For some time now, rumors about a handheld gaming device from Xbox have been circulating online. While nothing has been officially confirmed just yet, it seems we could see an announcement sometime next year. In a new episode of The Xbox Two podcast, co-host Jez Corden talked about the possibility of new hardware from the company. When the possibility of a reveal at The Game Awards next month was brought up, Corden was quick to say that he doesn’t think any kind of hardware reveal will be happening before 2025.
“I don’t think you’re gonna see hardware at The Game Awards, but, um, I do think next year is a good year for revealing new hardware. Especially hardware you could hold in the palm of your hand,” said Corden.
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Obviously, we don’t know what form an Xbox handheld would take, but it seems like a safe bet it would center around Game Pass. Xbox Cloud Streaming currently allows users to access games on their mobile device, but that’s significantly different from a dedicated handheld. It’s hard to say whether this would be something like Nintendo Switch, which offers true portability, or closer to the PlayStation Portal, which simply allows players to stream games. The latter would be a bit less exciting, but a handheld that at least allowed users to download Game Pass games could hold a lot of appeal, especially if it received a compelling price.
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It’s looking like Nintendo’s successor to Switch will be released sometime in 2025, so it will be interesting to see if Xbox really is planning to release a potential competitor in that same year. Xbox and Nintendo have built a strong working relationship over the last eight years or so, with games like Pentiment, Grounded, and Minecraft released on Switch, and Microsoft owned characters like Banjo-Kazooie and Steve appearing in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It remains to be seen whether that relationship will continue in the Switch 2 era, or if we might actually see the two companies become something resembling competitors.
The Xbox brand has been in a difficult place during the current console generation. The company has struggled to remain competitive with PlayStation and Nintendo, with Xbox Series X and Series S consoles struggling to find an audience. An Xbox handheld could attract potential new users, but it could also face the same difficulties we’ve seen with the company’s current platforms. The success of Switch and Steam Deck has led to a lot of new interest in portable gaming, but an Xbox handheld could face an uphill battle to compete for market share. For now, readers are encouraged to take all of this with a grain of salt until we get some kind of announcement from the company.
Would you be interested in buying an Xbox handheld? Do you think it will be able to compete with Nintendo and Steam Deck? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!