Xbox Handheld Incoming? 'We Should Have One Too,' Says Xbox Chief Phil Spencer

Microsoft Corp.‘s MSFT Phil Spencer has been dropping hints about a potential Xbox handheld for months. Earlier this year, the 56-year-old Xbox chief expressed enthusiasm for handheld devices, stating he was “a big fan of handhelds.“

In a recent interview with IGN, Spencer provided the biggest hint yet.

“I think we should have a handheld, too,” he said.

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This suggests that Microsoft is indeed working on the long-rumored project. Spencer highlighted the exciting future of Xbox hardware. He mentioned the team’s work on various form factors and ways to play games.

“The future for us in hardware is pretty awesome… we will have a time to come out and talk more about platform,” he said.

When asked if an Xbox handheld would stream games or play them locally, Spencer indicated a preference for local gameplay, similar to devices like the ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and Steam Deck.

He added: “I think being able to play games locally is really important.”

Earlier this year, Spencer expressed a desire for a compact Xbox mode on a handheld gaming PC. He envisioned a device where you could boot into the Xbox app in full screen but in a compact mode, feeling like the Xbox dashboard on a TV. “I want it to feel like the dash of my Xbox when I turn on the television. [Except I want it] on those devices,” he told Polygon.

The speculation is that Microsoft might be developing a Windows-based Xbox handheld. It’ll likely run Xbox games and features the full Xbox dashboard.

On The Vergecast, an ideal Xbox handheld was described as running Windows at its core but presenting itself as an Xbox console, capable of running both Steam and Xbox games.

Such a device would require a seamless integration of Xbox and Windows. That merger seems increasingly inevitable given the PC-like future of Xbox.

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