Rumors of an Xbox handheld console have been a thing for over a decade. There was, after all, the so-called Xboy, a project pushed internally by several groups within Microsoft's Xbox Leadership Team (XLT). However, it never panned out under the leadership of former Microsoft Xbox lead Robbie Bach.
Now, though, Phil Spencer heads Microsoft's gaming department, and the executive seems more eager than ever for an Xbox handheld. Speaking with Polygon at GDC 2024, he mused:
What should we build that will find new players, that will allow people to play at times when they couldn’t go play?
It seems a clear-cut reference to an Xbox handheld. After all, the Nintendo Switch is the third best-selling console of all time, and the market for PC handhelds exploded after the launch of the Steam Deck.
Spencer is a fan of those PC handhelds, but he feels there's definitely room for improvement in a few areas:
I like the fact that Valve, Lenovo, and Asus went out and innovated in a new form factor. And I will say that when I’m playing on those devices, it almost feels more like a console than a PC — nine times out of 10. The things that usually frustrate me are more Windows-based than device-based. Which is an area I feel some ownership of. Like, I want to be able to log in with a controller. I’ve got my list of things we should go do.
The interview follows a report revealed a couple of days ago by Windows Central's Jez Corden, who claimed multiple Xbox handheld prototypes are being worked on right now. It seems like there's still quite some time before the console is released, though, and fans shouldn't expect it to hit the market before a couple of years. Still, would you be interested in purchasing an Xbox handheld? Vote in the poll below and discuss the topic in the comments section.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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