Still Not Confirmed, Phil Spencer Entertains Several Points On What Could Be An Xbox Handheld

Some of the bigger strategic moves for Microsoft has been in favor of other platforms recently. In total, four games are coming to competing systems with Pentiment, Hi-Fi Rush, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves. However, he does clarify current Xbox heavy-hitters including Starfield & Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are not part of that conversation.

During the same discussion, it also entertained its plans for the next Xbox system. From Xbox president Sarah Bond, she elaborated the new device will be “the largest technological leap” any console has ever faced. On the other hand, a new string of claims also point towards the Xbox firm also piecing together plans for an official handheld as well to some capacity.

And although there is still no evidence pointing to the device coming to fruition entirely, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer does press on what he would expect from such a device. Speaking to Polygon, he expressed that “I want my Lenovo Legion Go to feel like an Xbox” when speaking on his experience with the handheld during GDC recently.

Spencer adds: “What should we build that will find new players? That will allow people to play at times when they couldn’t go play [in the past]?” He goes one step further when elaborating that the Roanna Sones-led team for Xbox hardware are searching “different hardware form factors and things that [they] could go do”. Ultimately, he visions this device to be a centralized device that delivers the Xbox experience natively.

“I want to be able to boot into the Xbox app in a full screen, but in a compact mode. And all of my social [experience] is there. 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.” On the other hand, the Xbox firm continues to chase cloud gaming. In a recent development, Xbox Cloud Gaming is now 10 percent of the overall user base for Microsoft.

Even more, the service is to embrace the mainstream later this year it appears. According to an exchange between a fan & Spencer, plans to support your purchase library via cloud streaming is planned for 2024. You can read the full report by heading here.

What do you want from an Xbox handheld?

Source: Polygon