It’s quite clear that handheld consoles are all the rage right now, with every brand under the sun releasing some sort of device that allows you to play games on the go or for PlayStation, just somewhere else in your house.
Xbox is the only company we haven’t seen dive head-first into the craze just yet. Initially, there were rumours that Game Pass would be the software platform that allows users to play all their Xbox games on any screen around, but that was shut down a few months ago when everyone thought Xbox would drop exclusive titles.
Now, Phil Spencer seems to be dropping a few hints at Xbox releasing an official Xbox handheld device. Or are we just reading too deeply into it, hoping that the XPortal, no wait, XPalm, no, no, the Xbox Series One X Portable Handheld X Two, is a real thing?
In an interview with Polygon, Spencer made a few statements about the current range of handheld devices out there, saying that he loves how some brands have taken to the handheld market, but he wants them to feel more Xbox-y.
I want it to feel like the dash of my Xbox when I turn on the television, [Except I want it] on those devices.
He also listed how being able to access your save files wherever you are, viewing the Xbox Dashboard in a full-screen yet compacted mode, and having the Xbox social experience built in, were things he would love to see on a handheld device.
Spencer also went on to say that the hardware team are always considering “different hardware form factors and things that [they] could go do” to try and entice more people to buy their hardware and “allow people to play at times when they couldn’t go play”.
A lot of these words do suggest some form of portable device, but without anything official being said, they are also just the things Spencer wishes for while he plays on his Lenovo Legion Go.
Do you think Xbox has a secret handheld device that is just waiting to be revealed sometime this June? Let us know in the comments below.
P.S. The cover image is clearly AI-generated; don’t have a hissy fit about it, we know.