. Thankfully, hardware failure went down to standard levels with the Jasper chipset (circa 2008) and the S and E models weren't plagued with high failure rates.

Holiday 2026 would be fine for Xbox 5, but only if the hardware is reliable. If waiting until 2027 is needed, then that's when it will be. 

this game was so gooooddd

Hmm we will see don't care about Rumors or BC talk rather just prove it.  Do you think MS will allow third party disc drivers? + have an 'buy games on disc lab'?  

Edit:  While opening the store 'Do you want to be notified if a game is on sale from your wishlist?'    *Clicks NO*  
         One day later   'You have 37 messages'     

         36 Messages about a game deal and one Message that said   'For the girls play Avowed/dungeons of Hinterberg etc' =p

Xbox is developing the software experience, that's why it's a "partner" device.

— Jez (@jezcorden.com) 11 March 2025 at 11:51

Keep the Windows team away from it.

This is not the way many were hoping Xbox would go third party

I'm already seeing some damage control with this Xbox handheld rumor. Who would have thought a "dead" hardware brand would ruffle so many feathers.