Summary
- Microsoft's CEO, Phil Spencer, hints at the possibility of an Xbox-branded handheld PC in a recent interview.
- Spencer mentions seeing opportunities in different types of devices and expresses his enthusiasm for handhelds.
- Microsoft's potential entrance into the portable gaming market is not surprising given their ties to portable consoles and Windows as an operating system.
After the success of the Steam Deck, lots of different gaming hardware companies have released their own take on the portable PC, with each one giving different results and styles. The market has been so popular, in fact, that it has caught the eye of Microsoft Gaming's CEO Phil Spencer. Now, in a recent interview, Phil has given hints that Microsoft may one day reveal its own Xbox-branded portable handheld PC.
Microsoft's Phil Spencer hints at an Xbox handheld
As part of an interview with The Verge, Phil Spencer never explicitly states that he plans to work on an Xbox handheld device. However, he does heavily allude to its potential:
"We see a lot of opportunity in different types of devices, and will share specifics on our future hardware plans as soon as we are ready."
[...]
"I’m a big fan of handhelds. I’m a big fan, but nothing to announce."
It's not like Microsoft and handheld PC gaming are that removed from one another. Some portable consoles use Windows as its operating system, albeit sometimes its a caveat and holds the device back from reaching its full potential. Still, it's a sign that Microsoft has ties within the portable gaming market, so the company releasing its own device is definitely not beyond imagination.
