Xbox Handheld Console confirmed by Phil Spencer

An Xbox A handheld game console is in the works, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said. But Xbox fans shouldn't expect to see it in the immediate future.

Rumors of Microsoft making a portable gaming device have been circulating online for years and usually come in waves. Several such claims have surfaced throughout 2024, with many offered by Microsoft insider Jez Corden, who has repeatedly insisted that an Xbox handheld console is in the works.

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Rumor: Next-Gen Xbox Lineup Will Include Handheld Console

A well-known leaker has shared some details about the next generation of Xbox hardware, which will reportedly include Microsoft's first handheld console.

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has now confirmed that this is indeed the case. In an interview with Bloomberg, the executive acknowledged that fans expect the company to “do something” about portable gaming. Microsoft has already started thinking about what that “something” might entail, and is currently in the process of prototyping its first-ever handheld gaming system, Spencer said. The official also noted that he asked his team to develop not just a handheld, but a full-fledged vision of how Microsoft could compete in the portable gaming market.

The Xbox handheld console is still several years away from release

And while Microsoft's efforts on that front continue, Spencer says the company's first handheld game console won't be hitting the market anytime soon. Instead, it's still a few years away from release. In early November 2024, Jez Corden announced that the first-ever Xbox handheld could still be unveiled or at least teased sometime in 2025. Between that and Spencer's newly shared explanation, it seems that the mysterious gadget may not be part of the next generation of Xbox consoles that Microsoft is launching expects in 2028, as he stated in some 2023 legal filings related to his legal battle with the FTC over the already concluded by the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Confirmation that Microsoft is finally making a move into the portable gaming market will come as no surprise to the most observant of fans. Spencer has repeatedly flirted with the idea in the past, going so far as to personally fuel some Xbox handheld rumors in early 2024. An executive has now told Bloomberg that he loves the idea of ​​Microsoft building new devices over the long term. “I think our team could do some really innovative work, but we want to be informed by learning and what's happening now,” he explained.

Microsoft wants to improve the Xbox app before releasing the handheld console

To that end, Microsoft currently intends to focus on improving the Xbox app experience on existing handhelds before commercializing its own portable console. Spencer described the current version of the app as “more good than great on some of these gadgets” and noted that Microsoft will look to improve it and learn from it, then use that knowledge to design its upcoming Xbox handheld. comfort.

Xbox Series X Digital

Xbox Series X Digital is the best way yet to play the vast collection of Microsoft Game Pass games. In a striking robotic white color, Microsoft's flagship has the same gaming capabilities in 4K resolution and supports gaming at 120 frames per second. Xbox Series X Digital comes with an incredibly fast 1TB SSD to give gamers plenty of room for digital downloads. With the console, buyers will receive a versatile Xbox wireless controller with a dedicated Share button to show off their gaming achievements.

4K capabilities

60 fps, 120 fps

Mark

Microsoft

Storage

1TB Custom NVME SSD

CPU

8X Cores @ 3.8GHz (3.6GHz w/SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU

Connectivity

802.11ac dual band, Ethernet 802.3 10/100/1000, HDMI 2.1 3x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports

Dimensions

5.94 x 5.94 x 11.85 inches (15.1 x 15.1 x 30.1 cm)

Weight

9.8 lb (4.4 kg)

Sound

Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, Dolby TrueHD with Atmos

RAM

16GB GDDR6 with 320-bit bus

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