Microsoft is working on several prototypes of a handheld console, at least according to what Windows Central’s Jez Corden said during an episode of The Xbox Two video blog. And it is difficult to doubt the journalist’s statements.
First there are the numerous rumors that have never been officially denied and secondly, and even more importantly, there are the statements of Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, who recently suggested the possible arrival of an Xbox handheld similar to Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck.
Of course, it is not certain that the prototypes in question will turn into a real console. But that seems quite likely. Microsoft Gaming, which became a publishing giant with the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, has every intention of building an audience beyond the boundaries of Xbox Series X and Series S.
It has already demonstrated this at the time of the acquisition of Minecraft, which remained available in all versions, and has underlined it both with the concessions relating to the cross-platform publication of Call of Duty, and with the decision to publish as many as four games on competing consoles. It therefore seems unlikely that he will miss the opportunity to set foot in the world of handhelds, a market whose high sales potential could also lead to a sharp increase in the number of Game Pass subscribers.
However, there is no need to hope that a portable Xbox is just around the corner. In that case we would have more information about it, as happened with PS5 Pro. It is no coincidence that Jez Corden has ruled out that the Xbox development kit certified in South Korea could correspond to a portable Xbox.
And it’s an opinion shared by those in charge of the XNC – Xbox News Cast Podcast channel who recently talked about a laptop paired with a docking station, presumably one of several prototypes that would therefore be similar to the Nintendo Switch, and a possible launch in 2026, alongside a new high-end living room Xbox.
