Xbox is Planning to Release a Handheld Console but It is Years Away

There has been rumors of Xbox developing a handheld console for a while now and it seems those rumors are official. According to a recent Bloomberg article, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has seemingly confirmed a handheld console is planned. He says “the expectation is that [Xbox] would do something” for the handheld market and that prototypes are currently in development, but such a product will be released a few years from now.

According to statements earlier in March, from Windows Central’s Jez Corden, Microsoft is working on a prototype for an Xbox handheld console. In an episode of the Xbox Two podcast, Corden revealed that the device is fully native and not cloud based. He also added that while the device is new, it may not necessarily hit the market. “I know that they’ve got new hand held prototypes.”

He said. “Prototypes don’t necessarily mean they’ll go to market but I think you have to really look at the landscape and Microsoft’s strategy, the thought process, and the new chips that have started to enable these kinds of devices. I think Microsoft would be absolutely insane to not pursue this.” It’s worth noting that none of these claims have been confirmed by Microsoft.

According to a past statement to The Verge, Phil Spencer stated that the company is considering developing different types of hardware. “I’m very proud of the work that the hardware team is doing, not only for this year, but also into the future,” says Spencer. “[We’re] really thinking about creating hardware that sells to gamers because of the unique aspects of the hardware. It’s kind of an unleashing of the creative capability of our hardware team that I’m really excited about.”

The full quote regarding the hardware updates via Sarah Bond:

“We’ve got more to come. There’s some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that we’re going to share this holiday. We’re also invested in the next-generation roadmap. What we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation, which makes it better for players and better for creators and the visions that they’re building.”