‘I think we should have a handheld too’: Microsoft’s Xbox chief Phil Spencer hints at new gaming device

Rumours of a dedicated Xbox handheld gaming device have been swirling for months, and now Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer is adding fuel to the fire. In a recent interview with IGN, Spencer dropped his most direct hint yet, stating plainly, "I think we should have a handheld, too."

Spencer's statement came amidst a broader discussion about the future of Xbox hardware, with Spencer expressing excitement about the team's exploration of "different form factors and different ways to play." He underlined that while the focus of the day was on games, there would be "a time to come out and talk more about platform."

“The future for us in hardware is pretty awesome. The work that the team is doing around different form factors and different ways to play, I’m incredibly excited about,” said Spencer. “Today was about the games... but we will have a time to come out and talk more about platform.”

Spencer also shed light on the potential capabilities of such a device, suggesting it would prioritise local gameplay over streaming. "I like my ROG Ally, my Lenovo Legion Go, my Steam Deck. I think being able to play games locally is really important," Spencer commented. This seems to indicate that Microsoft is aiming for a true handheld gaming experience akin to the Steam Deck, rather than a cloud-based streaming device like the PlayStation Portal.

This isn't the first time Spencer has hinted at a desire for a more integrated Xbox experience on handheld PCs. Earlier this year, in a conversation with Polygon, he expressed a desire for a dedicated Xbox mode on such devices: “I want to be able to boot into the Xbox app in a full screen, but in a compact mode,” said Spencer. “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.”