Get ready to level up your gaming experience because Microsoft is cooking up something exciting: the Xbox Gaming Handheld! In this article, we’re diving deep into the world of portable gaming to give you all the juicy details about this upcoming device. So grab your controllers and buckle up, because the future of gaming is about to get a whole lot more portable!
Microsoft Xbox Gaming Handheld
Some FTC papers found last year showed Microsoft’s plans for its handheld game console. Since then, there haven’t been many rumors about it, but one creator has said that it will be based on the style of the Nintendo Switch. Now, Windows Central’s Managing Editor and expert in the field Jez Corden has stated that an Xbox device is still in the works.
Corden says in the Xbox Two Podcast that Microsoft will not give up on the idea of a handheld system just because portable game devices are becoming more popular. But the rumored Xbox portable won’t come out this year or even the next. The gadget is still in its very early stages of development, and a few prototypes are moving around. This indicates that the console will most probably be launched in 2026.
A handheld Xbox? Microsoft’s gaming chief can’t stop thinking about it…
There are rumors that Microsoft might be working on a portable Xbox, similar to the Nintendo Switch.
The development reportedly led by the Surface team is expected to complement a traditional console in… pic.twitter.com/BAOUaTN302
— GPT: Game Pass Tracker (@GPTGamingNews) March 25, 2024
This is related to the new Xbox dev kit approved for use in South Korea. Microsoft does not need to release a completely new devkit for what is effectively the same hardware, even though it is thought to be the much-rumored diskless Xbox Series X. Its position in South Korea could mean that it works with Samsung in some way.
As of now, almost two years have passed, so it’s hard to say what the supposed Xbox device will have. The company can choose between Panther Lake and Nova Lake processors if it goes with Intel. Its Team Red version might have parts with a Zen 6 CPU and an RDNA 5 GPU. An Arm CPU might also be in development as long as the Snapdragon X Elite works as promised for games.
If you price a 1080p handheld closely matching the speed of an Xbox Series S and are able to connect to Game Pass, it should sell like crazy. Still, by 2026, there will be a lot more handhelds on the market. It will have to deal with tough competition from the Nintendo Switch, the Asus ROG Ally, and the Steam Deck.
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