Xbox handheld explained: What has Microsoft said about it?

Now, Microsoft is rumoured to be making an Xbox handheld console to join in the portable fun.

An Xbox handheld has been rumoured for a while by this point, with people pointing towards the court documents released during the Xbox vs PlayStation debacle after Microsoft’s much-publicised takeover of Activision Blizzard.

This led to a discovery about a potential upcoming next-gen Xbox, too.

The thought of being able to play Game Pass games on a dedicated Xbox handheld is a fun one. Has Microsoft said anything about a potential portable platform, though? Read on to find out.

Xbox handheld explained: What has Microsoft said?

Microsoft has mentioned a potential Xbox handheld a number of times in the past few years, with Phil Spencer (Xbox head honcho) mentioning in late 2024 that Microsoft loves "building devices".

Speaking to Bloomberg, Spencer said this while declaring his admiration of handheld platforms: The "expectation is that we would do something" in that space.

Any potential Microsoft-created Xbox handheld, though, sounds as though it is some years away, as noted in the Bloomberg article.

In the meantime, Microsoft "will focus on making the Xbox app work better on existing portable devices and partnering with hardware makers to make sure their products sync with Xbox games and experiences".

Finally, Spencer adds that: "Longer term, I love us [Xbox] building devices. And I think our team could do some real innovative work, but we want to be informed by learning and what’s happening now."

Spencer has also told Polygon that Xbox is considering "different hardware form factors and things that [they] could go do".

Interesting times are ahead for Microsoft and the Xbox brand, it seems.

What do the rumours say about the Xbox handheld?

There have been rumours about an Xbox handheld console for a long while now. The comments from Phil Spencer in the section above certainly add fuel to the Xbox handheld fire.

Rumours around a potential Xbox handheld have it as a Windows PC-esque handheld console built around the Xbox app and Game Pass.

One rumour from Windows Central editor Jez Corden (on the Xbox Two podcast – thanks, Pure Xbox!) is suggesting that we could see new Xbox hardware revealed this year by Microsoft. Could we finally get a look at the rumoured Xbox handheld console?

Corden explains in the Xbox Two podcast: "A little birdie has told me that you might see genuinely new hardware next year, maybe, of some form, for Xbox… I do think next year [2025] is a good year for revealing new hardware… especially hardware you can hold in the palm of your hand."

Well, we’ve already had our first look at the Nintendo Switch 2. Could an Xbox handheld reveal be next? Time will tell, and we’ll be here to cover it all.

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