After months, if not years, of speculation, it appears an Xbox handheld is officially in the works. This is a pretty significant development as it’s the only brand of the big three – Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo – that we’ve not seen a portable console from before, so it could cause waves across the industry when it arrives. However, you shouldn’t expect it anytime soon.
The new details surrounding an Xbox handheld are courtesy of a new Bloomberg interview with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, with reporter Jason Schreier posting the article on X and claiming that the brand is “planning a handheld but it’s years away.” It’d have to be pretty impressive to compete with some of the picks on our list of the best portable gaming consoles, as well as the impending Nintendo Switch 2, but Xbox is incredibly capable when it comes to hardware, so we’ve already got some pretty high hopes.
In all honesty, it’s not much of a surprise to see Xbox take handheld gaming seriously. In recent years, we’ve seen the massive success of both the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, and even Sony has limped back into the portable market with the PlayStation Portal. Whether Xbox goes down the Valve route of a standalone console or the Sony route of tying its handheld console to another stationary unit isn’t clear, but either way, we can’t wait to get our hands on it.
Outside of the confirmation of an Xbox handheld, Bloomberg’s interview with Spencer also confirmed that there are no “red lines” when it comes to the brand releasing exclusives on other consoles, including PlayStation. We also learned that the business is apparently healthier now, which is a relief to hear after a tumultuous year for both Xbox and the wider games industry.
Of course, we’ll be looking out for any updates from Spencer or other big names at Xbox following the news that the brand is planning a handheld, but don’t expect any concrete details for a while yet. If you don’t want to wait a few years to play the best Xbox Game Pass games, be sure to check out our picks for the best Steam Deck alternatives, many of which you can use to download and play Xbox titles.