As speculations on an Xbox gaming handheld device have continued to swirl, Xbox boss Phil Spencer confirmed that the company does indeed have plans, though they will take time to cook.
Xbox Handheld Plans Confirmed by Microsoft
Xbox More Focused On Expanding Its App At The Moment
Xbox's Phil Spencer has confirmed that Microsoft has plans to develop an Xbox handheld console. However, Spencer clarified that a handheld coming into fruition would be "a few years away." In an interview with Bloomberg, Spencer revealed that they are working on prototypes and considering what an Xbox handheld could offer and might do. He further explained that the expectation set within the company is that they "would do something" as they push forward in the gaming handhelds market.
Though internal plans for the handheld console were confirmed, Spencer said Microsoft has no immediate plans to release the console. "Longer term, I love us 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 explained.
At the moment, Spencer said that the company is focusing on expanding the accessibility of the Xbox app in existing gaming handheld consoles. "The Xbox app right now is good rather than great on some of these gadgets," Spencer said, according to Bloomberg. He also revealed that Microsoft intends to accelerate its plans to release Xbox exclusive titles on other platforms, gradually turning away from platform exclusivity.
After the first batch of Xbox games' release on competitor platforms PlayStation and Switch, which included the games Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves, and Grounded, Spencer shared that he is "pleased with the results." More multiplatform releases can be expected from Xbox, Spencer reiterated. "I do not see [any] sort of red lines in our portfolio that say ‘thou must not,’" he said.
During the The Xbox Games Showcase in June, Spencer hinted that the Xbox handheld could enable local game play, remarking that "being able to play games locally is really important" when asked whether the company's handheld device would be cloud-only or allow for local installations and play.
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