Microsoft is hoping that the latest update on the Surface Duo is enough to attract heavy gamers to try the phone as their next gaming device.
Microsoft announced the Microsoft Surface Duo in 2019 but only released it in 2020. The expectation for the phone was sky-high because of the company’s unique strategy. To avoid leakers and unverified claims, Microsoft jumped the gun and settled the score on the Surface Duo very early.
The strategy did serve its purpose. All the tech world had to do was wait patiently. Unfortunately, the long wait didn’t live up to the hype that Microsoft built around the device.
Not only was the Surface Duo outdated in terms of specs, but its advertised features didn’t translate very well into actual help in daily productivity.
Microsoft Surface Duo has its good and the bad
The unique selling point of the Surface Duo is its two unique screens joined together by a proprietary hinge. It is actually built differently compared to the foldables of Samsung and other Android devices.
However, just because it’s different, it doesn’t necessarily translate to being better. The Surface Duo’s dual-screen mode actually has more issues than solutions. Watching any video isn’t a pleasant experience because of the gap between the two screens.
There are also reports saying that it is quite uncomfortable to use the Surface Duo similar to a regular smartphone because of its width. As mentioned, the specs of Microsoft’s first Android phone still actually have a huge room to improve in.
Nevertheless, Microsoft may be commended for being bold in its development. It just probably needs a bit of time to tweak the actual purpose of the phone.
Maybe its niche is in gaming based on the latest update
The latest update on the Microsoft Surface Duo could be up to something brilliant down the line. As experienced by many mobile gamers, playing games on a regular smartphone isn’t necessarily the best experience. As such, they end up buying extensions for the phones to give them physical buttons and a better grip to play their games.
The Surface Duo’s latest may just solve that problem altogether. According to the release, the dual-screen mode on the phone may translate into a time in gaming. Microsoft plans to do this by allowing the second screen to work as a controller. Meanwhile, the other screen will work as the display for the gamer.
Imagine a Nintendo DS except that the second screen will work both as a secondary screen and a controller. The games that currently support this feature on the Microsoft Surface Duo are still quite limited. However, if Microsoft plays its card right, it may have just stumbled upon the best selling point of its phone.
Image from Microsoft Surface/ YouTube thumbnail