A lot of people (not least Engadget’s own Sam Rutherford) have been asking Microsoft to make an Xbox-branded handheld for a long time.
But Microsoft’s priorities have reportedly shifted to improving the widely criticised performance of Windows 11 on existing third-party PC gaming handhelds.
In an exclusive report, Windows Central claims that a dedicated Xbox handheld system, which could have launched in 2027 alongside the successor to the Xbox Series X, isn’t the company’s main area of focus right now, even if it remains keen on the idea.
While a native Xbox device might be some way off, the report makes clear that Microsoft is still very much active in the handheld market.
It’s likely this device, which could be equipped with AMD’s Z2 Extreme chip, will ship with an improved Windows 11 experience better suited to a controller interface.
For a long time, many people—including Sam Rutherford of Engadget—have been requesting that Microsoft produce a handheld device bearing the Xbox name. For some time, it appeared as though we might be getting just that in the not-too-distant future. Microsoft’s focus, however, is apparently now on enhancing Windows 11’s much-maligned performance on third-party PC gaming handhelds.
A dedicated Xbox handheld system, which could have debuted in 2027 alongside the Xbox Series X successor, isn’t the company’s primary focus at the moment, despite its continued interest in the concept, according to an exclusive report from Windows Central. According to Jez Corden of Windows Central, no layoffs have occurred as a result of the strategic change, and an internally developed handheld—for which he has seen several different codenames—is not presently under development.
The report demonstrates that Microsoft is still very much involved in the handheld market, even though a native Xbox device may be some time off. The codename “Project Kennan” for a third-party console it has been developing with ASUS is still scheduled for release in 2025. It’s likely that this device, which might have AMD’s Z2 Extreme chip, will come with a better version of Windows 11 that is more appropriate for a controller interface.
