While Microsoft hasn’t officially announced anything yet, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has made it clear his team is exploring an Xbox handheld console. In a recent round of interviews at GDC, he revealed his design team is currently considering “different hardware form factors” while he plays Xbox games on the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally, making notes on where the experience doesn’t live up to his expectations.
A handheld device would certainly fit into Xbox’s recent strategy. Since the launch of Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft has been intent on making its games playable on as many screens as possible, including phones, tablets, and smart TVs. A first-party handheld games console would find a home in that ecosystem.
