Xbox handheld: leaks, release date and everything you need to know
Microsoft is reportedly working on an Xbox handheld. Here's what we know so far.
Microsoft is reportedly working on an Xbox handheld, which could rival the likes of the Nintendo Switch and Valve’s Steam Deck – if it turns out to be real.
With Xbox hardware sales flat-lining in Europe, a pivot to the growing handheld market could prove lucrative for Microsoft. After all, the demand for Sony’s PlayStation Portal showed there is an appetite for a native handheld more akin to a PSP 2.
Microsoft won’t be releasing a mid-gen console refresh like the PS5 Pro, either, but has instead an all-digital white Xbox Series X, and an Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X with more storage instead of the rumored Xbox Series X Slim. If that’s the case, an Xbox handheld would fill the gap for Xbox fans and offer an alternative to simply buying a more powerful, yet familiar console.
Xbox handheld leaks
Xbox chief Phil Spencer shares his thoughts on Xbox handheld rumors
Microsoft CEO of gaming Phil Spencer was asked by IGN about the rumors of an Xbox handheld after the system wasn’t shown during the Xbox Games Showcase.
“The future for us in hardware is pretty awesome. The work that the team is doing around different form factors, different ways to play, I'm incredibly excited about,” Spencer said. “Today was about the games... but we will have a time to come out and talk more about platform, and we can't wait to bring it to you.”
Spencer also made it clear that any Xbox handheld would be able to play games locally, and won’t be a streaming device like the PlayStation Portal. “I think being able to play games locally is really important,” said Spencer.
The Xbox handheld could be teased at Microsoft’s Game Showcase
Microsoft’s Games Showcase takes place on June 9, and it’s rumored that we could see a tease of the Xbox handled. In a Reddit post by user SkyOld5788 (translated from a video by a notable Xbox leaker eXtas1s), they said, “Xbox will make a teaser about the new Xbox portable on the showcase that confirms its existence to the general public.”
The Xbox portable could be an ARM-powered device, similar to Microsoft's newly unveiled CoPilot+ PCs and Surface devices. Microsoft could offer the best Windows handheld experience, as it’s fair to say it isn’t as optimized as it could be. Xbox gamers would also get access to the best PS5 games thanks to Steam and Xbox Game Pass, along with Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Microsoft wants to know if you’d buy an Xbox handheld
Microsoft has sent out a survey to garner interest in an Xbox handheld. The survey asks whether you’d buy a new handheld in the next three to five years, which handhelds you currently own, and whether a handheld should be able to stream cloud games. The survey only adds fuel to the fire that an Xbox handheld is being developed, though Microsoft will have to overcome some steep competition if it does enter the market.
Phil Spencer discusses what he’d like to see from an Xbox handheld
Microsoft’s CEO of Gaming Phil Spencer has discussed what he’d like to see from an Xbox handheld in an interview with Polygon at the annual Game Developers Conference.
Spencer, who has been very vocal about his love of the current portable PC handhelds, said: “I want my Lenovo Legion Go to feel like an Xbox. I brought [the Legion Go] with me to GDC. I’m on the airplane and I have this list of everything that makes it not feel like an Xbox. Forget about the brand. More like: Are all of my games there? Do all my games show up with the save [files] that I want? I’ll tell you one [game] that doesn’t right now – it’s driving me crazy – is Fallout 76. It doesn’t have cross-save.
“I want to be able to boot into the Xbox app in a full screen, but in a compact mode. And all of my social [experience] is there. Like I want it to feel like the dash of my Xbox when I turn on the television. [Except I want it] on those devices.”
Spencer also said the Xbox hardware team is considering “different hardware form factors and things that [they] could go do” as it plans the future of Xbox hardware. “What should we build that will find new players that will allow people to play at times when they couldn’t go play [in the past]?”
We know that Microsoft has considered a handheld device thanks to the massive Xbox leak which laid the company’s plans out for all to see, but Spencer’s comments show he’s given it some serious thought. Whether or not Microsoft’s plans center around improving the Xbox experience on handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally or creating hardware remains to be seen, but the latter would certainly create some excitement.
Xbox handheld release date
Microsoft has said to expect new Xbox hardware this holiday season, but could that include an Xbox handheld release date? With Sony preparing to release the PS5 Pro toward the end of this year and the Nintendo Switch 2 is predicted to release in early 2025, Microsoft would be wise to get its hardware out before then.
Xbox handheld specs
It’s hard to gauge how powerful an Xbox handheld would be, as Microsoft will want to make sure its portable console is affordable but capable enough not to hamper developers. If Microsoft can create a handheld that is close to a portable Xbox Series S in terms of specs – perhaps targeting 720p – it should make it easy to port games over to the new hardware.
As well as being able to play games natively, Microsoft will also be able to harness the power of Xbox Cloud Gaming. The service isn’t available on Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck, which could give Microsoft a unique selling point and allow the handheld to run more graphically intensive games if players have a strong enough internet connection.
Last updated: June 10, 2024