Xbox has not been quiet about its plans to enter the handheld space lately. While it hasn’t revealed concrete plans about what form the handheld will take or when it might come out, Xbox head-honcho Phil Spencer has openly discussed the idea, although at the time he indicated they were still years away from launching it.
However, a new report suggests an Xbox handheld device might be launching as early as this year.
Jez Corden from Window’s Central has the pertinent information. He reveals that Xbox is working with a third-party to launch an Xbox branded handheld, with a release date pencilled in for this year.
“Codename ‘Keenan,’ this gaming handheld will look unmistakably ‘Xbox’ we’re told, complete with an official Xbox guide button, and Xbox design sensibilities,” said Jez.
He goes on to explain that the device will likely be more PC orientated, along the lines of a Steam Deck or Asus ROG Ally.
“Given that this is a partner device, similar to Lenovo’s SteamOS partnership with Valve, I expect this handheld to be more PC-oriented. It’ll most likely run full Windows, putting the Microsoft Store and PC Game Pass front and center, alongside the ability to install things like Steam,” Jez says.
This ties in with previous Windows Central reporting by Samuel Tolbert, who wrote in December of 2024 that Microsoft was apparently considering 3rd parties to make Xbox branded devices.
“We’ve even heard that Microsoft is exploring options around letting third-parties build Xbox-branded devices, something that could extend as far as letting them directly use the Xbox operating system,” wrote Tolbert.
It’s not just Xbox, either, as Sony is also reportedly working on a handheld based on their Portal streaming device.
Naturally, the report by Jez seems to conflict with what Phil Spencer said, but in his reporting Jez comments on this year’s planned handheld as being a different device to Xbox’x own internally developed machine.
“For now, I understand that Microsoft’s next-gen hardware plans include a premium successor to the powerful Xbox Series X, alongside its own Xbox gaming handheld, and several new controller options,” said Jez. “Tentatively, these new console devices are slated for 2027.”
Jez is, of course, also openly discussing Xbox’s plans for a new generation console as well, something which the company has openly confirmed it’s already working on. Usually news that a company is working on its next console is barely worth talking about because it’s a given – hardware developement is a near-continous thing, after all – but with Xbox shifting over to third-party publishing on multiple platforms, there’s a lot of questions about what the future of Xbox is going to be. Jez’s reports might help alleviate some fears that Xbox will abandon the hardware space entirely.